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Fuji Heavy Industries celebrates 60th birthday

Fuji Heavy Industries, the corporate parent of Subaru, celebrated its 60th birthday a few days ago. The storied multinational company makes everything from wind turbines to airplane parts, and conducts business in more than a hundred countries. Even though the origins of the company date back to 1917, the Fuji Heavy Industries we know today was formed in 1953.

Bentley 6¾ litre V8 to end production – Diesels & Hybrid on the way

Bentley’s outgoing boss has revealed Bentley are planning to drop their trademark 6¾ litre V8 and introduce hybrid and diesel options. Bentley’s famed 6¾ litre V8 engine – in production since 1959, although it didn’t grow to 6¾ litre until 1970 - is as much a USP for Bentley as the badge and the history. BMW tried to bring production of the old iron lump to an end in 1998 – replacing it with a characterless BMW 4.4 litre V8 – but it was back a year later when VW took over as the motivation for the Red Label Arnage – and it’s stayed ever since.

Aston Martin V12 Vantage ends & big changes afoot at Aston Martin

Launched as a limited edition V12 Vantage in 2009, by 2010 Aston decided there was enough demand to make the V12 Vantage a proper part of Aston’s standard offerings, and since then it’s been the same. The V12 Vantage has also spawned a Roadster version (which, we think, stays in production – at least for now) and the slightly bonkers V12 Zagato, which conspired to look a bit too extreme for an Aston and cost an arm and a leg. We know that AM sold around 1200 V12 Vantage Coupes, around 100 V12 Vantage Roadsters and a handful of V12 Zagatos, but now the run is at an end and we do wonder if there will be a replacement?