Bertone B99 Jaguar NOT for Jaguar. Perhaps Lamborghini will be interested?

The Bertone B99 Jaguar Concept - not for us, say Jaguar We thought we were in a minority of one when we proclaimed the Bertone B99 – Bertone’s take on a new Small Jaguar – to be the wrong direction for Jaguar. We couldn’t conceive why a struggling Italian design firm like Bertone would take a punt on designing a new Jaguar, so we assumed that Jaguar must have quietly commissioned it. Otherwise Bertone would have to be a bit barking to try and usurp Jaguar’s design team; a design team with as sure a touch as any in the industry.

First Sight: Mini

The first 'New' Mini was launched just five years ago, replacing the original Mini that had changed only in detail since its 1959 debut. Designed by Frank Stephenson, now head of design at Fiat, the current design has been a sales success and most significantly has been very influential in demonstrating how small cars need not be explicitly functionalist, smaller versions of larger car types or feel cheap. The new 'New' Mini, designed under the direction of Gert Hildebrand at Mini, is announced today with exterior design by Marcus Syring, interior design by Marc Girard and colour and trim design by Annette Baumeister.

BMW Alpina B5 Bi-Turbo Touring (2011): first pictures

Alpina has released first details of the estate edition of its 5-series based B5 Bi-Turbo. The wannabe M5 Touring car will be officially unveiled at the 2011 Geneva motor show next week. Alpina has been tuning BMWs for more than 40 years with the factory's blessing and increasingly close collaboration. Presaging the recent move by BMW M to forced-induction engines, Alpina first turbocharged the 5-series when they launched the B10 Bi-Turbo of 1989.