1988 Bay Liner Steering Wheel on 2040-parts.com

Mercedes GLA baby SUV revealed ahead of Frankfurt

Meet the latest edition to the small Mercedes family – the Mercedes-Benz GLA, a compact ‘crossover’ SUV. The GLA is aiming to take on existing premium rivals such as the BMW X1 and Audi Q3, and may even take a chunk out of the Range Rover Evoque if it gets the opportunity. This new baby Mercedes will make its world debut at the 2013 Frankfurt Motor Show in September.

Pace cadets: At AMG academy, students take their finals with their right feet

Mercedes-Benz USA launched the AMG Challenge in 2002, a program touted as "a chance to experience the thrill of driving the newest Mercedes AMGs on some of America's best racetracks." This year, MBUSA abandoned the Challenge in favor of the AMG Driving Academy, a multistage driver-development program pioneered by AMG in Europe. The difference? According to Greg Clark, AMG manager, "the Challenge was more about the cars, while the Academy is more about the driver." Having participated in both the Challenge and now the Academy, we'd say that difference is subtle, at least as it applies to the one-day program.

Used cars set for soft landing

THE USED CAR MARKET is set to see a gentle slow down towards the end of the year, avoiding the price crash feared by some in the industry. Experts at CAP Automotive say there are no shocks on the horizon as used car prices are not reducing as quickly as previously expected. This is due to high demand for quality used cars and limited supply.