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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.

McLaren P1 XP2R caught at the Nurburgring. A ‘Special Edition’ P1?

The McLaren P1 XP2R (pictured) caught at the Nurburgring The McLaren P1 is pretty much out in the open, and has even had it’s dynamic debut – in the hands of Jenson Button – at the Goodwood Festival of Speed. So why is there a McLaren P1 blatting round the Nurburgring wearing a small badge that says ‘XP2R’? Is this a ‘special’ P1; perhaps the first hint that McLaren are going to produce an even more extreme P1?

LA Motor Show: Jaguar F-Type coupe to cost £7,000 less than convertible

JAGUAR’S stunning new F-Type coupe will cost from £51,235 when it goes on sale in the UK in the spring. The hard-top version of a car that has already taken the motoring world by storm will add a second model variant to the line-up, aimed not just at owners of the Porsche Cayman and even the 911, but also at previous owners of Jaguar’s own XK. Jaguar has used its media event at the Tokyo motor show to announce full pricing structures, with the entry-level F-Type coupe costing more than £7,000 less than the equivalent convertible.