2004-2009 Lexus Rx400h Rx350 Mark Levinson Amplifier 862800e021 on 2040-parts.com

BMW M6 Gran Coupe leaks out ahead of debut

The BMW M6 Gran Coupe – the four-door, swoopy-coupe version of the 6 Series – has leaked out ahead of a debut at the 2013 Detroit Auto Show. We already think the BMW 6 Series Gran Coupe is probably the best car BMW make, so the arrival of the BMW M6 Gran Coupe offers lots of promise. The 640d Gran Coupe is a joy to drive with sublime handling that belies its size – and stunning performance from the diesel engine in the 640d – and if BMW has managed to endow the M6 Gran Coupe with the same levels of refinement and even more performance and power then the queue for an M6 Gran Coupe is going to be a long one.

Daimler, Renault are set to share vehicle platforms and engines

Following a year of intensive high-level talks and secretive, behind the scenes strategy meetings, Daimler AG and Renault SA have agreed on plans that will see their car-making divisions--Mercedes-Benz, Smart, Renault and Nissan--share resources on a wide range of products. The move signals more consolidation within the European automotive industry. Daimler chairman Dieter Zetsche and Renault president Carlos Ghosn have set out three primary areas of cooperation that will see the carmakers share small-car and light-commercial-vehicle platforms, small gasoline and diesel engines, and electric drive systems.

Men 'twice as likely to fall asleep while driving'

MEN ARE more than twice as likely to fall asleep at wheel while driving and almost half (45%) admit to having experienced 'warning nods' while driving. One in 14 drivers surveyed by safety charity Brake said they had actually fallen asleep when driving, while 45% of men said they had continued to drive despite their head nodding through tiredness. For women, the proportion that admitted driving while sleepy was 22%.