Transmission Oil Pan Gasket 31397‑1xf0d For Maxima Murano Pathfinder Quest on 2040-parts.com

Crunch watch Mar 09: the auto industry in crisis

By Ben Pulman and Tim Pollard Motor Industry 31 March 2009 13:48 Tuesday 31 March 2009• Porsche said that its earnings before tax rose to €7.3 billion in the six months to the end of January – including a €6.8bn windfall from its VW share options (Financial Times)• Fritz Henderson, GM's president and chief operating officer, will step up to replace Rick Wagoner, who was ousted on Sunday as CEO of General Motors (Financial Times)• President Obama is essentially CEO-in-chief of GM – despite not owning a single cent of stock, says Detroit News commentator (Detroit News)• German chancellor Angela Merkel gives assurances that any would-be investors in GM's European arm will be given state support. Opel is asking for €3.3 billion in aid – and up to 25,000 jobs in Germany depend on it, with up to 300,000 jobs across Europe including Saab and Vauxhall (BBC News)Monday 30 March 2009• General Motors' chief executive Rick Wagoner has been ordered to resign by US president Barack Obama with immediate effect. It's part of Obama's administration's critique of GM and Chrysler's turnaround plans – he's understood to be unhappy with the plans submitted (BBC News)• New GM non-executive chairman Kent Kresa has admitted that at the company's next general meeting it will have 'a majority of new directors' (General Motors)• Chrysler will receive US government aid for the next 30 days, but the Obama administration has said that if the company cannot secure a tie-up with the Fiat Group within that time period it will not receive any more money from the taxpayers and could go into liquidation.

Audi Q3: new entry-level 1.4 TFSI & new S Line Plus trim option

The new Audi Q3 1.4 TFSI (pictured) offers a sensible petrol alternative Although we all now seem as obsessed in the UK by frugal diesel engines as Europe has been for many years, there’s a lot to be said for a petrol engine. So the launch of the Audi Q3 1.4 TFSI petrol as the new entry point for the Q3 range should make private buyers – and those who don’t do mega miles – sit up and take notice. The Q3 1.4 TFSI only comes with front wheel drive, but it does offer a sensible alternative to the 2.0 litre TDI 140 for many buyers, with 148bhp, a 0-62mph of 9.2 seconds (8.9s with the optional S tronic ‘box), official economy of 47.9mpg and emissions of 137g/km.

Pebble Beach: Tour Terrific

These ain't no trailer queens. While you might expect that a car that cost more than a million dollars to restore beyond its original glory would be something you'd keep in a sealed zip-lock freezer bag in the guarded basement of a museum, the vast majority of the entries in the Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance are actually driven on the street. Or at least they are driven once before the big show.