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New Mercedes A45 AMG has 105 years of 4WD on its side

With the new Mercedes A45 AMG on the horizon – complete with 4WD – Mercedes chart the history of all wheel drive on their vehicles. We tend to think of 4WD road cars as a modern innovation, and certainly very few 4WD road cars hit the road in a mainstream way much before the 1980s (the Jensen FF was hardly mainstream before someone points out that was in the 1960s). But the history of 4WD goes back, certainly in the case of Mercedes, a surprising 105 years when Daimler built the Dernburg-Wagen, a 4WD vehicle that not only got all-wheel drive but all wheel steering too.

Venturi America

Following on from the low-slung Fetish EV sports car, Venturi has released this, the America. Utilizing the same 300bhp equivalent battery powertrain, the America evolves the Fetish's technologies and looks to the future of the small-scale French manufacturer. The bespoke carbon monocoque chassis forms part of the America's bodywork, with the rest being made up of two separate deformable 'cells'.

Coventry students embark on interior project for GM's Opel/Vauxhall division

Designers at GM's Opel/Vauxhall division have tasked students at Coventry University with creating the vehicle interior of the future. Championed by Richard Shaw, Chief Designer at Opel's Advanced Design Studio in Germany, students will be charged with creating innovative and visionary interior concepts for the next decade, taking into account future needs of consumers but also the brand's values. Judges from GM Europe Design and Coventry University will then select the winning entry.