Standard/t-series Fls24t Coolant Level Sensor on 2040-parts.com

Aston Martin configurator for the Cygnet and the Virage hits the Web

The few times a year that Aston Martin graces AutoWeek with a press car, our joy is short-lived. There's never enough seat time to go around. Luckily, we can all dream together with the new Aston Martin configurator at the company's Web site, www.astonmartin.com.

Aston Martin DB 2/4: classic laden with Bond gadgets up for auction

By Adam Binnie Motor Industry 09 July 2014 10:02 A classic Aston Martin, thought to be the inspiration behind James Bond’s car in the Ian Fleming novel Goldfinger, will be sold at auction this Saturday, 12 July 2014. When a father-and-son restoration team discovered the unassuming DB 2/4 Mk I Vantage collecting dust they had no idea of its potential significance. As they began to peel back the layers they uncovered a set of unique modifications, similar to those in the fictional Bond car, including reinforced steel bumpers, concealed lockers, heavy-duty anti-interference ignition system, and connections for a two-way radio or homing device.

MIT develops self-transforming materials that behave 'like robots without robots'

A cross-disciplinary research lab at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) has developed a suite of programmable materials, including carbon fiber, printed wood grain, textile composites, rubbers and plastics, that self-transform when exposed to an external stimulus. Director of the Self-Assembly Lab, Skylar Tibbits, presented a TED talk on 4D printing in 2013, where he demonstrated how a flat sheet of material could effectively build itself when exposed to water, like a robot without a robot. Following positive feedback from industries including aviation, automotive and manufacturing, his lab has been working on developing materials that change according to different activation sources, including heat, light, and air pressure, in addition to water – all of which have automotive relevance.