Winegard Company Elevating Gear Rp-3000 on 2040-parts.com

Ford eyes dandelions as sustainable alternative to synthetic rubber

Ford, in conjunction with Ohio State University, is turning to the humble garden weed as sustainable resource, researching the dandelion's potential use as an alternative to synthetic rubber. While the automaker already makes considerable use of sustainable materials in its vehicles – such as soy foam seat cushions and straw-filled plastic for interior trim – this latest discovery opens up a wealth of new possibilities for automotive applications. According to research conducted by Ford, a milky-white substance that is found in certain dandelion roots can produce a sustainable rubber that could be used to create plastic parts for vehicle interiors.

Alias announces StudioTools 12, ImageStudio 2 and Portfolio Wall 2

 Alias has announced that it will release the latest versions of its leading industrial design software Alias StudioTools 12, Alias ImageStudio 2, and Alias PortfolioWall 2 in November. The new releases are aimed at accelerating the automotive design process and improve concept design, model evaluation, design review, and production modeling. The StudioTools family, which includes DesignStudio, Studio, AutoStudio and SurfaceStudio, delivers a full digital design workflow in a single package, from 2D concept sketching to production surface modeling.

Last-ever BMW M3 Coupe rolls off line

With only a shade over 16,000 examples produced for the worldwide market during its run, the first-generation BMW M3 wasn't built in significantly larger numbers than the Lamborghini Gallardo (13,059 cars by the end of the 2012 model year). And they were all coupes. The four-door M3 was introduced in 1994, two years after the second-generation coupe bowed, sat out the car's E46 run and then returned for the E90's run.