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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.

New Nissan Micra costs from £9,950

New Nissan Micra Facelift (pictured) costs from £9,950 Although we saw the new facelift for the Nissan Micra in the guise of the overseas Nissan March in back in March, it took Nissan until this month to reveal the new Micra for the UK, and now we’ve got specifications and prices confirmed. Starting at £9,950 for the Micra Visia, all new Micra models come with a new front and back, upgraded interior with a new centre console, better materials and more equipment. The entry-level Visia gets Bluetooth, electric front windows, remote central locking and USB, with the mid-spec Acenta (from £11,550) adding alloys, leather steering wheel, Climate and Cruise.

Nissan upgrades the Versa engine to add mpg

The redesigned Versa sedan that reaches Nissan showrooms later this summer will post a 30 city/38 highway mpg rating, up from the current model's 28/34 rating. The Versa still has a 1.6-liter four-cylinder engine, but the 2012 model gets a dual-fuel injector system, the first U.S. application of the Nissan technology.