1956-1959 Corvette Valve Cover W/staggered Bolt Hole (pn) 3726086 on 2040-parts.com

USED CAR BUYER CONFIDENCE “UNLIKELY TO IMPROVE” IN 2011 SAYS RAC

USED CAR buyer confidence is unlikely to improve significantly in 2011, meaning that demand for safety net products such as extended warranties will remain strong, says RAC Warranty. The company points out that at the end of 2010, used car warranties are still being enhanced – by both length of time and depth of cover – at around the same rates as during the worst parts of the recession, indicating that the mood of consumers remains cautious. Ian Simpson, sales and marketing director, said: “Next year, the measures that the coalition Government has undertaken to reduce public spending will really start to bite and that will have a definite impact on general confidence.

BMW M5 manual mess-up

By Chris chilton Motor Industry 27 January 2007 01:34 North American customers were delighted when BMW bowed to their demands for a full three-pedal manual version of the current V10 M5 super saloon, but aren’t quiet so enamoured with the finished product. The issue is not with the gearbox itself – BMW successfully replaced the European model’s seven-speed SMG box with the old-shape M5’s six-speed manual – but with the compromises that were needed to get there. Without the benefit of computer control for the opening and closing of the clutch plates, M division’s engineers couldn’t eliminate axle tramp under hard take-offs.

10 days left in the CDN - Opel/Vauxhall Interactive Design Competition

The Car Design News - Opel/Vauxhall Interactive Design Competition has entered its final two weeks, but it's still not too late to submit an entry and impress the judges with your vision of a Lounge in Motion. The project uploads so far - on the dedicated competition site - are full of fantastic mood boards and thematic directions and generally contain some great ideas. Judges, industry professionals, design students and members of the public have been commenting and directing those who have uploaded work to date.