Vdo Oil Temperature Gauge Audi 893919541 on 2040-parts.com

Mercedes SLK (2012) Undisguised

The Mercedes SLK 2011/2012 - almost undisguised Considering we’re not actually expecting the next generation Mercedes SLK to hit the roads until 2012 – although it will surface in 2011 – we’ve been picking up spy shots of the latest SLK for quite some time. More than a year ago we brought you spy shots of the 2012 Mercedes SLK, but that was on track and quite camouflaged. But the latest shots are practically undisguised.

Meet the Autoweek Best of the Best winners

Another year and another few hundred new cars and trucks have driven through the Autoweek garage for editorial evaluation. To what end? Well, other than giving you our unvarnished opinions, it really comes down to this—when we present the annual Autoweek Best of the Best/Car and Best of the Best/Truck awards.

Bentley uses 3D printing to prototype new designs [w/Video]

3D printing is changing the way the world makes things by helping people of all disciplines to enhance and refine their ideas cheaply, quickly and effectively.  Bentley is the latest carmaker to utilize the technology to fabricate and prototype different parts to see how they'll look and work on the finished design. Using 3D printers, designers can produce parts from the exterior and interior such as the grille, tires, headlamps and door handles as well as combine different types of contrasting materials, ranging from hard plastics to rubbers of different tensile strengths.  The technology allows the user to create a solid 3D object straight from a digital model by printing layers of material on top of each other. This process rapidly decreases the delivery time, as parts can be printed overnight, and allows designers to be more creative in their ideas because of the reduced cost. Bentley isn't the first carmaker to use 3D printing technology. Audi announced last year it was beginning to prototype vehicle parts using 3D printers.