Vertex - 23644c - Piston Kit, Standard Bore 79.97mm, 12.0:1 High Compression on 2040-parts.com

One Lap of the Web: Remembering the dearly departed

-- With news that Toyota is leaving the great state of California for the greater (by landmass, anyway; your own opinion may vary) state of Texas, it's worth reminding ourselves that Toyota in America started as one lonely building on 6000 Hollywood Blvd., having taken over a former Rambler dealership. (The site is still a successful Toyota dealership.) That first year of sales in 1958 saw 287 Toyopet Crowns and one Land Cruiser sold -- more as curiosities than as practical transportation, we'd wager. -- At any rate, Toyota's move from California to Texas is moving from "one of the most eco-friendly states in the union," according to Ward's Auto, "to the U.S.’s equivalent of China." -- Ten years ago today, the last Oldsmobile rolled off the line at Lansing Car Assembly.

Brabus Mercedes S350 Bluetec ECO PowerXtra D6S kit

Mercedes S350 BlueTEC with Brabus ECO PowerXtra D6S kit The headline is a bit of a garbled eyeful at first glance. But that’s because although Brabus are pushing their new ECO PowerXtra D6S kit already attached to the Mercedes S350 BlueTEC, it can be attached to any other Mercedes running the same V6 3.0 litre diesel lump – like the Mercedes E350 CDI BlueEFFICIENCY we reviewed recently. The BRABUS ECO PowerXtra D6S is a stand-alone, plug and play device that is integrated into the CAN data bus of the car, not just a quick flash remap of the ECU.

Ford bets customers will pay premium prices for the Fiesta

Ford Motor Co. will charge more than $23,000 for a fully loaded Fiesta, a new car smaller than the Focus. Ford thinks consumers are ready to pay premium prices for small cars, which long have been dominated by budget shoppers.