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The good times return to Bentley and Maserati

By Tim Pollard Motor Industry 09 July 2014 11:35 Bentley and Maserati today both reported record sales in the first half of 2014 - putting both luxury car brands on track for another record year. Crewe said global sales leaped by 23% in the first six months of the year, while Maserati said it had posted a 223% increase in UK sales in the same period. It's a world away from the ugly years of the recession, when sales of luxury cars collapsed and Bentley had to wind down production.

Saab: China’s Youngman submits new $2 billion offer

Youngman is committed to acquiring Saab The founder of China’s Youngman - Pang Qingnian – has revealed Youngman submitted a $2 billion offer to buy Saab from the administrators on 14th February. We’ve all seemingly written-off Saab as dead and buried; a once proud marque consigned to the scrap heap of history after the debacle of GM ownership and Victor Muller’s ill-fated battle to make Saab an in dependent marque. But there’s one man who hasn’t given up hope of securing a future for Saab, and that man is the Chinese billionaire founder of Youngman, the company which has already spent significant sums trying to acquire Saab, but has so far been thwarted by GM’s golden bullet.

Concept Car of the Week: Honda Kiwami (2003)

As part of Honda's exploration into new, clean-performing technologies, the Kiwami concept was created to test public acceptance of the idea of a large, fuel cell-powered luxury sedan.  Unveiled in 2003, the simple yet striking design seemed like a Japanese twist on the Renault Vel Satis concept, which shared a similar wedge profile, wide stance and minimalist approach.  However, the Kiwami found its own interpretation of modern luxury, expressed through elegantly integrated technology rather than with crystal champagne glasses.  Up front, a full-width LED strip headlamp sat flush with the flat bonnet and the rectangular bumper to create a design of primitive beauty.  Further examples of the same simple Japanese aesthetic are found around the car, including the uncluttered body panels and a full-width tail-lamp graphic that matched the front theme.  The dramatic proportions of the interior were closely related to the package of the hydrogen power plant. Unlike other manufacturers at the time, Honda engineers did not create a 'skateboard' fuel cell chassis below the cabin. Instead, a sideways H-shaped layout for the control unit, ultracapacitor, fuel cell stack, hydrogen storage and other components was used, helping to create a lower center of gravity.