Original Engine Management Iac43 Idle Air Control Motor on 2040-parts.com

VW Jetta (2011) first official pictures

This is the new, US-spec Volkswagen Jetta, and it’s part of VW’s plans to triple its annual sales in America to 800,000 units by 2018. And to help its cause, the VW Jetta no longer shares any body panels with the Golf, so the bold claim being made is that this new model is ‘just as independent as a CC or a Tiguan’. There are indeed strong family ties, and underneath the new Jetta is ultimately a Mk6 Golf.

Daimler, Renault are set to share vehicle platforms and engines

Following a year of intensive high-level talks and secretive, behind the scenes strategy meetings, Daimler AG and Renault SA have agreed on plans that will see their car-making divisions--Mercedes-Benz, Smart, Renault and Nissan--share resources on a wide range of products. The move signals more consolidation within the European automotive industry. Daimler chairman Dieter Zetsche and Renault president Carlos Ghosn have set out three primary areas of cooperation that will see the carmakers share small-car and light-commercial-vehicle platforms, small gasoline and diesel engines, and electric drive systems.

MINI Cooper S Diesel coming?

What appears to be a MINI Cooper S Diesel out testing The photo at the top appears to be a MINI Cooper S diesel. Which is not a car we had on our radar, but with MINI any sub niche of a sub niche is fair game, so it seems highly likely that a beefed up S version of the diesel MINI Cooper is in the offing. As we reported just the other day, we’ve already had at least a dozen new MINIs launched or revealed in 2009 alone.