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2015 Land Rover Defender delayed – creating the absolute dog’s danglers will take longer

Recently, we reported  Land Rover’s design director Gerry McGovern saying of the 2015 Land Rover Defender  “This car will be the bollocks, I assure you. The absolute dog’s bollocks.” But it seems that creating the absolute dog’s danglers is going to take a bit longer than planned. Autocar are reporting that John Edwards – Land Rover’s Global Brand Director – has said the new Defender will not be going in to production in 2015 as planned, although Land Rover are planning to scrap the current Defender then as it will no longer meet emissions regulations.

Aston Martin Lagonda SUV still moving forward

New reports suggest Aston Martin is still pushing forward with the Lagonda SUV, with underpinnings from the Mercedes GL. Last year we reported the Lagonda SUV was back on (although we’re not sure when it was actually off – just MIA) and that it was Aston Martin’s hope they could raid Mercedes parts bin for the underpinnings of the SUV, and take on the building of a new Maybach for Mercedes in the process. But as we now know, Mercedes has decided a Pullman S Class has more cachet (and less build cost) than  the glitter ball Maybach, so Aston Martin’s hopes of a nice profitable design and build deal evaporated with the last roll of the dice for the Maybach brand.

Ford Focus ST is dead – bring on the 2011 Ford Focus ST

The Ford Focus ST Yes, Ford’s Championship League hot Focus – the Ford Focus ST - falls foul of Euro 5 emissions which come in to force in January, so it joins cars like the Civic Type R and the Mazda RX-8 in being confined to the history book of motoring with its 5-pot 2.5 litre lump – which also did sterling service in the Focus RS and the Focus RS500 - failing to keep up with the regulator’s pen. Bur fear not, although you’ll have to wait probably until 2012 (or at least late in to 2011) to get a look at the 2012 Focus RS, the 2011 Ford Focus ST will be here even before the last rites have been read for the current ST; the new 2011 Focus ST bows in at Paris in just over a month’s time. By all accounts the 2011 Focus ST is going to come equipped with performance comparable to the current RS rather than the current ST.