Porsche and Mercedes-Benz proposals for China Family Car Project explored

Today's Chinese car industry is barely recognizable from that of 20 years ago, and the country is now the biggest market in the world. But in 1994, when the industry was still in its relative infancy, the Chinese government launched the 'China Family Car Project', inviting 20 major Western carmakers to develop proposals for a five-seat, cheap and environmentally-friendly family car for the Chinese market. The chosen proposal would be made in China under a joint venture with First Auto Works (FAW).

BMW 1-series M Coupe (2011) teaser video

BMW is continuing to build up the hype ahead of the launch of its next M car – this is a teaser video giving us our first glimpse of the undisguised BMW 1-series M Coupe What’s new is our first look at this hot 1-series’ butch bodykit, complete with an engorged front bumper and triple air intakes. There are CSL-alike 19-inch wheels too, and sitting between the cross-drilled front discs is a twin-turbo 3.0-litre straight-six, producing 335bhp and 369lb ft. Drive, thankfully, goes to just the rear wheels, and they’ll be a choice of either a six-speed manual or seven-speed dual-clutch gearbox. There’ll be an M diff too, but we hear it might be on the options list as BMW’s money men fight to keep the list price under £40k.   

Aston Martin and Mercedes tie-up over Lagonda

Probably the biggest surprise of the Geneva Motor Show was the arrival of the Lagonda Concept. Although the revival of the Lagonda Marque had been much speculated upon, particularly with Lagonda celebrating its 100 year car making anniversary this year (an all the marketing opportunities that offers) no one had seen a super-luxo SUV on the horizon. Lagonda Concept - Based on the Mercedes Benz GL Most car journos attending, us included, did react fairly negatively.