Toyota’s next-generation Supra is veiled in mystery, but we tend to take seriously any news coming from Winding Road’s Peter Nunn because, well, he actually lives in Japan and hears the hometown gossip. According to Nunn, rumor has it that the next-gen Supra’s design will be inspired by the FT-HS Concept, which we kinda sort of already knew, and be powered by either a hybrid drivetrain or an all-gas V6.

The last issue of Automobile Magazine claimed that the FT-HS Concept would go into production as Toyota’s Supra successor, but made no mention of another all-gas version. WR’s Nunn, however, speculates that the car will be offered with either an updated version of the 3.5L V6 from the Lexus IS350 producing around 330bhp and a V6 hybrid drivetrain likely scooped from the Lexus GS450h and producing 400bhp.

The all-gas Supra would obviously be less expensive than the hybrid version, and thus would likely be the volume seller of the two. Looks like we’re expecting both to arrive sometime in the latter half of 2008, though any details having to do with Toyota’s plans for the Supra are obviously about as firm as Jell-o.

[Source: Winding Road]

To celebrate the fact that the Mazda MX-5 accounts for a quarter of all new sports car purchases in the United Kingdom, the automaker has unveiled a new special edition paint and trim package dubbed “Icon.” The Icon can be had with either the 1.8L engine mated to a 5-speed manual or the sprightlier 2.0L matched with a six-speed. Naturally, Icon badging will adorn the car’s exterior, which can be coated in a choice of red, white or blue paint — to match the Union Jack, natch. Inside, the Icon logo is embroidered onto the car’s black leather seats and carpeted floormats. Climate control is also included as one of the standard features in the Icon package, which will be limited to 875 1.8L MX-5s and 375 of the 2-liter cars.

Additional details can be found in the press release pasted after the jump.

[Source: Mazda UK] Read more »

Don’t go getting too excited, it probably won’t mean a crate version of the S65 or N54 for Roundel fans. Running an automaker is expensive, especially a manufacturer that leans more toward niche status than casting a wide net. BMW is looking at all options for future revenue, and one of the thoughts that’s occured to the well-respected manufacturer of cars with chutzpah is to bank on its engineering chops and sell engines to other carmakers.

Lotus has pimped themselves out for years to other automakers, and the Porsche name has ended up on things like hard drives, so BMW selling their award-winning engines to gain an extra stream of return on their investment is a far less radical move. Hey, if selling their more mundane powerplants to emerging markets like India and China keeps the coffers full and awesome performers rolling our way, we’re all for it.

[Source: Motor Authority]

Come August, the European MINI range will undergo a revamp that results in fuel economy and emissions improvements across the board. The most impressive numbers come from the Cooper D (for diesel), which as you know is unavailable here. We’ll use the car’s US mpg measurements for the sake of discussion (the press info after the jump uses measurements based on the larger Imperial gallon). The current Cooper D gets 53.4mpg as is, but after the changes it’ll jump to a tick over 60 mpg. At the same time, its CO² emissions will drop from 118g/km to 104g/km.

As you’ll see after the jump, every car makes, including the Cooper S, whose combined-cycle fuel economy will rise to almost 38 mpg. The regular MINI Cooper will go 43 miles on a single gallon, and the Europe-only MINI One will do slightly better, getting 44 and change. MINI pulls this off by incorporating regenerative braking, a driver-defeatable stop/start system on manual-transmission-equipped cars, and by adding a shift indicator that tells the driver what gear to select to ensure that maximum efficiency is being achieved. We see no reason why these changes couldn’t be incorporated on the USDM Cooper and Cooper S, and hope that ’s part of the plan. Next step: work on getting that Cooper D over here, okay? We want that.

Full PR with before-and-after numbers is pasted after the jump. You can use TDIClub’s conversion calc to translate the Imperial measurements to our own.

[Source: MINI via AutoblogGreen]

We certainly don’t want to be called out for complaining about Aston Martin’s current crop of designs. Were we to win the lottery tomorrow, the Aston Martin V8 Vantage would be high up on our list of cars to purchase the day after tomorrow. That said, we’ve lived with the Aston Martin’s corporate style for a few years now, and at some point the next generation needs to be confronted.

When the time comes, Aston Martin should give this guy a call. Ruben Vela is a Spanish designer who just received his Masters Degree in Automotive Design last year from Polytechnic University in Valencia. He created the DB-ONE Concept you see above (and in the high-res gallery below). Vela says that the design’s most important element is "dynamism", kind of a subtle tension between the car’s surfaces and lines that gives it an energy even when static.

The front grille is much larger than current Aston models and becomes the focal point of the DB-ONE’s front end, while the narrow slit headlights ensure that the massive expanse of sheetmetal presents a dominant front end. A true two-seater, the DB-ONE’s windshield extends up and over the cockpit to let the sun shine in, as well. The extremely tapered rear is probably the least production feasible element on the car, though it definitely adds to the "static motion" theme.

Check out more pics of the Ruben Vela’s Aston Martin DB-ONE Concept in the high-res gallery.

[Source: Car Body Design via DieselStation]

Michael Schumacher’s credentials run the gamut: 1995’s youngest double Formula 1 World Champion, most career wins, most wins in a season, most consecutive wins, etc. Now he can add a notch on his belt representing his role as test driver for Ferrari… or at least for a day.

Autocar spies caught a rare sight the other day — a Ferrari 599 GTB on the Nurburgring rather than its test track in Fiorano. After witnessing some pretty serious hot rodding, the photographers zoomed in on the driver… only to see one Michael Schumacher at the wheel. Future profession for Schumi, or entertaining day trip? Hopefully we’ll find out soon. High-res photo available here

Thanks for the tip, Wang Meng!

[Source: AutoCar]