1997 Mercedes Benz Slk230 Instrument Cluster 170 540 19 11 on 2040-parts.com

Are the Mini Coupe and Roadster on their way out?

The slow-selling Mini Coupe and Roadster could be replaced by an all new sports model soon, Australian site CarSales is reporting. The pair haven't fired up the Mini faithful as some other recent models from the brand, and a refreshed Mini lineup is on the horizon including 18 new cars based on Mini's two platforms. Knowing Mini's ability to spin off models, that number doesn't sound too far-fetched.

Breckland Beira

Norfolk-based Breckland - part of Hong Kong-based multi-national, Riche Holdings - will display a new hand-built, two-seat Beira roadster at the forthcoming London Motorexpo. Based GM's Kappa platform, the Beira features new front and rear body sections made from lightweight composites instead of steel. This not only enabled the creation of a distinctive nose section and pronounced fastback rear, but it also cut down on weight.

U.A.S Graz-BMW partnership project

The University of Applied Sciences in Graz, Austria (U.A.S Graz) has collaborated with BMW, Munich on a project to design ‘the new SUV'. "Today's SUVs are very heavy, have an aggressive appearance and use too much fuel", says Prof. Gerhard Heufler, head of Industrial Design department at U.A.S Graz.