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Mercedes-Benz A-class patent renderings leaked

Mercedes-Benz unveiled a three-door concept version of its 2012 A-class at the New York and Shanghai auto shows in April, and images of a possible production model leaked this week via the European Patent Office. The renderings show a five-door hatchback version of the A-class concept with less aggressive styling. Its world premiere is said to be scheduled for the Frankfurt motor show in September.

Audi e-Tron launch now in 2012 – Torque figures rubbished

The Audi e-Tron at the LA Auto Show Audi’s electric R8 – the Audi e-Tron – was unveiled at the Frankfurt Motor Show this year and has just had its US debut at the Los Angeles Motor Show. Dubbed the Electric R8 it is in fact a stand alone car that happens to have styling similarities to Audi’s Supercar R8, but there the similarity ends. The e-Tron – which took a little of the glory off BMW’s Vision ED Concept - boasts four electric motors – one at each wheel – which produce the equivalent of 313bhp.

India turns the screw on luxury car makers

Land Rover will still be sending CKD to India despite the rise in import duty India’s economy is growing almost exponentially, as a result of which it has a big, rising middle-class with much the same aspirations as the middle-class in the West. Those aspirations include the accumulation of status symbols considered worthy of representing their success and new wealth, none more so than a good set of wheels. So it’s no surprise that the mainstream luxury car makers – Jaguar, Land Rover, Mercedes, Audi and BMW – are ready, willing and able to provide exactly what India’s middles classes are looking for.