Spc Performance Street Rod And Musclecar Control Arm 94451 on 2040-parts.com

The fall and rise of the budget car

Twenty years ago, the classic bargain brands like Lada seemed to be going the same way as the Soviet empire that spawned them. Woefully dated and badly made, only a weirdo would have bought a new Lada rather than a second-hand model from Ford, Vauxhall or VW. However, one of the big trends in the car industry today is the re-emergence of bargain cars.

Volvo XC60 R-Design revealed

Volvo has released details of an R-Design version of the XC60 Still, more power isn’t everyone’s cup of tea – particularly at the moment – but many buyers like a bit of ‘butchness’ in their cars. And to be completely fair to Volvo, although they haven’t messed with the oily bits for more oomph, they have played with the suspension for more feel. Volvo say the XC60 has improved steering (thanks to ‘Direct Steering Gear’), stiffer damping and a more robust chassis.

Watch Tesla Model S testing new titanium armor

In a missive signed by Elon Musk himself, Tesla announced it would be adding titanium plates and aluminum deflectors to all new Model S sedans and offering free retrofits for the 20,000 or so existing EVs. The company earlier offered an over-the-air software update to raise the ground clearance of the Model S so the car would be more likely to clear dangerous road debris. The actions were in response to well-publicized fires in the electric luxury sedans.