1954-1964 Ford/mercury 223 6cyl Water Outlet Gasket on 2040-parts.com

Mercedes-Benz considering Aston Martin buyout

Mercedes-Benz is reportedly considering a deal to buyout sports car manufacturer Aston Martin, fuelling rumours that the canned Aston Martin Lagonda SUV concept from 2009 (pictured above) could once again be back on. The move would see Merc increase its current 5% stake in the British brand following a deal announced last year to supply AMG engines for Aston’s next generation of sports cars. On Bing: see pictures of the Aston Martin Lagonda SUV concept Find out how much a used Aston Martin costs on Auto Trader It’s no secret the firm has been toying with the idea of a premium SUV following the Lagonds concept, so with Mercedes technical expertise and existing model range, it opens up potential new models to Aston Martin.

Bentley gives Continental GT Speed even more power

The Bentley Continental GT Speed has never been accused of being a slouch when it came to power, bluntly incorporating the word Speed in its name, but it seems the company's engineers believe there is still room for improvement. And so for 2015 the Bentley Continental GT Speed and Bentley Continental GT Speed Convertible will receive a slight bump up in power, and will now offer 626-hp and 607 lb-ft of torque. That's up from 616-hp and 590 lb-ft of torque in the 2014 versions of this 6.0-liter W12 beast.

Lotus Evora does special duty for Italian Carabinieri

In a tip of the hat to Britain, the Italian Arma dei Carabinieri, a division of the army charged with civilian police duties, accepted two new Lotus Evora S models for special duty. The headquarters of the Carabinieri in Rome hosted a ceremony culminating in the Evora twins being turned over by Group Lotus CEO Dany Bahar. “Everyone knows that Italy has more than its fair share of high-profile sports-car manufacturers, so it’s a real honor for a relatively small British brand to be in this position,” Bahar said.