Dorman 930-414 Hub & Drum Assembly, Rear on 2040-parts.com

Cadillac, Lexus score high in satisfaction survey

Cadillac buyers are the most satisfied with their choice of vehicle brand, owners of the Cadillac Escalade are the happiest among truck buyers, and buyers of the Lexus LS sedan are the happiest car owners, according to the latest satisfaction survey from consulting firm AutoPacific. Also, a growing number of Hyundai buyers are satisfied with their choice, making the Korean brand the fastest-rising in AutoPacific's Vehicle Satisfaction Awards rankings. The rankings are based on responses to surveys sent to 25,000 new-vehicle buyers three months after they take delivery.

Porsche 918 Spyder crashes in Germany

Porsche is in hot water with German authorities following an accident involving a prototype version of the gasoline-electric hybrid-powered 918 Spyder on a public road last month, according to reports in the German media. The accident, which took place between the towns of Bietigheim-Bissingen and Ludwigsburg (close to Porsche's research-and-development center), saw the 875-hp 918 Spyder spin out of control and collide with a guard rail. Parts of the new $845,000 Porsche flagship are said to have broken loose in the collision before being collected by an oncoming car.

Center stack is new high-stakes battleground; showdown with safety regulators looms

For auto suppliers and gadget companies eager to get a piece of the auto industry, the hottest chunk of vehicle real estate now is the center stack. That corridor of interior space, running from the driver's right hip up through the center of the cockpit to the bottom of the windshield, has become a California gold rush of opportunity. But it is less so for traditional suppliers of molded plastics, cables, levers, buttons and radios.