Mercedes signs joint venture to build carbonfibre parts

Not to be outdone by BMW’s joint venture with the SGL Group to manufacturer commercially viable carbonfibre-reinforced plastic (CFRP) for the electric Megacity Vehicle, Mercedes has announced a joint venture with Japanese company Toray Industries to manufacturer and market its on CFRP automotive parts. The deal was signed in Germany today, with Toray taking a 50.1% stake, Daimler holding 44.9% and the remaining 5% being taken by other shareholders. The two companies started working together in March 2010, and while Toray has been working on the materials and moulding processes, Merc has designed the automotive parts and the technologies to join the parts together.

Hummer nears the end of the trail

The curtain is rapidly falling on Hummer, General Motors' ill-fated rough-and-tough brand of trucks and SUVs. The final H3 rolled off the assembly line at 9:07 a.m. Central time on Tuesday at the Hummer factory in Shreveport, La., marking the end of production for the brand, a spokesman said.

Mercedes E63 AMG facelift and power boost (2013) full details

Let's ignore the visual changes on the new Mercedes E63 AMG for a moment and get straight to the facts. In top-spec 'S' guise, this four-door saloon will hit 62mph in 3.6 seconds. That's a tenth faster than a Lamborghini Gallardo LP560-4 supercar, and quicker still than Merc's own SLS AMG.