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Mercedes-Benz prototypes spotted

Modern technology makes it harder for automakers to hide their upcoming products from prying eyes. Take, for example, these images sent to us from Autoweek subscriber Jonathan Peters while he was in Utah. Peters speculates that what he saw was a gathering of a varied Mercedes-Benz cars being tested, along with cars from other carmakers for comparisons.

The air runs out of run-flat tires

After settling a lawsuit last month with disgruntled owners of Michelin run-flat tires, Honda dropped the tires for the 2010 model year. It was another disappointment for Michelin and other makers of run-flat tires in a 17-year effort to win customers in the United States. When run-flat tires appeared here in 1992, they were expected to win wide acceptance as original equipment.

VW Pickup concept (2008): first official photos

By Chris Chilton First Official Pictures 24 September 2008 18:00 He’s designed Alfa Romeos, Audis and even a Lamborghini but now Walter de'Silva has gone all humanitarian and designed a pick-up.  VW’s first small flatbed since the Mk1 Golf-based Caddy will take on trucks like the Toyota Hilux and Mitusbishi L200 when it goes on sale late in 2009. It is, but not for long. This thinly veiled concept, called simply Pickup Concept, has been designed as a search and rescue vehicle for coastguards but essentially this is what badge-conscious UK builders will be driving in 2009. The new Volkswagen corporate face with its monobrow top grille and wide mouth is likely to be carried over mostly unchanged to the cars that will roll off the South African production line, as will the surprisingly stylish interior which features hooded instruments and Audi TT-style air vents. Mechanical details are sketchy but Volkswagen claims that engines will be common-rail diesels which rules out the old-tech 2.5 five pot that powers many of VW’s current commercials.