Winderosa - 451454 - Fuel Pump Repair Kit on 2040-parts.com

Insurance group lists its Top Safety Picks

After increasing its standards for 2011 models, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety says that 66 vehicles--more than double the 2010 total--rate as best in the industry at protecting passengers from front, side, rollover and rear crashes. Only 27 vehicles qualified last year after the group, funded by the insurance industry, required that vehicles pass a roof-strength test to earn a good rating, claiming that stronger roofs would reduce the risk of serious or fatal injury by 50 percent in a rollover accident. The most mentioned carmakers on the 2011 list are Hyundai/Kia and Volkswagen/Audi, both with nine vehicles to get the Top Safety Pick designation.

Is Mercedes preparing to buy Ducati?

Remember the AMG-Ducati deal made at the 2010 Los Angeles auto show last month? A partnership of like-minded brands, albeit on two wheels and four. Daimler marketing types reckon that buyers of its AMG go-faster cars could in many instances be equally interested in go-faster motorbikes of the sort Ducati specialise in, and vice versa.

MINI Paceman: Price from £18,970

The MINI Paceman – the MINI Countryman Coupe – will be available in the UK from £18,970 with a choice of petrol or diesel engines, FWD or 4WD. After a debut in production guise at last year’s Paris Motor Show, the MINI Paceman is now hitting the Uk with a choice of petrol or diesel engines, manual or auto gearbox and front wheel drive or four wheel drive. Petrol engine choices for the Paceman are the 1.6 litre Cooper Paceman with 122bhp, 0-62mph in 10.4 seconds and 47.1mpg and the Cooper S Paceman with the same 1.6 litre but with 184bhp, 0-62mph in 7.5 seconds and 46.3mpg. There’s also the 218bhp MINI John Cooper Works Paceman that can hit 62mph in a pretty swift 6.9 seconds.