Obx Racing Cat Converter on 2040-parts.com

Center stack is new high-stakes battleground; showdown with safety regulators looms

For auto suppliers and gadget companies eager to get a piece of the auto industry, the hottest chunk of vehicle real estate now is the center stack. That corridor of interior space, running from the driver's right hip up through the center of the cockpit to the bottom of the windshield, has become a California gold rush of opportunity. But it is less so for traditional suppliers of molded plastics, cables, levers, buttons and radios.

VW boss Bernhard quits

By Tim Pollard Motor Industry 12 January 2007 09:57 Volkswagen boss Wolfgang Bernhard has quit the company as part of a shake-up at Europe's biggest car maker. The news comes as little surprise after months of uncertainty and change at the top of VW. Bernhard built a reputation as an abrasive operator in his short stint as CEO of the Wolfsburg company and had numerous confrontations with unions as he pushed through more modern working practices.

Jeep to use Fiat platforms starting in '13

Jeep's small SUVs will use Fiat-supplied platforms starting in 2013, Jeep brand CEO Mike Manley said on Wednesday. Jeep will eliminate the Patriot and Compass crossovers after 2012 and replace them with a single C-segment vehicle whose platform will originate with Fiat Group. Jeep also will introduce a B-segment small SUV in 2013 with a Fiat platform.