Toyota Liteace 1997 Radiator Grille [0010400] on 2040-parts.com

New life for Lincoln from the ashes of Mercury

The demise of Mercury has one potentially positive outcome for the car world: a revitalization of Lincoln. News of Mercury's pending closure was paired with Ford's plans to boost Lincoln's lineup. Six new or significantly refreshed products will arrive in the next four years, and a seventh, the restyled MKX, is preparing for launch.

New range-topping BMW X7 SUV confirmed

BMW has officially confirmed it will add a new range-topping SUV called the X7 to its lineup. The X7 will be the largest SUV ever produced by BMW, offering seating for up to seven in three rows of seats. X7 production will start in 2016 at BMW's Spartanburg plant in South Carolina.

New Porsche 911 Speedster reportedly in the works

When European-car importer Max Hoffman suggested to Porsche that the American audience might like a cheaper, open-top version of the company's 356, Stuttgart responded with the Speedster. And while every Porsche partisan is a special snowflake -- some love road-going racers like the 904, others can't imagine life without a roof-rack-equipped 912, others go gaga for anything with a legit, lift-off Targa top, and some folks just really, really, really love 924s -- the Speedster's the light, lovable kid brother for which any fan of the marque has a measure of affection. Porsche knows it, and as such, they've introduced limited Speedster models of every 911 series since the 3.2 Carrera -- except for the oft-maligned 996 (which is still loved by its proponents, IMS-bearing issues aside).