Electric BMW 1 Series Concept ActiveE Revealed

The BMW 1 Series ActiveE Concept BMW are ramping up their foray in to electric cars with the reveal of the BMW 1 Series Concept ActiveE which will show at the Detroit Motor Show in January, and takes the company a step further along the electric car line than the MINI E. The starting point for public trials of BMW’s i-Project (for ‘Public Trials’ read ‘We’ll get the punters to suss the problems’) was the front wheel drive MINI E which is out playing on the roads in a limited lease programme in the UK, Germany and the US. The programme has not been without problems including charging issues and poor range, but BMW are quite upfront about this being about seeing how the electric cars work in the real world.

Maserati looking at LaFerrari for MC12 successor

Maserati is looking into building a successor to the MC12 Stradale supercar based on the Ferrari LaFerrari, according to a report from Autocar. Maserati boss Harald Wester didn't confirm it to the British magazine, but admitted there is an opportunity. The new car would use the chassis and suspension components from the LaFerrari, but not its electric motor and KERS system.

Audi readying new crossover to rival the BMW X6

Audi has kicked off development of a new performance-orientated crossover model to directly counter the BMW X6. Set to be called the Q6 when it reaches North American showrooms, the five-seat crossover is rumored to be based around the same all-wheel-drive underpinnings as the second-generation Volkswagen Touareg and the Porsche Cayenne, both of which use a short-wheelbase version of the Volkswagen Group's so-called Colorado platform that in long-wheelbase guise is also used in the Audi Q7. Nothing has been made official, but in an interview with the German media at the Geneva motor show, Audi boss Rupert Stadler alluded to the crossover, saying, “We can imagine a model between the Q5 and the Q7 .