Smooth Black Power Fold Side View Door Mirror Assembly Pair Set Driver Passenger on 2040-parts.com

Ford invents agile, low-cost solution for prototyping, customization and limited production [w/video]

A new metal forming technique pioneered by Ford that drastically reduces the time and cost of producing low-volume and one-off body parts may lead to cost-effective customization, redesigns, one-offs and limited production runs. Ford Freeform Fabrication Technology (F3T) forms sheets of metal by two stylus-like tools, one on each side of the surface. Using CAD data they form the part to the exacting strength and finish tolerances usually associated with stamping dies.

Jaguar XFR Speed Pack

Jaguar has revealed a Speed Pack for the XFR, raising the top speed to 174mph and adding cosmetic tweaks. We have been expecting Jaguar to arrive at the Paris Motor Show next month with an XFR-S, an XFR with the same power boost as the XKR-S to offer an XFR that can hold its own against the new M5. That may still be happening, but perhaps Jaguar are only planning on giving us a low-fat upgrade to the XFR in the form of the XFR Speed Pack, revealed at the Moscow Motor Show?

Volvo V60 Plug-in Hybrid: Production underway

The world’s first production plug-in diesel hybrid – the Volvo V60 Plug-in Hybrid – has gone in to production ahead of customer deliveries. Volvo are producing just 1,000 2013 V60 plug-ins, but are aiming to up production to between 4-6,000 a year from the 2014 model year and, despite the problems of integrating the V60′s complicated electric stuff in to a production car, the V60 plug-in is rolling down the same production line as the regular V60, V70, S80 and XC90. That complicated stuff includes two different powertrains and a battery pack – enough for up to 32 miles as an EV only – and a total of 300 additional parts compared to a regular ICE V60.