Polaris Indy 2-seater Snowmobile Cover on 2040-parts.com

Mercedes E63 AMG S (2013) priced from £83,470

Mercedes has announced the hottest E-class you can buy, the E63 AMG S, will cost from £83,470 in the UK from June 2013. In uprated 'S' guise, the 577bhp/580lb ft exec saloon monster can only be ordered with 4Matic all-wheel drive in left-hand drive markets, but the UK gets only rear-drive cars. CAR has already tried the E63 AMG S in 4Matic form: click here for our full review.

Ford at CES: Charge your car with science and wash your dishes while you sleep

Ford's C-Max Solar Energy Concept is a "plugless plugin," said Donna Bell, which initially sounds silly -- as if the carefully structured chaos and noise of CES may have finally gotten to her. But as someone who has been managing Ford's electric vehicle infrastructure for the past 20 years, she isn't being facetious. Solar panels on the roof of a car aren't anything new -- the Fisker Karma used them to power the radio and other in-car accessories, to cite a soon-obscure example.

Driven: Vauxhall Astra GTC

Ford, Opel/Vauxhall and VW are in perpetual battle for the C-segment title, the toughest European segment to compete in. Visual differentiation is key, but so is practicality and performance – all attributes that the respective offering must possess. And so the fight continues, heating up with the arrival of the latest contender, the Vauxhall Astra GTC.