Clutch Pressure Plate Exedy Fmc504 on 2040-parts.com

Audi plans expansion of hybrids, electrics

Audi plans a rapid expansion of plug-in hybrid and electric vehicles over the next few years as a key component in Volkswagen Group's strategy to dominate the alternative-powertrain market by decade's end. Michael Dick, Audi's board member for technical development, told Automotive News that the next-generation A6 sedan will have the potential to be a full hybrid by the end of 2012. The A6 would join the recently introduced hybrid A8 sedan at the Geneva auto show and the soon-to-be-launched Q5 hybrid crossover.

Banks and Ryan ready for Pikes Peak

Gale Banks, part-time stunt driver Mike Ryan and the diesel wizards from Gale Banks Engineering will return to Pikes Peak this year with the Freightliner Cascadia that finished ninth in 2012. Competing in the Pikes Peak Open class, the team has been furiously working on the truck at the Banks Performance home base in Azusa, Calif. To get the semi tractor up the 12.4 mile road, Banks is installing its Super-Turbo setup on the 14.7-liter, Detroit Diesel-equipped truck.

Firefighter leaves blaze to deliver baby in car

A FIREFIGHTER turned midwife today at the scene of a major blaze after learning his maternity ward skills watching the Channel 4 series One Born Every Minute. Ross McLaren delivered Antoni Zimnicki, who weighed 4.16kg (9lb 2oz), after his mum Ewelina and dad Jaroslaw got stuck in traffic around two miles from the North Middlesex Hospital in north London because of the fire. Mrs Zimnicka, who is now in hospital with her healthy newborn, said: "I thought I had a lot of time as my first baby's labour had taken a long time.