08 09 Ford Taurus R. Side View Mirror 569127 on 2040-parts.com

McLaren P11 caught testing

Proof of how far along the P11 is came today with pictures of the car out testing in chilly climes in Sweden (just like the next generation Porsche 911 (998) and the new Baby Rolls Royce, the RR4). McLaren P11 caught testing in snowy Sweden The McLaren P11 is a hand-built carbon composite 2 seater, mid engined car, with a target weight of only 1250kg. Power is likely to come from a Mercedes lump, and probably a tuned version of the 6.2 litre AMG found in the ’63s’, mated to an F1 style flappy-paddle gearbox.

CES opens with fewer big wheels, including carmakers

There are some grumblings that the annual CES is becoming less relevant in this era of 24-hour news and instant globalization of information on the internet. And you can make a good argument that the relevance of the world's largest consumer electronics show is at least evolving, for carmakers as well as for other industry giants. It has always been an industry only show, with no public -- the “consumers” in "consumer electronics" -- allowed.

Bentley uses 3D printing to prototype new designs [w/Video]

3D printing is changing the way the world makes things by helping people of all disciplines to enhance and refine their ideas cheaply, quickly and effectively.  Bentley is the latest carmaker to utilize the technology to fabricate and prototype different parts to see how they'll look and work on the finished design. Using 3D printers, designers can produce parts from the exterior and interior such as the grille, tires, headlamps and door handles as well as combine different types of contrasting materials, ranging from hard plastics to rubbers of different tensile strengths.  The technology allows the user to create a solid 3D object straight from a digital model by printing layers of material on top of each other. This process rapidly decreases the delivery time, as parts can be printed overnight, and allows designers to be more creative in their ideas because of the reduced cost. Bentley isn't the first carmaker to use 3D printing technology. Audi announced last year it was beginning to prototype vehicle parts using 3D printers.