Mercedes GLA goes subterranean

FOR SUV owners looking to test their cars’ off-road credentials, the obvious place to put them to the test probably isn’t nearly 200 metres underground. But that’s exactly where the new Mercedes GLA found itself as it descended into Winsford Rock Salt Mine, 620 feet beneath the Cheshire countryside. The working mine, which supplies much of the UK’s gritting salt for wintry roads, played host to four standard (apart from extra driving lights) GLA models, which were lowered down into the mine nose first before being let loose in the 130-mile network of tunnels.

Mini takes to the field for London 2012

Although there’s no motorsport in the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games, Mini will be making an appearance during the track and field events in the Olympic stadium. A fleet of three remote-controlled, quarter-scale Mini Cooper JCWs are charged with retrieving javelins, discus, shot and hammer, and will cover around 6000 metres per day while on duty. Each ‘mini Mini’ has a potential payload of 8kg, and will be operated by specially-trained ‘Games Makers’.

This is the 2013 Mazda6 – a bit at a time

The first photos of the 2013 Mazda6 have been released showing the Takeri concept inspired Mazda6 before its Moscow Motor Show debut. The 2013 Mazda 6 has been teased by Mazda in a series of short videos (although they were all so pointless we only ran the first one) and now Mazda has released the first official photos of the new Mazda6 ahead of its debut next month at the Moscow Motor Show. But for whatever reason, Mazda seems intent on still hiding the new Mazda6 from proper scrutiny ahead of its Moscow debut; not a single photo of the whole car, just four bits.