Timken 515030 Wheel Hub/bearing Assembly Each 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.

Jaguar F-type (2013) first official picture

Jaguar has let slip the first official picture of its highly anticipated F-type. It comes just weeks ahead of the car's true debut at the 2012 Paris motor show.This is the first time the production F-type has been seen in the nude, without its cosy camouflage blanket to shield its sleek silhouette. An E-type successor at last?

BMW 3-series Touring estate (2012) first official pictures

BMW has unveiled the new 3-series Touring estate. It goes on sale on 22 September 2012 in UK dealers, priced from £26,180. Although not a big seller globally - it accounts for just 6% of 3-series sales globally - the Touring is popular in Britain, where it makes up 15% of all Three sales.