Hot News: Aston Martin Plans to Produce Cygnet V12

The Aston Martin Cygnet city car could be sold with the firm’s V12 engine if there is sufficient customer demand.

Sources suggest that a feasibility study has already been completed, and that the 6.0-litre V12 from its range-topping cars will fit the tiny city car’s engine bay without extensive modifications.

Other upgrades to allow the Toyota IQ-based Cygnet to handle the weight, horsepower and torque of the powertrain are said to be “significant but not insurmountable”. It is likely, however, that the V12 would have to be detuned significantly from the 510bhp it produces in the new DB9 and Vantage models.

The Cygnet is currently sold in one state of tune, powered by Toyota’s 97bhp 1.3-litre petrol unit.

If Aston gives the go-ahead for a production Cygnet V12 it is likely to be sold as a project car much like the Nissan Juke R has been. The Juke R, which fits the Nissan GT-R’s running gear into a Juke supermini body, sells for around £400,000. It was put into limited production, mainly for the Middle East market, following a positive reaction to the concept car’s creation.

Thanks to: Autocar

Spied: 2014 BMW 5-Series

BMW is already testing a mildly reworked version of its Mercedes E-class-rivalling 5-series, a model likely to make its public debut at the Frankfurt motor show next September.

While development of the new car still has the good part of a year to run, changes being made to the 5-series appear less significant than those adopted by the new E-class.

Externally, the bumpers are more heavily structured and the lamp graphics revised, but on the evidence of the prototype caught here testing in Munich, the existing bodywork is largely untouched.

Inside, BMW plans to provide the 5-series with the latest version of its iDrive multimedia system and a configurable instrument display already recently introduced on the facelifted 7-series.

On the engine front, the twin-scroll turbocharged 3.0-litre in-line six-cylinder petrol engine in the 535i is set to gain an added 14bhp, lifting its reserves to 316bhp in the new 540i model.

The twin-turbo 4.4-litre V8 petrol engine in the 550i is also expected to get added firepower. Munich insiders have already confirmed a 43bhp increase to 444bhp.

Thanks to: Autocar

Hot News: Mazda 6 Coupe Gets Green Light

Mazda is planning to rival the Audi A5 with a stylish new three-door coupe version of the 6, Auto Express has learned. And it’s likely to spawn a high-performance MPS model, too.

Our exclusive image shows how easily the latest Mazda 6’s swoopy design translates into a coupe body, carrying over the range’s ‘wing’ grille design and creases running the length of the body to create a muscular stance. It would join the saloon and Tourer estate to become the third member of the 6 family.

The coupe would act as a halo car for Mazda, which is precisely what the company wants for the new 6 range. At the Moscow Motor Show in August, program manager Hiroshi Kajiyama told us: “The CX-5 heightened the brand position. This car [the 6] has to raise it further again.”

The most potent engine in the new range is currently the 173bhp 2.2-litre turbodiesel in the Sport. The saloon version does 0-62mph in 7.8 seconds. But an MPS would turn up the heat. When we asked Kajiyama about a new 6 MPS, he said: “There is a high potential for this, and it would be helpful to the brand.”

The original 6 MPS, launched in 2006, was offered only as a saloon. It featured a 2.3-litre turbocharged petrol engine with 257bhp and four-wheel drive – and the new MPS coupe could follow a similar formula.
As the 6 shares underpinnings with the CX-5 SUV, a 4WD system would be easy to fit, while a turbo version of the new SkyActiv-G 2.0-litre petrol engine is the most likely candidate, with around 260bhp and strong economy.

Expect the 6 Coupe to arrive some time in 2014, with the MPS following a few months later. For more details click here.

Thanks to: Auto Express