Wix 42458 Air Filter on 2040-parts.com

Beanz Meanz More Eco-Friendly Future Fords

THE car industry is full of interesting and unusual business partnerships, but this latest tie-up between Ford and Heinz promises to be one of the more intriguing. Far from seeking to produce 57 varieties of any particular new Ford model, the two firms are exploring the use of tomato fibre to develop a sustainable composite materials for use in vehicle manufacturing. For example, boffins believe that dried tomato skins could become the wiring brackets in future Ford vehicles or the storage bin a customer uses to hold coins and other small objects.

Bertone looking for buyers as bankruptcy nears

Italian design house Bertone has confirmed it entered bankruptcy proceedings in Italy, The Telegraph reports, amid recent reports that it laid off a significant percentage of its workforce. A spokesperson for the struggling company told The Telegraph that the company is searching for a buyer. "The problem is many debts and very high costs.

Future products: Mitsubishi turns focus to small, global cars

Major updates to Mitsubishi's products are on the back burner as the company concentrates on developing small cars that can be sold around the world. That means the future is uncertain for the Galant, Endeavor and Eclipse and Eclipse Spyder, which Mitsubishi builds in the United States. A top priority is a global small car expected to go on sale here by the end of 2012.