The Fiat 500 dynasty is expanding once more. Recent additions include the Abarth and Cabrio versions, and now the 500L (the L stands for Large) is something completely different again. It's a compact five-seat people carrier, combining the passenger space of an MPV with the feel of a small SUV on the road and the restrained dimensions and efficiency of a B segment car. The 500L will debut at the Geneva Motor Show in March and will hit European markets in late 2012, with a choice of two petrol engines and the 1.3 liter MultiJet II turbodiesel engine. Read More

The Vodafone McLaren Mercedes F1 team combines the strong driver pairing of Jenson Button and Lewis Hamilton for the third year running in 2012, along with a substantially revised car to meet the FIA's rule changes. The most noticeable change between last year and the new MP4-27 is at the rear, where tighter rear carbon-fiber composite body shaping has been designed to meet the new-for-2012 exhaust rules, whilst smoothing airflow to and from the coolant and oil radiators. Read More

Despite criticism in the U.S. regarding escalating costs, which has seen the Pentagon’s bill for a planned 2,443 F-35s going from US$233 billion to $385 billion, Lockheed Martin is pressing ahead with tests of the world’s only fifth generation jet fighter. It’s been over six years since the first F-35 took to the air for the first time and one and a half years since the F-35B short takeoff/vertical landing (STOVL) variant broke the sound barrier for the first time. Now the F-35A conventional takeoff and landing (CTOL) variant has completed the first night flight in the history of the F-35 program. Read More

Facebook has filed an S-1 document with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission announcing its intention to sell shares to the public. The eagerly anticipated move by the world’s dominant social networking site sees Facebook’s books open to potential investors – and the just plain curious - for the first time. Although the IPO will mean the internet giant will answer to shareholders and a board, the stock structure will see Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg controlling 57 percent of voting shares. Read More

Wenger is one of the two recognizable brand names behind the iconic Swiss Army knife. Ordinarily the brand is content in updating its timeless knife line with a new implement or grip material, but this time it aims to create a whole new category of outdoor preparedness equipment. You can call it toolery or wearable survival gear, but Wenger calls it HypeX. Read More

Maserati is swapping the bitumen for the deep blue by backing an attempt to set a new record for a trans-Atlantic crossing. A crew of seven, skippered by Giovanni Soldini, has set sail from the port of Cadiz in southwestern Spain in a super maxi yacht named after the Italian supercar manufacturer. They are headed for San Salvador in the Bahamas on a 3,884 nautical miles (4,469 miles/7,193 km) journey. Read More

Action cams have become a ubiquitous part of ski resorts everywhere. They're great for catching your best on-slope moments and sharing them with the world, but they can be a little bit bulky and awkward to use with gloves. The Zeal iON goggles solve this problem by integrating the HD camera right into the goggle frame. Read More

How many times have you heard someone lament “We live in a throw-away society”? Certainly, the world would no doubt be a better place if people threw less items in the garbage, and reused products more. Well, that’s what Brooklyn designer Lina Fenequito is trying to encourage with her Swap-O-Matic vending machine. Instead of dispensing mass-produced snacks with wrappers that end up in landfills, it plunks out second-hand belongings that need a new owner. Read More

Hey, you like really big engines? Well, here’s one that’s not going to fit under the hood of your F-150. This 30-ton (27-tonne) Type 9 V.O.S. engine is one of just three built by the French company Duvant in 1962. It’s over 18 feet (5.5 meters) long, 11 feet (3.4 m) tall, and gulps down 350 liters (92.5 US gallons) of diesel fuel per hour. With its four valves per cylinder and turbocompressor, it is capable of producing 1600 horsepower. Best of all, should you happen to be in Paris this week, you can see the thing running. Read More