Taylor Navigator Compass on 2040-parts.com

Bankruptcy will delay Chrysler's 2010 model launches, exec says

Chrysler LLC will be late getting its 2010 vehicles to market because of the automaker's Chapter 11 bankruptcy filing, Chrysler manufacturing chief Frank Ewasyshyn testified today. The current shutdown of plants and stresses on suppliers also threaten to delay the 2011 models next year, Ewasyshyn said. The changeover to 2010 models is delayed while Chrysler tries to emerge from bankruptcy within the next 30 to 60 days, he said.

Mercedes SL 65 AMG 45th Anniversary brings a tear to the eye

Mercedes-Benz has released a promo video for the SL 65 AMG 45th Anniversary model giving grown men permission to cry. The 2012 Mercedes SL does look to offer far more for the driver than any SL that’s gone before, and the range-topping SL 65 promises to be a proper supercar. Mercedes are kicking off the SL65 with the Mercedes SL 65 AMG 45th Anniversary Edition, built to celebrate 45 years of AMG, which offers extra goodies over and above the already well specced SL 65.

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.