944 Porsche "combination Gauge" on 2040-parts.com

Mercedes-Benz reveals first C-class details

Mercedes-Benz has revealed limited details about its new fourth-generation C-class sedan, more than two months before it is due to make its world debut at the Detroit auto show. Although the new BMW 3-series and Audi A4 rival is yet to official unveiled -- in fact, all we have so far are interior renderings -- Mercedes-Benz says the new C-class will be a significantly more advanced car than its predecessor in terms of construction, with a “best in class” weight figure and a level of structural integrity that it describes as being “unparalleled” in its class. Among its features is a new lightweight body structure that uses a newly developed aluminum hybrid construction process that Mercedes-Benz claims will shave as much as 220 pounds over the current model depending on the engine it uses.

Cadillac CTS Sport Wagon and SRX (2009): first pictures

By Ben Whitworth First Official Pictures 15 August 2008 10:27 Against the backdrop of this year’s Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance in California, Cadillac has pulled the wraps off two bold new models – its CTS Sport Wagon and the CRX crossover. The two cars mark a decade of Cadillac’s distinctive ‘Art and Science’ design theme – and they’re as edgy and creased as you’d expect. It’s the work of Cadillac’s global design director Clay Dean, and we reckon his team has done a pretty good job of incorporating the company’s distinctively edge look and feel with its neatly extended roofline and the way the V-shaped grille is reflected in the wedgy profile of the tailgate.

BMW Concept5 X5 eDrive revealed. It’s a plug-in Hybrid X5

The BMW Concept5 X5 eDrive (pictured) will debut at Frankfurt The arrival of the BMW Concept X5 eDrive ahead of its debut at Frankfurt next month doesn’t preview and immediate addition to the X5 range of a plug-in hybrid, but it does show what will be on offer in a year or two. Just like yesterday’s Mercedes S500 plug-in hybrid, the X5 eDrive is another example of how car makers have developed their way round CO2 taxation levels by throwing electric motors at ICE engines to create a car that offers impressive emissions and economy on official tests. In the case of the X5 eDrive that means a four-cylinder twin power ICE engine (BMW aren’t saying, but we’re assuming its a petrol engine), a 94bhp electric motor and a lithium-ion battery under the boot all working together to produce an X5 that is capable (at least in official tests, which is all that matters) of 74.3mpg and emissions under 90g/km.