Mercedes Benz Travel / Gym / Tool / Duffel Bag C-class S-class Clk Slk Flag on 2040-parts.com

Production 2013 Lincoln MKZ seen in the wild

This 2013 Lincoln MKZ looks to be production ready, save for a few absent badges on the tail. Why it is perched on a flatbed rather than moving under its own power is unknown. The production MKZ debuted at the New York auto show in April and will be available for sale later this year.

2013 Nissan LEAF updated

Nissan has updated the LEAF EV in Japan for 2013 with better range, less weight and a new LEAF S entry-level model. Revealed in Japan – but likely to come to the UK from 2013 when the LEAF starts rolling out of Nissan’s Sunderland factory – there are significant upgrades to the powertrain which result in both less weight and better range. Nissan has had a play with the electric powertrain and made it both smaller and lighter with a new motor that uses 40 per cent less dysprosium (a rare earth metal) than before, and comes in 30 per cent smaller and 10 per cent lighter, and a new streamline battery case and a few other tweaks drops the LEAF’s weight by 80kg.

Saab ends deal with Chinese investors

Saab owner Swedish Automobile scrapped a $340 million investment deal with Chinese automotive companies Zhejiang Youngman Lotus and Pang Da after they proposed a buyout, straying from the original deal. Youngman and Pang Da signed a nonbinding agreement in July to take a combined 53.9 percent stake in Swedish Automobile. The Chinese companies say circumstances have changed since that time, so the deal should too.