94 Yamaha Fzr 600 Forks I6 on 2040-parts.com

More than a (gull)wing and a prayer

They make up just six percent of Mercedes car sales in the United States—but nothing preserves and proliferates the top-shelf, seductive image of a Benz like a sports car. This is a point that's been driven home to me in a wide array of circumstances this year: Mercedes sports cars are still rock stars. I'll admit, I've often been a skeptic.

Kia Cee’d ISG on the way

As with most of these Stop/Go systems, a good fuel saving can be made, particularly in town driving and, importantly for companies striving to meet emissions targets, a reduction in running time means an overall reduction in emissions. In town driving the savings on the Cee’d are around 15%, but drop to 6% overall. Still, it all helps.

Mercedes E300 Bluetec Hybrid (2010) at Geneva motor show

Mercedes unveiled its first ever diesel hybrid at the 2010 Geneva motor, along with a Bluetec version of its ageing Geländewagen and an SLS AMG supercar decked out in full F1 safety car spec. They’re pretty good. The E300 Bluetec Hybrid features Merc’s 201bhp twin-turbo, 2.1-litre four-pot, with a 15kW electric motor positioned between it and the seven-speed auto ‘box.