A day after Ferrari unveiled its F10, McLaren became the second team to reveal its 2010 Formula One contender in a launch held on Friday at title sponsor Vodafone's British headquarters in Newbury.

The car will test for the first time in Valencia, Spain, on Monday, alongside new machines from Ferrari, Renault, Mercedes, Sauber, Williams and Scuderia Toro Rosso. Gary Paffett will do the shakedown, before Lewis Hamilton and Jenson Button get their first runs.

Introducing the new car, team principal Martin Whitmarsh noted: "At Vodafone McLaren-Mercedes, we've demonstrated that strength in depth is the best approach to take in Formula One. The group of engineers, designers and strategists we've assembled demonstrates how much can be achieved by a very focused team operating at the very limit of their abilities.

Because of the larger fuel tank, the MP4-25 is longer than its predecessors, and the aerodynamics look quite different from last year's car, especially the flat "shark-fin" engine cover running to the tail. McLaren elected to retain its traditional corporate livery, despite Mercedes buying Brawn GP and creating its own silver color scheme. Drastic rule changes implemented over the past two years have kept engineers on their toes to ensure their cars remain competitive. Last year, the FIA drastically revised the aerodynamic regulations, requiring a smaller rear wing and a larger front wing. A new ban on in-race refueling forced the use of a larger fuel tank, which in turn required the car’s wheelbase to grow. Subsequently, McLaren redesigned its cooling system and electrical architecture to accommodate the tank.

Apart from the stretched wheelbase, McLaren says the MP4-25 is an aerodynamic evolution over last year’s car. The team took the pieces they found effective near the end of the last season (when the MP4-24 finally started to become competitive) and applied them to the new car. One of the primary changes to the MP4-25 for the start of this season is the double diffuser at the rear of the car, which sparked great controversy early in the season last year. Other aerodynamic evolutions from last year include the rear wing, which sports a dorsal fin in its center.

Although no longer affiliated with Mercedes-Benz, the German automaker continues to supply the team with its powertrain. The MP4-25 uses a 2.4-liter V-8, which revs to (restricted) 18,000 rpm and puts its astonishing (and unlisted) power down through a 7-speed dual-clutch transmission. Unlike last year, no KERS devices will be used on any car in the field.

The MP4-25’s body is again a carbon fiber composite monocoque. Both the engine and transmission are fully stressed members of the frame, further helping to reduce the car’s mass. Because the cars must now start with a race’s worth of fuel onboard, the MP4-25’s starting weight is significantly heavier. The car’s minimum weight has also increased to 1364 pounds -- 30 pounds more than last year’s car.

Specifications
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Toyota must be enjoying the news that Reykjavik-based Arctic Trucks has now begun offering tours through the Icelandic landscape in Toyota Hilux vehicles for an extreme tourist experience similar to that of Clarkson's.

Reykjavik-based Arctic Trucks, the specialist company which engineered the Hilux to cope with the extreme conditions of the Top Gear challenge, is offering trips of between two and five days and longer expeditions through the wild landscape of Iceland. Its fleet of vehicles includes two Toyota Hilux Invincible Double Cabs equipped with special features to meet the demands of tackling the country`s tundra, glaciers, lava fields and mountains, including a set of giant 38-inch tyres that allow the vehicle to traverse deep snow and thin ice.

The Hilux Invincible Double Cabs come with 38-inch tires able to grind through deep snow and drive over iced surfaces.

Arctic Trucks is the engineering firm which specially tuned the Toyota Hilux that Clarkson used for his excursion to the magnetic North Pole.

The company began a partnership with Toyota Iceland back in 1990 to help convert models to handle the most rugged terrain in the country. The company has prepared vehicles for trips to both the South and North Poles.

More than 12 million Hilux have been sold globally since its 1972 debut, and in terms of annual sales it ranks as Europe`s most popular pick-up.

More information on Arctic Trucks and the Arctic Trucks Experience can be found at:

www.arctictrucks-experience.com

Some leaked photos with the brand new customization program made by Lorinser for the 2010 Mercedes-Benz E-Class Coupe.

Staring from the front, you notice an all-new grille and heavily modified aerodynamic bumper with LEDs in it. Then on each side you get new side skirts and typical fender vents. The Lorinser Mercedes-Benz E-Class Coupe also comes with a roof and a boot lid lip and a new rear bumper, a new and fairly big air diffuser and quad tailpipes of the car’s new sport exhaust system.

The kit is completed by the new 5-spoke alloy wheels. From our previous report regarding this vehicle we know that the E500 has been boosted from 388 to 435 hp and 570 Nm of torque (according to the manufacturer this will have a top speed of 280 km/h).

