2013 Ford Mondeo: Paris 2012

Ford has given the new Mondeo its first public outing at the 2012 Paris Motor Show, and it looks a good effort. But the new 2013 Ford Mondeo no longer has the advantage of being a default buy for families, so Ford are working hard to make the Mondeo stand out from the mainstream offerings in the C/D segment by making it appear to more ‘Premium’ than just a mere Ford. That means a new nose – a nose that looks like it belongs on an Aston Martin – and a clever range of technology and engines that actually offer more – and for less – than most of the premium car makers can manage.

Audi's Dr. Ulrich Hackenberg talks future innovation and CES

Last week, Audi Board Member for technical development Dr. Ulrich Hackenberg was meandering down the California coast, sampling red wines. Vacation over and on his way to Las Vegas for the Consumer Electronics Show, he popped by Stanford University's Volkswagen Automotive Innovation Lab to speak to students who'd just returned from winter break themselves.

Mercedes SL63 AMG, David Coulthard & (blindfolded) illusionist Dynamo (video)

David Coulthard & Dynamo (pictured) in the Mercedes SL 63 AMG If there’s one man who’s made magic and illusions cool again it’s the little man from Bradford – Dynamo. His street illusions are a must watch – and usually completely unfathomable – and he’s often coaxed in a celebrity face or three to perform illusions with as it makes for more marketable TV . That combination is something Mercedes couldn’t resist as a PR vehicle, so they enlisted Dynamo, David Coulthard, a Mercedes SL63 AMG and an abandoned airfield to produce a new Dynamo illusion to promote the SL63 AMG.