Aston Martin & Mercedes join forces

Aston Martin Production will soon see an injection of Mercedes DNA This isn’t the first time we’ve talked about a partnership between Aston Martin and Mercedes, but according to Car & Driver it’s now just about a done deal. As long ago as March 2009 we reported that Mercedes supplied the basis for the Lagonda SUV Concept (a Mercedes GL), and six months later we reported that Aston Martin were working on a Mercedes S-Class based Lagonda saloon. More recently we reported that the GL-based Lagonda SUV was back on and that Mercedes wanted Aston Martin to put together the next generation of Maybach.

Rolls-Royce hits new sales record

ROLLS-ROYCE has strolled luxuriously to a record half-year new car sales total - although actual volumes have not been released yet. Sales worldwide have risen by 33% compared with the January to June 2013 period, with sales in Europe up by more than 60%. There was also strong growth in Asia Pacific (up nearly 40%) and in the Middle East (up by more than 30%).

Honda issues recall due to braking problem

Honda is recalling more than 180,000 vehicles in the U.S. due to a potential vehicle stability assist problem that could cause the system to apply a small amount of brake without any input from the driver. According to Honda, an electrical capacitor on the VSA control unit could have been damaged during the manufacturing process, causing the braking problem.