Original 1929 Model A Ford Shock Pair on 2040-parts.com

One Lap of the Web: 'Mad Men,' the Euro cars and the 2013 Trans Am

We spend a lot of time on the Internet -- pretty much whenever we're not driving, writing about or working on cars. Since there's more out there than we'd ever be able to cover, here's our daily digest of car stuff on the Web you may not otherwise have heard about. -- "Mad Men" aficionados are deep into a plot line that has the the fictional New York advertising agency beginning work with Chevrolet to create a campaign for the ill-fated Vega.

2012 Mercedes A-Class undisguised on video

The new A-Class caught on video on Lanzarote The 2012 Mercedes A-Class will launch at Geneva next month, and we have the first undisguised video and photo of the new A-Class. Mercedes-Benz has already confirmed that the new 2012 Mercedes A-Class will make its debut at the Geneva Motor Show in March, and that it’s the five-door A-Class that will hit the road first. Which means Mercedes are out shooting footage for the launch of the A-Class, and a sharp-eyed cyclist has managed to grab a brief bit of footage of the new A-Class on the road to Playa Blanca on Lanzarote as Mercedes went about their work.

WRC Mini Concept (2010) first official pictures

While the Mini Countryman might be destined for suburban mumsville, BMW has confirmed the new model will also terrorise the countryside in the form of the WRC Mini from 2011, with IRC champ Kris Meeke at the wheel. Officially launched at the 2010 Paris motor show in concept guise, the WRC Mini will be engineered and run by motorsport doyen Dave Richards and his Prodrive outfit, although customer packages will be available too, allowing independents to compete in the car. Not so much – this is no time for misty-eyed Paddy Hopkirk odes.