Mercury/quicksilver 892318 Belt on 2040-parts.com

Mercedes touts future safety with research vehicle

In 1980, when several automakers began to use airbags, there were people who thought that cars couldn't possibly get any safer. Karl-Heinz Baumann, a safety researcher at Mercedes-Benz AG in Stuttgart, was not one of them. "We said, 'No, it cannot be all,' and we kept doing more research." The results of that research are presented on the company's most recent Experimental Safety Vehicle (ESV), on display now in the Mercedes Museum in Stuttgart.

Toyota recalls Lexus cars for fuel-system fixes

Toyota Motor Corp., struggling to restore its reputation for top quality, on Wednesday recalled nearly 1.7 million vehicles globally for a variety of fuel system related problems, including 245,000 Lexus IS and Lexus GS sedans in the United States. The North American vehicles are being called back to inspect for possibly faulty installation of fuel pressure sensors. In cases where the sensor is not fastened tightly enough, fuel can leak between the gasket that connects the sensor to the fuel delivery pipes, Toyota said.

Indiana yanks Kruse auction licenses

Kruse Inc., the auction company that sold the famous William Harrah car collection and has been synonymous with auctioning enthusiast automobiles since the 1970s, has lost its licenses in its home state. The Indiana Auctioneer Commission ruled on Tuesday to revoke both of Kruse Inc.'s licenses, and the company has to wait seven years to apply for new ones, said Kelly Butters, a spokeswoman for the Indiana Attorney General's Office. Dean Kruse, president of the auction house, has had his personal license suspended indefinitely.