The Lorinser Mercedes-Benz E-Class Coupe features varying wheel designs and sizes. The latest development is the one-piece 20-inch light-alloy wheel RS9. The light-alloy wheels are especially emphasized by progressively winded suspension springs which lower the E-Class Coupes center of gravity by 30 millimeters at the front and rear axle.

Sportservice Lorinser offers unobtrusive interior applications for the 2010 Mercedes-Benz E-Class Coupe. Aluminum pedals and an instrument cluster with a scaling of up to 330 km/h accentuate the car in a dynamic way. Inside, the tuner intends to make a more sporty atmosphere by using Aluminium pedals and an instrument cluster with a scaling of up to 330 km/h, as well as floor mat set with leather lining and embroidered Lorinser emblem and the illuminated door sills.

The Aveo RS has a lot more attractive proportions and with a wider profile that makes it much more aggressively than the current model. It takes several design elements of the smallest spark, but the tinier scale. For example, the portion of glass is a similar treatment with a line belt and rear door handles integrated into the C-pillar area. The rock carving is also carved panel RS Aveo has something in common with the spark.

The Aveo Spark RS differing by more than the closest of his brow. He gets the standard dual-port grille, like all new Chevys, but the top is tapered at the top, giving the appearance of a hexagonal grid. We actually saw a deer production style Aveo next January in August at the General Motors Dome in the design and the basic model is equipped with two grids of equal height. This approach sporty RS concept, however, has a lower grille which extends further down, but this does not bother us with the additional height to width greater than the current Aveo.

Efficient performer Aveo RS show car is powered by the same high-performance 138 hp (103 kW) 1.4L ECOTEC 4-cylinder turbo engine that will be available in the coming Chevrolet Cruze.

A six-speed manual is designed to ensure the car offers more sporty driving experience.

For the show car, the designers have created a special engine cover in silver, graphite, with a brushed aluminum insert. The liquid cooling and power steering filler cap are coated with liquid in ice blue, and air intake honeycomb flanking the center of the cover is a matte finish in dark chrome and designed to meet the wheel colors.

Chevrolet has already announced the new Aveo will be built at theOrion Assembly in Orion Township, Mich., in 2011, a measure that will restore 1,200 jobs in southeast Michigan. The schedule retooling Orion Assembly for the production of the Aveo is scheduled to begin in late 2010.

Chevrolet and Indianapolis Motor Speedway unveiled the 2010 Chevrolet Camaro SS Indianapolis 500 pace car. The first year for Camaro to pace the Indianapolis 500 was in 1967, the year the Camaro made its debut. Camaro has since paced the race in 1969, 1982, 1993 and 2009.

The Chevrolet Camaro SS Pace Car is equipped with a stock 400 hp 6.2L V-8, an RS appearance package and leather interior with Inferno Orange interior accents. The pace car also features unique design cues that further enhance the Camaro’s head-turning design. Features unique to the pace car include: 2010 Indianapolis 500 event logo painted on doors and embroidered on driver and passenger headrests, 2010 Indianapolis 500 event logo badges on front fenders, All-new front grille insert that Chevrolet plans to offer as a future Camaro accessory, Amber lens tail lamps, Complete safety strobe light system with custom interior light bar in the rear window (no rooftop light bar) and All-new GM Accessory floor mats with red and orange accent stitching.

Starting at approximately $23,000, and offering an EPA-estimated 29 highway mpg on the V-6-powered car, the all-new Camaro is a budget-friendly sports car that doesn’t sacrifice on performance. Despite the recent economic challenges, the Camaro has overtaken its closest competitor to lead the regular sports car segment in sales for the last six months. Chevrolet sold more than 6,000 Camaros in each of these months.

The public will get their first look at the 2010 Chevy Camaro SS Indianapolis 500 pace car when it makes its auto show debut at the Indianapolis Auto Show starting on Dec. 26.

The new Volvo C30 stands for individualism and ecologi-cally friendly driving. Volvo tuner HEICO SPORTIV is sharpening this profile… in every respect.

“The future of our business model lies in the intelligent combination of performance-oriented products and ecological sustainability,” explains HEICO SPORTIV general manager, Holger Hedtke.

A philosophy that accompanies every step of the new Volvo C30 product development process. With the Volvo C30 1.6D DRIVe, HEICO SPORTIV will be launching the economy model as the basis for the extensive individualization program.

The standard factory specifications of the Volvo C30 1.6D DRIVe already offer a wide range of innovative technologies such as start/stop driving with brake-energy recovery, reducing fuel consumption to 3.9 liters/100 km* (* Combined, in accordance with prescribed measurement technique (RL80/1268/EWG)). The Volvo C30 1.6D DRIVe covers the classic zero to 100 km/h sprint in just 9.2 seconds, beating its series-produced counterpart by 2.1 seconds! A maximum speed of 200 km/h is also attainable, 10 km/h faster than the series version.

