Dei 050330 Boom Mat Speaker Baffle, 6-1/2 Inch Round on 2040-parts.com

Volkswagen bus fetches $217,800 at Barrett-Jackson auction

At the Barrett-Jackson auction in Orange County, $159,500 could buy you a 1964 Rolls-Royce Silver Cloud III James Young sedan. A mere $165,000 would put you in the driver’s seat of a 2005 Ford GT. Doling out more than $200,000 nets you a .

Minicars perform poorly in crash tests, study says

Minicars made by Toyota, Honda and Daimler AG did poorly on frontal crash tests with mid-sized automobiles, prompting an influential safety organization to suggest consumers consider buying larger cars that have comparable fuel economy. The Toyota Yaris, Honda Fit and Smart ForTwo all collapsed upon impact into the space around the driver dummy, according to the study released today by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety. Drivers in all three vehicles faced high risk of head and leg injuries after test collisions at 40 miles an hour, even after airbags inflated, said the non-profit group funded by auto insurers.

A tribute to Jim Das

On May 15 GM Europe designer Jim Das passed away in a Wiesbaden hospital after a year-long battle with leukemia. Jim joined the Opel Design team in 1997 following the completion of his Masters degree at the Royal College of Art. In 1998-99 Jim had a stint in Italy at the Opel Advanced Studio and worked on a roadster study (currently on display at Opel Live in Ruesselsheim).