Aston Martin-Mercedes tie-up: secret plans revealed by CAR

By Tim Pollard Motor Industry 06 August 2008 11:20 Aston Martin and Mercedes are plotting a wide-ranging tie-up that could see the two famous brands collaborate on engines, hybrids, transmission and even entire platforms, CAR can reveal. The top-secret partnership between Aston and Merc – dubbed Project Alligator by the Germans – is detailed in our exclusive story in the new September 2008 issue of CAR Magazine. The scoop includes the lowdown on: • How Mercedes engines could power future Aston Martins • AMG's 6.2-litre V8 tipped for Vantage models• Diesels and hybrids from Germany planned for Aston• Whole platforms to be shared by top-end models• Eight-speed Merc auto bound for British sports cars• Why Maybach and Aston could co-operate on future modelsWe speak to the engineers and insiders who are working on Project Alligator and spill the beans on the secret project that will reshape future generations of Aston Martins.

Mazda Hazumi Concept previews new Mazda2 – teased for Geneva Motor Show

The Mazda Hazumi Concept (pictured) teased ahead of Geneva Mazda are gearing up for the Geneva Motor Show next week with the first teaser image of the Mazda Hazumi Concept. The Hazumi Concept – which apparently means ‘Spring up’ or ‘bound’ (as in ‘bound around’ not ‘bound up’) – is the firts clear view of the next generation Mazda 2 featuring the latest iteration of Mazda’s Kodo design language and clearly takes design cues from the new Mazda3. We’ll get more details on the Hazumi/new Mazda2 as Geneva approaches, but we’re expecting it to spawn a production version of the next generation Mazda 2 that will go on sale before the end of 2014.

Driven: Range Rover Evoque

As Sam Livingstone opines in his review of the latest Porsche 911, we are in a period of car design consolidation, with the new 911 the ultimate expression of a slightly suffocating trend. Yet every so often, a vehicle appears that breaks these rules and – through a combination of factors that can be difficult to quantify – captures the imagination, becoming a symbol of the times and an overnight market success. Such vehicles tend to emerge once a decade or so, yet the late 90s and early noughties were extraordinary for giving birth to three – the Ford Ka of '96, Audi TT of '98 and Mini of '01.