Hopkins Towing Solutions Vehicle Side Connector Part No. 48435, New on 2040-parts.com

Old is new again: Will a floor-hinged throttle pedal be in your future?

If you think that every little nut, bolt, switch, gear or widget in your new car wasn't scrutinized by a team of highly educated, overworked car geeks (read: engineers), think again. A couple of recent conversations with automotive engineers confirmed that virtually nothing that goes into a car today is taken for granted. During the recent Pebble Beach weekend, I had the pleasure of spending time with an engineer for Jaguar, and the subject turned to materials used for various switches in the cabin.

Volkswagen shows off new 1.8-liter engine for Jetta, Passat, and Beetle

Volkswagen is rolling out a new 1.8-liter turbocharged and direct-injected TSI engine which will debut in the Jetta, Beetle, and Passat later this year. This thrifty new engine will replace the 2.5-liter five-cylinder engine now available in those models. But the 1.8-liter is no slouch: it produces the same 170 hp as the outgoing five-cylinder engine, while adding 7 lb-ft torque for a total of 184.

New Porsche Boxster GTS – now on video

The new Porsche Boxster GTS struts its stuff on video Last week, Porsche revealed a new range-topping Boxster – the Boxster GTS – together with a new Cayman GTS, and appealing, range-topping versions they are too. Now we get the first video of the Boxster GTS, and we have to say it does underline just how appealing the Boxster now is. Yes, many consider the Boxster the Porsche for the buyer who can’t afford a 911.