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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.

Aston Martin Cygnet – more detail

New pictures of the Toyota iQ based Aston Martin Cygnet Back in June we reported that Aston Martin were producing an Eco City Car - the Aston Martin Cygnet -  which was a bit of a surprise, to say the least. We know that people are shying away from ultra expensive and powerful cars at the moment, but the idea of an Aston Martin that was cheap to run and very, very small seemed a step to far. But once we got our heads round it the idea made more sense.

Project Car Hell, Off-Brand Japanese '80s Hairdryer Edition: I-Mark RS or Cordia Turbo?

Is it a sickness to love weird Japanese sport compacts from the era of Pseudo Echo and Iran-Contra? Cars that nobody but a few scarily obsessed single-interest types would even recognize? It sure is, but not to worry--there's no better reason to hurl yourself headlong into the Lake of Fire that is Project Car Hell.