Hood Panel 2004 04 Yamaha Raptor 80 Cc Y57 on 2040-parts.com

Ecclestone wants to bring the noise

FORMULA ONE supremo Bernie Ecclestone has vowed to address growing concerns surrounding the sport's lack of an appealing noise. Following Sunday's season-opening Australian Grand Prix, Ron Walker, chairman of the organising company that stages the race, complained to close friend Ecclestone about the lack of sound. The piercing scream of the old V8 engine has gone, and in its place we now have a huskier tone, complete with whistles and whirrs from the 1.6-litre V6 turbo as F1 tries to become greener.

How Mercedes sees into the future

Mercedes' crystal ball is named Alexander Mankowsky. At 56, he's dressed for CES in khaki trousers and a leather vest, with thin glasses perched on a round face; his frizzy white hair resembles what Einstein's would if he were caught in a wind tunnel. He might be a long-distant uncle, or he might be Doc Brown, fresh from the DeLorean.

Suzuki to unveil 'S-Cross' in Paris

Suzuki has revealed a teaser image of its new S-Cross concept car which the automaker will be debuting at next week's Paris motor show. The S-Cross, which indicates an impending C-segment crossover model, is designed to represent a theme of "Emotion x Quality x Aerodynamics" through the use of distinctive dynamic lines that flow from the front fender across the doors and end at the rear of the body. Suzuki have left us with very little else to go on, and so we'll have to wait until next week's show to find out more.