The return of the Real MINI

The MINI Concept - heralding the revival of the Isetta and Topolino marques [ad#ad-1] Back in January, we speculated on the return of the Topolino and Isetta marques in a joint venture by BMW and Fiat to launch a range of super-eco city cars to rival those that manufacturers like VW and Mercedes are developing. And according to Auto Express those plans are getting close to being realised. This is a bold move by BMW and Fiat to gain ground over their rivals with models that offer extreme economy, but sport a legendary moniker to give the models added kudos.

German brands off to strong start in 2011

Robust U.S. car sales this year are helping drive German automakers to significant gains. The Volkswagen division did especially well in April, with 28,542 vehicles sold--a 23 percent increase from the year before.

Mercedes E300 Bluetec Hybrid (2010) at Geneva motor show

Mercedes unveiled its first ever diesel hybrid at the 2010 Geneva motor, along with a Bluetec version of its ageing Geländewagen and an SLS AMG supercar decked out in full F1 safety car spec. They’re pretty good. The E300 Bluetec Hybrid features Merc’s 201bhp twin-turbo, 2.1-litre four-pot, with a 15kW electric motor positioned between it and the seven-speed auto ‘box.