Vw / Porsche 356 Headlight Ring on 2040-parts.com

GM contacting Chevrolet Volt owners as NHTSA investigates battery fire

General Motors on Monday said it is contacting all owners of the Chevrolet Volt plug-in hybrid to reassure them that the car is safe as the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration investigates a battery fire from a Volt that was crash-tested. GM said any Volt owner who had safety concerns would be offered a different GM car as a loaner vehicle. Executives also stressed during a teleconference that the battery issues were seen only in vehicles in the crash tests.

Lotus not liquidating

When a storied car brand moves only 137 units in a year in the UK and 242 in the US, predictions of said marque's demise carry a certain amount of weight -- 137 is not exactly a number that makes an automaker too big to fail. When the manufacturer in question shows up on a government list of companies to be shut down, brand-enthusiast hearts get heavy; the early stages of mourning kick in. But when the company in question is Lotus, the enthusiast thinks to himself, “Eh, they've been in dire straits before.

Goodwood Revival 2011

The middle week of September was a crowded one for the CDN team with coverage of the Frankfurt motor show but we still found time to get our period tweeds out and head down to Sussex to cover the Revival weekend. This historic motor racing festival runs over three days, with Friday set aside for qualifying and practice, and races on Saturday and Sunday, with aggregated times to decide the final winner. Special themes this year included 50 years of the E-Type and this years' Fordwater Trophy grid was composed exclusively of this classic front-engined GT, including Lightweight and Low Drag versions that took on the Ferraris and Cobras of the period.