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German premium brands go SUV crazy: 10 new 4x4s coming

By Tim Pollard Motor Industry 04 August 2014 11:15 Here’s a new trend among the German premium manufacturers that appears to be reaching boiling point: the insatiable rise of SUVs and crossovers. It’s been happening for a while, of course, but CAR can reveal that no fewer than 10 - ten! - new 4x4s are on the drawing boards at Audi, BMW and Mercedes-Benz.

Toyota Camatte 57s concept

You may remember last year we reported the unveiling of a customizable, modular little concept car called the Toyota Camatte at the Tokyo Toy Show. This year Toyota has returned with an updated version called the Camatte 57s with more scope for families to personalize their space-framed little machines with a total of 57 external panels (as its name suggests) as well as the removal of the roof which apparently "adds to the fun factor and allows everyone on board to enjoy the colorful exterior they have created". Like last year's car the driving position can accommodate both adults and children with gown-ups sat in the right rear seat able to intervene should the infant pilots go astray.

Experts predict nine-, 10-speed transmissions to dominate in North America

In March, luxury maker Land Rover proudly told an audience at the Geneva auto show that it would soon bring to market the industry's first nine-speed transmission. One month later, Ford Motor Co. and General Motors announced that they would jointly develop 10-speeds.