2006 Chrysler 300 C Srt8 6.1l on 2040-parts.com

More than a (gull)wing and a prayer

They make up just six percent of Mercedes car sales in the United States—but nothing preserves and proliferates the top-shelf, seductive image of a Benz like a sports car. This is a point that's been driven home to me in a wide array of circumstances this year: Mercedes sports cars are still rock stars. I'll admit, I've often been a skeptic.

2014 BMW X5 M50d: Specs, photos and price ahead of November on sale

The 2014 BMW X5 M50d (pictured) goes on sale November 2013 The new BMW X5 goes on sale in November – after a public debut at the Frankfurt Motor Show next month – including the most powerful diesel X5, the 2014 BMW X5 M50d. Because the M50d is a bit special, BMW has seen fit to relay not just a pile of new photos of the M50d (above) but specific details on its spec and options ahead of the on sale date in Europe. Just as in the first X50d, the new X50d gets the world’s most powerful in-line 6-cylinder diesel engine under the bonnet, which means a thumping 376bhp and a planet turning 546lb/ft of torque, enough to sprint to 62mph in a very un-diesel like 5.3 seconds.

Pontiac is done by end of 2010; Saturn shutdown accelerated

Pontiac--the brand famous for the GTO, the Firebird, the Star Chief and, most recently, the Solstice--is dead. It will be phased out by the end of 2010 as part of sweeping cuts announced Monday by General Motors as it tries to remake itself into a smaller company with fewer plants, workers and dealers. GM said it will concentrate on four U.S.