Cannes

F1's managing director was born near Manchester.

After spending a few days with the recalcitrant mechanism that masquerades as a transmission in the Smart Fortwo, we can admit we've pondered all sorts of ways to prematurely end the car's life. An impromptu hardcore off-road excursion has figured prominently in at least one such scenario. Evidently the marketers behind Smart have entertained similar thoughts, or at least spent some time contemplat

We've seen some rather unfortunately garish chrome-jobs in our day, and yes, some have even ladled on the shiny stuff in gold. Many of those have also been Mercedes-Benz vehicles. But while we've come to expect that kind of bling from owners with cash coming out of their Ferragamo shoes, we didn't expect the same treatment to be carried out by Mercedes-Benz itself on its own vehicles.

From May 11th through the 22nd, ten electric Renault Fluence Z.E. sedans will escort actors and film professionals to the foot of the red carpet at the Cannes Film Festival. In near-total silence. The Renault Fluence Z.E.'s tour of Cannes comes just a couple of months ahead of its launch in France, Israel and Denmark.

Click above for a high-res gallery of Jodie Kidd with the Fiat eco:Drive

Click above for a gallery of the Citroen C6 Office

At the Cannes Film Festival, it's not hard to find Ferraris and Mercedes McLaren SLR and Rolls-Royce on every street. Seems like a good pace to introduce the Tesla Roadster in Europe. Cannes is where a lucky French journalist test drove the Roadster, albeit with British registration plates and the steering wheel on the left. His verdict: Faster than a Louts Exige Cup 255, 1,200 kg for 250 HP (become 300 in April 2009) - he just loved it. He believes that V8s are in real danger because the Tesla