2012 Kawasaki Kfx 450r Subframe Sub Frame on 2040-parts.com

Aston Martin-Mercedes tie-up: secret plans revealed by CAR

By Tim Pollard Motor Industry 06 August 2008 11:20 Aston Martin and Mercedes are plotting a wide-ranging tie-up that could see the two famous brands collaborate on engines, hybrids, transmission and even entire platforms, CAR can reveal. The top-secret partnership between Aston and Merc – dubbed Project Alligator by the Germans – is detailed in our exclusive story in the new September 2008 issue of CAR Magazine. The scoop includes the lowdown on: • How Mercedes engines could power future Aston Martins • AMG's 6.2-litre V8 tipped for Vantage models• Diesels and hybrids from Germany planned for Aston• Whole platforms to be shared by top-end models• Eight-speed Merc auto bound for British sports cars• Why Maybach and Aston could co-operate on future modelsWe speak to the engineers and insiders who are working on Project Alligator and spill the beans on the secret project that will reshape future generations of Aston Martins.

Lamborghini Aventador

A clear evolution of both the Murcielago and the Reventon, the Aventador dissapointed and wowed in equal measure at its unveiling. Showcasing Lamborghini's newfound love for carbon fiber as well as an exhaustive list of new technologies for their road cars – such as a pushrod suspension – the Aventador certainly has a supercar-style spec sheet. The V12 engine used in the Aventador is also all-new and when combined with the lightweight carbon monocoque chassis is claimed to provide blistering performance, albeit in an unrevolutionary body.  More images of the Aventador, as well as the opinion of Chris Bangle, can be found through the links: Photo Gallery: Lamborghini Aventador Video: Chris Bangle on Supercars

Hydrogen powered London Taxis hit the road

Hydrogen powered London Taxi revealed last Summer Over two years ago London Mayor, Boris Johnson, promised we would have a ‘Hydrogen Highway’ in London in time for the 2012 Olympics, with a small fleet of 150 cars, 20 black cabs and 5 buses all running on Hydrogen. He also said that London would have half a dozen hydrogen refuelling stations and, in typically ‘Boris’ style, proclaimed that Britain would become a ‘World Leader in Fuel Cell Technology’ and that one in three cars would be powered by hydrogen by 2020. And although we took Boris’s proclamations with a pinch of salt, we were pleased to see a senior politician seeing the future as something other than plug-in BEVs.