Arias Pistons 12.5:1 Compression 82mm Bore Honda B-series on 2040-parts.com

Bentley uses 3D printing to prototype new designs [w/Video]

3D printing is changing the way the world makes things by helping people of all disciplines to enhance and refine their ideas cheaply, quickly and effectively.  Bentley is the latest carmaker to utilize the technology to fabricate and prototype different parts to see how they'll look and work on the finished design. Using 3D printers, designers can produce parts from the exterior and interior such as the grille, tires, headlamps and door handles as well as combine different types of contrasting materials, ranging from hard plastics to rubbers of different tensile strengths.  The technology allows the user to create a solid 3D object straight from a digital model by printing layers of material on top of each other. This process rapidly decreases the delivery time, as parts can be printed overnight, and allows designers to be more creative in their ideas because of the reduced cost. Bentley isn't the first carmaker to use 3D printing technology. Audi announced last year it was beginning to prototype vehicle parts using 3D printers.

Build the C-class in Alabama? Mercedes will decide by January

Daimler AG will decide by January whether to shift some C-class passenger-car production to its U.S. factory in Vance, Ala. “It's no secret that a decision for the new C-class has to be made in the near future,” and that includes expansion of production, Daimler CEO Dieter Zetsche said Thursday during a briefing with journalists.

Mercedes CLA: Price from £24,355

The new Mercedes CLA – the swoopy coupe based on the new A Class – will cost from £24,355 in the UK with a choice of Sport or AMG Sport trim. Mercedes gave a quick flash of their cool new A Class Coupe and then whipped it off to the Berlin Fashion Week for a proper debut, clearly showing that Mercedes think the new CLA a style statement as much as a car. And now, if you want to make a style statement with the good looking CLA (a car Mercedes call ‘Cool’) you can, with the CLA now on sale in the UK.