More motoring news in brief.
Zero emission car due at end of summer
A zero emission car that does the equivalent of 250 miles to the gallon, is set to roll off the production line this summer, according to its manufacturers. Stevens Vehicles says its electric cars and vans will cost less than 2p a mile to run.
The start-up company, which has its headquarters in South Wales, says its vehicles will not produce toxins, pollutants, particulates or carbon derivatives - and will not require road tax. The cars can also be charged overnight from any standard 13 amp electric socket.
Top speed will be confined to 90km/h and the cars have a maximum range of 50 miles before they need to be re-charged. The company is able to produce one vehicle a day with the ability to scale up to 1,000 models a year.
Porsche's new Cayenne to hit the road in first half of 2010
Despite earlier reports, the prototype caught testing in the photograph is not a smaller brother to the current Porsche Cayenne - various media reported it could be named the Roxster - but is actually the first sight of the icon itself: the new Porsche Cayenne.
Porsche was first to the market with an SUV model based on the vehicle architecture developed jointly between VW, Audi and itself. The original Cayenne was released back in 2002, one year ahead of the VW Touareg, and four years ahead of the Audi Q7.
The sports car brand has apparently succeeded to pushing VW to speed up development of projects that are shared in common, namely, the replacement design for the SUV family.
Executives at Porsche hope to launch the new Cayenne by the first half of 2010. However, the second generation Touareg isn't due to make an appearance until the end of that year at the earliest. Germany's Automobilwoche reports that Porsche boss Wendelin Wiedeking is using his ever-increasing control of VW Group to rush projects that would favour Porsche, even if it disadvantages VW.
Audi, meanwhile, isn't expected to replace its Q7 SUV with a new model until 2013.
The new model will be much more fuel-efficient and will feature a new hybrid model and a diesel in its line-up.
Schaeffler and Continental discuss possible tie-up
Europe is poised for its biggest takeover battle this year.
Schaeffler, a privately owned German industrial group, confirmed it had approached rival Continental about a tie-up.
Shares in Continental jumped more than 20 per cent on Monday after both companies said "one brief conversation" had taken place late last week.
Schaeffler, which is owned by the billionaire Maria-Elisabeth Schaeffler and her son, is understood to have already built up a stake in Continental through derivatives.
The move is thought to be modelled on Porsche's stake building at the Volkswagen brand.
Mazda to unveil new concept in Moscow
Mazda has confirmed it will unveil an all-new concept at the Moscow International Automobile Salon (Mias) next month. The concept is called Kazamai, named after the Japanese word for "swirling crosswinds".
It has been designed to emulate its name, with swirling lines all down the body of the car.
It has been designed especially for the Moscow Show.
The Kazamai's styling and four-wheel drive powertrain hints at a possible future compact crossover vehicle for the Japanese car-maker.