Allstar Performance 42120 Stamped Steel Rotor Hat Imca Circle Track on 2040-parts.com

New techniques cut cost of carbon fiber

Carbon fiber, once so costly that it was the preferred material only for fighter planes and supercars, is catching the attention of weight-conscious automakers. Carbon fiber's cost is falling dramatically, thanks to production advances that let suppliers speed the material's finicky, and costly, curing process. One technological breakthrough that makes carbon-fiber auto parts more affordable may come from a process used to make carbon-fiber golf clubs.

Audi Q5 (2008) unveiled

By Tim Pollard First Official Pictures 19 April 2008 12:00 A decade after rival BMW, Audi is finally joining the mid-sized SUV party. The new Q5, unveiled at this weekend's Beijing motor show, is Ingolstadt's answer to its hometown rival the X3, and is based on the oily bits from the A4. Which speaks volumes about its intent.Unsurprisingly, that means it's aimed squarely at on-road performance, where it will shuttle five occupants around in - you'd imagine - saloon car comfort.

Nissan GT-R to be revised for Europe

By Tim Pollard Motor Industry 01 May 2008 18:14 Nissan is fettling its GT-R before it goes on sale in the UK in April 2009. It might have just announced a new lap record at the Nurburgring – chief test driver Tochio Suzuki shaved nine seconds off the GT-R's previous record of 7min 38 – but Nissan's engineers are already working on upgrades to the everyman's supercar.Chief vehicle engineer Kazutoshi Mizuno told CAR Online that the GT-R models bound for the American market would benefit from a range of small tweaks, including three harder engine mounts and a stiffer transaxle mount to stop the mechancial parts from moving under extreme cornering. It's detail like this that enabled the new 7min 29sec...Nissan GT-R: detail changes'The new mounts make the car feel more together in extreme circumstances,' he said.