05 Mercedes E500 Chassis Ecm Front Left Driver Door Control Module 211820818501 on 2040-parts.com

Fiat 500 wins EuroCarBody 2007 award

The new FIAT 500 has won the EuroCarBody 2007 award, the world's most prestigious prize for car bodies. The ninth edition of the Forum organised by Automotive Circle International was held in Bad Nauheim/Frankfurt from 16 to 18 October, attended by 600 experts in the development of the design, materials, processes and manufacture of car bodies. The EuroCarBody 2007 award highlights the mixture of "creativity and skill" that is necessary to develop an innovative, winning bodyshell.

Call for reform over road repair funding

FUNDING patterns mean most road maintenance is being carried out in "less-efficient, cold and wet" times, a report from a Government spending watchdog has said. The current pattern of funding, combined with the need to spend money within the financial year, means that most maintenance work goes on between September and March, said the report from the National Audit Office (NAO). It went on: "Although this is less disruptive for road users, it is less efficient than carrying out the work at other times of year because materials can be more difficult to handle in cold and wet conditions, and daylight hours are shorter." The report went on: "As a result of the additional funding for emergency repairs, which is made available at the end of the financial year, almost all highways authorities need extra capacity from the market at the same time, which makes it less likely that they will get value for money." The NAO report said there was a "lack of predictability" over road spending adding that historically, local highway authorities spent more revenue on maintenance, but were now carrying out fewer routine activities such as clearing gullies which are essential to preventing water seeping into roads' sub-structure.

Michelin Challenge Design 2009

As the 2009 Michelin Challenge Design - focusing on the search for ‘America's Next Iconic Vehicle' - drew to a close at the NAIAS in Detroit, culminating in a press preview and an exhibition of scale models, the theme for next year's competition was announced: ‘Electrifying! Beautiful, Innovative and Radiant'. While it may sound like a slogan for a new line of women's cosmetics, this theme does in fact center on the increasingly relevant field of electric vehicle (EV) design; or more specifically the need to combine sustainable powertrains with attractive, well executed design.