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Maybach officially turns up its toes

After almost a decade of trying, Mercedes has finally officially thrown in the towel and announced the end of Maybach production. Maybach – a brand name almost unknown outside Germany when it was revived – was supposed to be Mercedes’ answer to Rolls Royce and Bentley. And perhaps it could have been.

JAC SC-9 concept promises new brand identity, hi-tech interface for Beijing

The JAC SC-9 concept is the latest concept to be announced ahead of next week's Beijing motor show. A statement from the company describes this crossover as combining the "exclusivity of a luxury Gran Turismo, the flexibility of a genuine off-road vehicle and the excitement of a high performance sports car" and we're interested to see how these characteristics are brought together. Designed in JAC's Turin-based Italian Style Centre under design director Lou Tik, the SC-9 is also said to introduce a new brand identity for the Chinese carmaker as well as featuring "ground-breaking interface technology".

BMW to build plug-in hybrid sports coupe

BMW has thrown its hat into the eco-supercar ring by confirming plans to place the Vision EfficientDynamics concept into production. The futuristically styled plug-in hybrid was first revealed at the Frankfurt motor show in 2009. It is set to undergo an accelerated development program that aims to place the low-slung four-seater on sale in all of BMW's key world markets, including North America, by October 2013.