1940s Lincoln V12 Hubcap on 2040-parts.com

Mercedes drop SL65 – the end of the Mercedes V12?

2012 Mercedes SL - will have to live without the V12 We haven’t exactly had a glut of stories on the Merceds SL of late. In fact the last story appears to have been a spy shot of the 2012 SL back at the end of 2010. But that’s because the current SL is far from cutting edge and no longer the halo of the Mercedes range.

Toyota Yaris HSD Concept (2011): full photo gallery

Toyota’s goal is to offer a hybrid powertrain in every one of its European models ‘as early as possible in the 2020s’. That means electrified drivetrains in everything from the Avensis to the Auris, and everything from 4x4s to sports cars in between. The Auris HSD (Hybrid Synergy Drive) was the first mainstream Toyota model to gain hybrid power in 2010, and up next is the new-generation Yaris.

Volkswagen XL1

This, remarkably, is the production version of the Volkswagen XL1, the most fuel-efficient production car in the world, a car we'll see in Geneva in a little over a week. Barely changed from the concept version shown at the Qatar motor show two years ago, the production XL1 is the first production result of VW's 1-liter project – to design a car that uses less than 1l/100km (282.5mpg imperial) – that started with the lozenge-shaped, tandem-seat 2003 1L and the later L1 of 2009. The XL1 actually beats that by sipping just 0.9 liters with CO2 emissions of 21g/km.