Toyota Ractis 2007 Coil Spring [0957550] on 2040-parts.com

Ford's Sync takes on General Motors' OnStar with live operators

Ford Motor Co. is taking on General Motors' OnStar system by offering live operator assistance. Ford's new feature, called Operator Assist, offers live operators to help Sync Services subscribers find a business or get turn-by-turn directions.

Think you can talk and drive? Not so much…

It has been well documented that texting while driving is a risky practice that results in thousands of motor-vehicle deaths each year. But talking rather than texting isn't really a better alternative, according to experts at the National Safety Council. The council is hoping to better explain why driving and talking on a cell phone is so dangerous by examining how the brain works when faced with multiple cognitive tasks.

Peugeot 2008 DKR heading for the Dakar Rally. Not that it looks much like a 2008

The Peugeot 2008 DKR (pictured) is heading for the Dakar Rally After steering clear of the Dakar Rally for a quarter of a century, Peugeot is back in the endurance rally game with the Peugeot 2008 DKR, a rally car that shares its name with Peugeot’s 2008 Crossover – but little else. Instead of the almost cutesy looks of the 2008, the 2008 DKR gets looks that could have come from Mad Max with a sinister-looking black paint job, just two doors, short overhangs for better obstacle negotiation, 37″ off-road tyres and a thumping great wing at the back. Unlike most cars that tackle the Dakar, Peugeot has decided that rear-wheel-drive is the way to go as it allows for bigger wheels and more suspension travel, rather than the four-wheel-drive preferred by the majority of entrants.