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Ford reaches agreement to sell Volvo to Geely for $1.8 billion

Ford has reached an agreement to sell its Swedish brand Volvo to Chinese carmaker Geely for about $1.8 billion in a multinational sale expected to close in the third quarter of this year. The pending agreement was announced on Sunday morning, and Ford will continue to supply powertrains, stamping and other parts to Volvo after the sale. If it closes, the landmark deal delivers the premium Volvo brand--long a benchmark for automotive safety--to a Chinese firm that has ambitious plans for growth.

Bentley uses 3D printing to prototype new designs [w/Video]

3D printing is changing the way the world makes things by helping people of all disciplines to enhance and refine their ideas cheaply, quickly and effectively.  Bentley is the latest carmaker to utilize the technology to fabricate and prototype different parts to see how they'll look and work on the finished design. Using 3D printers, designers can produce parts from the exterior and interior such as the grille, tires, headlamps and door handles as well as combine different types of contrasting materials, ranging from hard plastics to rubbers of different tensile strengths.  The technology allows the user to create a solid 3D object straight from a digital model by printing layers of material on top of each other. This process rapidly decreases the delivery time, as parts can be printed overnight, and allows designers to be more creative in their ideas because of the reduced cost. Bentley isn't the first carmaker to use 3D printing technology. Audi announced last year it was beginning to prototype vehicle parts using 3D printers.

Lexus LFA Nurburgring (2010) first official pictures

Lexus hasn’t even started production of the LFA supercar yet, but it’s already unveiled a limited edition version – the Lexus LFA Nurburgring. Built to celebrate the LFA’s entry into the 2010 Nurburgring 24 Hours race, just 50 versions of this track-focussed supercar will be made. The tweaks and changes aren’t radical: the front-mounted 4.8-litre V10 has 10 bhp more (up to 562bhp) and the automated manual ‘box now shifts quicker (gear changes are down from 0.2 to 0.15 seconds) though the 3.7sec 0-62mph time and 202mph top speed remain the same.