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It looks like Aston Martin could be getting AMG/Mercedes platforms too

Mercedes/AMG platforms would make the Lagonda SUV a reality We’d been expecting Aston Martin to get access to Mercedes platforms ever since the Lagonda SUV – based on the underpinnings of the Mercedes GL - arrived in all its ‘beauty’ in 2009. The Lagonda SUV was met with wails of anguish from lovers of Aston Martin’s timeless beauty but, despite the horror at the looks of the SUV, the prospect that Aston Martin could be heading down a collaboration route with Mercedes was welcome. It was welcome because without the support of a major car maker – and access to its technology – Aston Martin would have little chance of a bright future; there is no way a minnow like Aston Martin could afford the development cost of new engines and platforms.

Ferrari SP Arya – a one-off Ferrari 599 GTO for Cheerag Arya

Indian-born and Dubai-based Cheerag Arya has commissioned a special one-off Ferrari 599 GTO – the Ferrari SP Arya. When your pockets are very deep and your love of all things Maranello runs in your blood, Ferrari Special Projects will bend over backwards to give you what you want. Just as they did with Eric Clapton and the  Ferrari SP12 EC Indian born businessman Cheerag Arya (know as CA), still only 32, spent many years working in the US but now lives in Dubai where he runs his family’s petrochemical business and indulges in his passion for Ferrari, particularly Ferrari’s big GT cars.

General Motors and Ford load up on small cars for bigger profits

Ford has no qualms about charging nearly $23,000 for a fully loaded 2011 Fiesta, which is smaller than the Focus. The Fiesta sedan, which goes on sale this summer, starts at $13,995, including shipping. The Fiesta, with a 1.6-liter four-cylinder engine and a six-speed transmission, gets 40 mpg on the highway.