Nascar Ring & Pinion Gleason 9" Ford 3.89 Lightweight Polished & Backcut on 2040-parts.com

Aston Martin Lagonda SUV still moving forward

New reports suggest Aston Martin is still pushing forward with the Lagonda SUV, with underpinnings from the Mercedes GL. Last year we reported the Lagonda SUV was back on (although we’re not sure when it was actually off – just MIA) and that it was Aston Martin’s hope they could raid Mercedes parts bin for the underpinnings of the SUV, and take on the building of a new Maybach for Mercedes in the process. But as we now know, Mercedes has decided a Pullman S Class has more cachet (and less build cost) than  the glitter ball Maybach, so Aston Martin’s hopes of a nice profitable design and build deal evaporated with the last roll of the dice for the Maybach brand.

Commute times increasing

COMMUTING times are starting to creep up after falling back during the recession, a new study has shown. Research by the TUC union revealed that men in their early 40s spend longest getting to and from work, at an average of more than 67 minutes a day. Commute times for women peak in their late 20s at 54 minutes and then start to fall as they get older, said the report.

Autoweek's 2014 Best of the Best Finalists -- sneak peek

Every year, as hundreds of new cars and trucks pass through our fleet for evaluation, we are always on the lookout for those dazzling few deserving more careful scrutiny for our top honors, the Autoweek Best of the Best. It's down to three cars and three trucks that our regular readers quickly will recognize in the video above, designed to whet your appetite as we get further along in the judging. We'll be bringing you full details on our Best of the Best/Car and Best of the Best/Truck finalists in the coming days, along with updates as we get closer to announcing our winners in the December 23 issue of Autoweek.