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Bentley SUV (Bentley Falcon) to get completely new design – EXP 9 F scrapped

Car & Driver are reporting that Bentley’s new Design chief - Luc Donckerwolke – is scrapping the Bentley SUV Concept and starting again. Despite the less than friendly response to the Bentley SUV, Bentley went on to show it at both the Beijing Motor Show and Pebble Beach but made it clear that the SUV was just a concept; a work in progress. But the arrival of Luc Donckerwolke as Bentley’s Chief Designer appears to have signalled the end of the EXP 9 F concept completely, with Car and Driver reporting that Donckerwolke isn’t overseeing a tinkering with the EXP 9 F Concept, but is scrapping it altogether.

U.S. equity firm to invest $70 million in Saab

Race-car fan and private-equity executive Alex Mascioli is pumping $70 million into Saab as the Swedish automaker works to stay afloat. Mascioli's firm, North Street Capitol, is buying $10 million in shares of Swedish Automobile, which owns Saab, and is also giving the company a $60 million loan to pay for the carmaker's reorganization. U.S.-based North Street Capital struck a deal in September to buy the Spyker sports-car business from Swedish Automobile for $44 million.

Next Dodge Viper will shed some rough edges

Little by little we're getting a clearer picture of the next-generation Dodge Viper SRT10. During a conversation with Dodge boss Reid Bigland at the Los Angeles auto show, Bigland told me the redesigned Viper "will appeal to a broader segment of the market." The car is expected to debut in 2012 but is not likely to appear at the Detroit auto show, he says. Today's Viper is essentially a street-legal race car.