Mini Cooper S (02-08) Gasket Supercharger To Intercooler Air Duct Upper Reinz on 2040-parts.com

MIT develops self-transforming materials that behave 'like robots without robots'

A cross-disciplinary research lab at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) has developed a suite of programmable materials, including carbon fiber, printed wood grain, textile composites, rubbers and plastics, that self-transform when exposed to an external stimulus. Director of the Self-Assembly Lab, Skylar Tibbits, presented a TED talk on 4D printing in 2013, where he demonstrated how a flat sheet of material could effectively build itself when exposed to water, like a robot without a robot. Following positive feedback from industries including aviation, automotive and manufacturing, his lab has been working on developing materials that change according to different activation sources, including heat, light, and air pressure, in addition to water – all of which have automotive relevance.

Bentley promises '90% hybrid range by 2018'

By Ollie Kew Motor Industry 19 April 2014 17:07 Bentley will offer a plug-in hybrid version of 90% of the cars on its range as early as 2018, the company's CEO has confirmed. Speaking at the debut of the Mulsanne Hybrid Concept at the Beijing motor show, Dr Wolfgang Schreiber announced that a plug-in hybrid option was ‘the right choice for the future of Bentley’. He also confirmed that the first production-spec Bentley with a part-electric powertrain will be the marque's controversial new SUV.

VW Cross Coupe at 2012 Geneva motor show

This is the new Volkswagen Cross Coupe, which will be unveiled at the 2012 Geneva motor show... Hang on! Haven’t we seen the VW Cross Coupe before?