Mercedes S600 Pullman – 6 versions planned?

New Mercedes S600 Pullman rendered The Mercedes S600 Pullman – arriving in 2013/14 to replace the unloved Maybach – will come in a range of six versions. The demise of Maybach has finally been confirmed, with Mercedes-Benz deciding to concentrate its Rolls and Bentley bashing plans on the S-Class, with plans to add a range-topping Pullman model to the new S-Class when it arrives in 2013. We had thought it likely that Mercedes would offer just a proper halo S Class Pullman in the shape of an S600 Pullman with a thumping great V12 nestling up front.

17,000 solar panels to power Toyota’s Derbyshire plant

Toyota’s manufacturing plant at Burnaston in Derbyshire, where the Auris and Avensis are built, will install the biggest solar panel system yet seen in a UK car plant.  British Gas, which will stump up the £10 million cost of installing the solar panels, and Toyota are working together to save 2000 tonnes of CO2 emissions a year. Once the solar panels are installed, they claim it will save enough energy to build approximately 7000 cars a year.

Bentley at the Geneva Motor Show – it’s not just cars

The Bentley Breitling Watch - on sale at the Bentley Boutique at the Geneva Motor Show It looks like Bentley are taking the whole ‘Merchandise’ thing as seriously as Ferrari do. Perhaps they decided last year – when Bentley were selling next to no cars – that shoving the Bentley logo on a range of upmarket toys was a way to bring in some much needed revenue. It was even reported at the nadir of Bentley sales that they had their craftsmen – who had nothing to do – churning out some bespoke furniture.