Tilt Trim Motor Assembly 6211 on 2040-parts.com

Ford funks up the Focus

By Phil McNamara First Official Pictures 11 September 2007 04:34 Facelift for the Focus: all the details Ford is funking up the Focus with a mid-life facelift. Aside from the Mondeo-esque nose, the major talking point is a double-clutch transmission on the flagship diesels. It’s good news for the Focus, which would have looked pretty bland on the Blue Oval’s Frankfurt stand next to Ford’s other unveilings, the Verve supermini concept and the Kuga SUV.

Chevrolet preps a new car for NASCAR and for the showrooms

Chevrolet will replace the Impala in NASCAR with a new model that it also will sell to consumers. General Motors said the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race car and the showroom model will closely resemble each other and will debut in 2013 as a new nameplate in the Chevy lineup. GM said it will unveil the cars later this year.

First sight: Volkswagen Passat (2015)

In recent years, European buyers have been switching their mid-size sedans and wagons for smaller cars, crossovers and SUVs. The Volkswagen Passat, Europe's most successful company car, has defined this market segment pretty much since it arrived back in 1973, and this latest, eighth-generation model has been designed to attempt to reverse that buying trend. When we catch up with design director Dr Klaus Bischoff at the car's unveiling, he's certainly confident that the new car represents a significant step forward.