“This is our basic starting point for proving that ecologically friendly action and the pleasure of driving don’t need to be mutually exclusive,” says Holger Hedtke. “In doing so, aerodynamically optimized components such as the radiator grille or under-floor intentionally remain untouched.”

The HEICO SPORTIV Volvo C30 1.6D DRIVe features a remodeled design elements at the front and rear. The HEICO SPORTIV front spoiler – which replaces the original lower base section of the bumper – consists of fiber-strengthened polyurethane and is fixed using the existing anchorage points. The same applies to the rear valence which mimics the front spoiler’s laterally arranged air vents and has a centrally placed diffuser element. The rear valence serves to accommodate the HEICO SPORTIV four pipe stainless steel exhaust system.

The Volvo C30 1.6D DRIVe is available from HEICO SPORTIV with a starting price tag of ca. EUR 29,900; the parts will naturally also be deliverable individually from spring 2010.

When the S-Max was launched back in 2006, the model was a winner for Ford of Europe from the start. It promptly took the European Car of Year Award prize and went on to be a sales success and a favorite of consumers and auto journalists alike. Now the S-Max is due for a mid-generation facelift and Ford needs to keep the model fresh without compromising its hard-won credentials with the public.

The 2010 Ford S-MAX will be available with significant detail changes to the exterior including a strongly sculptured bonnet and all-new front fascia, emphasised by the bolder graphic of the gloss black lower front trapezoidal grille. This gives Ford S-MAX a distinctive new presence on the road and a new lower front bumper which, on high series models comes with distinctive LED daytime running lights (optional for Trend series), further strengthens the car’s purposeful stance. From the side, Ford S-MAX is instantly recognisable and now stands out even more with its window profile enhanced by a chrome strip, which surrounds the whole glass area to enhance the car’s sleek and sporty lines.

The rear of new Ford S-MAX has also been re-designed with a more dynamically profiled tailgate, a lower fascia, and new LED tail lights that extend deep into the rear side flanks, creating an even stronger athletic appearance. Peer at the nose and slightly repositioned air intakes with adjacent foglights coming into view. Above them, a shapelier hood with twin design lines adds a sporty flavor to the otherwise bland van. Boosting its premium appeal while further distinguishing the new car is a horizontal satin chrome bar, which runs between the LED tail lights and is embossed with the distinctive S-MAX logo.

The Ford S-MAX offer an all-new 2.0-litre Ford EcoBoost SCTi engine. Featuring lightweight all-aluminium construction, the latest-generation high-pressure direct injection system, low-inertia turbocharging and twin independent variable cam timing. The 2.0-litre EcoBoost SCTi engine has a maximum output of 203 PS (149kW) at 5,500 rpm, combined with maximum torque of 300 Nm, which is delivered across a broad 1,750-4,500 rpm range. With this new powertrain, the Ford S-MAX achieves 0-100km/h (0-62 mph) acceleration in 8.5 seconds and a top speed of 221 km/h (137 mph).

Mercedes-Benz, together with Hughes Telematics, announced a new infotainment system for its cars; the mbrace Telematics system, that will allow users to access 18 different services via a nifty telematics system.

Similar to Ford’s Sync system and GM’s OnStar, mbrace also enables pairing of smart phones like iPhones and BlackBerrys to the car’s electronic interface. Drivers can then use their phones to lock or unlock their cars remotely.

Other services include automatic emergency service notification in case the car is stolen or in an accident, a vehicle health check function that goes live to the nearest dealership, real-time weather and traffic reports, and even a concierge service that gets you 24/7 access to a customer-service rep who will help you make dinner reservations, book a hotel or order a flight.

The system will be available as standard in most Mercedes Benz cars, while others (GLK, C-Class, SLK and the new E-Class Coupe) will have it as an option. This fully upgradable system will come with a free subscription for six months, and will ultimately cost $280 a year. The optional concierge services will add $20 a month to that bill.

What makes mbrace really stand out is that it is fully upgradable, with new applications easily installed as they are developed. Furthermore, most vehicle owners using the current Tele Aid telematics service can also upgrade to mbrace by visiting a Mercedes-Benz dealer.

Mercedes is bringing the 2010 Maybach Zeppelin to Geneva Motor Show in March. Maybach first used the Zeppelin name in the 1930s, when dirigible’s name symbolized modern luxury. Now the name’s resurrection will be used to get more in touch with old-world elegance. From the outside, the luxury brand’s new top-of-the-range model can be recognised by its two-tone special paint finish - a mix of “Rocky Mountains” light brown and “Taiga” black, but customers can choose whatever they want. Other features include unique 20-inch wheels, special “California” beige leather upholstery, and a set of silver champagne flutes.

