ACDelco, the aftermarket parts arm of US automaker General Motors, showcased its wide range of auto parts at the Automechanika Gulf Exhibition 2007. The exhibit, billed “All Cars, All Models, All Quality Parts,” set the stage for the company’s planned push to build a strong, dynamic and growing aftermarket business across the region, providing customers with a quality line up of automotive parts.

In the face of strong market demand, the network of very popular and convenient ACDelco Service Centers is also set to expand by 50 percent by the end of the year (up from 30 percent year-ago level), significantly increasing the availability of parts and aftermarket service across the region.

ACDelco has expanded its range of high quality aftermarket parts for Asian, European and North American vehicles, with the inclusion of a wide range of oil, air and fuel filters, gas and fluid filled shock absorbers and struts, universal wiper blades, brake pads and non asbestos brake discs, universal spark plugs, light bulbs, and resistors with premium platinum coating. All the parts come with a 12 month warranty and are manufactured to the highest EU quality standards. High point of the ACDelco aftermarket parts is their significantly lower price compared to genuine parts.

Automechanika Gulf 2007 was held at the Dubai World Trade Center from May 27 to 29, and catered to the rapidly developing automotive aftermarket segment in the wider Middle East and Africa. The exhibit covered the full range of parts for motor vehicles, as well as components for the drive, chassis, body, electrics and electronic groups, equipment for vehicle service and repair, bodywork repair and painting, tires, batteries and performance systems.

Glenn Heller, general manager of ACDelco Independent Aftermarket at General Motors, said: “We have seen the ‘All Cars, All Models, All Quality Parts’ range increasing in popularity as more and more people, whose vehicle warranties have expired, recognize the quality and price competitiveness of ACDelco parts.

“We will be looking to build on this success over the coming months, notably with the introduction of parts for European vehicles and the expansion of the ACDelco Service Center network.

“We have seen strong market demand for the latter from customers who require a fast, efficient and unbeatable automotive service that’s supported by the use of quality parts backed up with a 12 month warranty.”

ACDelco has been an integral part of the automotive industry for almost 100 years, establishing a reputation for setting industry standards for top quality automotive parts. Since ACDelco’s launch in the Middle East in the early 1990s, the brand has quickly become synonymous with quality, safety and reliability. ACDelco is already the market leader in automotive batteries, supplying a battery suitable for every vehicle available in the Middle East.

ACDelco is a market leader with the capability to handle all makes and all models of automotive vehicle regardless of the manufacturer. Today, it supplies more than 75,000 component parts in 57 different component classifications backed by a regional distribution center in Dubai.

It consistently brings new advances in parts technology, smart inventions and innovative ideas to the marketplace ahead of its competitors. All parts are engineered and rigorously tested to ensure that they meet or exceed original manufacturers’ specifications. General Motors’ aftersales business, in which ACDelco plays a significant role, posted a record year in 2006, with sales increasing by more than 22 percent.

Goodyear is hitting the trail with a “self-healing” carbon-loaded drive belt that can reduce the possibility of a long walk home. The Goodyear Gatorback Sport is the first Continuously Variable Transmission (CVT) belt with carbon fiber reinforcement in its body construction, according to Loren Danhauer, Goodyear chief belt engineer.

“Threadlike strands of carbon fiber are strong and flexible and weigh much less than steel of similar strength,” said Danhauer. “The fiber alignment in the rubber compound provides added stiffness across the width of the belt.”

Jonathan Cocco, marketing manager for Goodyear aftermarket products, said a Goodyear survey of quad riders shows they want precise, immediate throttle response and off-road durability whether for hunters, ranchers, fire rescue teams or sport enthusiasts.

A CVT system varies the working ratio of two v-shaped pulleys linked by the belt, said Cocco. The distance between pulley flanges can fluctuate, allowing the belt to ride smoothly up or down the pulley, continuously changing the gear ratio and varying vehicle speeds.

The pulleys are part of a power sensing drive that increases tension during acceleration and lowers tension when power is reduced. Danhauer explained that conventional CVT belt sidewalls can glaze and char from heat build up when engaged with pulleys under extreme loads. Materials from the top width of the belt then turn down and inward, creating vibrations that can quickly destroy the belt.

