Nissan Note 2005 Throttle Body [0020300] on 2040-parts.com

Tesla planning self-driving car

Tesla are planning a self-driving car Now that car makers have been fitting radar and sensors to their cars for some time, which allow stuff like adaptive cruise – which automatically slows behind traffic and can even bring the car to s stop on its own – the race is on to make cars even more autonomous. We’ve reported recently on the Mercedes Intelligent Drive S-Class that negotiated its way – more or less – on a 60 mile route in Germany, and on Volvo’s self-parking system which will take your car in to a multi storey car park by itself, park, and meet you when you return. Google has also been playing with self-driving cars and has even gained permission to run its autonomous cars in California, and now Tesla are joining the fray with plans for an autonomous car in the next three years.

M1 motorway changes 'risk lives'

THE PROPOSED changes to the M1 motorway could put drivers’ lives at risk due to the removal of the hard shoulder, according to campaigners. The Association of British Drivers (ABD) says the lack of a continuous hard shoulder, combined with many vehicles' lack of a spare wheel, is a recipe for danger. The Highways Agency is currently assessing options for the M1 between junctions 28 and 35A that include a reduction in speed limit to 60mph to cut emissions pollution.

MINI Countryman to be built in India

MINI sells worldwide – even in the US – and, despite claims it was a step too far for the brand, the MINI Countryman has been a big hit for MINI, offering as it does most of MINI’s charm but in a bigger, more family friendly package and with the option of All4 4WD for a degree of off-road ability (well, certainly the ability to treat boot sale car parks with disdain). Now, for the first time, BMW is to build the MINI outside Europe with a new MINi assembly facility coming on stream in Chennai, India, where BMW already makes 3 and 5 Series models as well as the X1 and X3. The plan is part of BMW’s plan of ‘Production follows the market’ where BMW aim to make their cars where they’re sold, so with the MINI brand showing strong growth in India since its launch it makes sense to build them there.