M38 M38a1 M998 M715 M35 M724 M151a2 Cucv 25 Mine Signs on 2040-parts.com

Meguiar's condition improves to stable

Avid car collector and TV host Barry Meguiar is in stable condition and his health is improving, according to a statement from Meguiar's Inc., the car-care-products company that bears his family name. Meguiar, 67, was hospitalized in Monterey, Calif., last weekend while attending the Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance, and on Wednesday, his condition was reported as serious. The company statement, released on Thursday afternoon, said Meguiar had contracted an undiagnosed virus recently while recording his TV show, "Car Crazy," outside the United States.

Ford prices new 2012 Focus ST from £21,995

Ford has confirmed prices for the new Focus ST. The new 247bhp hot hatch will cost from £21,995 for the hatchback, or £23,095 for the Focus ST estate. That undercuts the VW Golf GTI, which has bumped up in price in recent years to a stout £25,330 despite having a more modest 207bhp. It also makes it better value than the £26,995 Vauxhall Astra VXR and Renaultsport Megane RS 265 at £24,840.

MIT researchers rethink electric-car batteries

Researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology say a new battery design for electric vehicles could be a lightweight and inexpensive alternative. The goal for the team's three-year project, launched in September 2010, is to have a functioning prototype ready to be engineered as a replacement for existing electric-car batteries. At this point in the project, the prototype uses a “semi-solid flow” to separate the two functions of a battery--storing energy and discharging it when needed--into separate physical structures.