Zaon Pcas Xrx Collision Avoidance on 2040-parts.com

The scramble for scarce tires

North American automakers are struggling with a nagging shortage of tires, caused in part by tire plant closings and rising demand for low-volume specialty tires. Automakers are paying much higher prices -- double-digit percentage increases from a year ago -- as tire makers gain pricing power. "We have been bombarded from every side for additional tires, and we can't keep up," said David O'Donnell, Continental Tire's vice president of original equipment in the Americas.

Autoweek's Best of the Best/Truck finalists for 2014

Every year, hundreds of new cars and trucks pass through our fleet for evaluation, and we're always on the lookout for those dazzling few deserving more careful scrutiny for our top honors: The Autoweek Best of the Best. We strive to do our judging under the radar with as little manufacturer knowledge as possible. We test for the Best of the Best by checking drivetrain, ride quality, handling, exterior styling and the like.

Fiat 500 Colour Therapy added to UK 500 range

Fiat has added the 500 Colour Therapy – a retro-look Fiat 500 – to the model range in the UK. The Fiat 500 belongs to the same school of marketing as the MINI, so a new trim range to cash in on its ‘Homage to an Icon’ status seems an obvious route to garner a few more sales for the very likeable 500. Which is why the UK is getting the Fiat 500 Colour Therapy, a new model range that sits in the 500 line-up between the Pop and Lounge trim levels and comes in five retro-inspired colours - New Age Cream, Countrypolitan Yellow, Pasodoble Red, Volare Blue, and Tech House Grey.