Barry Grant Holley 1050 on 2040-parts.com

End of the road for Mercury

Mercury has stood for hot-rodding, performance, style and even feminine appeal during various points in its 72-year history. But ultimately, the failure to stand alone in the Ford Motor Co.'s family of brands spelled its demise. Mercury, a brand founded by company scion Edsel Ford, will be shuttered as Ford concentrates its efforts on the core Ford brand and luxury-level Lincolns.

Mercedes-Benz Concept Style Coupe revealed ahead of China auto show

Mercedes-Benz is previewing its eagerly anticipated CLA sedan at an event in Los Angeles this week before providing a more detailed look at the Beijing motor show with the unveiling of the latest in a long line of concept cars, the 2.0-liter, 208-hp, four-cylinder-powered Concept Style Coupe. Pictured here officially for the first time, the heavily sculptured four-door reveals the dramatic appearance that the next junior Mercedes-Benz sedan will carry into North American showrooms in 2013. Advancing the look first established on the F800 Style concept wheeled out at the 2010 Geneva motor show, the Concept Style Coupe is clothed in a four-door body that makes extensive use of concave and convex surfaces to provide its exterior with what Mercedes-Benz design boss Gorden Wagener describes as “an almost fluid appearance and constantly altering depth.” The car has a large gaping grille known to insiders as a soft-nose treatment, striking headlamps with LED graphics, a heavily curved roofline, a shallow glasshouse, a high waistline, frameless doors and a trio of sharply creased lines along its flanks.

Japanese Grand Prix (2012) RESULT

With the Red Bulls on pole for the Japanese Grand Prix at Suzuka, will Sebastian Vettel be able to take a win to keep his hopes of a title on track? Last year’s Japanese Grand Prix saw Sebastian Vettel start on pole in the quest to secure the point he needed to claim the drivers championship. This year he’s on pole again for Red Bull, with team mate Webber alongside, as he battles to catch Alonso before the end of the season.