2001-2003 Toyota Prius Battery on 2040-parts.com

JE Designs turns up the power in Touareg hybrid

JE Designs unveiled its freshly tuned 440-hp Volkswagen Touareg hybrid on Friday. The German tuning company boosted the Touareg’s output from 380 hp to 440 hp by optimizing the management of the 3.0-liter engine. The hybrid’s electric motor remains untouched.

2009 BMW Z4 announced

BMW has officially released details of the next BMW Z4, due to be shown at Detroit and in UK showrooms in the spring. The new Z4 looks like a big improvement on the outgoing model. The old Z4 had Marmite looks – you loved it or hated it – but the new BMW Z4 has much more voluptuous lines.

Hyundai puts Michel Nandan in charge of WRC effort

Hyundai has appointed former Peugeot WRC technical director Michel Nandan to head up their assault on WRC. As Hyundai matures in to a credible mainstream force, improving brand perception is crucial to its long-term goals and 2012 is all about improving Hyundai’s brand experience and perceptions of the brand. A part of that focus is to take Hyundai back in to WRC rallying with a much modified i20, where Hyundai are hoping for a better experience than they had when they went rallying a decade ago – which should be a given considering the big strides Hyundai has made in its cars in the last few years.