Longacre Racing Shock Inflation Gas Fill Tool Gauge Schrader Valve on 2040-parts.com

Mini names BMW's Warming to succeed Hildebrand as design chief

Mini has named Anders Warming to succeed Gert Hildebrand as head of design by the end of the month. Hildebrand will leave the BMW AG subsidiary on Dec. 31, ending a 10-year run that saw him create a new look and feel for the Mini brand following its relaunch under BMW, the company said in a statement without providing details on the designer's future plans.

11 excuses cops have already heard

"Everyone else was doing it," and "I had to go to the bathroom" extend beyond excuses used in a kindergarten classroom -- they actually top the most common excuses drivers use to get out of a ticket. Insurance.com surveyed 500 licensed drivers age 18 and over in February 2013 to find this list of top excuses we use when getting pulled over. 20.4 percent of drivers have tried: I couldn't see the sign telling me not to do it.

First sight: Volkswagen Passat (2015)

In recent years, European buyers have been switching their mid-size sedans and wagons for smaller cars, crossovers and SUVs. The Volkswagen Passat, Europe's most successful company car, has defined this market segment pretty much since it arrived back in 1973, and this latest, eighth-generation model has been designed to attempt to reverse that buying trend. When we catch up with design director Dr Klaus Bischoff at the car's unveiling, he's certainly confident that the new car represents a significant step forward.