An Inside Look At The 2010 Mercedes-Benz E-Class

So what will the interior of the upcoming 2010 Mercedes-Benz E-Class looks like? Well, feast your eyes on this. One industrious spy photographer of Auto Express recently managed to capture an undisguised view of the new E Class’s interior, revealing pretty much exactly what to expect in terms of ergonomics and styling.

I won’t go into too many details, because the photo does a good job speaking for itself, 2 highlights worth noticing however include the large multimedia display screen positioned atop the center console (just like the S-Class) and the COMAND controller in the center console (much akin to the S-Class and C-Class). If you had to describe it, an blend its bigger brother, the S-Class, and its smaller sibling, the C-Class interiors would probably best summarize the E-Class exterior as a whole.

As for the exterior of the new E Class, Auto Express also managed to snap a number of shots showcasing the new E-Class exterior as well. The photos again show in fairly clear detail the front end and side contours, as well as well-masked LED tail lights.

To witness the 2010 Mercedes E-Class in all its stealthy glory, click either the photos below or head over to Auto Express for the full spy photo collection.

Enjoy.

Next-gen F01 BMW 7-Series to get 8-speed Automatic

Transmissions seem to be the new battlefront in the war for customers amongst high end brands. With Mercedes Benz having their 7 Speed automatic for a little while, and Lexus has their fancy new 8-cogger too. The 6 speed looks obsolete, and BMW driver’s are green with envy. Well, with the introduction of the next generation F01 7 series, BMW will launch its very first 8 speed gearbox.

If high fuel prices and tightening emissions standards and consumption requirements actually manage to snuff out our recent horsepower battles, gear ratios will be all we have left.

BMW’s new 8-speed looks to fits in the same space as the old 6-speed interestingly, and is said to be smoother and more efficient than the outgoing 6 speed gearbox. Perhaps even more important however than the greater ratio spread and increased fuel economy, is that the new transmission will bring is the shifter moves back to the console. Expect the new 8-speed and its modular design to wind up in many BMW vehicles after its debut in the upcoming 7-series.

Formula One driver Heikki Kovalainen Crashed McLaren Mercedes

Formula One driver Heikki Kovalainen had to be carried away on a stretcher after a high-speed crash at the Spanish Grand Prix.The McLaren Mercedes driver’s front left tire seemed to explode Sunday and the Finn horrifically crashed into the wall of tires on a bend. Race stewards worked for about 10 minutes to free Kovalainen from the mangled car.He had to be taken to the track’s medical center wearing a neck brace, but gave a thumbs-up sign to spectators. Officials said Kovalainen is in stable condition.

Nearly the entire front end of Kovalainen’s car was missing after the crash. What isn’t apparent from this clip was that the car submarined under the tire barrier, and was basically buried all the way up to the cockpit. They actually couldn’t access Heikki directly, as far as I saw. This clip also didn’t show how hard the marshals were trying to move the car and were unable to extract it. It also took a really long time…

Our best wishes to Heikki Kovalainen for a speedy recovery!

2010 Chevrolet Camero Lapping The Nurburgring

We know you’ve seen the 2010 Chevy Camaro plenty of times by now, but trust us, you haven’t heard it quite like this. It must be the fanboys at Camaro5’s response to Lexus trying to steal the spy video thunder with the LF-A video from earlier. Because thunder is exactly what the Camaro’s big ‘merican V8 sounds like as it races around the famed German track. The video is over six minutes of rumbling goodness, so you might want to let it load a bit before watching. Ooh, and look, a Pontiac G8 GXP was there too.

Watch the video over at Camaro5

Acura NSX Shattered In Horrific Street Racing Accident, Driver Survives

The driver of this barely recognizable Acura NSX is somehow, miraculously, still alive. In what is being reported as a street race with a Honda Civic gone bad, this hooligan lost control of the Acura NSX, hit the curb, and a light pole, and ultimately ended up splitting the car in half!! The MSN NBC affiliate in San Diego quotes one witness telling them “I saw the car in the gutter with a guy sitting it it without any front. He was holding on the the gearshift, and I think he was still in shock and still wanting to shift gears.”Though the driver has only suffered from a fractured neck, we’re pretty sure he’s going to be hurting a lot more after paying the lawyer fees.

You can see the airbags did deploy, though the entire steering column seems to be a good twenty feet from the rest of the car.

Head over to MSN to catch the story.