 Northrop Grumman has just launched a new ad that teases next generation fighter jets.One year ago, Northrop Grumman, at that time competing with Lockheed Martin and Boeing for the LRS-B ( Long Range Strike-Bomber) released an interesting ad that teased the shape of the next generation bomber. Earlier today, the aerospace giant released a new ad that clearly shows, along with a B-2 and some X-47B UCAVs, three 6th Gen. fighters: the new tailless concept, already exposed by some renderings last year, features the “cranked kite” design that’s in vogue with Northrop Grumman, which built the U.S. Air Force iconic B-2 stealth bombers the X-47B naval killer-drone demonstrator and the still much secret RQ-180 unmanned aerial vehicle surveillance aircraft. The so-called Next Generation Air Dominance concept points towards a small and much agile plane, rumored to be supersonic, long-range, cyber-resilient against threats of the future interconnected world, and able to carry laser-weapons.  A 1950s racing Ferrari, expected to sell for $34 million (€32 million), is poised to smash the record for the most expensive car ever sold at auction in Paris on Friday.
The 1957 Ferrari 335 S Spider Scaglietti was driven to victory by British Formula 1 champion Stirling Moss, at the Cuba Grand Prix in 1958. In 1957, the car set the first 200 km/h-plus lap record at 24 Hours of Le Mans, known as the grand prix of endurance and efficiency. "[It is] both a work of art and the queen of speed," says Matthieu Lamoure, managing director of auction house Artcurial, which is offering the Ferrari. "[It] represents the elixir of the exceptional: beauty, rarity, racing success, history, authenticity and provenance." The current record for most expensive car sold at auction is held by the 1962 Ferrari 250 GTO Berlinetta, which sold for $38 million in 2014, in California. Scroll through the gallery above for Retromobile 2016 auction highlights from Artcurial, Bonhams and RM Sotheby's.  Oh look, here’s Chris Harris hanging out at a Top Gear production meeting. I wonder if that has anything to do with anything. The picture comes from none other than Chris Evans, the confirmed half man/half Wollyknottle Bird who will be TG’s head host. Who Is Top Gear Host Chris Evans? An Explainer For Confused AmericansWho is Chris Evans, the new lead host of the popular British television programme Top Gear? Here’s… For those of you not familiar with Chris Harris, he’s a small man who lives in a hut in Wales, likes to hang out in the dirt, and may or may not be a hobbit. He hosts a popular YouTube programme. 
 BMX legend Dave Mirra died on Thursday in Greenville, North Carolina. Mirra, 41, was found sitting in a truck with what appeared to be a self-inflicted gunshot wound, the Greenville Police Department said. The department is investigating the incident. Mirra held the record for most X Games gold medals for several years, and was one of the most prominent athletes in the sport. He is survived by his wife and two children. "We mourn the loss today of a great friend and wonderful human being who touched the lives of so many around the world with his gift," Greenville Mayor Allen Thomas said in the police statement. 
 The move means the four manufacturers will face no limits on development, other than the fact that they can only introduce upgrades when a driver uses new elements.
The change was one of the key concessions made when the manufacturers agreed to cut their prices to customers in 2017. All four now have works teams and will justify their spending in terms of making their own squads competitive, without the cost being passed on to the teams they supply. This year the manufacturers still have 32 tokens, but that was due to drop to 25 in 2017, 20 in 2018, and then 15 from 2019 to the end of the current formula. Just three per year were to be allowed for the last two years of the formula, on the basis that manufacturers would have to develop an engine to new rules. "The token system is being removed," Renault's Cyril Abiteboul said today. "One of the reasons we have all agreed to do this is that we all need the performance of the engine to converge. "An F1 that is dictated by the performance of the engine is not good for anyone. "You see it is not good for Mercedes, it is not good for Renault, Ferrari – we all have interest to change that. "We have decided, also for the public, to stop the public being confused between the penalty system, the token system – we have decided to simply remove the token system." It had already been agreed to scrap for 2016 the 'black and white' parts system, which specified that some elements could not be updated after a certain points. That means items that were previously going to be fixed this year – such as upper and lower crankcase dimensions – have been freed up.  Would you like a Solar Beam MV Agusta F3 to go with your matching Mercedes-AMG GT, sir? According to the superbike manufacturer’s president Giovanni Castiglioni, this could be a very real proposition in the not too distant future. At the recent launch of the new MV Brutale 800, Castiglioni revealed that Mercedes will start selling MV Agusta bikes from its car dealerships in a partnership that promises to be highly beneficial for both companies. Ever since MV released its F4 750 in 1999 the company has been recognised as a premium manufacturer that produces some of the most exotic bikes on the market. However, with MV being a relatively small company, it has always required a certain level of external support to ensure its survival. This dependence became even more vital when MV’s relationship with Ducati fell through in 2012, when the latter was acquired by Audi. As a result, this new partnership with Mercedes - the German car manufacturer purchased a 25 per cent stake in MV Agusta in late 2014 - looks like a reliable lifeline for the Italian superbike manufacturer. Mercedes also has plenty to gain from this partnership. BMW has earned a strong foothold in the premium superbike market with its technological showcase, theS1000RR. Ducati, with its ever growing line-up is also looking strong, no doubt helped by the solid investment from Audi. Not wanting to miss out on a piece of the action, Mercedes now has a solid route into this highly competitive segment. Somewhat surprisingly however, the German automotive giant isn’t taking the traditional route into the biking world. During his speech, Castiglioni revealed that 127 Mercedes dealerships across Europe will be selling MV motorcycles directly. This is a new approach that no other motorcycle manufacturer is currently utilising; BMW sells its bikes through a network of various Motorrad dealers (connected to BMW dealerships) whereas Ducati and Audi keep things completely separate. The obvious benefits for MV are that it will receive added cache by being aligned with a reliable and luxurious manufacturer, as well as saving money thanks to the fact it can rely on an existing distribution network. With the added investment from Mercedes, MV is reported to be releasing six new models to help secure a bigger chunk of the market in 2016. And to celebrate the partnership, a run of limited-edition MV Agusta F3 800s with Mercedes Solar Beam paint will be released in September. 
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