Simpson Racing Race Nomex Fire Suit on 2040-parts.com

Caterham 620R heading for Goodwood debut

The Caterham 620R (pictured) will debut at the Goodwood FoS Caterham may be planning an assault on the mainstream car market with an SUV and a City Car, but it’s not forgetting its roots, with a new entry-level 7 in the mix and now a new range-topping 7 – the Caterham 620R. The Caterham 620R is heading for Goodwood this week for a debut – and consigning the current R500 to the history bin in the process – as the most powerful road going car Caterham have ever produced. The power comes from the same 2.0 litre Supercharged Ford engine as the R500, but in the 620R the wick has been turned up to 11, with 310bhp on offer, enough to scoot the 500kg 620R to 62mph in just 2.8 seconds.

News watch March 2010: today's auto industry news

Tuesday 30 March 2010• Mercedes has dismissed claims that its Maybach brand is for sale, after reports in the Chinese media claimed Chinese car company BYD was considering a bid for the upmarket offshoot. BYD has also denied the claims (Reuters)• Toyota president Akio Toyoda has promised his company will listen more carefully to customers and react faster in a bid to regain credibility after the Japanese car manufacturer was forced to recall millions of vehilces over safety fears (BBC)• The Obama administration is expected to unveil its finalised fuel economy and tailpipe emissions through to 2016 this week, to coincide with the opening of the 2010 New York auto show (Detroit News)  Monday 29 March 2010• Toyota has agreed to licence the hybrid technology in the Prius to Mazda, which will combine the electric system with its next-gen Sky engines. It’s part of Mazda’s plans to increase the average fuel economy of its vehicles by 30% by 2015 (compared to 2008 levels) and it hopes to have its first hybrid vehicle on sale in Japan by 2013 (Mazda)• Ford and Chinese car company Geely have signed a stock purchase agreement that will allow the latter to acquire 100% of Volvo (along with related assets including intellectual property rights).

Monterey auction kicks off with woodies sale

The Sports and Classics of Monterey auction is in full swing, and a collection of classic woodies netted $7 million Thursday. The Nick Alexander Woodie Collection featured 51 pristine pre- and postwar Ford and Mercury wood-bodied station wagons. The event was staged by RM Auctions in advance of the Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance.