Mercedes reveals first shots of the upcoming 2016 Mercedes-Benz S-Class cabriolet (Stunning)

Mercedes-Benz lifted the veil partially on an all-new, open-top cabriolet based on the new S-class coupe that went on sale earlier this year.

MANY THANKS TO AUTOCAR FOR THE PICTURES

The new S-class cabriolet represents the sixth model in the S-class family after the sedan, long-wheel base sedan, Maybach, coupe and Pullman variants. Mercedes says it will also be the first S-class cabriolet with four seats since 1971.

It will be introduced formally at the Frankfurt auto show next month and is scheduled to go on sale in the first half of 2016. It will be a big car but will have the svelte lines of the S-class coupe and will compete with the Bentley Continental GT, Automotive News reported this month.

Mercedes hasn’t said whether the car will have a retractable hard top or a lighter-weight soft top.

David Phillips

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Citroen CEO, Linda Jackson, Hints that the Mehari Fun car could make a comeback !

Citroen is considering a revival of its iconic Mehari lightweight utility car to help give the brand a “fun” image, CEO Linda Jackson said.

Citroen built 150,000 units of the open-sided, canvas-roofed Mehari between 1968 and 1987. The car had a diverse customer base. It was used as a beach buggy by holidaymakers and by farmers to get around their fields. Its thermoplastic body also made it light enough for the French army to drop the car attached to a parachute from an airplane.

Jackson said Citroen’s new brand positioning is about selling cars that are fun and give people a happy feeling. “Maybe there is a place for the Mehari. It’s something we are considering,” Jackson told the Automotive News Europe Congress here on June 10.

PSA/Peugeot-Citroen CEO Carlos Tavares wants to reduce the number of cars sold by the company as part of his turnaround strategy for the automaker. His Back in the Race business plan includes reducing the Citroen lineup to seven core models by 2022, down from 14 now.

Jackson said the future core models would be “silhouettes” from which different variants could be produced so a modern Mehari could be developed as a variant of a future subcompact car.

The Mahari was based on the 2CV, another Citroen car that has iconic status. Jackson said the 2CV will not be revived. “The 2CV had its day," she said, "but that's not now."

Nick Gibbs

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FIAT Announces that the second new generation 500 will be launched on the 4th July - party day.

• The New FIAT 500 is to be unveiled on July 4 2015
• July 4 is a significant date for the FIAT 500 – the original 1957 model and the 2007 FIAT 500 were both born on this date
• No other information is available at this time but full details will  be available on the day

On July 4 1957 the FIAT was launched to the Italian public. Developed by legendary engineer Dante Giacosa, the FIAT 500 was designed to be as affordable to buy and run as possible. 

It was small, not necessarily to avoid traffic congestion (post-war Italy was still an emerging economic and industrial force in the late 50’s so cars remained relatively rare) but because metal was expensive and the more of it that was used, the more weight the car gained and the more performance and fuel was needed to propel the car along. 

It was this kind of pragmatism which led to the adoption of a full-length canvas roof on early models (lighter and less expensive to produce than a metal roof) and also in the interests of costs and packaging, a rear-mounted, air-cooled, two-cylinder 479cc engine was chosen. 

Producing just 13hp, the 470kg FIAT 500 was capable of just over 50mph but, more importantly, it was extremely fuel efficient and required only the most basic maintenance.

At a time when the average Italian factory worker earned no more than 50,000 Lire per month the FIAT 500 cost 490,000 Lire when it went on sale, making it a considerable financial undertaking even with FIAT’s 20,000 Lire per month repayment programme. 

However that didn’t prevent the FIAT 500 being a massive sales success, amassing more than 3.6 million sales over its 18-year life cycle, during which it remained largely faithful to Giacosa’s original design and engineering principals.

The FIAT 500 evolved into the FIAT 126, which was subsequently replaced by the FIAT Cinquencento and Seicento city cars – all brilliantly packaged, fun to drive and commercially successful in their own right - but the original 500 never really disappeared from view in the way so many other cars do.

As cities became more traffic-clogged and parking ever more difficult, the packaging, low running costs and robustness of the original 500 meant many remained in daily use long after they rolled off the production line. 

Unmistakable looking with an appeal far beyond its functional origins, it was clear that the FIAT 500 had a special place in the public’s hearts and minds, and so on July 4 2007 the FIAT 500 was reborn – true to the philosophy of the iconic 1957 car - affordable and practical, of course, but also stylish and distinctive in a thoroughly modern package. 

The engine might have moved to the front and it may have had seven airbags and Blue&Me connectivity but its design was a perfectly-executed homage to the original car, bestowing it with the same universal appeal and instilling the same emotional connection in people, even those too young to remember the original car.

Marketed in 100 countries and with more than 1.5 million sales globally (UK sales will likely top quarter of a million in total by the end of the year) the next chapter in the FIAT 500 story is about to begin.

Toyota X-Wave gives open top motoring with the stability of a standard car.

How do you make driving a Toyota Aygo even more fun? One sure-fire way is to provide some classic open-top enjoyment with a new retractable x-wave canvas roof.

Looking ahead to longer, warmer days, Toyota has launched the x-wave as an option on the five-door Aygo x-pression model. Finished in black, the roof is factory fitted and is full length, ensuring that anyone travelling in the rear seats also gets to enjoy some of the wind-in-the-hair experience.

The roof is electrically operated, using a simple switch next to the map light control in the headlining.

Specifying the x-wave adds even more appeal to the Aygo x-pression, which also features 15-inch alloy wheels, front fog lamps, projector headlights with LED daytime running lights, the x-touch multimedia system with DAB and Bluetooth, reversing camera and air conditioning.

Gloss black elements in the bodywork and the cabin help the small car make a big style statement, contrasting with White Flash, Electro Grey, Silver Splash, Red Pop and Deep Blue Buzz paint options.

The x-wave roof, price £895 (including VAT), can also be ordered together with the x-tra convenience pack, and with all other options and customisation features available for x-pression, apart from the roof decals.

Vauxhall/Opel ADAM Rocks Geneva with new rugged model.

• Production-ready ADAM ROCKS debuts at the Geneva Motor Show
• Urban mini-crossover features rugged, outdoor looks and electric folding canvas roof
• First Vauxhall to get punchy new 115PS 1.0-litre three-cylinder petrol engine

Rocking up to next month’s Geneva Motor Show is Vauxhall’s funky urban mini-crossover the ADAM ROCKS.

The latest edition to Vauxhall’s city chic ADAM range was previewed as a concept at the 2013 Geneva Motor Show and after receiving a rapturous reception the production model is poised to make a show-stopping debut a year later.

Rocking rugged design

Compared with other members of the ADAM family, ROCKS is taller, wider and tougher in appearance, while also offering a full-length electric folding canvas roof.

ADAM ROCKS’ new crossover body style is supported by a chassis that is raised 15mm with a wider stance. Agile parkour athletes, who move from one place to another, negotiating urban obstacles in between, were the inspiration for this sporty crossover concept.

Parts of the chassis system have been modified or re-tuned – including dampers, springs, the rear suspension geometry, and steering. The higher, wider looks are matched by a choice of 17-inch or 18-inch alloy wheels. These can be further personalised with new wheel clips in “Wild” design and different colours that are unique to ROCKS.

Protective, anthracite-coloured cladding is wrapped tightly around the ADAM ROCKS, giving it a tough, muscular look. The front trapezoidal grille, with a chrome central brand bar, is embedded in the cladding, while contrasting, satin chrome ‘boomerang’ elements frame the front fog lamps/indicator housings and the reversing/fog lamps at the rear. An integrated rear roof spoiler and LED daytime running lights also come as standard. Silver skid plates front and rear and a bold chrome exhaust complete the exterior design.

New exterior paint colours will be introduced with ADAM ROCKS, starting with the vibrant yellow Goldbusters.

ROCKS combines its rugged individuality with open air fun. The electric folding canvas roof is operated via a button located in the front area of the headliner and folds back neatly on to the C-pillars in just five seconds. Creating a wide opening into the sky, this stylish system has no negative impact on body stiffness or on the car’s functionality: the boot keeps the full opening of a hatchback and loading volume remains untouched.

The entire roof module is acoustically tuned for noise insulation inside the cabin, and the robust, three-layer fabric has a neoprene centre for weatherproofing and durability. The folding canvas roof is available in a choice of three exterior colours – Black, Sweet Coffee or Light Oak – that combine with the different roof colours of the ROCKS.

ROCKS’ cabin reverberates with its own distinctive character. Two new, exclusive ROCKS interior trims have been designed. They include a main instrument cluster, seat and door panel colours and other trim elements – all unique to Vauxhall’s urban chic newcomer. One trim is taken directly from the ADAM ROCKS concept car revealed last year: it has elegant-sporty Peanut-coloured fabric/Morrocana seats and door panels, leather steering wheel, gearshift and handbrake in the same colour, and a “Surf” décor trim. The other features a sophisticated Coffee Bean design – rich dark brown seats in a black cabin trimmed with bright blue stitching.

New 1.0-litre engine packs triple punch

ROCKS is the first model to feature Vauxhall’s all-new 1.0-litre ECOTEC Direct Injection Turbo three-cylinder engine. This high-tech pocket rocket raises the bar for three-cylinder engine refinement and packs up to 115PS, with impressive low-end torque of 166 Nm.

Contributing to the overall efficiency of the all-aluminium engine with a single scroll turbocharger include direct injection, variable valve timing, a switchable water pump and an integrated exhaust manifold. Fuel-saving Start/Stop technology is an integral part of the system and offered as standard. The new 1.0 ECOTEC comes with a choice of two power outputs, 90PS and 115PS.

Both versions of the new three-cylinder powerhouse are mated to an all-new six-speed manual gearbox with a compact package design. During its development, focus was on efficiency (thanks to reduced friction) and benchmark shifting: gear change is comfortable, precise and smooth.

The new engine tops a powertrain portfolio including ADAM’s three current four-cylinder naturally-aspirated units comprising a 1.2-litre engine with 70PS and a 1.4-litre available in two power outputs, 87PS and 100PS.

Like its ADAM siblings, ROCKS is one of the best connected small cars around thanks to its state-of-the-art Intelilink infotainment system. Priced from just £275, it allows seamless integration of Android as well as Apple iOS smartphone functionalities into the car. It provides USB and Bluetooth connectivity, audio streaming, a seven-inch high-definition colour touch-screen and seven speakers. Clever apps including navigation BringGo, Stitcher and TuneIn can be downloaded.

The integration of Apple iOS devices into the system enables Siri Eyes Free voice control. This makes it possible for drivers to have incoming text messages read aloud and to dictate messages while they keep their eyes on the road and their hands on the steering wheel.

“ADAM ROCKS combines the toughness of a crossover with the coolness of open air driving,” said Stuart Harris, Vauxhall’s Head of Carline Brand. “It’s the perfect ADAM for active drivers wanting to stand out from the crowd.”

ADAM ROCKS pricing will be announced when it goes on sale in the summer. Production is due to start in Eisenach, Germany in August.