Mercedes MLC spied again, this time as an AMG

First BMW, now Mercedes-Benz. The German luxury manufacturer appears hard at work on its very own challenger to BMW's four-door coupe/crossover, the X6. It's called the MLC, and we've shown it to you before. Just a few weeks back, in fact.Unlike the last set of spy photos we showed you, though, this particular tester gives us our first glimpse at the MLC's brawnier AMG variant. Our spies report that under hood will be the same 5.5-liter, biturbocharged...

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Land Rover planning at least four new Discovery models

It should come as no great surprise that Land Rover is planning to group its lineup into three "families": one luxury lineup centered around the Range Rover, another utilitarian range around the Defender and a third somewhere in the middle centered around the Discovery. But just how many models will form each of those groups?Reports emanating from the UK seek to answer that question, and get us at least part way there - as far as the Discovery family...

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NASCAR Nationwide driver graduates high school then qualifies 6th

For the average 18-year-old, school and work take up the majority of free time. In that respect, then, Chase Elliot is like pretty much any other 18-year-old. He graduated on Saturday, and then went to work. The only difference is, his work involves him flying around the country and driving a really loud car in circles.Yes, Elliot, son of Winston Cup champion Bill Elliot, doesn't spend his free time working retail, but as a rookie driver in the NASCAR...

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MV Agusta loses license to sell motorcycles in California

If you live in California and were planning on buying a new MV Agusta, we're afraid we've got some bad news for you. The Italian manufacturer has lost its license to sell its motorcycles in the Golden State.This according to a list published by the California DMV obtained by motorbike news site Asphalt & Rubber. The list mentions MV Agusta USA as one of the companies no longer licensed to operate in America's third largest and most populous state....

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New Fisker owner ready to go broke building EVs, challenging Tesla

Now this is the kind of fighting spirit we like to see. Lu Guanqiu is a Chinese billionaire who has visited the White House alongside Chinese president Hu Jintao in 2011. He's worth an estimated $3.1 billion. And he wants to take on Tesla Motors and other EV makers with his newly purchased company, Fisker Automotive.Lu is the chairman and founder of China's Wanxiang Group Corp., which bought Fisker for just under $150 million earlier this year. It...

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GM ignition switch recall gets documentary treatment with Failure to Recall

General Motors' recalls have hit critical mass in the media. Not only is the company being mocked by comedians like John Oliver, Jon Stewart and Saturday Night Live, but it's getting the documentary treatment from CNBC in a special called Failure to Recall: Investigating GM. The doc talks to families and individuals directly affected by GM's ignition switch recall and shows firsthand (with assistance from Consumer Reports) what it's like to drive...

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F1 legend Sir Jack Brabham passes away at 88

There have only been about a dozen people who have won multiple Formula One World Championships. Thankfully the lion's share of them are still among us - names like Vettel, Alonso, Hakkinen, Lauda, Prost, Piquet, Fittipaldi and Stewart. Michael Schumacher is hanging on, but Senna, Fangio, Ascari and Graham Hill have all since departed this Earth. And we're bereaved to report that they'll have company as Jack Brabham has passed away.The Australian...

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FTC staff comes out in favor of Tesla, direct vehicle sales

On the subject of Tesla Motors and its efforts to legally sell its electric vehicles directly to consumers without franchised dealerships, the FTC has taken aim at Missouri and New Jersey. The Commission hasn't made any nationwide decision on the subject quite yet, but in a May 16 statement it encouraged the two states to reconsider policies that would further prohibit automakers from selling directly to consumers. And the FTC didn't mince words,...

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California bill would ensure used cars with recalls are fixed

It seems that 2014 may go down as the year of the recall. As of April, the US was already on pace for record levels, and that was before millions of more cars were called in for various repairs by General Motors, Ford and Chrysler in just the past few weeks. But how many of those vehicles will actually get their necessary fixes? GM claims that it has 80 percent of its vehicles mended in the first year, but the industry average is only 66 percent....

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Nissan reviving Pulsar name for Euro market

The Nissan Pulsar doesn't have what we'd consider a rich history in the US, other than on some models decades ago. However, the nameplate has been part of the Nissan lineup globally since 1978 and has proven popular in Asia and Australia. Now, the brand is teasing a five-door hatch to revive the name and hit European showrooms this fall.The new Pulsar will be built at the company's recently renovated factory in Barcelona, Spain. It's not clear from...

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