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Smaller Mercedes SLS confirmed, and with front-mounted V8 too

Baby Mercedes SLS AMG - or at least how it could have looked if mid-engined We’ve believed for some time that Mercedes were planning a smaller version of the SLS, but so far there’s been no official word. But that’s now changed, with AMG’s Christoph Jung telling AutoExpress that Mercedes and AMG are currently working on a smaller SLS, to go head-to-head with cars like the Porsche 911 and Audi R8. Interestingly, we’d thought that Mercedes would go the route of a mid-engined two-seater for the baby SLS, and that it would probably get a turbo V6. But it would appear not.

BMW M3 Matte Edition: China only

BMW M3 Matte Edition - China's second limited edition M3 in a year It’s less than a year since China got it’s last BMW M3 special – the BMW M3 Tiger Edition – so we’re guessing it sold rather well as BMW has launched another limited edition M3 just for the Chinese market – the BMW M3 Matte Edition. It isn’t going to be horribly difficult to work out that the defining feature of the M3 Matte Edition is its paint job. It’s Matt Black.

Alfa 4C beats Aston Martin DBS (AM310) to Villa D’Este prize

The Alfa Romeo 4C has beaten the Aston Martin Project AM310 (new AM DBS) to the prize for best concept at Concorso d’Eleganza Villa d’Este. As you can’t have failed to notice, this last weekend was the Concorso d’Eleganza Villa d’Este, an elegant and delightful car event on the shores of Lake Como in Italy. And the new Aston Martin DBS (Project AM310) was the big news.