97 Zx9b Engine on 2040-parts.com

BMW, Mercedes consider return to 4-bangers in U.S. market

Facing stricter fuel economy standards, BMW and Mercedes-Benz are considering bringing four-cylinder engines back to the United States. BMW stopped offering four-cylinders in 1999 when its 318ti hatchback flopped. Mercedes-Benz had four-cylinder engines on the 2005 C230 and SLK230 but dropped them in favor of six-cylinder models.

Audi S7 Spied

Audi S7 caught out playing We got the launch of the Audi A7 in July and here we are – just a couple of months on – expecting the Audi S7 to surface at the Paris Motor Show next week. And just in time we’ve got a spy shot of the hot S7 out playing and looking pretty much production-ready; as it should if it’s going to bow in next week. It seems clear this is not an A7 with an S-Line pack as it’s sporting a pair of twin exhausts out back which, as far as we can recall, don’t appear on any A7.

Aston Martin in talks with Mercedes for engine supply

It has seemed for some time that Aston Martin’s wish-list for future engines revolved around Mercedes. They currently use a V12 developed from Ford’s Mondeo V6 and a V8 that’s a development of the 4.2 litre that was in Jaguars (and Range Rovers) until a few years ago, but new engines (and new platforms) are vital if Aston are to remain competitive. Before the recent investment in AML by Investindustrial, there were plans for Aston to use both engines and platforms from Mercedes (the Lagonda SUV was built on the underpinnings of the Mercedes GL) and even the possibility that Aston Martin would design and build the next generation Maybach.