1955 Chevrolet Belair Ashtray And Rear Licence Plate Holder on 2040-parts.com

Mercedes R-class facelift (2010) first official pictures

This is the facelifted Mercedes R-class, unveiled today at the 2010 New York auto show.  It lives, and in the UK the new model will only be available as an entry level, rear-drive R300 CDI and a top-spec, long-wheelbase R350 CDI. The R300 CDI BlueEFFICIENCY 2WD (to give this big beast its full name) is 7% more efficient than before but still offers the same power and performance. The more snappily titled R350 CDI 4MATIC is also more economical (its 33.2mpg bettering its predecessor by 2.8mpg) but also more powerful, with outputs of 261bhp and 457ft up from 218bhp and 376lb ft.

White remains most popular car color globally

Just this past Wednesday, while strolling through Porsche's Panamera/Cayenne assembly plant in Leipzig, we noticed a preponderance of white Pannies being constructed. According to paint supplier PPG, that should be no surprise. Since last year, it's been the top color here in the US, and Porsche's number one market is, of course, North America.

One Lap of the Web: A podcast anniversary and a Facellia

-- Ford's F-350 can tow 35,000 pounds, which is pretty nifty. But it's lacking one crucial element in race-car transporting: it really could use Plymouth logos and a red, white and blue paint job with the word "REBEL" emblazoned on the side in the same lettering that announced Roosevelt's presidency. Hence, this 1965 Dodge C500 ramp truck built to look like something you could find in the paddock of Fontana Drag City circa 1965 with an altered-wheelbase Belvedere Funny Car on the back and a case of Tecate where the Mac tools go.