Mercedes Benz Slk Class 2000 Rear Left Combination Lamp [2115600] on 2040-parts.com

New Smart ForTwo and ForFour set for 2014 unveil

Mercedes-Benz's struggling Smart city car division is seeking to add a new dimension to the urban driving experience with its third-generation ForTwo, currently undergoing the final phase of a three-year test and development program ahead of a planned unveiling mid next year. Set for North American launch in 2015, the ultra-compact two-seat hatchback represents a fresh chapter in operations for Smart, which has recently gained greater independence from parent company Mercedes-Benz as its boss, Annette Winkler, attempts to stem years of financial losses after almost a decade of rebuilding following its short-lived joint venture with Mitsubishi. The new ForTwo, known internally as project C453, has been developed in a joint engineering program with the upcoming second-generation ForFour and its sister car, the third-generation Renault Twingo.

Monterey video: Dick McClure's Renault Dauphine

Collector Dick McClure talks about his Renault Dauphine, which was displayed at the Quail during this year's Pebble Beach weekend. The Monterey Week is packed with car shows, vintage racing and car auctions. Autoweek will be there providing streaming photo galleries and live coverage of the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance, historic racing at Laguna Seca, the Monterey car auctions and much more.

Lotus to double production – Return to Motorsport

Lotus CEO Dany Bahar plans to double production at Hethel and return to Motor Sport Through all the gloom and doom car makers have reported over the last year and more there has been one shining light which has seemed impervious to the downturn – Lotus. They’ve not only remained profitable but they’ve managed to bring to market a new car – the Lotus Evora – which has not only been pretty well universally praised but has a full order book to boot. Clever trick.