Vw B3 B4 Passat Mk3 Hood Bonnet Ground Strap 11-1/4" Copper Braid 533971537 on 2040-parts.com

GM awards small-car production to Michigan plant

General Motors will make its new subcompact car in Orion Township, Mich., the automaker said Friday, dashing hopes in Spring Hill, Tenn., and Janesville, Wis., that the small car would keep one of their factories alive. Stamping for the new car will take place in Pontiac, Mich., GM said in a statement. The small car, which GM said it plans to start producing in 2011, will save about 1,200 jobs in Orion and 200 in Pontiac.

You could own Jeremy Clarkson's old Jaguar XJR

This is quite possibly the best Jaguar XJR… in the world. And that's because it was formerly owned by a certain Jeremy Clarkson. So you can bet your life he spent many hours smoking in the big supercharged cat.

Festival of the Unexceptional: the bad cars we love

Ever been to a classic car show and noticed how many old MGBs and sports cars of yesteryear have turned up, driven by their proud owners, but wondered what happened to all the more mainstream stuff? There are twice as many Ferrari 308 GTBs on the roads in the UK than Austin Allegros, because the everyday cars of the past fail MOTs, get chucked away and replaced with shiny new hatchbacks. Fortunately, there is a select group of people in the UK who care for the mundane stuff of yesterday and, because of this, a new event for “unexceptional” cars will be taking place this summer.