Parts Master K9500 Idler Arm on 2040-parts.com

Mercedes Ener-G-Force: It’s a future Mercedes G-Class

Mercedes-Benz has revealed the Mercedes Ener-G-Force Concept – a tease for a future Mercedes G-Class to rival the Range Rover. For starters, the Ener-G-Force Concept is arriving at the Los Angeles Auto Show later this month all dressed up as a Highway Patrol Vehicle as Mercedes’ entry in to the Los Angeles Auto Show Design Challenge. But it’s also pointing firmly towards Mercedes plans to give Land Rover – and in particular Range Rover – a run for their money.

Bentley designers create one-off pieces to benefit The Prince's Trust

Bentley Motors graduates are to stage an auction of handcrafted collector's items in a fundraising event for The Prince's Trust. Workers from the Tooling, Woodshop and Styling teams at the manufacturer have crafted around 20 different stylish and high-end products to auction off online in aid of the UK youth charity, which is headed by the Prince of Wales and provides practical and financial support to 14 to 30-year-olds. Display items include a chess set with pieces tooled from aluminum set on a classy veneered board and a table crafted from a polished V8 engine from the Bentley Mulsanne and a cutlery set commissioned by Robert Welch, engraved with the Bentley emblem.

Volkswagen give the VW XL1 Ducati power

Volkswagen give the VW XL1 Ducati power It’s more than two years since Volkswagen rolled out the VW XL1 Super Efficient Vehicle as a demonstration of how light weight and low power can make for extremely economical motoring. But the silly mpg VW quoted for the XL1 – 313mpg – comes at a fairly horrible price, with the news at Geneva this year that the XL1 is heading for limited production, but with a price tag likely to be around £100k. Bit it seems that VW has found a new use for the XL1, and this time it’s not about extreme economy but more about real performance.