Cmc Electronics Inc. Beam Steering Unit Cma-2102 on 2040-parts.com

General Motors says Magna's Opel bid has obstacles, RHJ's is easier to accept

General Motors Co. says a bid for Opel from Magna International faces hurdles while a rival offer from Belgian investor RHJ International would be easier to accept. Writing on GM Europe's Web site, John Smith, GM's chief negotiator for the Opel sale, says Magna's bid "contained elements around intellectual property and our Russian operations that simply could not be implemented." He adds: "GM has partners in other parts of the world who have joint ownership of these assets ...

Design Essay: BMW i – Setting the industry agenda for the next decade

Many have already dismissed BMW i as a radical experiment too far ahead of its time, but looking beyond the glossy carbon fiber facade reveals three ways it will change the automotive landscape during the next decade: 1. Re-define the EV category Despite Tesla, Nissan, GM, Renault and Toyota all operating in the EV space, global sales in 2012 totaled just 54,000. Many put this down to high-cost and range anxiety, but another key factor is nearly always overlooked.

MG Design Centre opens in UK

The opening of MG's new design center this week at the historic production site of Longbridge, Birmingham, England was both an incredible and credible occasion. Incredible, because the brand looked dead in the water after the debacle of MG Rover's collapse in 2005 and even after various Chinese takeovers, its UK operation seemed destined to play no more than a tokenistic bit part. And thankfully credible too, because now all of MG's global design will genuinely be led from this new facility in the epicentre of England's traditional motoring heartland.