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Mercedes signs joint venture to build carbonfibre parts

Not to be outdone by BMW’s joint venture with the SGL Group to manufacturer commercially viable carbonfibre-reinforced plastic (CFRP) for the electric Megacity Vehicle, Mercedes has announced a joint venture with Japanese company Toray Industries to manufacturer and market its on CFRP automotive parts. The deal was signed in Germany today, with Toray taking a 50.1% stake, Daimler holding 44.9% and the remaining 5% being taken by other shareholders. The two companies started working together in March 2010, and while Toray has been working on the materials and moulding processes, Merc has designed the automotive parts and the technologies to join the parts together.

2014 Volkswagen Passat Sport to start at $27,295

The 2014 Volkswagen Passat Sport will start at $27,295 including destination when it goes on sale early next year. Compare that to the base S model, which starts in at $21,665, and the top-of-the-line SEL Premium sedan, which starts at $34,715. The Passat Sport will fall between the midlevel SE and range-topping SEL Premium trims.

Bentley gives Continental GT Speed even more power

The Bentley Continental GT Speed has never been accused of being a slouch when it came to power, bluntly incorporating the word Speed in its name, but it seems the company's engineers believe there is still room for improvement. And so for 2015 the Bentley Continental GT Speed and Bentley Continental GT Speed Convertible will receive a slight bump up in power, and will now offer 626-hp and 607 lb-ft of torque. That's up from 616-hp and 590 lb-ft of torque in the 2014 versions of this 6.0-liter W12 beast.