Case Lot 40 Pcs Universal Left Right Flag Type Rear View Fender Door Mirror Jh on 2040-parts.com

BMW looks to patent seven-speed lockout manual transmission

The intrepid Bimmerphiles over at www.e90post.com have uncovered a few drawings from BMW's latest patent request. The drawing shows a new transmission linkage and what looks to be a seven-speed manual transmission. Like the new Porsche 911, the BMW gear shifter has six gears in standard H pattern, with a seventh gear out to the right.

BMW M6 Competition revealed

The Limited Edition BMW M6 Competition will be at Frankfurt (click image for bigger photo) It doesn’t look like the M6 Competition gets much fiddling with the oily bits, although the suspension is being tweaked and lowered – 10mm at the front and 12mm at the back. The M6 Competition sees a new colour option – Frozen Grey Matt – which does look pretty special on the M6.  The interior gets a ‘limited edition’ makeover, with buyers getting the choice between Merino full leather interior with either black or light grey two-tone contrast stitching. BMW are also throwing in a set of mats with ‘M6 Competition’ stitched in them in case you forget what you bought.

Mercedes CLA Shooting Brake on the way

Mercedes’ design boss Gordon Wagener has revealed to WhatCar that they are planning to go exactly the same route with the CLA as they did with the CLS, and create a coupe estate. The CLS Shooting Brake (pictured below) has been very well received, and with much of the world downsizing its cars a CLA Estate is a very sensible way to go, offering all the good design elements of the CLA – which already looks like a CLS on a boil wash – in a car that has more practicality. Wagener gave no idea of time scale for the CLA Shooting Brake, but with the first CLAs expected to hit customers in June it wouldn’t be a surprise to see a concept CLA Shooting Brake arrive by the time of the Frankfurt Motor Show in September before going on sale in 2014.