Mazda Roadster 1998 Front Strut Tower Bar [5454000] on 2040-parts.com

Mercedes touts future safety with research vehicle

In 1980, when several automakers began to use airbags, there were people who thought that cars couldn't possibly get any safer. Karl-Heinz Baumann, a safety researcher at Mercedes-Benz AG in Stuttgart, was not one of them. "We said, 'No, it cannot be all,' and we kept doing more research." The results of that research are presented on the company's most recent Experimental Safety Vehicle (ESV), on display now in the Mercedes Museum in Stuttgart.

Lamborghini Gallardo LP 550-2 Spyder (2012) unveiled

As predicted earlier by CAR, here is the new Lamborghini Gallardo LP 550-2 Spyder – essentially an open-top Balboni. It’s a rear-wheel drive Gallardo roadster and will cost £158,797.60 in the UK. We love that 60 pence bit of the price tag!

Next BMW X1 loses inline-six, gets smaller and lighter

The second-generation BMW X1, expected here in early 2016, is smaller and lighter than the existing first-generation model. The new X1 loses optional six-cylinder power; a new high-output four-cylinder replaces it. A high-ranking BMW manager confirmed the new X1 abandons today's longitudinal engine layout for a version of the new transverse-engine platform the 2-series Active Tourer uses.