00 05 Gauge Cluster Speedo W/tach Truck Blazer Chevy S10 on 2040-parts.com

Mercedes unveils GLA sport utility at Frankfurt

The role of the coming Mercedes GLA sport utility is clear: woo new buyers to the brand with a competent, stylish entry-level SUV. The small off-roader should do just that when it arrives in U.S. showrooms in the fall of 2014.

Mercedes A45 AMG – with Lewis Hamilton & Nico Rosberg (video)

That lump is a 2.0 litre turbo 4-cylinder that produces a not insignificant 355bhp and 332lb/ft of torque, which is enough to get the pocket rocket A45 to 62mph in a competition busting 4.6 seconds. And with the A45 AMG heading towards Mercedes showrooms soon, MB are bust promoting their new hot hatch, and what better way to do that than rope in your own highly paid F1 drivers to add a bit of performance gloss? So Mercedes has put Lewis Hamilton behind the wheel of an A45, Nico Rosberg in the passenger seat and a ‘Good Fairy’ in the road to sort out arguments about who should get to drive.

Four big pickups get low marks in crash tests

Four 2009 full-sized pickups got low marks in side-impact crash tests by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, a research group for auto insurers. Crash protection is "poor" in crew-cab versions of the Chevrolet Silverado and Nissan Titan without side-impact airbags, according to test results the institute released on Wednesday. The Dodge Ram with standard side-impact airbags got only a "marginal" rating, the institute said.