Mercedes R-class facelift (2010) first official pictures

This is the facelifted Mercedes R-class, unveiled today at the 2010 New York auto show.  It lives, and in the UK the new model will only be available as an entry level, rear-drive R300 CDI and a top-spec, long-wheelbase R350 CDI. The R300 CDI BlueEFFICIENCY 2WD (to give this big beast its full name) is 7% more efficient than before but still offers the same power and performance. The more snappily titled R350 CDI 4MATIC is also more economical (its 33.2mpg bettering its predecessor by 2.8mpg) but also more powerful, with outputs of 261bhp and 457ft up from 218bhp and 376lb ft.

No Logbook? No Sale

IT’S EASY to let your head rule your heart when buying a used car, but a leading industry expert is warning buyers not to part with their cash if the vehicle is missing its logbook. Used vehicle data specialists HPI says it has seen a rising number of customers fall prey to sellers passing on vehicles without a logbook, otherwise known as the V5C, leaving them vulnerable to a number of scams. Commenting on the issue, Phil Peace, Operations Director for HPI, said: “We’ve seen a number of buyers going ahead with a vehicle purchase without having seen the logbook for the vehicle.

Imre Molnar memorial service announced

Imre Molnar will be honored in a memorial service this month, the College for Creative Studies (CCS) has confirmed. CCS President Richard Rogers has announced that on 20 January at 3.00pm (EST) all who knew Molnar are welcome to attend the service and share with his family in a remembrance of his life. Molnar, who was the college provost, passed away during the holiday season after riding his bicycle in California and suffering a fatal heart attack on the afternoon of 28 December.