“Gatorback Sport regulates itself under extreme events,” said Danhauer. “Its carbon fiber in the rubber compound allows desired edge slippage without losing top width. When extreme demand subsides, the belt self-heals and again picks up the load.”

Danhauer added that tests he conducted show significantly improved top width wear and reduced belt weight loss. Cocco said Gatorback Sport is responsive and durable. “Its aggressive carbon fiber material maintains pulley grip without sacrificing belt wear,” he said. “It provides quick, clean throttle response to help riders conquer steep hills and nasty mud pits, while withstanding inadvertent abuse, such as spin-and-runs.”

Gatorback Sport’s performance was born from race technology introduced last year. Hendrick Motorsports and eventual NASCAR Nextel Cup Series champion Jimmy Johnson turned to Goodyear for help after making mid-season engine adjustments for added horsepower that increased demand on cam drive belts by 50 percent.

Goodyear quickly responded by mixing carbon fiber reinforcement in rubber compounds for the new timing belt. The result was an advanced composite that withstood the increased loads and higher temperatures, allowed engines to run more efficiently, and provided precision timing in every harsh environment.

“Buoyed by our success with carbon fiber, we went to work on the CVT belt for all-terrain vehicles,” said Cocco. “Its performance earns it the Gatorback name, joining a growing family of popular Gatorback automotive belts that are used by all major NASCAR Cup Series teams and are available in auto part stores and service centers.”

While Gatorback Sport’s lateral strength comes from carbon fiber, its longitudinal strength comes from Goodyear Flexten aramid cords traveling the circumference of the belt. Flexten minimizes stretch, stabilizes overall length and maximizes horsepower transmission.

“It adds up to predictable tension performance,” said Danhauer, “and tension is as important to belts as air pressure is to tires.”

Engineers also took care when designing belt dimensions, precisely duplicating most major manufacturers’ original equipment profiles and measurements for top width, length and sidewalls to ensure proper fits. Gatorback Sport’s top width range is 17 to 35 millimeters or 0.68 to 1.37 inches, while its length range is 679 to 1106 mm or 26.75 to 43.56 inches.

Kentucky—Holley Performance Products, the industry leader in performance fuel systems, announced Friday its shortlist of attractions for this month’s Somernites Power Cruise. The July power cruise is scheduled to cover four states before heading here at Somerset, Kentucky. The caravan will then meet up with over 1,000 other cars who regularly converge on the historic city square one weekend per month throughout the summer. The tour legs will be leaving the morning of July 28 from Nashville, Knoxville, Cincinnati, and Louisville. Specific locations and times can be found at the official Holley Somernites website.

From Somerset the caravan will travel to Corbin and make a stop at the Cumberland Falls, where the group will link up with the Power Cruise group coming from Knoxville and cruise back to Somerset in a caravan of classic cars and trucks.

“The Somernites Cruise has become a huge attraction over the last few years in our home state of Kentucky”, said Holley marketing director Bill Tichenor. “It really is a national type event drawing cars from all over the east coast, but it still has that small town appeal. Everyone just cruises the strip and hangs out together talking about cars. You’ll see everything from street rods, to muscle cars to slammed trucks. It’s just about car enthusiasts enjoying cars. We’re really proud of the folks over in Somerset. They’ve done it right and we’ve decided to join in,” added Tichenor.

Somernites Cruise organizers expect a record breaking day in July due to the popularity growth of the caravan. Last year, they have expanded the cruise area to an additional location at The Center for Rural Development, where cruise participants were treated to the same relaxed atmosphere and music as downtown while they enjoy entertainment and special attractions slated at the event.

“Mustang Alley” had been a big hit in the May Power Cruise, with well over 200 ’stangs of all models, colors and styles staking their claim to the special area that organizers have set aside each month for their featured makes and models. For the June 23 power cruise, organizers are calling out on all Mopar Fans to step up and show the Blue Oval folks what true loyalty is. June is “Mopar Mania” month, organizers said, and the June power cruise will have a huge area set aside just for Mopars.

