Dragonfire Four Point 4" Safety Harness on 2040-parts.com

GM preps for new engines, 8-speed transmission

General Motors is spending $332 million to upgrade powertrain plants in three states to build a new eight-speed automatic transmission, a new V6 and a new family of small-displacement gasoline engines. The plants are in Indiana, Michigan and Ohio. GM is also adding $46 million to an earlier $600 million program to upgrade powertrain plants in Saginaw and Romulus, Mich.

Upcoming Volvo XC90 gets new safety tech

The Volvo XC90 has been with us for 10 years now -- a long time indeed when it comes to product life cycles of comparable upmarket SUVs. The stylish sport utility was a popular seller in North America for a good part of that decade, and for a while was even offered with a 4.4 liter V8 engine developed by Yamaha and shared with the second-gen S80 (a first for a Volvo passenger car). But if there's one thing Volvo is known for, it's not V8 engines -- it's safety.

Video: Porsche's Michael Mauer and Mitja Borkert on the new Macan

Porsche style vice-president Michael Mauer has revealed how the new Macan's design was influenced by racecars. In this new video, Mauer and members of his design team explain some of the Macan's development and the team's desire to create "a true Porsche in each segment – a true sports car". Classic Porsche design cues were immediately obvious upon seeing the Macan in the metal in Tokyo and Los Angeles – including its rear and interior – and Mitja Borkert, director advanced design style, identifies other recognizable features.