1973 Imperial Marker Quarter Parking Light on 2040-parts.com

A younger, sportier look for Mercedes-Benz pays off with U.S. customers

When it comes to design, Mercedes-Benz was long the conservative grande dame of luxury-car makers. Styling was understated and aimed at middle-aged buyers. But a shift toward sportier and more youthful styling, partly driven by U.S.

Consumer Reports' Luddites strike again

I am a technological wizard. At least that's the conclusion to which I've come after reading the January issue of Consumer Reports, which calls Cadillac CUE, the automaker's new infotainment system, “maddening.” After all, I had figured out CUE in a matter of minutes while acclimating myself to our Best of the Best ATS sedan last month. CUE, short for Cadillac User Experience, uses a touch-sensitive screen, capacitive switches and tactile, vibrating feedback to help drivers perform various functions.

Next generation Opel Zafira

The next generation Zafira draws strong design cues from the Insignia and Ampera Still, despite all the woes of their parent, things are still moving on, and we’ve got a sketch here that previews how the next generation Vauxhall Zafira is likely to look when it surfaces in 2011. Strong design cues in here from both the Insignia and the ‘Lets-hope-we-can-pull-it-off’ Ampera. Sexy swooping headlights and a strong front grill spell this out as a next generation Zafira.