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Its partial skeleton includes the only known skull remains from any European stegosaur that had a row of bony plates along its back and a spiked tail probably used as a weapon. The plant eating creature has been called, Miragaia longicollum, after the village it was uncovered in near Lourinha and because of its long neck. Stegosaurs are normally known for their short forelimbs and short necks, and are generally considered to be low browsers. But this new dinosaur has a higher neck vertebrae count than most of the sauropods renowned for their small heads on very long necks that were the largest and heaviest dinosaurs that ever existed. Dr Octavio Mateus, of the New University of Lisbon, said: “Stegosaurs are traditionally reconstructed as feeding on low vegetation because of their small heads, short necks and short forelimbs. “We describe a new stegosaurian dinosaur from the Upper Jurassic of Portugal that challenges this traditional view. “Miragaia longicollum possessed at least 17 cervical vertebrae, more than possessed by most sauropod dinosaurs, famed for their long necks. “This new discovery indicates a previously unsuspected level of ecological diversity among stegosaurs.” Dr Mateus, whose findings are described in Proceedings of the Royal Society B, said several elements of the skull of Miragaia longicollum were found, “representing the first such material recovered from a European stegosaur.” He added: “The most notable feature of M. longicollum is its long neck, with at least 17 cervical vertebrae. “The specimen here described represents one of the most complete stegosaurs in Europe and the first that includes cranial material.”

The Volkswagen Passat Lingyu is the latest fuel cell vehicle to join the testing program at the California Fuel Cell Partnership in Sacramento, Calif., according to an announcement issued last week by the German carmaker.

Volkswagen recently imported 16 of the zero-emissions fuel cell electric vehicles that were developed in partnership with scientists from Tongji University and debuted at the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing. The Lingyu uses hydrogen to power an electric motor, and produces only water and oxygen as emissions.

The Passat Lingyu can achieve up to 90 mph and a range of 146 miles on a single tank of hydrogen. It has already undergone more than 50,000 miles of testing in China, according to John Tillman, spokesman for Volkswagen.

In its new home in California, the Passat Lingyu will be tested by an internal fleet of drivers in city and highway scenarios to determine how consumers use the car and to uncover any issues in a regular driving cycle, Tillman said. At this time, the vehicles are not available for the general public to drive, but Volkwagen is working on logistics to put the next generation of fuel cell prototypes into consumer hands for testing.

The Lingyu joins eight other Volkswagen fuel cell vehicles at the Caliornia Fuel Cell Partnership, including the Audi Q5 FCEV, the Touran HyMotion FCEV, the Tiguan FCEV, and the Caddy Maxi FCEV.

Other fuel cell vehicles participating in the California Fuel Cell Partnership include the Chevy Equinox, Daimler F-Cell FCV, Ford Focus FCV, GM HydroGen3, Honda Clarity, Hyundai Tucson FCEV, Kia Borrego FCEV, Kia Sportage FCVs, and Toyota FCHV.

SANT’AGATA BOLOGNESE, Italy — Lamborghini is once again allowing enthusiasts the chance to get in the driver seat of one of its vehicles with its annual Driving Academy program, to be held at the Adria and Vallelunga racetracks in Italy once per month (except August) from April through November.

The on-track driving school features two programs: a Track Academy course and a more intense Advanced Academy for the more experienced participant. The entry-level Track Academy course includes theory sessions and drills to practice handling and safety at the wheel of a Lamborghini Gallardo LP560-4. The advanced course concentrates on improving vehicle control as well as enhancing the driver’s track performance using an in-vehicle telemetry system. Advanced Academy students will take the reins of a Gallardo LP560-4 and a more powerful Murciélago LP640.

Participants will learn the ropes of the all-wheel-drive Lamborghinis by practicing driving with ESP turned on and off, studying how to deal with understeer and oversteer — and, of course, learning how to drift.

It will cost the equivalent of about $5,000 to get on the track, and that price includes accommodations and an in-car video of your driving experience.

Jose Mourinho left the San Siro without a glance towards Sir Alex Ferguson last night but the enigmatic Portuguese denied he had blanked the Manchester United manager.

The Inter Milan coach exited his dugout without exchanging pleasantries with his opposite number at the end of the 0-0 draw in the first leg of the Champions League last-16 tie, but insisted Ferguson would not have expected anything more.

The time to come together and shake hands will be when the tie is over in a fortnight, according to the former Chelsea boss.
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“My dugout is a special dugout because we have a door which gives me the chance to leave it directly,” Mourinho explained.

“Yesterday I left a £300 bottle of wine in the hotel with a note saying we would meet each other after the game at Old Trafford.

“I am always close to him and we are always friends and I will be there for him after the second game.”

Mourinho has not forgotten Ferguson’s taste in wine from the days when they locked horns in the Premier League, but knows his side will have to be on form at Old Trafford for his post-match drink with Ferguson to be a celebratory one for the Inter coach.

“We have got to take the first chance which comes our way,” he added.

“We need 100 per cent efficiency, that means the first chance we get must be a goal.”

Mourinho predicts extra time and penalties could be required to separate the teams.

“When two great teams are playing, it is difficult that one of them is better for 90 minutes,” he said.

“This is top-level football for me. They dominated the first half, but we dominated the second and this is football.

“I cannot say that it was a psychological problem for us in the first half – the problem was Manchester United, who played well.

“But we knew that in some moments of the game it would be hard for us.

“We were the better team in the second half and it took them until the 67th minute to get past us.”

Even when United did get past the defence, they met their match in goalkeeper Julio Cesar, who made four good saves to deny Cristiano Ronaldo.

“Julio Cesar is fantastic,” Mourinho said.

“He showed some great quality in the first half with two or three saves of huge importance to the team.

“He did not have much to do in the second half, but he still had the same quality and calmness and was very important for us.”

STUTTGART, Germany — Mercedes-Benz is recognizing the 30th birthday of the G-Class SUV by offering two special editions of the company’s oldest production vehicle.

The EDITION30.PUR is based on the 224-horsepower G280 CDI. It comes standard with a rubber-coated floor, spray-protected controls and drains in the footwells to ease cleaning. The cargo compartment features a wood floor with tie-down points and rails for securing gear. The PUR edition can also be equipped with one of Mercedes’ two off-road packages to add flexible wheel arches, brush guards and a hood that can be walked on for access to the roof rack.

The second model, the EDITION30, is based on the long-wheelbase G500 that makes 388 hp. It aims for a blend of comfort and luxury with platinum black paint, lightweight alloy wheels, unique leather and wood trim.

Both G-Class special editions will be available for order in Europe in March.

In 30 years of building the G-Class, Mercedes-Benz has sold 200,000 units. The iconically boxy truck has won the Paris-Dakar Rally, served as transport for the pope and sees military use around the world.