Gabriel 69877 Shock Absorber on 2040-parts.com

Apple CarPlay to be available on older cars

AFP | Getty Images Drivers will be able to add Apple’s CarPlay iPhone connectivity to their existing car stereo, meaning it won’t be exclusive to the cars already revealed with the system at this year’s Geneva Motor Show. The radio manufacturers Pioneer and Alpine have both already said they’re working with Apple to introduce the CarPlay software to their existing and new car stereo head units. Apple CarPlay lets you text on the move CarPlay allows you to pair a compatible iPhone (so the iPhone 5, 5S or 5C) with your car infotainment system, controlling the voice, touchscreen and buttons through the car’s in-built screen.

Mercedes Viano Vision Diamond – the Maybach of vans

Mercedes Viano Vision Diamond Mercedes-Benz has revealed the Viano Vision Diamond at Beijing, a utilitarian Mercedes van with the interior of a Maybach. The Maybach brand didn’t do Mercedes any favours, with German glitterballs proving no match for British (oh, alright, German-ish) understated elegance in the Rolls Royce Phantom. Maybach has now been re-consigned to the dustbin of history and likely only ever to be seen as a badge to denote the glitziest model in the next S Class range.

Petrolhead spiders cause Mazda recall

Mazda has had to recall 42,000 vehicles in the US after it emerged that a species of spider had been weaving webs in fuel vent hoses, increasing the risk of fuel leaks and fires. The yellow sac spider’s curious domestic activities cause a build-up of pressure in the evaporative fuel vent that – in theory at least – could result in a cracked fuel tank and therefore an increased risk of fire. This isn’t the first time that the Mazda 6 has received the unwanted advances of a gas-guzzling arachnid, either – three years ago Mazda had to recall over 50,000 cars for precisely the same reason.