BMW X1 at the Paris motor show 2008

By Ben Barry Motor Shows 02 October 2008 16:03 The new X1 and 7-series were the stars of BMW’s Paris stand, but there were plenty more treats for showgoers, including the subtly revised 3-series saloon and Touring – the Efficient Dynamics-fettled 3 now boasting the lowest carbon emissions in its class. The X1 is BMW’s smallest off-roader, sitting below X5 and X3 – and, let’s not forget, above the soon-to-be-production-ready Mini Crossover Concept. In the metal it doesn’t actually look much smaller than the X3, but it does look a hell of a lot lower.

Mercedes CL facelift (2010): first official photos

This is the newly facelifted Mercedes CL500; although previously tipped to be called the S-Class Coupé, Mercedes stuck with the original name after all. Alongside the soon-to-be industry-standard daytime running lights and updated grille, lights and exhaust, most of the changes on the new 2010 Merc CL are in areas you can't see. The biggest change is in the engine bay: out goes the old 5.5-litre V8 and in comes a more powerful and economical 4.7-litre bi-turbo.

Augmented reality application streamlines home car maintenance

The basic home motor-oil swap is about to get a lot more futuristic -- at least if the augmented reality application being developed by AR-media goes anywhere. AR-media's app uses a tablet's camera to position guides and instructions over a car's engine bay in real time. It sounds complicated, but it appears to be relatively seamless in action.