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The Moke is back! MINI bosses have given Auto Express strong hints that the buggy-inspired Beachcomber concept will be sent down the production line.

Designed to show off the new Countryman crossover, the stripped-down Beachcomber proved a massive hit when it was revealed at the Detroit Motor Show in January.

So much so that MINI is close to giving it the green light. Head of brand management Dr Wolfgang Armbrecht said: “We will come back to this to see if there is a business basis, as we were overwhelmed by the reaction. MINI will never show a concept that won’t make production.”

The Beachcomber was built around the road-ready version of the Countryman, but lost the doors and roof panels in homage to the Moke – the legendary Mini-based take on the classic beach buggy. Its four individual seats are wrapped in wetsuit material for all-weather durability, and the rear-mounted spare wheel holder is actually a lockable storage box. If the weather takes a turn for the worse, a fabric tonneau can be attached to the car, while more long-term rain protection is provided by lightweight, removable plastic door and roof panels.

As with the Moke – made from 1964 to 1993 – the Beachcomber has a metal, body-coloured grille, only this time the designers have inserted driving lights. Off-road ability is enhanced by higher ground clearance than the Countryman, as well as chunky tyres. Plus, the new ALL4 four-wheel-drive system is likely to be included as standard.

If it is built, the Beachcomber would have few natural rivals – perhaps only the permanently open-topped Smart Crossblade.

And the name? Bank on Moke, if Dr Armbrecht’s comments are anything to go by. “MINIs need authentic names,” he said.

The Countryman goes on sale in the UK in September, with prices starting at £16,000 for the 1.6-litre One model. For more details click here.

Thanks to: Auto Express

As the fifth-generation BMW 3 Series plows through its fourth year of production, we've begun to catch glimpses of the sixth-generation car set for 2012. Today, we've captured the first images of the next BMW 3 Series Wagon.

Mahindra & Mahindra is learnt to be keen to make a bid for the ailing Korean car manufacturer SsangYong Motor Company. Bidders had to submit their letters of intent by end of May.

The acquisition of Ssangyong may be a good fit for the Indian company in its quest to become a global player in SUVs and pick-ups. The Korean company has two plants, one of which makes SUVs such as the Rexton II and a luxury saloon called Chairman, and the other plant manufactures engines.

M&M may have to shell out up to $300 million to bid for Ssangyong, which has been attracting investments since December 17, 2009. China’s SAIC is the single largest shareholder in Ssangyong. Some years ago, M&M had planned to introduce the Rexton in India under a licensing agreement but that never materialised.

Thanks to: Autocar India

Is the S40 dead, set to be replaced by a baby XC softroader? That’s the most likely conclusion we've drawn from discussions with a number of key Volvo personal last week.

Discussed in the shadow of the launch of the S40/V50's larger and much more accomplished S60 sibling, the future of Volvo's Focus-based small sedan and wagon looks far from certain. In fact, it seems even the decision to facelift the car is on hold.

Volvo insiders admitted to the Carsales Network that any announcement regarding the future of the S40/V50 was still some way off. They expected the future of the car would be resolved in "the next 12 months" but would not comment on any timing for a facelift for the car, nor the timeframe for the debut of its replacement.

"With most models there is a clear plan. We have no news on timing for [the S40]," our Volvo source stated.

"We are keen to understand how the S60 and V60 will impact the S40. Currently there is less space in our line-up for the car [S40/V50]. It doesn't sit in any segment and doesn't directly compete with established small or medium car."

The current second generation S40 arrived Down Under in 2004. Though it's been tweaked since, the car is essentially unchanged. In the faster moving flow of small and medium cars an all-new replacement is almost overdue.

Volvo execs said the next 12 months are "crucial" for the S40.

"Maybe the gap between C30 and S60 is too big -- but how to fill it?" our source mused.

At the Sintra Portugal launch of the S60, Volvo execs again categorically ruled out the prospect of a five-door variant of the C30. Speculation is therefore that the S40/V50 'gap' will likely be addressed by a compact softroader.

With BMW seemingly onto a winner in sales terms with X1 and a Q3 reportedly in the wings, XC40 has a pleasant ring to it.

