Cobra Omc Shift Rod Assy. #986658 on 2040-parts.com

Porsche to take majority stake in VW for £7bn

By Ben Whitworth Motor Industry 07 March 2008 11:26 Porsche is about to become the majority shareholder in Volkswagen. The sportscar maker has been given the green light to purchase further stock in VW, taking its share past the 50 percent mark to give it a controlling interest. As soon as various legal checks have been cleared, Porsche plans to purchase a further 20 percent of VW stock – it already owns 31 percent - at an estimated cost of around £7 billion.

Concept Car of the Week: Mercedes F200 Imagination (1996)

The F200 Imagination was designed at Mercedes' Advanced Design studio in Tokyo, in response to the question 'does the car of the future still have a steering wheel and foot-operated controls?' Take a look at the car's interior and the answer was fairly emphatic, as the steering wheel and pedals were replaced by joysticks, called Sidesticks, that operated the throttle, brakes and steering by wire. There were two sticks to choose from, one on the left of the cabin and one in the center console. However, both had the same function – push forward to accelerate, left or right to turn, and back to brake – so either of the front passengers could control the car.

Ford, Chrysler sales up 12 percent, other carmakers expect gains

Chrysler Group posted a 12 percent increase in August U.S. sales with robust retail volume and demand for cars and large pickups fueling the automaker's 41st consecutive monthly gain. Ford Motor Co.