Gates 38427 Belt Tensioner Assembly on 2040-parts.com

Senate committee sends auto-safety bill to the floor for vote

The Senate Commerce Committee voted today to pass a far-reaching vehicle safety bill that has largely won both automaker and consumer support, sending the measure to the full Senate. The bill passed without objections from any senators. The legislation, crafted in the wake of Toyota's safety recalls this year, resembles a House bill that also is now on the floor of that chamber.

Fashion designer John Varvatos continues Detroit theme in new Chrysler 300 ad

Continuing the "Imported from Detroit" campaign that launched with Eminem's epic Super Bowl ad, Chrysler has partnered with fashion designer and native Detroiter John Varvatos for the next installment in the star-studded series of commercials. With Iggy Pop playing in the background, the spot shows Varvatos driving a Chrysler 300 as the voiceover says that the Motor City's "perfect combination of rock and roll and heavy industry" made it the designer's muse. Chrysler also is running an ad with Detroit Lions defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh.

Mercedes SLA Roadster looks likely

As car manufacturers start to look with fresh eyes at smaller, cheaper cars, reports from Germany confirm that Mercedes is close to committing to the SLA, a small Roadster to be based on the next generation A-Class platform. The original SLA concept was shown at Detroit in 2000, and aimed to slot in beneath the SLK. But at that time Mercedes didn’t have a suitable platform on which to base the car, and the project was shelved.