Thanks to: Car Point

These are the first pictures of the new BMW X3 – although little is given away about the new SUV, which will appear for the first time at this autumn’s Paris motor show.

The cryptic teaser pictures released in Germany reveal little more than the styling of the rear lights and bonnet, both of which have been inspired by the new BMW 5-series.

The pictures also show the car’s exterior and interior designers at work on the new X3’s styling.

Previous spy pictures of the new X3 have revealed it to be bigger and bulkier in size than the current model, meaning it will sit between the X1 and X5.

Its wheelbase will be around 2900mm. The increase in dimensions will help answer two of the biggest criticisms of the original X3: its lack of rear legroom and poor access to the back seats.

BMW has always been serious about making its SUVs handle like the rest of the range on asphalt, and the new X3 has undergone extensive testing at the Nurburgring.

Despite the new car's larger dimensions, four-cylinder diesels will continue to be offered in its line-up, alongside six-cylinder petrol and diesel engines.

The new X3 is expected to reach UK showrooms in October, with prices starting at around £35,000.

Thanks to: Autocar

Despite demand from Chinese carmakers for seductive designs from renowned Italian design houses, firms like Pininfarina, Bertone and Italdesign (IDG) have found making money pretty tricky in the current financial climate.

But help is at hand for the latter at least, with news that the VW Group has acquired a 90.1 per cent stake in the firm, with the founding Giugiaro family retaining the remaining shares.

Speaking at the announcement of the deal, VW Management Chair Dr. Martin Winterkorn said “With this shareholding in Italdesign, we are participating in one of the most renowned design and development companies with one of the richest traditions in the automobile industry.”

Giugiaro designed the original VW Golf and Scirocco, and produced concepts for the Passat and Audi 80. But more recently, the IDG has been collaborating with VW on work on the firm’s new Up! range of fuel-efficient small cars over the last two years.

Taking advantage of taxation rules, IDG was purchased for the VW Group by Italian-registered Lamborghini Holdings. As well as the Up! models, IDG will work on making the firm’s entire line-up more attractive to the ever-growing Chinese market. IDG currently generates sales of over €100 million and has a workforce of 800 employees. For more details click here.
Thanks to: Auto Express

The Cosworth badge is back – on a Subaru Impreza. Based on a standard STi, and re-engineered by Cosworth, the 395bhp CS400 aims to set new performance standards. With only 75 being built, it
will be an instant collectors’ item, too.

Racing pedigree runs through the car’s long list of modifications, yet while power output has shot up from the standard 325bhp, so has the price tag: it now weighs in at an eye-watering £49,995.

The 2.5-litre boxer engine remains the same size as normal, but the added grunt comes courtesy of a brand new turbo and remapped ECU. Its internalsare hand finished to ensure that they cope with all the extra power, and the head gasket, con rods, cylinder heads and pistons are tougher and more durable.

A shortened throw and new clutch plate speed up the changes offered by the six-speed gearbox, giving the CS400 a Porsche 911 Turbo-rivalling 0-62mph sprint time of only 3.7 seconds.

Even so, don’t be fooled into thinking that the Cosworth Impreza will be a rock-hard track-day special. Although the ride has been lowered by 10mm and the track has been widened, Subaru claims that new Bilstein gas shock absorbers and Eibach springs improve comfort as well as giving sharper, more controlled handling at the limit. There are larger, 355mm ventilated discs from AP Racing at the front, with heavy-duty six-pot calipers to rein in the Scooby.

All of the upgrades were deliberately kept simple, the reasoning being that Subaru wanted the Cosworth to be a much faster, harder Impreza that is also a reliable, comfortable and usable everyday car. For more details click here.

Thanks to: Auto Express

Toyota is charging ahead with its plans to expand the Prius range, with a compact people-mover as one of its top priorities. Now in its final stages of development, the Prius mini-minivan, dubbed Alpha, will be the first vehicle in the Prius line to use lithium-ion batteries when it debuts in March 2011. Just one-third the weight of the nickel-metal hydride battery pack used in the current production Prius sedan, the new lithium-ion batteries generate greater power and are already in use in the prototype Prius plug-in hybrid.

