Bendix King Kt76a on 2040-parts.com

BMW set to go front-wheel drive

BMW chairman Norbert Reithofer has confirmed that the German carmaker will introduce a new front-wheel-drive entry-level model positioned and priced below the existing 1-series as part of plans to help increase part sharing and to bolster the potential for production savings between the BMW and Mini brands, thus bringing an end to the era of rear- and four-wheel-drive-only BMW models. Speaking to AutoWeek at the Geneva motor show, Reithofer said internal BMW studies revealed that despite the downturn in the world's economy, there was continued demand for what he described as "premium vehicles" in the small-car class, before officially acknowledging plans that will see BMW produce a rival to the recently unveiled Audi A1 and a new Smart Forfour presently under development at Mercedes-Benz. "We will be extending the BMW and Mini brands into the small-car segment with new models and variants," he said.

Audi RS5 – Spy shots show it’s close

The Audi RS5 with its active boot spoiler on view [ad#ad-1] The last time we saw the Audi RS5 out testing at the Nurburgring, it appeared to be pretty much undisguised. The video we had earlier of the RS5 (which has now been removed by YouTube) showed the RS5 lapping the Nurburgring at a fair lick. But it would appear that the car we saw then still had something to hide – a trick rear spoiler.

Mercedes C-class Estate (2014) first official pictures

By Damion Smy First Official Pictures 21 May 2014 17:00 This is the new Mercedes C-class estate that heads freshly into battle with the Audi A4 Avant and BMW 3-series Touring. It’s bigger, benefits from a lighter and more rigid body and uses less fuel than before.  How big is it? Compared to the previous C-class, this fourth-generation estate has an 80mm longer wheelbase for 45mm more rear legroom.