Experiment Proves A Testing Time For Experienced Drivers

WOULD you pass your driving test second time around? Insurance company Direct Line wanted to answer that age-old question, and gathered 50 experienced drivers and put them through the standard driving test to find out. The result was that more than three quarters of them failed, with those that did recording an average of three serious or dangerous faults, with one participant committing 10 major faults.

Mercedes B-Class gets a facelift for 2015 – debuts at Paris Motor Show

The Mercedes B-Class facelift goes on sale today (12 Sep 2014) from £22,575 It seems only five minutes since the second generation Mercedes B-Class arrived, but it’s getting a bit of a facelift – with the emphasis on the ‘bit’ – for 2015, with the main focus being the arrival for the UK of the B-Class Electric Drive which, for many considering an EV from a premium maker, is perhaps a better option than the ‘statement’ BMW i3. Tesla had a big input on the B-Class ED’s electric gubbins, and the result is an electric B-Class that develops 177bhp (and 251lb/ft of torque), enough for a scoot to 62mph in 7.9 seconds (top speed is limited to 100mph). Range, in an ideal world, is 124 miles from the 16.6kWh lithium ion batteries – enough for most commutes.

One Lap of the Web: Porsche flat-fours, hot rod artists and German car shows

We spend a lot of time on the Internet -- pretty much whenever we're not driving, writing about or working on cars. Since there's more out there than we'd ever be able to cover, here's our daily digest of car stuff on the Web you may not otherwise have heard about. -- You've heard of watching paint dry, but NHTSA has a new hobby: watching Fords rust.