A/c Expansion Valve Ac Air Conditioning Thermal Txv Device on 2040-parts.com

Eight hot rods compete for Ridler Award in Detroit

The 59th Annual Autorama has taken over Cobo Center in downtown Detroit with hundreds of hot rods, customs classics cars and motorcycles in what has been billed as America's greatest hot rod show. Judges have selected eight vehicles--dubbed the Great 8--as finalists for the coveted Ridler Award that will be presented Sunday evening at the show's conclusion. The Great 8 are: -- Jim Marciniak from Andover, Minn., with a 1963 Buick.

Driven: Fisker Karma

Even top-flight car designers are usually not known for their business acumen. So Henrik Fisker's announcement that he would build the "the world's first luxury plug-in hybrid" was met with some cynicism as he stood next to his Fisker Karma concept at the 2008 NAIAS in Detroit. Three years on and CDN is one of the first to get to drive Fisker Automotive's production Karma, a car so hot of the press this model is number three or four off Valmet Automotive's production line in Finland.

Miko's high performance material with an ecological edge

Italian company Miko specializes in the development and production of Dinamica, a high quality ecological microfiber that can be used for anything from car door panels or upholstery to fashion accessories. The faux suede material is produced from a combination of recycled polyester and polyurethane fibers, and is also 100 percent recyclable at the end of its lifecycle. Lorenzo Terraneo, CEO of Miko, says: "Our priority has always been to invest in the research and development of recycled and eco-compatible materials with special characteristics that go far beyond existing qualitative standards." It is a testament to Terraneo's commitment that his company achieved its early aspirations and eco credentials long before concern for the environment and the reduction of carbon emissions was high on the political agenda or prevalent in the public conscience.