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New Mercedes A45 AMG has 105 years of 4WD on its side

With the new Mercedes A45 AMG on the horizon – complete with 4WD – Mercedes chart the history of all wheel drive on their vehicles. We tend to think of 4WD road cars as a modern innovation, and certainly very few 4WD road cars hit the road in a mainstream way much before the 1980s (the Jensen FF was hardly mainstream before someone points out that was in the 1960s). But the history of 4WD goes back, certainly in the case of Mercedes, a surprising 105 years when Daimler built the Dernburg-Wagen, a 4WD vehicle that not only got all-wheel drive but all wheel steering too.

Fiat 500 by Zagato

Fiat's little 500 has been around for a while now, but thanks to Zagato the diminutive city car has received a new persona. The 500 has gained a more coupe-esque silhouette, with everything North of the beltline being new. The 500 Zagato Coupe acquires the trademark ‘double hump' roofline, as well as an evolution of the ‘cross over' C-pillar.

What the 2014 Malibu tells us about the future of styling

Decades ago, Detroit's automakers changed their offerings' sheet metal, or at least substantial parts of it, every model year. The process of revealing revised models to the public boosted the glamour and mystique of the entire industry. Dealership windows were papered over; display models were smuggled in under wraps; anticipation grew to a fever pitch.