Mercedes E Class gets AMG Pack

Mercedes quietly unveiled the 2009 Mercedes Benz E Class at Detroit. Quietly, because it wasn’t actually planned, but due to details leaking out ahead of the show, it seems Mercedes decided they may as well get the reveal over. Bigger than the last generation E Class, the new E Class gets a complete styling overhaul, with a new style in keeping with Mercedes more recent ‘Family’ looks.

8th L'Argus Design Competition announced

From 1 June 2009, design students will be invited to take part in the eighth annual L'Argus European Design Competition, which this year takes as its theme 'Less is More: Traveling in the Era of Simplicity'. Questioning students on the concepts of mobility and the future of automobile design, this contest - organized by French magazine L'Argus de L'Automobile - will run until 11 December 2009 and culminate in an awards ceremony on 20 January 2010. The competition is open to students attending design colleges within the European Union and Switzerland, including non-automotive courses covering disciplines such as industrial design, fine arts and architecture.

Abarth 595 (2012) Turismo and Competizione join range

Two new versions of Abarth's 500 hot hatch have been revealed, coming as standard with more power, upgraded toys and even more personalisation potential. There's also a handy price-drop for the standard Abarth 500, which gets a few tweaks to keep the Scorpion-badged pocket rocket fresh. How does the new Abarth range stack up?