7l1z17b043a Tray Utility 07 Navigator on 2040-parts.com

Brabus V12 cabriolet squeezes 800 hp into an E-class Mercedes-Benz

Consider German tuner Brabus the BALCO to Mercedes-Benz’s Barry Bonds: Brabus makes the cars stronger, faster and meaner. First, Brabus attacked the Mercedes E-class sedan, and then it went crazy on the coupe, installing insane V12 engines in both. Now, the mad scientists are pumping up the four-seat cabriolet.

Jaguar C-X16 concept scoops 'Design Concept of the Year' award

The Jaguar C-X16 concept car has won Design Concept Car of the Year at the 2012 Scottish Car of the Year Awards. The two-seater concept – which acted as a teaser for the recently revealed production F-Type model – was first seen last year at the Frankfurt motor show and was designed to indicate Jaguar's future design direction. Collecting the award was Ian Callum, Jaguar's Director of Design, who said, "With the C-X16 concept, we set out to move Jaguar's award-winning design language on to the next generation, creating a car that is the very essence of future Jaguar performance." John Murdoch, association president, declared: "Many of these show stunners don't see the light of day but they are valuable for gauging public reaction to new ideas.

Smart FourJoy concept

The Smart FourJoy concept will preview next year's all-new four-seat model at the Frankfurt motor show. Unlike the ForFour (2004-06) that paid only lip service to the brand's iconic city car, this promises to be a true Smart, with the familiar Tridon safety shell, minimal overhangs and plastic panels. At 3,494mm long it's around a meter longer than the original two-seat version but still significantly shorter than a Mini.