The Guinness World Record for the tightest parallel parking was broken recently in China leaving just a 15-centimeter gap. That's less than 6-inches.  Any challengers? Of course getting out of the space might be an even more impressive feat.

Lanxess Corp., a German manufacturer of high-tech plastics, rubber and chemicals, said today that it will open a new facility in Gaston County and create 55 jobs over the next three years. 

The company plans to invest $15 million in the new plant in Gastonia.  Lanxess received a $250,000 grant from the One North Carolina Fund.
 
The Gaston County facility will manufacture high-tech nylon and thermoplastic polyester compounds that are used to design lighter parts for automobiles that help improve the vehicles fuel efficiency.

Demand for such products is expected to increase seven percent annually through 2020 as car makers move to meet stricter fuel efficiency standards.
 

Lydall, a manufacturer of interior and exterior products for automobiles, is expanding its facility in Yadkinville and plans to create 170 jobs over the next three years.

The Connecticut-based company is receiving a $300,000 grant from the One North Carolina Fund.

Lydall’s automotive products protect passengers from extreme heat and insulate them from noise and vibration. 

The company will spend $18.5 million making improvements to its Hamptonville facility, which employs 500. It will lease additional space in a new facility in Yadkinville, about 25 miles west of Winston-Salem.

The new jobs will pay an average annual wage of $25,294 plus benefits, which is below the Yadkin County average of $27,716.

Representatives from the Triangle's Lincoln dealerships say they have not heard whether they will be affected by Ford's announcement today that it plans to close about a third of its Lincoln facilities over the next two years.

There are three Lincoln dealerships in the Triangle: Leith Lincoln-Mercury in Raleigh, Capital Lincoln Mercury of Cary and Classic Ford Lincoln Mercury in Smithfield.

Representatives for Leith Lincoln-Mercury were not immediately available Tuesday, but representatives for the other two dealerships said they have received no notification that they will be closing.

"I haven't heard anything," said Clarence Ferguson, general manager for Capital Lincoln Mercury in Cary. "We had a pretty good month last month."

For many of the dealerships, the closure of a Lincoln dealership would represent a second blow from Ford. The company is already planning to phase out its Mercury brand by the end of this year.

But Ferguson remained optimistic that his dealership will remain open, pointing to positive signs that Ford is invested in its future.

"We're getting the new Lincoln models in," he said. "We're expecting a banner year this year."

Dan Neil, the Pulitzer Prize winning automotive columnist for the LA Times, is on the move. He's leaving Los Angeles for Raleigh and the L.A. Times for the Wall Street Journal.

That's right, he'll be writing an automotive column for the Journal while living in Raleigh. Well, we do have a lot of roads.

Drivers worried about too much corn in their tanks needn't fret, yet.

The EPA agreed with automakers and other engine manufacturers today that more testing is needed to determine whether American cars would be damaged by a proposed increase in the concentration of ethanol allowed in gasoline, Bruce Siceloff reports on our Crosstown Traffic blog.

The agency said it hopes to rule by mid-2010 on an ethanol industry petition to approve 15 percent ethanol (E15) for gas-fueled cars and trucks, up from the current 10 percent (E10) standard.

Read the full blog post here.