Dei 451m Door Lock Relay on 2040-parts.com

Aston Martin Vanquish Volante Neiman Marcus Edition. Christmas is on its way

Aston Martin Vanquish Volante Neiman Marcus Edition It seems like Christmas should be a long way off, but not if you’re Nieman Marcus – the Harrods of North America – where Christmas has arrived with the launch of their annual Christmas catalogue. Regular readers will know the Neiman Marcus Christmas car is a special edition car offered each year and customised to make it unique – and more expensive. Last year’s Neimen Marcus car was the McLaren 12C Spider (and the year before the Ferrari FF) and this year Neiman Marcus has stuck with the Brit offering and have the Aston Martin Vanquish Volante as their car of choice for Christmas 2013.

New Land Rover Defender – Project Icon

Land Rover are planning a new Defender to launch in 2012 As always, the Defender is going to be the traditional Land Rover as – unlike the rest of the Land Rover Range which is moving over to aluminium platforms – the new Defender will be based on the existing – and very capable – current model Discovery platform. The use of the T5, twin rail steel chassis from the Discovery is vital if the Defender is to continue to offer the range of body styles currently available – including hard and soft tops – which make the Defender the versatile work horse it is. But the Defender will still be going on a diet and will be a lighter car than the current Model.

Smart Forvision concept

Smart will unveil its new Forvision concept car at the 2011 Frankfurt motor as the manufacturer continues its preview its future design direction. In the last 12 months the company has revealed its Forspeed and eScooter concepts, with the latest addition designed to keep to the original ForTwo's green specifications. The Forvision uses the latest Smart electric drive system, which Daimler claims will add approximately 20 percent to the range of the current electric Smart, with an EV range of around 110 miles. The vehicle's paintwork and glass can reflect heat – on a hot day it can apparently cool the interior by around 20° C. The concept also has a glass roof, with Daimler is in the process of developing transparent solar charging technology.