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Mercedes launch new 9G-Tronic gearbox on E350 BlueTec

New Mercedes E350 BlueTec (pictured) gets 9-speed 9G-TRONIC auto It’s not exactly a million years ago that automatic gearboxes offered poorer performance and economy than manual gearboxes, and came as standard with just three gears. But now, automatic gearboxes are so good they can  change quicker than any driver and, with the proliferation of eight-speed auto ‘boxes, offer improved economy and performance too. The next logical step is even more ratios in an auto ‘box, and Land Rover has already revealed they’ll be fitting the Evoque with a 9-speed ZF ‘box from 2014, and the new Jeep Grand Cherokee gets a nine-speed auto ‘box too.

New Vauxhall Astra – the Race

The new Vauxhall Astra will be launched in September at Frankfurt This sixth generation of the Astra is a good looking car, and has taken a lot of its design cues from the very good Vauxhall Insignia. And it has in its sites the Ford Focus, the VW Golf and the new Mazda 3. So what better way to show its prowess than to produce a ‘viral’ video – without giving away too much detail – showing the new Astra mullering the Focus and the Golf on the track at Millbrook?

GM to shut down Saab

General Motors will shut down Saab after the automaker wasn't able to conclude a deal to sell the brand to Spyker Cars, GM said on Friday. “Despite the best efforts of all involved, it has become very clear that the due diligence required to complete this complex transaction could not be executed in a reasonable time," GM Europe president Nick Reilly said in a statement. "In order to maintain operations, Saab needed a quick resolution.