2006 Mercedes R Class Manual on 2040-parts.com

Theory test fee to fall

LEARNER drivers will have to fork out less for their theory tests - saving would-be motorists around £100 million over the next decade. The cost of a theory test is being slashed by 25% in October, taking the cost down from £31 to £25, and with a further drop of £2 lined up for October next year. Theory test fees for motorbikes and other vehicles are also set to be cut, a spokesman said.

Most of Saleen sold to Michigan group

The future of specialty carmaker Saleen Inc. is getting a little clearer: Most of the company was sold to a Michigan group last week after being on the block since November. An entity called MJ Acquisitions, which owns parts and engine companies in Michigan, bought Saleen’s performance street-car program, supercharger and aftermarket business from Los Angeles private-investment firm Hancock Park Associates.

Ford's forgotten T-Drive program

Digital boss Andy Stoy recently passed along this little piece of nearly forgotten Ford history from the early 1990s. We know that our girl Murilee Martin dug this up way back in 2010, but the wonder of the Ford T-Drive system is worth revisiting. According to Drivingenthusiast.com, “T-drive is a system consisting of a transversally located inline engine, a transmission and associated packaging.” The transmission is mounted to the side of the engine, or the back, depending on how you look at things.