Audi Audi A4 Engine Brain Box Electronic Control Module; 2.8l 99 on 2040-parts.com

Rockin' Supercar: The Rebirth, Short Life, and Death of a Shark-Fin-Equipped '85 Toyota Tercel Wagon

Sometimes a very ordinary car becomes something special, maybe even loved, but that's not always enough to keep it out of the jaws of the crusher. This is the story of a second-gen Toyota Tercel wagon (known in Japan as the Sprinter Carib) and its journey from auction to lumber-hauler to kid transportation to a Chinese steel factory. Around the turn of the century, while I was working at a doomed dot-com in San Francisco's South of Market neighborhood, I discovered that the city auctioned off all the unclaimed tow-away cars every week at nearby Pier 70.

Mercedes-Benz to use inflatable rear seatbelts on new car

Mercedes-Benz will begin equipping its cars with inflatable seatbelts for rear passengers, making it the second automaker to use the safety technology. Mercedes said the belt would be introduced on an upcoming luxury car. A likely candidate is the redesigned S-class sedan, which the German automaker is preparing to put into production next year.

Volkswagen Jetta Hybrid unveiled

Volkswagen Jetta Hybrid Volkswagen has revealed the VW Jetta Hybrid at the Detroit Auto Show, with a 1.4 litre turbo and electric motor promising 54mpg  and 168bhp. VW has revealed the Jetta Hybrid at the Detroit Motor Show which will, if nothing else, show the Americans that a small capacity – in thyis case a 1.4 litre TSI engine – can offer not just decent economy but also some reasonable performance. With the aid of a 20kW electric motor the Jetta Hybrid can muster 168bhp and scoot ro 60mph in around 9 seconds, but still offer 54mpg.