Suzuki 17471-94600 Panel, Under on 2040-parts.com

2014 Volkswagen Beetle priced at $21,115

The 2014 Volkswagen Beetles are scurrying into dealerships as we speak. The base 1.8-liter turbo model will start at $21,115, including an $820 destination charge, while the convertible will start at $25,990. The hardtop comes with manual transmission; the cabrio gets a six-speed auto.

Mercedes sacks U.S. boss Ernst Lieb

Mercedes boss Ernst Lieb let go In a surprising move, Mercedes has upset its apple cart in America by sacking its CEO, Ernst Lieb. It’s hard to work out why Leib has been given the heave-ho, especially considering Mercedes USA is riding high at the moment on the back of strong sales and well-received models in the U.S. Under Lieb’s leadership Mercedes has enjoyed sales up 10.4 per cent for this year, a performance that is outstripping the market as a whole.

Mercedes R-class facelift (2010) first official pictures

This is the facelifted Mercedes R-class, unveiled today at the 2010 New York auto show.  It lives, and in the UK the new model will only be available as an entry level, rear-drive R300 CDI and a top-spec, long-wheelbase R350 CDI. The R300 CDI BlueEFFICIENCY 2WD (to give this big beast its full name) is 7% more efficient than before but still offers the same power and performance. The more snappily titled R350 CDI 4MATIC is also more economical (its 33.2mpg bettering its predecessor by 2.8mpg) but also more powerful, with outputs of 261bhp and 457ft up from 218bhp and 376lb ft.