Mini Coupe (2011) specifications announced

Mini has announced the basic specifications for the upcoming Mini Coupe, due to launch later in summer 2011. Mini Coupe: the spec levels The car will be available in four specification levels, starting with Mini Cooper Coupe's naturally-aspirated 1.6-litre engine. From there it's on to the 1.6 turbocharged petrol Mini Cooper S Coupe, 2.0 turbodiesel Cooper SD Coupe, and the range-topping 208bhp Mini John Cooper Works Coupe.

Maybach 57S Coupe arrives

The Maybach 57S Coupe by Xenatec Regular readers will know that we gave due warning back in March that Maybach was going to be allowed to wither on the vine rather than get new models, apart from a run-out Maybach Coupe based on the Maybach 57S and ‘produced’ by German firm Xenatec. Mercedes refuted our story about the Maybach badge being allowed to die again soon after the story ran (although there were rumblings at Paris last week that Mercedes has lost patience with Maybach. We’ll see), but what we did get was an official announcement that there will indeed be 100 Maybach 57S Coupes built by Xantech and that they will costs a rather large €675,000.

Volkswagen Touareg spied: Redesigned 2011 model put on a diet

Volkswagen engineers have put the Touareg on a diet as they prepare the next generation of the SUV for a 2010 launch as a 2011 model. The new Touareg will shed pounds via a greater use of aluminum. The goal: Shave 500 pounds to 600 pounds from the current Touareg's curb weight of nearly 5,100 pounds.