Parking Brake Release Handle Dorman 74428 on 2040-parts.com

Mercedes GLA 45 AMG Concept teased (video)

Mercedes GLA 45 AMG Concept teased This was a surprise – the Mercedes GLA 45 AMG Concept. With Mercedes take on a compact SUV with the new GLA revealed at Frankfurt in September, we’d expected Mercedes would put the 4WD power plant from the A 45 AMG and CLA 45 AMG under the skin of the new GLA to make a very hot compact SUV. But we hadn’t expected it yet.

Happy 80th Birthday, Syd Mead!

Take a poll among car designers to name their greatest influence, and one name is sure to appear at the top of the list: Syd Mead. The car designer, illustrator and futurist has inspired generations of the men and women who shape the cars we drive or admire. Syd has created the designs for the movies Blade Runner and Tron, while the illustrations published in his books such as Oblagon and Sentury (sought-after collector items today) depict the vision of a future dominated by superior technology and aesthetics.

News watch June 2010: today's auto industry news

Welcome to CAR Magazine's news aggregator as we round up the daily stories in the auto industry. Top tip: news summaries are added from the top hour-by-hour Wednesday 30 June 2010• Tesla shares have rocketed 40% on their first day of trading; the company went public this week with the first IPO of an American car company since Ford in the 1950s (BBC News)• GM may sell off its interests in finance arm GMAC and parts supplier Delphi as it seeks to write down its debts (Financial Times)• A Federal judge has approved the $20m sale of a former GM plant in Wilmington to Fisker Automotive; Fisker hopes to build 100,000 cars a year once production hits a peak after launch in 2012. It is using a $529m government loan to fund its launch (Detroit News)Tuesday 29 June 2010• UK business secretary Vince Cable has warned that the car industry is no longer in an emergency – and cannot expect direct government support.