Vintage Car Steering Wheel. 3b on 2040-parts.com

Running flat out: BMW is a leader in pushing run-flat tires

BMW is getting ready to launch its next-generation compact SUV, the X3, and it will ride--as most BMWs and Minis sold today--on run-flat tires. Of all the companies producing cars today, BWM has embraced run-flat technology like no other. Chevrolet with the Corvette, and some Lexus models, among others, use run-flats in certain applications.

Mazda CX-7 gets sporty makeover for Europe

By Ben Whitworth Motor Industry 29 September 2006 03:13 Mazda is scrabbling to ready a muscular 170bhp turbodiesel engine for its new CX-7 crossover, which arrives in Europe next summer. Although the five-seat 4x4 will initially come with a 258bhp version of the Mazda 6 MPS's turbocharged 2.3-litre four, European market demands for diesel power mean Mazda will unleash a new 2.2-litre version of its four-cylinder diesel. This engine will be hooked up to a slick six-speed manual or five-gear automatic transmission.

German Parts Pillagers Roam the American Southwest, Sending Treasures Home For Future Car Museum

Quite a few older European cars are purchased in rust-free parts of the United States and then shipped back to the home continent, and this process tends to intensify when the Euro gets stronger versus the dollar. While that's going on, crews of European gearheads also roam the wrecking yards of the Southwest, filling shipping containers with parts to ship back home; I know of a trio of Swedes who come to Colorado every year and ship home tons of parts, but they've got nothing on this pair of Germans. These gentlemen fly to the United States four times each year, spending two or three weeks each trip, and send home cars and shipping containers packed with parts, all as part of a scheme to open up a car collection showcasing "cars from the road." They were kind enough to send me a bunch of photos of their most recent trip, so let's see what their enviable lifestyle looks like.