2004 B5 Vw Passat Interrior Heater Radiator Core on 2040-parts.com

TMG Sports 605 concept to debut at Essen Motor Show

While most of us are focusing on the LA Auto Show happening later this week, Toyota Motorsport GmbH is quietly revealing the TMG Sports 650 concept at the Essen Motor Show in Germany. The TMG Sports 650 is a hopped-up, twin-turbocharged V8 version of the normally staid Lexus LS460 sedan. In the concept, power grows from 386 to an impressive 641 hp at 7,450 rpm, while torque jumps to 564 lb-ft.

Petrolhead spiders cause Mazda recall

Mazda has had to recall 42,000 vehicles in the US after it emerged that a species of spider had been weaving webs in fuel vent hoses, increasing the risk of fuel leaks and fires. The yellow sac spider’s curious domestic activities cause a build-up of pressure in the evaporative fuel vent that – in theory at least – could result in a cracked fuel tank and therefore an increased risk of fire. This isn’t the first time that the Mazda 6 has received the unwanted advances of a gas-guzzling arachnid, either – three years ago Mazda had to recall over 50,000 cars for precisely the same reason.

Chrysler moves design boss Ralph Gilles to lead new SRT brand

Chrysler Group on Tuesday shuffled the heads of its vehicle brands, placing design chief Ralph Gilles in charge of the newly created Street and Racing Technology (SRT) brand while handing his duties as head of the Dodge brand to Reid Bigland. The move is a way of getting all of the automaker's SRT efforts together under one leader, spokeswoman Shawn Morgan said. Gilles, 41, will still be in charge of Chrysler's motorsports activities and the design for Chrysler, Dodge, Ram and Jeep vehicles.