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Mini Countryman John Cooper Works edition revealed prior to Geneva show

Mini has revealed the new Mini Countryman John Cooper Works edition, which comes with all-wheel drive and an improved engine making 211 hp. It debuted on Tuesday ahead of its live reveal next week at the Geneva motor show. The Countryman JCW edition will be the first of the performance Minis to offer an automatic transmission in place of the standard six-speed.

Mercedes fixes diesel injector problems

Mercedes say that a new injector system for C Class and E Class diesels with the OM651 engine have now been fixed. So extensive was the problem that many owners were waiting months for their cars to be fixed as Mercedes struggled with a mounting pile of broken cars and injectors that were failing. Mercedes tell us that the problem was fixed with the release of new injectors later in 2010, but Cars UK readers have continued to complain about their cars needing multiple visits to dealers with injectors failing multiple times (that original story garnered more than 500 comments from disgruntled Mercedes owners).

Future products: The new Ford has learned to think small

Ford Motor Co., long known for pickups and SUVs, will emphasize cars, crossovers and fuel-efficient engines in the next few years. The company wants to be the fuel economy leader, and federal mpg standards are rising. Ford launched the Fiesta subcompact this summer and will introduce a redesigned Focus compact early next year.