Prothane 4-1603 Red Transmission Mount Kit on 2040-parts.com

Mercedes launch new 9G-Tronic gearbox on E350 BlueTec

New Mercedes E350 BlueTec (pictured) gets 9-speed 9G-TRONIC auto It’s not exactly a million years ago that automatic gearboxes offered poorer performance and economy than manual gearboxes, and came as standard with just three gears. But now, automatic gearboxes are so good they can  change quicker than any driver and, with the proliferation of eight-speed auto ‘boxes, offer improved economy and performance too. The next logical step is even more ratios in an auto ‘box, and Land Rover has already revealed they’ll be fitting the Evoque with a 9-speed ZF ‘box from 2014, and the new Jeep Grand Cherokee gets a nine-speed auto ‘box too.

Volkswagen prices 2014 Passat 1.8T

Volkswagen is debuting a new engine in its U.S. lineup, a 1.8-liter four-cylinder turbocharged and direct-injected TSI engine known internally as EA888, and the first car to receive it will be the 2014 Volkswagen Passat. The Passat will stay the same on the outside for the 2014 model year, but the new 1.8-liter engine promises to deliver as much power as the outgoing 2.5-liter engine it is replacing, 170 hp, while gaining seven more lb-ft of torque for a total of 184 lb-ft.

Brabus 800 Widestar

The Brabus tuning company takes cars that are already stupid fast and makes them even faster. The German shop tends to focus on Mercedes cars, but its parts can also be found on hopped-up Teslas and the Benz-owned Smart Car. The Brabus 800 Widestar kit for the Mercedes G65 AMG starts with the stock 6.0-liter V12 and massages it --with a sledgehammer -- to put 800 horses to the pavement through all four wheels.