Spectra Premium Industries Inc 94603 Heater Core on 2040-parts.com

Audi A3 2.0 TDI gets greener

The Audi A3 2.0 TDI gets a 'Green' makeover If you read here regularly you’ll be only too well aware that every week we report on cars that have cleaned up their act, got more economical and are emitting less CO2. Less cynical souls than us may reasonably conclude that this is because car makers want to ‘save the planet’. But of course, it’s nothing of the sort.

Hot seats: from design to delivery [sponsored]

As the user demands on car interiors are increasingly influenced by their growing design consciousness, so suppliers like Lear strive to bring better-engineered seating to satisfy. 2013 was another big year for Lear, as Jeanette Puig-Pey, its global fabric & leather design manager, enthuses: "At our ‘Design2Perform' event we celebrated the unveiling of our brand new collection, with special emphasis on color and texture and our TeXstyle Enhance product, perfect for customization. Laser etching is part of this offering, it is exclusive to Lear Corporation and can be used to add refined design elements to cloth and leather." A mix of fabric and leather in seating is not new but is often seen by the consumer as a cheaper alternative to full leather.

Concept Car of the Week: Isuzu 4200R (1989)

In the eighties, General Motors-owned Isuzu was fairly successful, but it was suffering from a ‘plain' brand image. To gain recognition, it presented a series of concept cars such as the COA, COA III and Costa but the most effective was the stunning 4200R. Presented at the 1989 Tokyo motor show, the 4200R's graceful proportions and curvy volumes were highly acclaimed by the public and the press.