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Aston Martin Virage dropped – to be replaced by new DB9

Less than eighteen months since it debuted – and after just over 1,000 cars – Aston Martin is dropping the Virage. The Aston Martin Virage always seemed a bit of a stretch too far for Aston Martin, and so it has proved. After a lifespan of no more than eighteen months – and with just over 1000 cars built – Aston Martin has decided that there are just too few buyers who feel the Virage is enough of a step up from the DB9 to warrant the extra cost.

Tesla ‘drops’ entry-level Model S. But was it ever going to be available?

The 40kWh version of the Tesla Model S is being dropped by Tesla in the US, but we do wonder if Tesla ever had any intention of delivering it in the first place. Tesla’s big claim ahead of the arrival of the, very impressive, Model S – and a seemingly vital part of the US taxpayer funding Tesla to develop the Model S – was that they would deliver a car that cost under $50k, something the car industry thought impossible. But when the Model S was launched, Tesla did indeed have an entry-level model available with a 4okWh battery that was listed at $58,750 (taking it almost down to the $50k mark after the US taxpayer chipped in the EV bribe) so Elon Musk could, quite reasonably, claim Tesla had delivered.

Jaguar Land Rover – Clever Finance Deal

JLR releases £170 million by financing cars in transit Car makers have been begging lines of credit from wherever they can in the last year as the recession has bitten hard in to their finances. Jaguar Land Rover started off down the Government Loan route, but it soon became clear that the strings attached to any Government sourced finance where unacceptable. But in a sign that the future of JLR looks pretty rosy JLR managed to secure £175 million in private financing back in August as part of a bid to raise £500 million, and Tata have refinanced the loans used to acquire JLR.