01 Yamaha 250 Bear Tracker Front Rack on 2040-parts.com

Mercedes CLS Shooting Brake by Brabus (2012)

Mercedes tuning specialist Brabus has unveiled a raft of packages for the new CLS Shooting Brake. A range of tune-ups, body addenda, alloy wheel designs and sports exhaust packages are to be offered, but the real headline act is the 611bhp option for the flagship CLS63 AMG variant. It's not just a mad-cap power struggle though; Brabus offers a three-year/62,000-mile warranty on all its power upgrades, so bear that in mind if the other half isn't convinced your new family estate needs McLaren 12C-chasing poke.

Paris Motor Show 2006 - Preview

The 2006 Paris Mondial de L'Automobile opens its doors with the media preview days starting September 28th and features a wealth of new concept and production cars. With around 1.4 million visitors expected, it remains the most popular automobile show in Europe and this year's major production releases will include the Nissan Qashqai, Volvo C30, new Mini, Mercedes CL and BMW X5. There's also a strong showing of concepts, especially from the French makers Peugeot, Citroen and Renault.

Designer Tom Matano part of start-up car company in Louisiana

A new auto company backed by Texas billionaire investor T. Boone Pickens and staffed by former Mazda design chief Tom Matano plans to build "environmentally friendly" vehicles in Louisiana. V-Vehicle Co., of San Diego, will bring about 1,400 workers to a Monroe plant that once belonged to General Motors, according to a statement Wednesday from the Louisiana Economic Development Web site.