Nachman Carburetor Mounting Flange on 2040-parts.com

GM to double size of battery lab

General Motors says it will spend $8 million to double the size of its Global Battery Systems Lab, which the company claims is the largest and most technologically advanced automotive battery lab in the United States. GM says the expansion will speed up the development of hybrid and electric vehicles, such as the upcoming Chevrolet Volt, by improving on-site testing of battery cells and systems. When finished, the lab will be 30,000 square feet bigger than it is now, for a 63,000-square-foot total.

Chevrolet at the Paris motor show 2008

By Guy Bird Motor Shows 02 October 2008 18:40 General Motors’ Chevrolet stand was buzzing at Paris with two world debuts – the Chevrolet Cruze production saloon and Chevrolet Orlando seven-seater show car – plus two important European production unveils: the electric Volt and Camaro muscle car. All Chevrolets from now on will be global models and reflect a new ambition for quality, as GM’s global vice president of design Ed Welburn told CAR. 'Chevrolet is raising the bar where it matters the most – in the value segment.' The Cruze is a Skoda Octavia-sized four-door on the new Astra platform with reasonable exterior styling and a genuinely high standard of interior fit and finish.

Race-ready Dodge Viper SRT10 ACR-X revealed

The Dodge Viper special editions continue, and on Thursday a turnkey race car, called the Viper SRT10 ACR-X, broke cover. It's not street-legal and is upgraded with a slew of performance modifications aimed at racing enthusiasts. Power grows by 40 hp, to 640 hp, for the 8.4-liter V10.