1972 Plymouth Scamp on 2040-parts.com

Mercedes-Benz CL gets a facelift for 2011

Three years after its introduction, Mercedes-Benz has given the CL a mid-cycle facelift, providing the big two-door with lightly altered bumpers--those up front with new LED daytime running lamps, reshaped headlamps, a more contoured hood, larger exterior mirrors with integrated indicators and revised tail-lamp lenses, among other detailed visual changes. More significant than the styling tweaks, however, are the changes underneath the hood, with the arrival of a new twin-turbocharged 4.6-liter V8 direct-injection gasoline engine--the first of Mercedes-Benz's advanced MoVe powerplants that aim to bring efficiency gains to its lineup. With 429 hp and 516 lb-ft of torque, the new engine delivers 47 hp and 125 lb-ft more than the naturally aspirated 5.5-liter V8 it replaces in the four-year-old CL500--enough to lower the luxury coupe's 0-to-62-mph time by 0.5 second to 4.9 seconds.

Subaru BRZ

Subaru's long-awaited BRZ finally surfaced in production format at Tokyo. After the BRZ-STi of LA two weeks ago, the production car loses the iconic Subaru high-level rear wing and other ‘go-fast' parts for an aesthetic close to the production ‘86' from Toyota. The cars low front end, thanks to its low-mounted boxer engine, boasts flared arches whilst the DRG features a large grille and accompanying lower bumper vents that differ from the 86.

Race Is On For Leaf Owners To Reach Billion Kilometres

JAPANESE car maker Nissan is preparing the ground for a milestone celebration, as drivers of its popular Leaf electric vehicle race towards the billion kilometre mark. Nissan is creating a series of animated stories centring on the experiences of selected owners to mark the event. For example, Roberto, from Valladolid, narrates his own story as the first taxi driver in Spain to buy a Leaf, explaining that since buying the car in October 2011 he has covered over 100,000 km and eliminated three quarters of his running costs.