Autoblog

In a move that may undermine Germany's protection of Lower Saxony and its close ties to Volkswagen, the European Commission plans to review the case of Volkswagen Law in the European Union's top court. As you may recall, Porsche has been trying to take majority control of rival Volkswagen. However, the so-called "Volkswagen Law" has protected VW from takeover by allowing the state of Lower Saxony (where thousands of VW jobs are at stake) to retain just enough stock in the company to prevent Porsche from capturing a majority vote. While the upcoming ruling may not only alter the ownership of Volkswagen, it also demonstrates the escalating authority that the European Commission has over once sovereign countries.

[Source: Automotive News Europe, subs. req'd]

There's a new MG TF on its way to replace the current TF, which is once again rolling out the doors at its Longbridge, UK ancestral home. The new TF will be available as a roadster, natch, and as a coupe, and based on the Roewe 550. AutoExpress has worked up some renderings based on insider information about the new rear-drive MG, and the car amounts to a smorgasbord of cues from a variety of unfortunately styled vehicles. There's a lot of X80 concept, a dash of the crosseyed Qvale Mangusta, and a peppering or two of the MG SV, too. The end result looks like something Noddy assembled in a candlelit workshop, but then again, so does the existing MG TF.

The underlying platform for the new TF is one of the last vestiges of MG Rover, and would have been used for the MG ZS/Rover 45 replacement. Ricardo also played a role in the development of the chassis, which will have a turbocharged 1.8-liter four and a 2.5-liter V6 as power options. Still, more coupes in the MX5's sandbox can't be a bad thing, so we wish the new MG TF well, and hope that it comes to the United States for a proper taunting.

[Source: Auto Express]

Click above for high-res gallery of the Roewe 550

Shanghai Automotive Industry Corporation debuted the Roewe 550 over the weekend at the Auto China show in Beijing, and it joins the 750 in a lineup that was designed and engineered entirely in Britain. For those who don't remember the story, a little history lesson might be in order. SAIC fought long and hard against cross-town Chinese rival Nanjing for the right to purchase the bankrupt English automotive brand Rover. SAIC won the battle, but didn't secure the rights to the Rover name. Hence, Roewe was born and the 750 debuted as a rebadged version of the Rover 75. The Roewe 550, however, is its own car with a design that doesn't carry forward any obvious cues from Rover. Based on a shortened version of the Rover 75 platform, the 550 was reportedly being developed before MG Rover bit the dust in 2005, and SAIC has made sure to keep the car palatable to European tastes as it plans to sell the 550 in Europe eventually.

The 550 features a clean and tasteful exterior design, though some at the show note its interior isn't made of the highest quality materials. We do, however, like the digital gauge cluster that wraps around the analog tach, as well as the flush nav screen. The 550's available engines, however, are not as impressive and include the same 1.8T and 1.6L K-Series four-cylinders, as well as a 2.0L diesel, that were sold in Rovers before the company collapsed. Autocar points out it's also possible that the 550 could be badged as an MG in Europe, as SAIC recently bought its rival Nanjing, which settled for buying the MG name when it lost the bid to own Rover's assets.

Check out the new Roewe 550 in our high-res gallery below.



All photos Copyright ©2008 Ibiza Wang / Weblogs, Inc.

[Source: Autoblog Chinese, Autocar]

Click above for a high-res gallery of the Daimler Super 8

While most of the automotive press is reporting on Tata's acquisition of Jaguar and Land Rover from Ford's Premier Automotive Group, the fine print shows that the Indian automaker got a whole package of classic British marques to go along with them. In addition to Jaguar and Land Rover, Tata also acquired the rights to use the names of Rover, Daimler and Lanchester.

