Vw Passat B5 Grille Front Grill 1998-00 Chrome Badge on 2040-parts.com

Suzuki Grand Vitara Facelift revealed

Suzuki in Japan has revealed a facelifted version of the Escudo in Japan, better known in Europe as the Suzuki Grand Vitara. The Suzuki Grand Vitara has been with us since the dinosaurs ruled the earth. Well, it certainly seems that long and the Vitara was pretty much in at the start of the sales phenomenon that is the compact SUV.

Smart ForTwo Cityflame edition launches

The Smart ForTwo got a bit of a facelift in 2012 to keep it fresh until the all new ForTwo with a rear-engined, rear wheel drive platform to be shared with the next Renault Twingo, arrives in 2014, and the new CityFlame limited edition gets a cosmetic makeover to make its stand out. That cosmetic makeover includes a bright yellow paint job - vivid pearlescent flame yellow – with a black tridion safety cell, black grill surrounds and mirror caps and a set of 15″ black painted alloys. There are ‘CityFlame’ logos on the mirror triangles and a set of Brabus headlights. Inside the Cityflame there are yellow inlays in the cloth/fake leather seats, yellow stitching, yellow splashes on the dash and steering wheel and a set of mats with embroidered ‘CityFlame’ motifs.

BMW: Carbon fiber goes high volume in 2013

BMW AG plans to begin high-volume production of carbon fiber parts in two years, making it a strong contender to be the first automaker to move beyond limited-edition use of the exotic material. But Daimler AG, which has taken steps aimed at making carbon fiber parts in 2012, is among the automakers racing toward the same goal. In 2013, BMW will start building the i3 electric car, a vehicle that features a passenger cell--the protective shell around the passenger compartment that ensures the integrity of the vehicle in a crash--made of plastic reinforced with carbon fiber.