Vintage Polaris Snowmobile Long Trvl Tunnel Reinforcement Kit 2871330 1995 Indy on 2040-parts.com

Beijing Auto Show 2014 – Trends and Overview

With the New York auto show just one week earlier, many carmakers took the decision to use the Beijing show as their preferred choice of launch event. While the NYC expo holds decent sway on the US East coast, it could never hope to compete with the lure of the world's biggest – and fastest expanding – car market. With over 1,300 cars on display from scores of brands – both domestic and foreign – it's a fascinating bazaar of automotive hardware across the entire bandwidth of the industry.

Porsche announces new Weissach design center and wind tunnel

Porsche is to invest around €150m into its Weissach development facility, including a new design center. The plans also include an electronics integration department and a state-of-the art, on-site wind tunnel, which is hoped will allow the company to realize an holistic approach to efficient design, with a strong focus on aerodynamics. When we spoke with head of Porsche design, Michael Mauer, at this year's Paris motor show, he also alluded to the fact that the Volkswagen Group's – and, more specifically, Walter de'Silva's – recent influence on the German manufacturer was shifting its attitudes: "The Volkswagen Group has a very good understanding of how much freedom a brand needs to keep its characteristics and with [Walter] as 'conductor', I feel a lot of support with design issues within the company," explained Mauer.

Ford Capri set to return

The New Ford Capri due to arrive at Frankfurt in 2010 The iconic Ford Capri was, at its peak, a huge success for Ford. The stylish, quick (in big-engined guise), 2-door coupe brought a certain dash to the products from Dagenham, even when it was powered by an asthmatic 1.3 litre engine putting out about 12bhp! But it was the big-engined variants that are most fondly remembered – the early 3.0 litre and the later 2.8 Injection (and let’s not forget the RS3100).