Yamaha Warrior Thumb Throttle 2001 on 2040-parts.com

BMW X1 US launch delayed – because the new X3 is so good

BMW X1 - not in the US until late 2012 It would have been inconceivable just a few years ago that there could ever be a market in the US for a car like the BMW X1. But times have changed and even Americans see the benefits of a (much) smaller SUV, so BMW was originally planning on launching the X1 in the US around now. That X1 launch got put back until later in 2011 because the Leipzig plant – which builds the X1 – was running at capacity to meet the demands from Europe.

Vauxhall-Opel Junior: a Mini rival for 2013

Vauxhall-Opel has frozen the design of an upmarket small car, to rival BMW’s Mini and the Fiat 500. Codenamed Junior, the 3.7m-long three-door is two years from production. Based on a shortened Corsa platform, Junior will supplement the utilitarian Agila and conventional Corsa supermini in Vauxhall-Opel’s small car range. Nick Reilly, GM Europe president, said one of his first decisions upon taking charge last November was to ‘prioritise and accelerate’ development of the car. ‘It’s a chic and stylish minicar...

Government checks Ford sedans for gas pedals trapped by floor mats

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is looking into reports of accelerator pedals being trapped by floor mats in the Ford Fusion and Mercury Milan sedans. NHTSA says its probe covers about 249,000 cars from the 2010 model year. There have been three complaints about pedals being trapped by all-weather floor mats.