India’s largest selling car, Maruti Suzuki Alto is all set to receive a major upgrade. The company is planning to introduce a new Alto with the K-Series engine.

The current Alto that has been out in the market since the year 2000 has received minor upgrades over the years like crystal headlamps and tail lights, new front grille design, new front bumper and the recent upgrade to a BS-IV compliant engine.

Alto has been one of the best selling cars in the country since its launch and has sold more than 13,500,000 units. The new Alto will have redesigned front and rear styling and a bigger engine bay to accommodate the larger K10B engine.

The K-Series engines are being offered in two displacements - 998cc three-cylinder motor ('K10B') that is doing duty in the A-star, Estilo, and the new WagonR and a four-cylinder 1.2-litre petrol engine ('K12M') powering the Ritz, Swift and Swift Dzire.

In April, Maruti Suzuki India has crossed the milestone of rolling out 300,000 K Series engines. The company has a total engine capacity of 100,000 units annually, of which the share of K-Series engines is 2,50,000 units.

Thanks to: Autocar India

It’s a family affair at Vauxhall. Next month, the firm will officially reveal the Sport Tourer estate version of the new Astra. But our spies are one step ahead of the game, and have snapped the first pictures of the dramatic three-door Sport Coupe that’s set to add a little more glamour to the range when it arrives in time for the Paris Motor Show in October, before going on sale in the Spring of 2011.

Designed by Brit Mark Adams, the Coupe follows the trend set by the previous generation Astra. So while the five-door car had fairly sober lines, the coupe was much more rakish and used very different sheet metal.

And as you can see, in profile the new car has a curved roofline and dramatically swooping glazed area which drops quickly from the front doors back to the tailgate glass. The camouflage hides a dramatic crease above the rear wheelarch which gives the shape extra dynamism. More aggressively sculpted LED taillights and a new rear bumper will also feature.

The Astra’s front has also been revised to further differentiate it from its five-door sibling. Tweaked bumpers, headlights and LED daytime running lights, and a sloping bonnet, which better suits the curvaceous roofline, will all feature.

Under the skin, the Sport Coupe gets a wider track than the five-door for better stability and cornering grip. The Coupe will share the same range of engines as the five-door - the 1.4-litre turbo and 1.6-litre naturally aspirated petrols will be joined by a 2.0-litre diesel and 1.7-litre ecoFLEX oil burner.

But the real headline is the addition of two new performance versions of the stunning Coupe. The first is a 210bhp 1.6-litre turbo which revives the GSi name and is designed to take a swipe at the VW Golf GTI. This car is set to debut alongside the rest of the range. Performance fans will have to wait until later in 2011 for a firebreathing 240bhp 2.0-litre petrol turbo VXR version of the car. For more details click here.

Nissan’s ambitious luxury brand Infiniti is set to expand. At this year’s Geneva Show, the firm exhibited its new M saloon, which takes aim at the BMW 5 Series, Audi A6 and Mercedes E-Class. The car will arrive in UK showrooms in September, powered by V6 petrol and diesel engines, with a petrol electric M35 hybrid arriving 12 months later.

What’s more, the M series is about to gain two extra models which will make their debut at the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance in August.

Details are being kept under wraps until the show, but one of the cars is believed to be an M-based coupe, which would lock horns with the BMW 6 Series. Power is likely to come from a turbocharged version of the 3.7-lire V6 engine used in other Infinitis and the Nissan 370Z, with styling heavily influenced by the stunning Essence concept car which was shown at Geneva in 2009.

The other car is more mysterious, with a convertible M or another version of the forthcoming hybrid both touted as possibilities. For more details click here.

Never before has a car promised such an impressive combination of supercar looks and performance paired with unrivalled luxury. This is Xentac’s vision of the ultimate Maybach 57S. Already given the go-ahead by the Daimler owned company, it appears Maybach has no problem handing over the reigns to the specialist German engineering firm who will make the necessary changes to turn the four-door limo into a two-door sports coupe.

