Plans for Smart’s three-seat sports car uncovered in patent drawings

Mercedes-Benz is developing a three-seat sports car for Smart. Depicted here in a series of European patent-application sketches obtained by AutoWeek, the radical new sports car forms part of an extended range of new Smart models planned for introduction by the middle of the next decade, including a more conventional four-seater to be produced in cooperation with Renault. Mercedes-Benz is reacting to increased competition from Toyota in the form of the iQ and the impending arrival of similar urban-based offerings from premium-brand rivals Audi and BMW.

UK car owners 'buy with their heart, not their head'

CAR BUYERS in the UK are an emotional lot and more let their heart decide which car they will buy rather than their head. Even drivers who think they make a decision using their head are often found to let more emotive considerations sway their final choice. In the Hiscox Head versus Heart study, common sense factors such as fuel economy, value for money and reliability are often over-ruled by heartfelt matters including comfort, speed and design.

New 2013 Porsche Macan revealed

The new Porsche Macan has been revealed – and the smaller SUV sibling to the hit Porsche Cayenne is all set to become another Porsche best-seller… but will it be a Range Rover Evoque beater? In a surprise reveal, the covers have been almost completely removed from the new Porsche Macan compact SUV, prior to its public debut at the 2013 LA Motor Show later in November. What emerges is an SUV that’s a clear evolution of the Porsche Cayenne, but which is also sportier, more sculptural and, well, more Porsche-like.