Land Rover has confirmed it will end production of the iconic Defender SUV in December of 2015, two years ahead of schedule.

A company spokesman explained Land Rover is killing the Defender sooner than expected due to strict safety and emissions regulations that will come into effect throughout Europe before the end of the decade.   While it is technically possible to fit a cleaner engine under the Defender’s hood, it is becoming increasingly difficult to stay in compliance with Europe’s ever-stricter safety norms because the truck’s basic design precedes the Cold War.

A replacement is in the works but a previous report indicates the yet-unnamed vehicle will be much more tame than the Defender and pack a premium interior with modern creature comforts in order to reach a larger audience.  Expected to return to the United States after a long hiatus, the SUV will lose the Defender’s body-on-frame construction and adopt Land Rover’s new all-aluminum D7 platform but the company has promised the truck’s core values of dependability and functionality will be retained.

Storied past.

The 2013 Defender is essentially an evolution of the original Land Rover Series I that was aimed at English farmers when it was introduced as the brand’s first vehicle in 1948.  Met with instant success, it went through several evolutions including Series II, Series III and Cab Forward models before morphing into its current state in 1983.   The 90 and 110 monikers that denominated short- and long-wheelbase models were ditched for the Defender nameplate in 1990.

The Defender has gone through a host of engines ranging from frugal four-cylinder diesels to gas-burning V8s over the past two decades.  It gained a new 2.2-liter turbodiesel four-cylinder engine in 2011 and several minor upgrades such as an Alpine stereo system with a USB input, Bluetooth connectivity and two new exterior colors for the 2013 model year.<![CDATA[
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BMW’s MINI division has published the first official technical details about the next generation of the Cooper hatchback that will bow at simultaneous events held in Los Angeles, Tokyo and Oxford, England, on November 18th.

In Europe, the entry-level Cooper will be powered by a new 1.5-liter three-cylinder engine developed in-house to power a wide range of upcoming products.  Under the hood of the MINI it will generate 138 horsepower and 163 lb-ft. of torque from just 1,250 rpms while an overboost function will bump torque up to 170 lb-ft. for short bursts of time.

The next engine up will be a new four-cylinder rated at 195 horsepower and 206 lb-ft. of torque, though the aforementioned overboost function will briefly push that figure up to 221 in order to give the hatchback an acceleration boost.  The four-banger is equipped with direct fuel-injection and engineers have installed the turbocharger directly in the exhaust manifold in order to help eliminate turbo lag.

Buyers who prefer oil-burners will have access to a 1.5-liter three-cylinder turbodiesel that makes 116 horsepower and 199 lb-ft. of torque.  It will be seven percent more efficient than its predecessor, meaning that it should return about 55 mpg in a mixed European cycle.  BMW has not announced whether or not the diesel will make its way to the United States.

All engines will send power to the front wheels via newly-designed manual and automatic transmissions.

The entry-level MINI One and the range-topping John Cooper Works model have not been detailed yet, but rumors indicate the JCW could boast as much as 300 horsepower in its most powerful tune.

Lighter platform, more tech

The upcoming MINI will ride on the UKL1 platform that will also underpin the next BMW 1-Series and production variant of the Mercedes B-Class-fighting Concept Active Tourer.   Although the car will be larger in all directions than the current MINI, it will be considerably lighter thanks to the widespread use of high-strength steel.  

Most trim levels will come standard with an electronically-adjustable suspension that will provide two driving modes that MINI bills as “emphatically sporty” and “balanced and comfortable.”  All models will feature an electric power steering system.

On the safety front, the next MINI will boast an active hood that will instantly raise to create a crumple zone in the event of a collision between a pedestrian at speeds between 12 and 34 mph.

Advanced driving aids

Most Cooper models will be available with a host of optional high-tech add-ons including a heads-up display, collision and pedestrian warning systems designed to avoid a crash, a park assist function that helps the driver find a spot in a crowded parking lot and a rear-view camera that transmits images to a high-resolution color screen on the center stack.  

The MINI will also be offered with a video-based adaptive cruise control and a road sign and speed limit recognition function.

Spy shots

A batch of spy shots have revealed that the Cooper’s basic design will carry over for the third generation.  MINI’s familiar face remains, but the third-gen model receives a more pronounced grille, swept-back headlights and LED daytime running lights.  All 2014 Coopers will sport a “power dome” hood bulge while more powerful S models will gain a hood scoop, a rear spoiler, center-mounted dual exhaust tips and double-spoke wheels.

A second batch of spy shots has given us a good look at the upcoming Cooper’s interior.  The design is more of an evolution than a revolution but the biggest change is that the speedometer has been relocated from the center of the dashboard to being the steering wheel.  Equipped with a configurable thin-film transistor (TFT) screen, the gauge is flanked by a tachometer that is noticeably smaller than the current model’s.

Official details about the third-generation MINI Cooper will emerge in the weeks leading up to its debut.<![CDATA[
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General Motors and its joint-venture partners sold 277,647 vehicles in China last month, setting a new company record.

GM announced on Thursday that its China sales increased 13.7 percent to 277,647 units last month, good enough to set a new September sales record.

GM’s Buick brand helped lead the way in September, posting a 14.3 percent volume improvement to 71,002 units. The original Excelle family remained Buick’s most popular vehicle line during September, accounting for 26,875 units of the brand’s total sales. The LaCrosse also posted a positive month with sales increasing 12.5 percent to 9,797 units.

GM’s Chevrolet brand posted a modest 2 percent gain to 57,285 units in September. The Cruze compact was the most popular Chevy during the month, tallying 24,744 deliveries.

Cadillac remains a niche player in China’s luxury segment, but the brand managed a healthy 73.9 percent sales jump to 4,496 units last month. The SRX crossover was Cadillac’s most popular model, followed by the XTS large sedan.

Through the first nine months of the year GM has sold 2,312,418 vehicles in China, representing an 11.1 percent increase over the same period in 2012.

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A prototype race car powered by a version of Ford’s 3.5L EcoBoost V6 has set a new lap speed record at the Daytona International Speedway.

Colin Braun piloted the EcoBoost-powered Riley Technologies Daytona Prototype race car to a single lap speed record of 222.971 mph during a special record run attempt earlier on Thursday. Braun beat the previous record of 210.364 mph set by Bill Elliott in a Ford Thunderbird in 1987.

Additionally, Braun and his team was able to set a new world record for 10 miles from a standing start, averaging 210.018 mph.

“It was a challenging day,” said Braun. “There was a lot of work put in by a lot of people to accomplish these records. The power in the new EcoBoost engine was incredible, and it was amazing how fast it came up to speed on the runs.”

Ford didn’t give the details of the EcoBoost V6 used in the race car, but the road-going version of the motor develops up to 365 horsepower and 420 lb-ft of torque.

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