Volkswagen (1998-2006) Egr Valve Gasket (3) Victor Reinz Oem on 2040-parts.com

Mercedes SLS AMG (2009): official photos and sketches

By Ben Pulman First Official Pictures 08 April 2009 09:55 These are the first interior photos and exterior design sketches of Mercedes’ SLS AMG, the 563bhp gullwing-door successor to the SLR that will be unveiled at the Frankfurt motor show in September 2009.  The official sketch reveals a bold grille with – you guessed it – the three-pointed star hogging centre stage, sweptback headlamps (Nissan GTR, anyone?), deeply scalloped side gills and a low, pillarbox-style glasshouse. Not forgetting, of course, the gullwing doors that ape the 1950s original. That it’s a mixture of unique fixtures and fittings, plus a couple of disappointing parts lifted from lesser Mercs.

Mercedes launch new 9G-Tronic gearbox on E350 BlueTec

New Mercedes E350 BlueTec (pictured) gets 9-speed 9G-TRONIC auto It’s not exactly a million years ago that automatic gearboxes offered poorer performance and economy than manual gearboxes, and came as standard with just three gears. But now, automatic gearboxes are so good they can  change quicker than any driver and, with the proliferation of eight-speed auto ‘boxes, offer improved economy and performance too. The next logical step is even more ratios in an auto ‘box, and Land Rover has already revealed they’ll be fitting the Evoque with a 9-speed ZF ‘box from 2014, and the new Jeep Grand Cherokee gets a nine-speed auto ‘box too.

Porsche Panamera plug-in hybrid set for 2014

Porsche AG will build a plug-in hybrid version of the Panamera sedan starting in 2014, sources familiar with the situation said last week. The plug-in hybrid likely will come to the United States, but the timing is unclear, a source said. Volkswagen AG, which owns 49.9 percent of Porsche's sports car business, will roll out plug-in hybrid versions of the Audi Q7 crossover and European-sold VW Passat starting in 2014 or 2015, a source said.