2001 Lexus Rx300 Owners Manual on 2040-parts.com

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.

Ice, ice, Bentley

BENTLEY is returning to the ice in 2014 with a new and extended programme of slippery driving challenges for well-heeled customers. Popular demand for the company’s exclusive – and massively expensive – Power on Ice experiences has led to an increase in the number of days Bentley is to set up shop at its erstwhile base in the north of Finland, around 37 miles from the Arctic Circle. As ever, ice- and snow-driving specialist Juha Kankkunen, who also happens to be a four-time World Rally Championship winner, will be on hand to tutor paying guests in the delicate art of driving a performance car in difficult conditions.

Five questions with Jaguar's 1960s test driver Norman Dewis

Norman Dewis, Jaguar's test driver in the 1960s, played a pivotal role in the E-type launch at Geneva in 1961. Now a sprightly 93-year-old, he recalls that day for AutoWeek. AutoWeek: What was your role in the E-type launch?