1988/89 Omccobra Bell Crank on 2040-parts.com

Carbon-fiber parts and a software fix help create a lighter, faster Fiat

Chrysler Group's Mopar parts brand and Italian supplier Magneti Marelli have teamed up on a design exercise based on the 2012 Fiat 500 Abarth that shaved weight and added horsepower. The vehicle, called the Venom, has a number of carbon fiber components -- hood and side mirrors, for example -- that makes it about 200 pounds lighter than the 2,512-pound Abarth. The Venom uses software updates and additional exhaust components to boost the Abarth's standard 160-hp 1.4-liter turbocharged engine's output by as much as 25 percent.

Hummer HX concept previews H4

By Ben Whitworth First Official Pictures 13 December 2007 10:00 Hummer has unleashed three of its newest and youngest designers to create the HX concept that will make its debut at the Detroit Motor Show in January. Fresh out of the College for Creative Studies in Detroit, designers David Rojas (he created the blue concept), Min Young Kang (the red and black creation) and Robert Jablonski (the grey car) were assigned to create a vision of Hummer's off-road future, creating a smaller, lighter and more agile junior Hummer. So who was actually in charge of these fledglings?

Porsche finally becomes a VW company

Volkswagen has announced it is to finalise its takeover of Porsche by buying the remaining 50.1 per cent of Porsche stock for €4.46 billion. The takeover of Porsche by VW has been a long and rocky road, but then family fallouts are always messy. It all started with Porsche attempting to consume VW, but some clever manoeuvring by Ferdinand Piech thwarted the efforts of his cousin, Wolfgang Porsche, to swallow up his business and the financial crisis saw Porsche rack up €10 billion in debt in the process.