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Nissan plots BladeGlider production (2014)

By Ben Pulman Motor Industry 03 January 2014 10:30 Last month we brought you spyshots of Nissan’s new Almera hatchback; this week it’s the altogether more enticing news that bosses at the Japanese car giant hope to put the wacky BladeGlider concept car into production. The ‘swept wing’ BladeGlider is inspired by Nissan’s ZEOD RC, the company’s entry into the 2014 Le Mans 24-hours, and it seems production of the crazy concept is a possibility. ‘It’s in our mid-term plan,’ Nissan chief planning officer Andy Palmer revealed to CAR.

Now Porsche catches the SUV Coupe bug with plans for a Cayenne Coupe

Porsche are planning a coupe version of the next Cayenne (current Turbo S pictured) No one thought the BMW X6 would sell; after all, who would want an SUV with a compromised coupe roofline? But it seems plenty of buyers do – the BMW X6 sells at twice the rate BMW predicted – which is why we’re getting an X6 clone in the new Mercedes GL Coupe – likely to be the Mercedes MLC – heading for a Mercedes showroom near you sometime soon after being previewed by the Mercedes Concept Coupe. Now, Porsche are apparently playing the SUV Coupe game with plans for a coupe version of the next generation Cayenne in 2018, according to Autocar, to make sure BMW and Mercedes don’t have things all their own way.

Mercedes-Benz courts Renault for new Smart model based on Twingo

Mercedes-Benz is set to join forces with Renault in a deal aimed at providing its underdeveloped Smart division with a contemporary-engineered front-engine/front-wheel-drive platform as the basis for a frugal new Forfour model. The new Smart, due out in 2013, is planned to sit on a lightly modified version of the Renault Twingo’s underpinnings, complete with a 93.3-inch wheelbase. Speaking about the new car over the weekend, a highly placed Mercedes-Benz official told AutoWeek: “It’s a key component in plans to grow the Smart brand.