Vw Idle Control Valve on 2040-parts.com

Some hybrids are not a green as they seem, interest group says

Car buyers who think they are helping the planet by choosing a hybrid vehicle to aid in cutting emissions don't always get the biggest bang for their buck, according to an environmental interest group. A report from the Union of Concerned Scientists shows that some hybrids come at a much higher price tag than their similarly equipped, conventional-powertrain counterparts, yet offer little in the way of environmental gain. These not-so-green hybrids compromise their value or eco-friendliness in a variety of ways.

Audi Snook at the 2008 Michelin Challenge Design

German design student Tilmann Schlootz has been named one of the winners in the 2008 Michelin Challenge Design competition for his Audi Snook project. Selected for special exhibition at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit by a jury of professional designers and educators, the Snook scale model concept answered a design brief entitled: 'Sharing the Road - Big Safety/Small Vehicles', which called for enhanced real and perceived safety for smaller vehicles through design innovation. The visionary concept vehicle, which rides on a mono-sphere wheel, is heralded as a new vehicle category, implementing the principles of agility through instability learned from aerospace technology.

Steve Earle out at Monterey Historics

Steve Earle, the founder of the famed Monterey Historics, is done as the organizer of the event after 36 races. Earle and track officials were unable to iron out a new deal, making this year's races--run last weekend--his final lap. The future of the must-attend event for classic racing fans is now in question.