Plastimo Mini Contest on 2040-parts.com

Fiat and Chrysler get in to bed together

Before Christmas the CEO of Fiat was reported as saying that he believed that the current malaise in the car market (and any other market, for that matter) would result in the rationalisation of the industry, and see just a handful of big players come out the other side. His words now seem prescient, as it has been announced today that Fiat and Chrysler have effectively entered in to a partnership. Fiat takes a 35% stake in Chrysler The partnership, with Fiat taking 35% of Chrysler, means a number of benefits for both companies.

Cash-for-clunkers gems: Corvettes, Camaros, Mustangs and one infamous Bentley meet the end of the road

By now, the high-profile casualties of cash-for-clunkers are well documented: a Bentley Continental R and an Aston Martin DB7 Volante from 1997 and a 1985 Maserati Quattroporte all perished under the government-funded incentive program. But scratching beneath the surface reveals that scores of everyday enthusiast rides such as Mustangs, Camaros and even some Corvettes met ignominious endings by having their engines destroyed and their bodies crushed. While it’s likely that many of the nearly 700,000 clunkers turned in actually were at the end of their roads, the final report released by the government reveals the demise of plenty of affordable, likely still-fixable cars that could have been enjoyed by collectors of all ages.

Porsche Le Mans challenger (2014) in testing

Porsche's 2014 Le Mans challenger has completed its first test today at the maker’s Weissach test track in Germany. Porsche will take on stablemate Audi and rivals Toyota in the 2014 World Endurance Championship, which sees a significant change in the regulations that may well shake up Audi’s domination of the series and its stranglehold on the Le Mans 24hrs. So what is the Porsche Le Mans car about?