Voltage Regulator Acdelco Pro F609 on 2040-parts.com

Mercedes launch new 9G-Tronic gearbox on E350 BlueTec

New Mercedes E350 BlueTec (pictured) gets 9-speed 9G-TRONIC auto It’s not exactly a million years ago that automatic gearboxes offered poorer performance and economy than manual gearboxes, and came as standard with just three gears. But now, automatic gearboxes are so good they can  change quicker than any driver and, with the proliferation of eight-speed auto ‘boxes, offer improved economy and performance too. The next logical step is even more ratios in an auto ‘box, and Land Rover has already revealed they’ll be fitting the Evoque with a 9-speed ZF ‘box from 2014, and the new Jeep Grand Cherokee gets a nine-speed auto ‘box too.

Fisker Karma hybrids burn during superstorm Sandy

Fisker Automotive Inc. is looking into a report that 16 of its Karma plug-in hybrids caught fire at a New Jersey port after being submerged in seawater during Hurricane Sandy. "There were no injuries, and none of the cars were being charged at the time," the company said in a statement.

College Exhibition: Scuola Politecnica di Design Milan 2006

Students from the Car Design Masters course at Scuola Politecnica di Design Milan presented concepts for an Audi Avant for 2015 at the school's studios in late June. The presentation of the Audi-sponsored project was made to Walter de'Silva, Design Director Audi Brand Group, who was actively involved in the project along with Audi designers Gary Telaak for the exterior design and Ingo Von Bargen for the interior. In October the students were assigned the task by Walter de'Silva of giving shape to the evolution of the Audi Avant concept.