Smp/standard 29411 Spark Plug Wire on 2040-parts.com

Mercedes E 300 BlueTEC HYBRID – Africa to Goodwood on a single tank of fuel

The Mercedes E300 Hybrid – Africa to Goodwood on a tank of fuel It might cost more to buy a hybrid car than a regular ICE car, but if you do a lot of miles the fuel savings can be impressive and, with many modern cars, you can choose to use the extra electric motor for more performance when parsimony isn’t at the top of your agenda. A good example of a car that offers plenty of luxuries, decent performance and the ability to eke out a gallon of fuel further than you’d ever have thought possible is the latest Mercedes E 300 BlueTEC HYBRID. With a 201 bhp diesel engine and a 27 bhp electric motor, the Mercedes hybrid can get to 62 mph in 7.5 seconds, reach 155 mph and offers leather trim, COMAND, Climate and all the little luxuries that make time behind the wheel more bearable.

Chris Bangle begins work with Changan Automobile on its design strategy and methodology

Chris Bangle is to consult with Changan Automobile to help develop its design strategy and processes in his first official automotive project since leaving BMW in 2009. Bangle – through his company Chris Bangle Associates (CBA) – will work with Changan's team in its European design center in Turin, Italy, reporting to design director Chen Zheng. And while his role will be linked to the brand's Chinese products, his focus will be on the design team's methodologies and philosophy; its management and its process of critique, rather than the hands-on design of its products.

One Lap of the Web: The Weird World of Wheels

-- Introducing the greatest television show you've never heard of: "Operation: Mystery!" Imagine if the "X-Files" took place in 1960s Japan, and had its own cool custom car the heroes rolled around in: the Tortoise, a pudgy little thing that resembled the unholy combination of an Opel GT and a Dustbuster. It was bulletproof (not really), had gullwing doors (really) and was based on a Subaru 360 (really!). Sadly, its whereabouts are unknown, and it might have disappeared into the ether along with the UFOs its heroes probably investigated.