Volkswagen Rabbit Automatic Transmission; Code Kbv, 08 09 on 2040-parts.com

Peugeot 5008: The Toy Story 3 Advert

Woody checks out the Peugeot 5008 Peugeot are planning a big advertising splash in Europe, and have teamed up with Pixar/Disney to use well known characters from the Toy Story films in the ads, which are due to roll out across Europe from this week. The firts advert up is  for the Peugeot 5008, a more than competent people shifter from Peugeot (in fact those nice people at Peugeot are due to send us one soon, so look out for a proper in-depth review and road test on the 5008 as we spend a week with it). The advert uses Woody looking for his Cowboy hat to give the excuse to show every nook and cranny and seat shifting trick the 5008 can manage.

Aston Martin Virage dropped – to be replaced by new DB9

Less than eighteen months since it debuted – and after just over 1,000 cars – Aston Martin is dropping the Virage. The Aston Martin Virage always seemed a bit of a stretch too far for Aston Martin, and so it has proved. After a lifespan of no more than eighteen months – and with just over 1000 cars built – Aston Martin has decided that there are just too few buyers who feel the Virage is enough of a step up from the DB9 to warrant the extra cost.

Center stack is new high-stakes battleground; showdown with safety regulators looms

For auto suppliers and gadget companies eager to get a piece of the auto industry, the hottest chunk of vehicle real estate now is the center stack. That corridor of interior space, running from the driver's right hip up through the center of the cockpit to the bottom of the windshield, has become a California gold rush of opportunity. But it is less so for traditional suppliers of molded plastics, cables, levers, buttons and radios.