Rumour: Aston Martin One-77 gets canned – or does it?

Aston Martin is really struggling at the moment. Discounts abound (particularly on ’08 model year cars – you can have a V8 Vantage Roadster for not much over £60k, and a DB9 for £75k), and new car sales are as rare as hens teeth. Not surprisingly, there have been deep job cuts, and the dealer network is really struggling to survive.

Keyless ignition trends toward standardization

A federal plan to require automakers to standardize keyless ignition systems in the wake of Toyota's unintended acceleration problems is likely to mirror industry guidelines issued in January, an automaker group said. Large automakers except Toyota said they already comply with the guidelines crafted by SAE International or plan to do so. These "recommended practices'' seek to counter the variation, driver confusion and safety problems that have ensued since automakers started installing push-button ignition in luxury models.

Maserati Kubang SUV hits the road in new video

Maserati Kubang SUV Video There was a time when we expected everyone from Ferrari to Lamborghini and Bentley to Rolls Royce to cobble together a luxury SUV to tempt buyers. That fad went away for a while, but now its back and we have the first SUV in a generation from a maker of Italian exotica – the Maserati Kubang SUV – and this video of the Kubang on the road. Interestingly, although the Kubang is supposedly the start of this video, it only turns up in the final third, with the first two thirds dedicated to showcasing Maserati’s performance pedigree – past and present.