2 British Fuel Valves, Petcocks, 1971-on, Triumph, Bsa, Norton, 24 on 2040-parts.com

Fiat Panda gets 2010 updates

Fiat has updated the Panda for 2010 Underrated though the Panda is, it’s actually a pretty good little car. Sure, it’s not exactly dynamic, but some of it’s iterations – particularly the go-anywhere Panda Cross 4×4 - are very good. So Fiat has decided it’s time for a bit of spit and polish and some new make-up, so it’s given the Panda a bit of an update for 2010.

BMW ActiveHybrid 7 Series introduced

BMW has released images and detail on the BMW ActiveHybrid 7 Series The 7 Series ActiveHybrid, although built to serve the same purpose, utilises a different methodology to the X6 AvtiveHybrid. It is a ‘Mild’ Hybrid – built in co-operation with Mercedes – that uses a single electric motor (as opposed to the X6′s twin motors) together with the BMW 4.4 litre, twin-turb0 V8, to deliver 455 horses and 516lb/ft of torque. The V8 delivers 440bhp with the electric motor adding an extra 15bhp.The electric motor in the 7 Series ActiveHybrid is sandwiched between the 8-speed ZF ‘box and the engine.

New NHTSA guidelines recommend vehicle systems disable text entry, videos while driving

Federal regulators, moving to curb distracted driving, issued final voluntary safety guidelines today that would disable certain in-vehicle functions such as manual texting, Web browsing and video phoning while driving. Automakers should do more to keep drivers' eyes on the road and hands on the wheel, U.S. auto regulators said as they released the latest guidelines meant to cut down on crashes caused by the use of electronic devices in cars.