43-55778a3 Mercruiser Outdrive Gear Set 1.98:1 on 2040-parts.com

Bentley announces 'Home Collection'

IF YOU’VE ever fancied a slice of Bentley lifestyle in your home, you’re in luck. The Crewe-based firm has tied up with an Italian furniture builder to produce the Bentley ‘Home Collection’ of domestic and executive homeware. The pieces, says Bentley, are “an exercise in subtlety, incorporating functional performance with comfort and luxurious, sensuous quality.” And we thought it was just a range of things to sit on.

'Monster' Tajima breaks his own record at Pikes Peak International Hill Climb

Nobuhiro "Monster" Tajima used the extra pavement to his advantage and smashed his old Pikes Peak International Hill Climb record by more than 10 seconds on June 26, with a finishing time of 9 minutes, 51.278 seconds. Tajima's old record of 10 minutes, 1.408 seconds was set in 2007. Hyundai driver Rhys Millen came in second in the Unlimited class with a time of 10 minutes, 9.24 seconds.

New Mercedes S-Class Plug-in Hybrid to debut at Frankfurt Motor Show

The new Mercedes S-Class (pictured) will arrive with a plug-in hybrid version in September We’ve known Mercedes were planning a plug-in hybrid version of the new S-Class as far back as 2009, and it now appears it will debut – as a 2014 model – at the 2013 Frankfurt Motor Show in September. When Mercedes revealed the Vision S500 Plug-in Hybrid Concept at Frankfurt in 2009, they had fitted it with a V6 petrol engine mated to a 44kw motor and a bank of lithium-ion batteries, and promised the hybrid S-Class would do 90mpg, have emissions of under 75g/km and manage 18 miles in EV mode. That means the hybrid S-Class would have performance comparable to the V8 petrol-engined S500 but attract no BIK or VED in the UK.