Toyota Pressure Plate Bolt Set W/washers on 2040-parts.com

GM to slash global vehicle platforms by more than half, to 14, by 2018

General Motors says it will cut the number of vehicle platforms it uses globally by more than half over the next decade, in a bid to reduce complexity and save on product-development costs. “More of our components will be common, and more of our vehicles will be on global architectures,” GM CEO Dan Akerson told analysts on Tuesday. His remarks came as GM kicked off a series of presentations online, billed as its 2011 Global Business Conference.

Mazda MX-5 with 270hp launched by BBR

The MX-5 has always lacked one thing: power. But now, British tuner BBR is launching a turbocharged MX-5 that produces 270hp and is capable of reaching 60mph in less than 5 seconds. Based on a 2013 Mazda MX-5 2.0-litre Sport Tech Roadster Coupe, the BBR GT270 will reach 60mph in 4.9 seconds and hit an electronically limited top speed of 150mph.

BMW delays X3's U.S. launch to push custom orders

BMW is delaying the U.S. introduction of the redesigned X3 to launch a system designed to encourage buyers to custom-order the crossover to their specifications, says Jim O'Donnell, president of BMW of North America. The delay could put the X3 in U.S.