1977 - 1979 Firebird Trans Am 403 Olds Starter Heat Shield on 2040-parts.com

Pulsar Bursts Onto Family Hatch Scene

IT’S GOING to get ugly in the fiercely competitive family hatchback market soon, as Nissan has decided to rejoin the fray with its newly launched Pulsar model. Clearly aiming at the likes of Volkswagen’s Golf and Ford’s Focus, Nissan bosses are already talking up their new challenger ahead of the car’s autumn debut. Styled to complement the popular Qashqai, the Pulsar promises to major on quality, refinement and cabin space plus boast a raft of hi-tech kit to make the ownership experience safer and more enjoyable.

GM launches Corvette ads on television

WITH VIDEO -- The first work from Goodby, Silverstein & Partners' new client, General Motors' Chevrolet, is out, and it's a testosterone-filled, 45-second TV spot for the 2011 Corvette. The ad, which aired for the first time Tuesday night on ESPN, marks GM's return to TV advertising for the Corvette after a five-year absence. Titled "Still Building Rockets," the commercial shows footage of rocket scientists juxtaposed with snapshots of GM plant workers building a Corvette.

Bungling thief caught after stealing hire car's steering wheel

A DIM-WITTED criminal has been convicted of theft after stealing parts of a brand new Audi A3 hire car and replacing them with old bits taken from his much older Audi S3. Alexander Keating, a 23-year-old former bodyshop technician who lost his job following the conviction, stole parts as obvious as the steering wheel and gear knob from the A3 that his mum had hired after damaging her car in an accident. Keating foolishly believed no one would notice the battered old steering wheel on the otherwise shiny, new car, but sure enough the mismatched parts were spotted and the hapless bungler was caught by the car hire firm’s bespoke anti-fraud team Asset Protection Unit (APU).