2005 450r 450 R 04 05 Gear 18 T On Mainshaft Transmission Part #9 on 2040-parts.com

Volkswagen XL Sport Concept gets Ducati power: Paris 2014

The Volkswagen XL Sport Concept (pictured) gets Ducati power The Volkswagen XL 1 may well be an impressive ‘Supercar’ (that’s super-economical, rather than plain ‘super’), but it’s a daft amount of money and, unless you’re trying to make a ‘Green’ statement, not for everyone. But this Volkswagen XL Sport Concept is a more appealing car – both visually and mechanically – as VW take the XL 1 and rework it in to a sports car with a little help from Ducati. Because under the skin of the XL Sport lies a 197bhp V2 that’s come from Ducati (just as we reported a year ago) and delivers 197bhp through a seven-speed dual-clutch ‘box, with a reduction gear between engine and gearbox to boost torque, revs to 1,000 rpm and can get to 62mph in 5.7 seconds on its way to a top speed of 157mph.

Mercedes SLC (or Mercedes GT): It’s Official Spy photo time – again

Mercedes turn spy photographers for the baby SLS – the Mercedes SLC/GT It’s almost 4 years since we first revealed there were plans afoot at Mercedes-Benz to build a small, nimbler SLS to take on the Porsche 911 – a car subsequently dubbed the Mercedes SLC – but not until 2014. Well, 2014 is less than half a year away, Mercedes confirmed the SLC was in the mix and now we get a set of ‘spy’ photos of the SLC (or Mercedes GT, perhaps) – straight from Mercedes. It’s not the first time Mercedes has tried to put spy photographers out of business, as both the SLS had ‘official’ spy photos and video, as did the new Mercedes SLK.

Autumn issue of Interior Motives and special 10th Anniversary edition available now

The Autumn edition of Car Design News' quarterly interior design magazine Interior Motives is out now, featuring in-depth explorations of the very best interior designs from the recent Beijing, Paris and Moscow auto show Stories include the ground-breaking first concept from the newly launched, China-only Denza brand, created by Daimler and BYD to tap into the growing desire for luxury family cars, and Audi's Crosslane Coupé, which showcases the marque's new design philosophy. Also included in the latest edition is the full story behind the all-new Range Rover – widely considered to be the best SUV ever built – and the innovative Onyx concept shown by Peugeot at the Paris motor show. Combined with an exclusive behind-the-scenes look at the development of Lada's XRay (a stake in the ground by new design boss Steve Mattin) and a report from the 2012 Interior Motives Design Awards, the Autumn issue is essential reading for anyone working in automotive design.