Meyle Transmission Filter Kit #1152700398 on 2040-parts.com

New Mercedes-Benz S-class spotted in SoCal

The new Mercedes-Benz S-class must be hustling toward the developmental-cycle finish line, because it's been spotted en masse in places such as Toronto (where it must be undergoing cold-weather testing) and Irvine, Calif. (where it must be gauging the interest of Benz-crazy vox populi). Because as devoid as it is of bodywork-breaking pillboxes, camera-obfuscating swirl paint, and surly engineers, the fact that it's seen here in little more than some sticky paper and a pair of cheap sunglasses on the driver means that the elder statesman of the automotive world is readying its next debut.

Concept Car of the Week: Honda J-VX (1997)

In 1997, in an effort to preserve its sporty image, Honda needed to bring new exciting models in its showrooms, to park alongside its mainstream Civics and the excellent but slow-selling NSX. The 1995 Integra Type-R proved a fun car to drive but lacked in personality compared to older models of the brand such as the bold CR-X. At the Tokyo motor show, Honda unveiled a prototype of what could be the sports car of the 21st century while also capturing the essence of the iconic CR-X.

Aston Martin drops Cygnet city car

Autocar is reporting that the diminutive Aston Martin Cygnet has been dropped from the company’s portfolio. The automaker, now owned by Prodrive and private equity firm Invenstindustrial, will focus on its “core product range,” also known as “good cars.” Autocar posits that the justification for the Cygnet was to continue producing V8 and V12 cars, while keeping its average CO2 emissions down. The Cygnet shared bones with the Toyota iQ city car and used a 97-hp, 1.3-liter engine and got 58.9 mpg using the U.S.