Wise Seating 8wd590-1009 on 2040-parts.com

2012 Mercedes S Class to spawn a convertible

The n2012 Mercedes S Class will lose its top It’s probably a sign of increasing decrepitude as it seems only five minutes since Mercedes launched the current S Class, but already we’re talking about the 2012 Mercedes S Class – and it’s only a year away. As has always been the case with a new S-Class we can look forward to a raft of new innovations when the new S Class launches late next year; clever stuff that will eventually filter down to the cars of lesser mortals as the technology matures and the cost falls. And that clever stuff will be packaged up in a big saloon car – the normal S-Class – an even bigger car – the LWB S-Class – and a huge two door coupe – the Mercedes CL, which is expected to be renamed the S-Class Coupe when the new S-Class launches.

Smokin' video: Ken Block carves up France's l'Autodrome in new Gymkhana run

Rally star and DC Shoes purveyor Ken Block has delivered another piece of wild driving with his latest Gymkhana video--this time carving up the high-banked track at France's Linas at l'Autodrome. If you can dream it, Block can do it--180-degree and 360-degree turns and figure eights in a custom-built, all-wheel-drive Ford Fiesta. There's even a shower of sparks at the end.

Concept Car of the Week: Chrysler Lamborghini Portofino (1987)

In 1987, Chrysler purchased the bankrupt Italian carmaker Lamborghini to add an exotic brand to its portfolio. In celebration of its acquisition, Chrysler announced it would unveil a futuristic concept car at the Frankfurt motor show bearing a unique logo with the Italian raging bull framed inside Chrysler's famous Pentastar. It was during an internal aerodynamic study that designer Kevin Verduyn drew the lines of a four-seater sedan concept called the Navajo.