Developed in close cooperation with Maybach, the complicated modification process will mean that the A-, B- and C-columns all need to be redesigned. The biggest changes being made to the B-column which needs to be moved back by 200mm. Other big differences will include the sharper raked roofline, restyled front and rear ends, and body that has had to be widened. The overall wheelbase of the car will remain the same though, measuring a lengthy 3.39m. Newly designed 20- or even 21-inch alloy wheels will also be available.

Under the bonnet the coupe will remain to get its power from the Mercedes sourced 6.0-litre bi-turbocharged V12. Delivering 617bhp, 0-62mph will take only 5.0 seconds, with a top speed of close to 170mph.

Xentac are planning on producing only 100 versions of the 57S built and expect a hefty price tag of around £575,000 to accompany. For more details click here.
Thanks to: Auto Express

The all-new production version of Audi’s A7 is still a few months off, but already the German firm has begun work on a hot ‘S’ version of the luxury sportback. Due to make its debut at one of this year’s major motor shows, early predictions are that the Mercedes CLS rival will debut at the Moscow show in August but don’t be surprised if it shows up at Paris a few months later.

If this is the case, there is every chance the new Audi could be joined by one or possibly even possibly two of its sports orientated siblings. Rumours have already begun that an RS7 version is on its way too, but before we get too far ahead of ourselves lets focus on the S7 spied in the pictures.

Despite the hypnotising camouflage, it’s not hard to make out the Audi’s muscular outline. The large wheels, rear spoiler, lower ride height, more aggressive front end and set of twin tailpipes emphasise this even further.

The close-up of the dash also gives the first clear indicator of what the interior of the new A7 will look like.

Under the bonnet there have been no confirmations about which cars will get which engines but it is expected the S7 will get either Audi’s new 3.0-liter V6 or possibly even a 4.2-litre V8, while it is expected the RS7 will most likely get the 580bhp version of Audi’s naturally aspirated 5.2-litre V10 engine mated to the firm’s new seven-speed dual-clutch gearbox. Prices for the S7 are expected to start from around £65,000. For more details click here.
Thanks to: Auto Express

Pininfarina's latest endeavor is the pint-sized Nido EV, a city car capable of transforming into four different vehicles.

Born in 2004, the Mercedes-Benz CLS defines sleek, its elegant body seemingly drawn entirely from the simple sweep of the body-side crease. In the car business, falling in love with a design is dangerous, but we did. As previous spy shots (and one frightening concept said to lend cues to upcoming Benzes) trickled out, we feared the next-generation CLS might be headed in the direction of a Hollywood plastic-surgery disaster.

Although slightly obscured, the most recent photos captured by our spies prove the 2012 CLS will thankfully do without the superfluous forms of the F800 Style concept, although the shape won’t be quite as dramatic as the CLS-shaped sculpture Mercedes trucked to Detroit. The new look does little to quell the debate in our office about whether or not the upcoming car will be an improvement on the last generation.

Our past peek at a car wearing tight-fitting vinyl camouflage had already exposed the modifications to the new design. The nose is reshaped with a larger grille, more sculpting to the front bumper, and bigger headlights. The grille has to grow to match up with the taller hood, raised to provide more space between sheetmetal and hard bits in accordance with stringent new European pedestrian-protection standards. (Relatively speaking, sheetmetal is softer than engine components, and more space between hood and engine ostensibly means less-severe injuries in car/human collisions.) The most controversial aspect of the new shape will likely be the buff new E-class–style rear haunches, which are decidedly outside the standard of conservative elegance established by the first CLS. Like the rest of the Mercedes-Benz lineup, the 2012 car is going in a more muscular, angular direction.

That muscularity will extend under the hood as well, with “CLS350 CGI” trunk badging suggesting that the car captured here sports the new 3.5-liter V-6, the first member of Mercedes-Benz’s forthcoming engine family we’ll see in the U.S. The rest of the CLS’s U.S. engine choices will be drawn from this family—indeed, that family will replace the current engines across the Mercedes board—including a twin-turbocharged 429-hp, 4.7-liter V-8 and an even more powerful, 536-hp, turbocharged 5.5-liter eight for AMG models.

The—at this point—almost fully uncovered CLS will make its official debut later this year, with sales beginning shortly thereafter elsewhere in the world, but likely not before 2011 in the U.S.

Thanks to: Car and Driver