05 Toyota Rav4 Wiper Arm on 2040-parts.com

Infographic: How much clay do Ford’s design studios use each year?

Ford has offered an insight into its clay modeling processes with a series of videos and an infographic that charts the process involved in turning a designer's sketch into a full-size model. The infographic uses data taken from all of Ford's global design studios in 2012 to give an idea of how much clay is used in a year, plus how much paint and di-noc film is used to cover each model. Ford has also released a video that gives a behind-the-scenes look at the firm's clay modeling studio in Merkenich, Germany, including interviews with members of the modeling team.

Maybach, or not Maybach? That is the question.

Maybach - off to Gaydon? Actually, whether to keep Maybach on the Daimler life support system is a question that has taxed the brains of many a Mercedes exec,  almost since the Maybach brand got its revival under Mercedes and turned in to a cross between a stretched old S-Class, a Playstation and a glitterball. Because despite the efforts of Mercedes to position the Maybach above the S-Class – and in to competition with Rolls Royce and Bentley – the Maybach has somehow conspired to be less desirable than the S-Class.

Volvo strikes deal for plug-in hybrid cars

Volvo Plug-in hybrid By Peter Adams Motor Industry 01 June 2009 17:15 Volvo has taken its next step towards green motoring, launching a joint venture with Swedish energy company Vattenfall to introduce plug-in hybrid cars to the market – sporting CO2 emissions as low as 50g/km. The cars, which will role out across Sweden in 2012, will be manufactured by Volvo, with Vattenfall developing the charging systems and supplying the cars with electricity. Vattenfall will be offering customers the chance to sign an agreement for renewable electricity sourced from windpower or hydropower.