1987 Volkswagen Scirocco Hatch on 2040-parts.com

BMW set to go front-wheel drive

BMW chairman Norbert Reithofer has confirmed that the German carmaker will introduce a new front-wheel-drive entry-level model positioned and priced below the existing 1-series as part of plans to help increase part sharing and to bolster the potential for production savings between the BMW and Mini brands, thus bringing an end to the era of rear- and four-wheel-drive-only BMW models. Speaking to AutoWeek at the Geneva motor show, Reithofer said internal BMW studies revealed that despite the downturn in the world's economy, there was continued demand for what he described as "premium vehicles" in the small-car class, before officially acknowledging plans that will see BMW produce a rival to the recently unveiled Audi A1 and a new Smart Forfour presently under development at Mercedes-Benz. "We will be extending the BMW and Mini brands into the small-car segment with new models and variants," he said.

Aston Martin V12 Vantage Roadster: Official

Following the leak of Aston Martin V12 Vantage Roadster photos and an undisguised car in London we now get the official reveal of the V12 Vantage Roadster. The leak of photos we had of the Aston Martin V12 Vantage Roadster last week (assuming they were a leak rather than a Photoshop) managed to make the new soft top V12 Vantage look decidedly bland (not an easy thing to do with an Aston). But the photos of the V12 Vantage Roadster we had at the weekend were much more appealing; a white V12 Vantage Roadster obviously on an official photoshoot in appealing London locations.

Jaguar executive O'Driscoll to retire in March

Mike O'Driscoll, the managing director at Jaguar Cars, has announced his plan to retire at the end of March 2011. O'Driscoll, 54, moved to the United Kingdom to lead the company's brand after Ford announced its plan to sell Jaguar and Land Rover. While there, he managed the introduction of the XF, the XK, and the XJ.