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New Mercedes B-Class Electric Drive goes in to production

The first Mercedes B-Class ED (pictured) rolls off the production line in Rastatt With the BMW i3 grabbing headlines – and flying out of showrooms – as BMW’s first electric car, Mercedes need to play catch-up with a convincing EV of their own, and that’s the new B-Class Electric Drive – an EV version of the regular B-Class – which has now gone in to production in Germany. Built alongside regular ICE versions of the B-Class at Mercedes’ Rastatt Plant, the B-Class ED (Electric Drive) looks practically the same as its more conventionally powered siblings – although the front bumper does look a bit different – and has an electric motor good for 177 bhp and 250 lb/ft of torque, can manage a scoot to 62 mph in 7.9 seconds and has a range of up to 124 miles. The range – at least the quoted range – is a chunk better than the BMW i3′s and on a par with the latest Nissan LEAF, thanks to EV technology provided by Tesla, and the wrapping of an EV drivetrain in a conventional series production car could appeal to more buyers than the ‘statement’ design of the BMW i3.

Aston Martin confirms Middle East-only Lagonda super-saloon

By John Mahoney Motor Industry 25 July 2014 16:54 Aston Martin has confirmed it will once again make a Lagonda super-saloon - but only for Middle Eastern markets. The details of Aston’s secret plans to resurrect its luxurious nameplate for a small production run of luxury saloons were revealed in the July 2014 issue of CAR following our spy photographer captured a wedgy four-door saloon testing on the roads around Aston Martin’s Gaydon HQ in Warwickshire. The mule we snapped, like the production car set to arrive in 2015, is based on Aston’s familiar VH architecture that underpins the four-door Aston Martin Rapide.

Jaguar F-Type to get manual gearbox

Jaguar’s Adrian Hallmark has revealed that Jaguar’s new manual gearbox will be heading in to the new F-Type. They’ve gone because the slush boxes of old have been replaced by new, double clutch boxes that actually give better performance and better economy than a driver with a left foot in action. But still, the yearning for the control and feel of a manual ‘box remains at the core of the driving experience.