Push Rod Deutz 04507116- on 2040-parts.com

New Mercedes B-Class Electric Drive goes in to production

The first Mercedes B-Class ED (pictured) rolls off the production line in Rastatt With the BMW i3 grabbing headlines – and flying out of showrooms – as BMW’s first electric car, Mercedes need to play catch-up with a convincing EV of their own, and that’s the new B-Class Electric Drive – an EV version of the regular B-Class – which has now gone in to production in Germany. Built alongside regular ICE versions of the B-Class at Mercedes’ Rastatt Plant, the B-Class ED (Electric Drive) looks practically the same as its more conventionally powered siblings – although the front bumper does look a bit different – and has an electric motor good for 177 bhp and 250 lb/ft of torque, can manage a scoot to 62 mph in 7.9 seconds and has a range of up to 124 miles. The range – at least the quoted range – is a chunk better than the BMW i3′s and on a par with the latest Nissan LEAF, thanks to EV technology provided by Tesla, and the wrapping of an EV drivetrain in a conventional series production car could appeal to more buyers than the ‘statement’ design of the BMW i3.

The 2011 Volkswagen Touareg rolls out with a new hybrid powertrain

Volkswagen is banking on the fuel-saving properties of a new gasoline-electric hybrid drivetrain and what it describes as a wholesale improvement in quality levels to bolster North American sales of its second-generation Touareg. This new Touareg represents VW's first foray into the premium-hybrid-SUV market, which includes gasoline-electric entries from BMW, Lexus, Mercedes-Benz and Cadillac, among others. Further competition will come from a similarly powered version of the new Porsche Cayenne, alongside which the new Touareg was developed.

Citroen DS3 Cabrio Racing arrives in the UK – just 10 at £29,305

The Citroen DS3 Cabrio Racing arrives in the UK The Citroen DS3 Cabrio Racing arrived at Goodwood last summer as a concept, but after the production run of the DS3 Racing a cabrio version seemed a certainty for production. That production run for the DS3 Cabrio Racing was confirmed by Citroen in December and now it’s going on sale in the UK. With all the extra grunt of the DS3 Racing – 207bhp from its 1.6 litre THP engine, enough for 0-62mph in 6.5 seconds and a top speed of 145mph – and a raft of changes from a regular DS3 including sports exhaust, wider track, revised steering, uprated brakes and switchable ESC, the DS3 Cabrio Racing promises real hot-hatch fun in the sunshine.