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New Mercedes B-Class Electric Drive goes in to production

The first Mercedes B-Class ED (pictured) rolls off the production line in Rastatt With the BMW i3 grabbing headlines – and flying out of showrooms – as BMW’s first electric car, Mercedes need to play catch-up with a convincing EV of their own, and that’s the new B-Class Electric Drive – an EV version of the regular B-Class – which has now gone in to production in Germany. Built alongside regular ICE versions of the B-Class at Mercedes’ Rastatt Plant, the B-Class ED (Electric Drive) looks practically the same as its more conventionally powered siblings – although the front bumper does look a bit different – and has an electric motor good for 177 bhp and 250 lb/ft of torque, can manage a scoot to 62 mph in 7.9 seconds and has a range of up to 124 miles. The range – at least the quoted range – is a chunk better than the BMW i3′s and on a par with the latest Nissan LEAF, thanks to EV technology provided by Tesla, and the wrapping of an EV drivetrain in a conventional series production car could appeal to more buyers than the ‘statement’ design of the BMW i3.

Need for Speed Ford Mustang sells for $300,000

The 900hp Ford Mustang GT as seen in the latest Need for Speed movie has sold at an auction in the US for $300,000 – that’s roughly £180,000. Unfortunately, the winning bidder might be disappointed to find out that in real life it doesn’t make anywhere near the 900hp claimed in the film, instead running a stock 420hp. Please click on the picture above to find out more about the Need for Speed Mustang

Local Motors Announces Alaska Motors Competition Winners

Startup American independent car company Local Motors has announced the winner of its Alaska Motors competition, which called for entrants to design a concept vehicle for the Wrangell Mountain Extreme, a made-up race that takes place in the grueling Alaskan frontier.   Challenged to design a conceptual vehicle for the most difficult environmental conditions, designers competed for Wacom prizes and the finalists were then chosen by the community, as they have been for the last 17 competitions. Coming in first place was recent Strate College graduate Anthony Colard for his 'B-Polar' concept, a vehicle that features a unique moving chassis with a rotating axis around its fuel tank allowing it to easily maneuver through rough terrain.