Is Honda's all-new City coming in December 2008?

Hearsay from the grapevine seem to suggest a possible 3rd week of December 2008 launching period for Honda Malaysia's all-new City. Possibly one the industry's best kept secret - with no clear spy-shots or detailed scoop to date - this may indeed be the most significant automobile launch before the year wraps up.

New Mercedes-Benz 300 SLC

German car magazine �Auto Motor und Sport� has given its readers a glimpse of how the compact supercar 300 SLC from Mercedes-Benz might look like with the two renderings here. The headlights are notably different � looking like a single (but more upright) headlamp unit from the W211 - versus Autocar ASEAN�s ameboid (like W203 C-Class' but more edgy in shape)headlights of the 300 SLC renderings in its August 2007 issue. Mercedes-Benz is reportedly having two potential design options for the 300 SLC, a retro styling inspired from the iconic 300 SL Gullwing of the 1950�s or a futuristic avant-garde look.

Codenamed R197, the SLC will share powertrains and basic platform with the next generation SL, which itself is due in 2012. In short, the SLC will use a spaceframe-based alloy construction with a front engine and rear wheel drive (FR) layout. Mercedes-Benz AMG division�s 6.2L V8 is expected under the hood, pushing around 620hp.

The 300 SLC lightweight-compact coupe (think:Cayman S) will be developed and built in-house without any collaboration with McLaren. This is in departure from the McLaren Mercedes SLR supercar.

Mercedes-Benz to Axe A- and B-Class in 2011?

Getting wind from the German financial newspaper Wirtschafts Woche, luxury carmaker Mercedes-Benz has reportedly scrapped plans for successor models to its A & B-Class, due for replacements in 2011. In an about turn, an all new sporty compact hatch has been approved for development by Daimler boss Dieter Zetsche in order to compete head on with the sportier Audi A3 and BMW 1-series. News gathered is that this hatch may even spawn a compact coupe to go head on with the recently unveiled BMW 1-series coupe.

Rumours that add fuel to fire are guessing that at best, there may just be a new B-Class hatch, but this will likely be rear-wheel drive, possibly using a shortened platform derived from the new W204 C-Class.