All Chrysler, Dodge and Plymouth owners, together with all Mopar Clubs are invited. “Last month, the Blue Oval crowd swamped the show with over 200 of their ponycars. We think the Mopar crowd simply won’t stand for that and we want you to turn out in big numbers to show everyone just which manufacturer has the most dedicated and fanatical car owners! We know you don’t have to worry about being “snake-bitten” when you are leaving them in your dust! So whether you own a new Charger or Viper, a classic Roadrunner or one of those nasty ‘Cuda’s or Challengers, we want to see you and your car at the June show proudly displayed in the “Mopar Mania” area.”

Holley Performance Products will give away Weiand intakes, Hooker Headers, NOS Nitrous, Earl’s Plumbing, Lunati Cams and FlowTech Exhaust for eac of their performance divisions. Holley, which has been in the industry for a century now, powers every NASCAR Nextel Cup team and every NHRA Pro–Stock champion. The Holley line includes performance fuel pumps, fuel injection, intake manifolds, cylinder heads and engine dress-up products for street performance, race and marine applications.

IRVINE, California—Quantum Fuel Systems Technologies Worldwide Inc. is set to develop the diesel hybrid electric version of its Alternative Mobility Vehicle (AMV) Aggressor. Its client: The US Army. The program is a follow up on Quantum’s successful Aggressor vehicle, a high-performance light-duty off-road fuel cell hybrid vehicle developed for the US Army’s Tank Automotive Research, Development and Engineering Center and the National Automotive Center. The project has a total value of $4.88 million.

The objective of the program is to develop a second-generation high-performance light-duty off-road hybrid electric vehicle platform based on the results of and feedback from the US Army’s testing and evaluation of the Aggressor. The first prototype of the Aggressor, built in 2004, never made it beyond military testing and evaluation. The propulsion system for this next phase of AMV development will focus on a JP 8 fuel-compatible diesel internal combustion engine based, battery dominant, series hybrid electric system, which would provide a cost-effective, near-term solution as fuel cell technology matures. Preproduction prototypes will be developed and built for testing and evaluation by selected commands to assess mission suitability, supportability, performance objectives, and guidance on final vehicle configuration.

“We believe that the AMV program offers an innovative solution as a long-range reconnaissance vehicle that fills a technology gap for the US Army in its national defense efforts while reducing its fuel logistic burden,” said Alan Niedzwiecki, president and CEO of Quantum. “The vehicle’s silent watch capability, high performance acceleration, extended range, and exportable power provide significant advantages for the US Army in communications, surveillance, targeting, and reconnaissance missions. We believe that this vehicle and Quantum’s innovative hybrid drive train will also be very well-suited for other commercial applications, including homeland security, border patrol, park service operations, and light-duty automobiles.”

A wider, 66″ body design makes room for performance-grade acceleration— at least as far as military vehicles go—with the second-generation Aggressor set to rev from 0 to 40 mph in four seconds and top out at 80 mph. But speed is not the main attraction here. Stealth is. The Aggressor design provides battery-only operations, allowing it to switch into “silent mode” with a reduced thermal signature. Combine that with extended range and exportable power, the Aggressor is set to become the first tough-to-detect AMV for missions involving communications, surveillance and targeting.

The contract will be administered by Alion Science and Technology Corp., based in Alexandria, Virginia. Alion will provide project management oversight in support of this effort for the US Army. Quantum, a fully integrated alternative energy company, is a leader in power train engineering, system integration and manufacturing of packaged fuel systems and accessories for specialty vehicles and applications including fuel cells, hybrids, alternative fuels, hydrogen refueling, new body styles, mid-cycle vehicle product enhancements and high performance engines and drive trains for OEMs and consumers of aftermarket parts and accessories.

The company has product commercialization alliances with General Motors, AM General and Sumitomo, while its customer base includes Toyota, Opel, Hyundai, Suzuki, Ford, DaimlerChrysler, SunLine, Yamaha, AeroVironment, and the US Army.