95-99 Nissan Sentra Valve Cover on 2040-parts.com

Mercedes rethinks its names: new Merc badges explained

At Mercedes, the naming of new models is often trickier than the technology these vehicles convey. Under the current badging hierarchy, most mainstream models use familiar one-letter names like S-class or G-Wagen. So far, so logical.

VW at Geneva Motor Show: 2010 VW Sharan

Volkaswagen has revealed the 2010 VW Sharan at the Geneva Motor Show Last week we reported on VW’s little German tease of the 2010 Sharan on the VW web site in Germany, coyly showing just a partial front end and one wheel. But a week on there’s no such reticence with a full reveal of VW’s big people carrier at Geneva. The last generation of the Sharan shared a platform with Ford’s Galaxy, but the 2010 Volkswagen Sharan is a purely VW venture -based as it is on VW’s flexible MQB platform – and comes complete with the standard fashion accessory for a people carrier of sliding rear doors, and a more flexible seven-seat layout.

Autoweek in review: Sergio Pininfarina dies; ZL1 and GT500 hit the drag strip

The automotive world lost one of its most influential figures this week. Sergio Pininfarina, longtime chairman of his family's Italian design firm, died on July 2 after an undisclosed illness. He was 85 years old.