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Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG: The gullwing takes flight

Before we reveal what it is like to hot-lap a prototype version of Mercedes-Benz's 6.2-liter V8-powered SLS around the 2.2-mile Sachsenring in eastern Germany, let us tell you one thing that puts the big rear-wheel-drive coupe into clear perspective. The SLS, planned to get its first public outing at the Frankfurt motor show in September, is not based on any existing Mercedes model. Rather, it has been conceived, designed and engineered from the ground up in a no-compromise approach by the German carmaker's in-house tuning division, AMG.

France mandates that drivers carry Breathalyzer-like test kits

As Orson Welles reminds us above, French champagne has always been celebrated for its excellence. And fermented grape products are as indelible a signifier of Gallic culture as fine cheese, very fast trains and the hydropneumatic suspension. But the enjoyment of a tipple involves responsibility, something that alcohol consumption isn't always conducive to.

One in five suffers 'car envy'

DRIVERS in the UK are more likely to give way to classic or unusual cars such as a Citroen 2CV or Volkswagen Beetle, but one in five also admits they are less likely to be courteous to large 4x4s due to car envy, according to a survey. Nearly a half (47%) of UK motorists say they leave more space between their car and the one in front if the car ahead is driven by an elderly driver. Others (5%) admit to trying to slow down boy racers if they see the driver is wearing a baseball cap and is a young male.