The Rover name previously belonged to BMW, which bought the Rover group 14 years ago. Although Shanghai (SAIC) bought the rights to produce Rover products, BMW refused to license the name to them (leaving SAIC to label its cars Roewe), instead selling it to Ford who secured the name to avoid confusion with Land Rover. The Daimler name, through an age-old licensing agreement with the Mercedes parent company, is used by Jaguar for a line of even more luxurious versions of its XJ sedan range. The Lanchester name is likewise attached to Jaguar, but having produced its first motor car in 1895, has laid dormant since 1956.

Although the three brands are barely in use, they transfer ownership to Tata along with Jaguar and Land Rover. The option will remain Tata's whether or not to utilize the names, but we wouldn't expect the Indian auto giant to lay out the cash to launch additional brands while it shoulders the financial burden of the $2.3 billion acquisition. We wouldn't be surprised, however, to see Tata license any of the names it can to help raise the funds.

[Source: Automotive News Europe – subscription required]

Click image for a gallery of the Roewe 550 sedan

SAIC's Rowe brand (nee Rover) is set to formally unveil its new 550 sedan in Beijing next month. The sedan's styling is very mainstream save for its unfortunate front fascia. Those undersized, oddly-shaped headlights just seem very out of place. That said, it's not as if we're the target market, and it's likely to be one of the more important Beijing Motor Show debuts. According to China Car Times, the 550 will be powered by the same 1.8L turbo found under the hood of the Roewe 750 (the re-engineered Rover 75). We'll have more photos and additional details via the crew at Autoblog Chinese when the car is unveiled next month.


[Sources: XCAR, China Car Times]

Roewe, SAIC's renamed Rover, has an SUV in the works. Details are scant, though it's reportedly based on a Ssangyong model. We think the Ssangyong Kyron is hiding under the Roewe's handsome sheetmetal. The Kyron carries its Mercedes-esque styling atop a ladder frame and off-road capable 4WD componentry, so Roewe's new SUV should be able to get dirty without becoming mired. Roewe has added some Lexus to the styling of the Kyron, but the older Mercedes powertrain systems might not remain underhood. Ssangyong uses Mercedes castoffs through a special licensing agreement, though we wouldn't go so far as to call either vehicle a bargain last-gen Mercedes. Looking into reports on the Kyron reveal a vehicle that's well equipped but not a screaming deal; nor is it a stellar performer. Perhaps Roewe has revised the chassis calibration and found a different motor to slide in between the front fenders.

[Source: China Car Times via Straightline]

The E-Type Jaguar is beautiful. The Lamborghini Miura is beautiful. Most reasonable individuals bestowed with the gift of sight would not argue those points. Alas, "beautiful" as an adjective is regularly abused. Case in point: the new Roewe 550, which is inexplicably described as such by our Sino-focused blogging brothers at China Car Times. We strenuously disagree. We understand that there are many ugly Chinese cars, and that when the nation's auto industry produces one that doesn't cause onlookers to instantaneously turn to stone, it's noteworthy. That said, "not overwhelmingly ugly" does not equal "beautiful." The Roewe 550's front end looks as if a modern Nissan/Infiniti (grille shape & slats), a Saturn Aura (everything below the front bumper), and a last-gen Chrysler Sebring or 300M (headlamps) got caught in a horrific Star Trek transporter accident. As you can see, the result is far from beautiful, despite the generous claims of China Car Times. They're entitled to their opinions, of course, but if this is beautiful then the new Malibu looks like Malcom Pray's 1939 Delahaye by comparison.

[Source: China Car Times]

Instead of beating each other's brains out and assuring that nobody wins, SAIC and Nanjing have decided to stand close to each other on the playground. While they may still avoid eye contact and kick pebbles instead of developing a friendship, they will be carrying out what they're terming a "comprehensive collaboration." Design, production and sales efforts will be pooled in an effort to make China's automakers competitive with outsiders like General Motors and Volkswagen, who currently dominate China's vehicle market. The weekend announcement of the effort was mum on a merger, but did mention an asset swap as the two state-controlled businesses go forward splitting resources. At the very least, it seems like the cooperative effort will quell the bickering over the carved up carcass of Rover Cars.

[Source: Detroit News]