Sierra Marine 18-3559 Chrysler Thermostat F528068 on 2040-parts.com

CES: Cranking up Harman's QuantumLogic 3D surround-sound system

Yesterday we reported how Audi was readying a lavish 3D sound experience with 23 speakers and 1,400 watts of goosebump-inducing audio power. Not to be outdone, Harman had been quietly developing a system of its own: Quantum Logic 3D brings together 25 speakers and more than 2,000 watts of Tubthumping power to a new car near you, like driving inside Phil Spector's Wall of Sound. Sitting inside the demonstration BMW 7-Series that Harman painstakingly lifted into the Studio at the Palms, Global Audio Engineering vice president Phil Muzio explained, "great music is delivered in stereo, yet our consumer research indicates that people enjoy surround sound." QuantumLogic 3D's surround sound expands beyond the boundaries of the vehicle's cabin, providing "a sense of detail and spatial placement that you don't get in stereo." Five height component speakers mounted in the corners of the headliner, and above the rearview mirror, elevates audio beyond the confines of the roof, "almost like you're in a convertible," said Muzio.

Mercedes S 500 Plug-In Hybrid price & specs – costs from £87,965

The Mercedes S500 Plug-in Hybrid arrives in the UK It’s more than a year since the Mercedes S500 Plug-in Hybrid was revealed, and now it’s finally going on sale in the UK and, if your pockets are deep enough, it offers a perfect ‘cake and eat it’ car. Under the skin there’s a 3.0 litre V6 biturbo delivering 329bhp and an electric motor adding a further 116bhp which together give the S500 Plug-in the ability to blat to 62mph in just 5.2 seconds but return official economy of 100.9 mpg and emissions of a measly 65g/km. That combination means that you won’t have to pay Boris to drive through London, and your BIK rate will be a very modest 5 per cent, making the S500 plug-in Hybrid a perfect choice for every board member in the country currently paying 35 per cent on their petrol S500, BMW 7 Series or Audi A8.

New Opel Monza revealed – sort of – ahead of Frankfurt debut

Opel’s Karl-Thomas Neumann (pictured) reveals the first look at the new Opel Monza Last week we revealed that there will be a new Opel Monza at this year’s Frankfurt Motor Show in September, although much of the detail was educated guesswork. And even though Vauxhall has taken some off the wraps of the new Monza this morning, we’re still not really any the wiser. Vauxhall/Opel are calling the Monza ‘The Future’ of the brand and say it represents a vision of the company’s future and will have a long term impact on production cars.