{also piping hot}

The Spymaster’s operatives recently spotted disguised versions of Jeep’s two- and four-door models that make up two of three new JL-series Wranglers. The remaining model will be a four-door pickup that, at least for now, goes by name Safari. Although the upcoming Wranglers closely resemble the current models, the boxed frame is newer and lighter and many of the body panels will be made of aluminum. The base engine will be a turbocharged fourcylinder, while a variation of the current V-6 will be optional on two-door variants, but most likely standard in the four-door model and the Safari truck. The pickup will also be available with a canvas roof, making it the only truck of its type to be sold as a convertible. The 2019 Mercedes-Benz CLS has been outed: The Sleuth’s ever-vigilant observers recently spotted the latest edition of the car that began the whole four-door “coupe” craze a decade ago. Of course there are notable differences to report. The roofline appears not quite so swoopy, which should please those seated in back. The car appears to be larger overall and closer dimensionally to the current E-Class sedan (it will probably use that model’s platform). That likely means two turbocharged 3.0-liter V-6s, making 329 and 396 horsepower, will likely be used, while the potent 577-horsepower 5.5-liter V-8 will anchor the AMG version. VW maps out plans for the Atlas: The more info being fed to The Spy Guy about Volkswagen’s upcoming Tennessee-built tall wagon, the more intrigued he becomes. The seven-seat model will likely generate plenty of interest by providing significantly more thirdrow leg space than competitors such as the Honda Pilot, Ford Explorer, GMC Acadia and Toyota Highlander. The Atlas will also come with one of the highest towing ratings among its peers, although the final numbers are not known at this time. Available engines include a standard turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder and optional 3.6-liter V-6. A turbo-diesel V-6 was in the original plans, but with VW’s emissions-cheating scandal still in the news, the automaker will skip that and instead introduce a plug-in hybrid version a year or so following the Atlas’s launch later this year. Takata admits guilt and fined in airbag scandal: A Detroit Mich. judge has approved a proposed $1 billion fine that the airbag maker will pay for hiding evidence concerning the product’s faulty inflators. Of that amount, $750 million will go to automakers to help defray the costs of recalling and repairing millions of affected vehicles, while $125 million will be paid to those injured by the airbags’ deployment, or to the families of those who died of injuries from the devices. Rolls-Royce tiny ride for sick kids: The BMW-owned maker of luxury automobiles has donated an electric-powered car built especially for youngsters awaiting surgery at a hospital close to the automakers factory in Chichester, England. The little Rolls will be used by kids who can drive themselves to the operating room, instead of being wheeled there on a gurney.