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Mercedes launch new 9G-Tronic gearbox on E350 BlueTec

New Mercedes E350 BlueTec (pictured) gets 9-speed 9G-TRONIC auto It’s not exactly a million years ago that automatic gearboxes offered poorer performance and economy than manual gearboxes, and came as standard with just three gears. But now, automatic gearboxes are so good they can  change quicker than any driver and, with the proliferation of eight-speed auto ‘boxes, offer improved economy and performance too. The next logical step is even more ratios in an auto ‘box, and Land Rover has already revealed they’ll be fitting the Evoque with a 9-speed ZF ‘box from 2014, and the new Jeep Grand Cherokee gets a nine-speed auto ‘box too.

BMW creates mini version of Art Car by artist Jeff Koons

Known for his whimsical sculptures, artist Jeff Koons is using his skills to create limited-edition BMW Miniature Art Cars instead of giant stainless-steel balloon animals. Famed artists such as Andy Warhol and Roy Lichtenstein have created their own BMW Art Cars, and Koons is just the latest in a line such works since Alexander Calder painted the first installment in the Art Car Collection in 1975 Adorned with bright streaks of color against a black background, the full-size vehicle competed in Le Mans in 2010. Miniature models are available now.

New Bugatti 'could be too fast to test'

THE UPCOMING replacement for the world's fastest luxury car could be too quick to test, according to a motoring magazine. Bugatti is looking to replace the famous Veyron with a new, faster model that could reach speeds of around 286mph, but questions have been raised by weekly title Autocar over whether the facilities will exist to test it to its maximum. Not only is space a concern for the 1,500-horsepower concept, because it will need much longer straights than the Veyron, but also tyres are an issue.