Mercedes Concept Style Coupe (2012) - aka CLA

Mercedes will show the Concept Style Coupe at the 2012 Beijing motor show next week. It's a thinly veiled look at a compact coupe spun off the Merc A-class architecture - likely to wear the CLA badge. In essence this is our first look at the shrunken, baby CLS Daimler plans to launch in 2013 - and the CLA production version will be priced around £20,000.

GM prepares to announce Pontiac closure next week

General Motors is preparing to announce early next week that the Pontiac brand will be eliminated, said a source familiar with the company's plans. The announcement will be made as part of an updated viability report to the U.S. auto task force, the source said.

Mercedes E 63 AMG S: UK price from £83,740

The E63 AMG S is the extreme version of what is already an extreme car in the E63, with a power boost that takes it from 549bhp to 577bhp – and throws in an extra 60lb/ft of torque for good measure too – and promises real extreme performance. The problem is, getting that power down to the road. In left hand drive markets that’s solved by simply offering the Mercedes 4WD option – 4MATIC – which does a much better job of transferring power to the road than the regular RWD layout.