The streamlined exterior mirrors, which produce even less wind noise, are new to Maybach. They have a more angular design and are separated from the door frame by a slender arm, giving them a more expressive look. They also feature an enlarged mirror surface together with integral indicators in the shape of a horizontal “V” for even greater perceptual safety.

The curving “ZEPPELIN” lettering that appears below the distinctive double “M” emblem on the radiator grille and on the boot lid instantly gives away the elite status of the new Maybach Zeppelin.

The 6.0-liter biturbo V12 has also been upgraded 28 hp to now make 640 hp and 738 lb-ft of torque. All this extra luxury does of course come at a price: €406,000 for the Maybach 57 Zeppelin and €473,200 for the Maybach 62 Zeppelin. At today’s rates, that’s about $524,000 and $610,000 respectively. While the price alone will ensure exclusivity, Mercedes says the Zeppelin edition will be limited to 100 units.

A Maybach brochure dating from 1930 clearly sets out the firm’s stall: “To create only the very best from the very best – a car that fulfils every last wish and stands out for its supremely refined elegance and power.” At that time, Karl Maybach had developed a luxury car, the likes of which had never been seen before. Maybach derived the design of its mighty twelve-cylinder drive unit from the same engine he had developed to power the daring airships of aviation pioneer Ferdinand Graf von Zeppelin. Inspired by the Count’s visionary personality, he christened Germany’s first ever series-production twelve-cylinder car “Zeppelin”, and offered it to a highly discerning (and solvent) clientele with a displacement of either seven or eight litres (150 hp or 200 hp).

Even today, the name “Zeppelin” has an incomparable ring to it in the realm of high-end luxury cars. As the flagship model in today’s range of Maybach Saloons, the new Maybach Zeppelin does justice to its branding. The name is not merely intended to rekindle memories, after all: as in bygone times, Maybach is once again building the Maybach Zeppelin for distinguished drivers who are seeking something extra special, even in this most luxurious of automotive segments. Not only do the Maybach 57 Zeppelin and Maybach 62 Zeppelin stand out for their exquisite elegance, inventive ideas and phenomenal performance.

Press release

Expectedly, the 2010 MV Agusta F4 is based of Massimo Tamburini’s iconic design, and is updated to fit more with modern tastes, echoing the same fantastic, aggressive design ethos with a detailed reengineering down to the smallest detail, resulting in a new F4 that does the impossible by improving upon perfection. But MV has also changed the bike underneath the hood. With a 998cc motor, the new F4 makes 3hp more than the comparably displaced 2009 MV Agusta R 312.

The new 2010 MV Agusta F4 is a lighter, faster and stronger superbike. Already world-famous for a beauty surpassing all other superbikes, MV Agusta has provided a fresh look to the iconic sensual lines of the new 2010 MV Agusta F4 while still preserving its design spirit. Set to debut the all new F4 in Milan this evening, MV Agusta has also taken special care to deliver a lighter, faster, stronger motorcycle that pushes the limits of performance either out on the street or track.

Ergonomics for the new 2010 MV Agusta F4 have also been redesigned, enabling riders to achieve performance limits more safely while harnessing the brand new, more powerful F4. To improve handling, the new MV Agusta F4 features a lightened framework and chassis with revised geometry that significantly improves riding comfort. The 2010 F4 is 22 lbs. lighter than its predecessor, weighing in at a lithe 423.5 lbs. total weight.

Like the Brutale, a new engine, chassis, and swingarm have been designed for the 2010 model. These changes make the 2010 MV Agusta F4 4cm narrower, while making the chassis more rigid. Riders should find the new chassis more comfortable, and will be able to make use of the F4’s new 8-way adjustable traction control unit and twin-map ECU. Helping get the power to the ground is bike’s Other changes include:

Power supply with TSS variable length intake system

TC MK II traction control system, adjustable on 8 levels

Two injectors per cylinder

New electronic injection system with 49-mm throttle bodies

New Magneti Marelli 7 SM ECU

New 4-1 exhaust system with valve

"With the introduction of the new 2010 F4, MV Agusta has improved one of the most sought after motorcycles in the world on every level from an engineering, design, and performance aspect. And now, with the new 2010 F4 unveiled alongside our new Brutale 990R and 1090RR models, we feel our company is in a position to show the industry why MV Agusta is known for creating incomparable works of motorcycle art," says Larry Ferracci, Director of U.S. Operations for MV Agusta USA.