Walker Exhaust 52356 Exhaust Pipe on 2040-parts.com

2013 Belgian Grand Prix: Hamilton pole for Mercedes

Lewis Hamilton (pictured) takes pole for Mercedes in the 2013 Belgian Grand Prix The F1 circus returns this week after its summer holidays, but it’s business as usual for Lewis Hamilton after a cracking lap in final qualifying saw him take pole position for tomorrow’s Belgian Grand Prix at Spa-Francorchamps. For a while it looked like Force India’s Paul di Resta would score his first ever pole as he took to final qualifying with his car on intermediate tyres whilst all the rest started on dry tyres. As the rain started to fall, di Resta put in a time that looked unbeatable as the rest of the final qualifiers struggled to put their power down.

Fiat Americanizes its 500, complete with cupholders

The Fiat 500 subcompact might be Italian through and through, but the U.S. version that arrives in dealerships late this year will cater to American tastes. The American car will have a more powerful engine than the European version, a slightly softer ride and--most important--more substantial, American-style cupholders.

New Smart ForTwo and ForFour set for 2014 unveil

Mercedes-Benz's struggling Smart city car division is seeking to add a new dimension to the urban driving experience with its third-generation ForTwo, currently undergoing the final phase of a three-year test and development program ahead of a planned unveiling mid next year. Set for North American launch in 2015, the ultra-compact two-seat hatchback represents a fresh chapter in operations for Smart, which has recently gained greater independence from parent company Mercedes-Benz as its boss, Annette Winkler, attempts to stem years of financial losses after almost a decade of rebuilding following its short-lived joint venture with Mitsubishi. The new ForTwo, known internally as project C453, has been developed in a joint engineering program with the upcoming second-generation ForFour and its sister car, the third-generation Renault Twingo.