Genuine Mitsubishi Wrench 9211a017 on 2040-parts.com

Saab on the road to independence

You’ve got to feel for Scandinavian car makers Saab and Volvo. Both swallowed up by big US car makers, and both now being abandoned in a vulnerable position after years of integrating their once independent products in to their parents infrastructure, they must wake up every day wondering if this is the day it all goes bang. Ford is simply trying (increasingly desperately) to off-load Volvo, but GM, which is in a much more precarious position than Ford, has now abandoned its Swedish child in a desperate attempt to appease Congress and survive.

Tesla opens its patents for everyone to share EV knowledge

By Michael Karkafiris Motor Industry 13 June 2014 10:43 Elon Musk, CEO of Tesla Motors and one of the most talked-about personalities in the automotive industry, announced today that his company has opened all of its patents to make way for the competition to catch up and promote electric mobility for a wider audience. Open-sourcing your patents is a rather unusual strategy in the automotive world but Musk says that ‘Tesla Motors was created to accelerate the advent of sustainable transport. If we clear a path to the creation of compelling electric vehicles, but then lay intellectual property landmines behind us to inhibit others, we are acting in a manner contrary to that goal.

Porsche Exclusive to offer Powerkit and Aerokit for 911 Carrera S

Porsche's in-house Exclusive custom division on Thursday introduced new power-enhancement and aero-enhancement kits for the 2013 Porsche 911 Carrera S. The Powerkit boosts the 3.8-liter flat-six engine's output to 430 hp, up from 400 hp. The extra power comes courtesy of redesigned cylinder heads and new camshafts, along with modifications to the electronic engine-management system.