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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.

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.

Marin Sonoma Concours d'Elegance to feature French classics

The Marin Sonoma Concours d'Elegance will bring a selection of coachbuilt French cars to the Marin Civic Center in San Rafael, Calif., on May 20. The concours will also celebrate Italian automobile designs from 1946 to 1975 and the 75th anniversary of the demise of Cord. The work of Joseph Figoni of Coachwork by Figoni et Falaschi will be well represented at the show.