A high-performance Super Veloce (SV) version of Lamborghini’s Aventador flagship appears to be in the works as dealers in the UK are already taking deposits for the yet-to-be-announced supercar.

Rumors of an upcoming Aventador SV were sparked recently when a team participating in the Gumball 3000 rally claimed that the hopped-up supercar would debut “in the coming months.” The team, known as Team Salamone, also stated that they were already first in line to take delivery of the raging bull.

Although an unsubstantiated claim, Lamborghini dealers in the UK have given some credence to the Aventador SV rumors. According to AutoEvolution, UK Lambo dealers are now accepting 10,000 pound (about $17,000) deposits for the privilege to own the upcoming SV model.

Lamborghini hasn’t officially commented on the matter, but the Italian automaker has indicated that the Aventador SV could launch during the second half of 2015.

If the Aventador SV follows the same blueprint as the previous Murcielago SV, we can expect a decrease in weight and increase in power. The Aventador SV should also sport a unique aero kit to produce greater downforce.

After months of rumors, BMW has confirmed that it will build a new production facility in Mexico. The German automaker will spend about $1 billion to establish a new production base in San Luis Potosí, located about 250 miles north of Mexico City.

“Mexico is an ideal location for the BMW Group and will be another important plant within our production network,” said Harald Krueger, member of the BMW AG Board of Management, responsible for Production. “We will invest one billion U.S. dollars in the new production site over the next few years.”

BMW estimates the plant will be up and running by 2019 with an annual capacity of 150,000 units. The plant will directly create 1,500 new jobs for the region.

BMW will announce which models will be built in San Luis Potosí at a later date.

The plant is expected to mostly supply the United States market, but global exports are also possible. Of course some of the vehicles will stay in Mexico, but the country represents just a sliver of BMW’s worldwide sales. BMW sold 13,992 vehicles in Mexico last year, compared to 35,577 deliveries in the U.S. last month alone.

Following several teaser images, Volkswagen has published the first official images of the European-spec 2015 Passat that is scheduled to debut at the Paris Motor Show this coming October.

As expected, the eighth-gen Passat gets a more dynamic-looking design that borrows styling cues such a narrow three-slat radiator grille, a rippled hood and angular headlights from recent Volkswagen concepts like the T-Roc and the NMC. The middle section of the car carries over roughly unchanged, but the rear end features a cleaner design with sharp LED tail lamps and a rounded bumper.

Technical details are still scarce, but the next Passat will be up to 187 pounds lighter than the current model thanks to the use of lightweight materials such as aluminum and high-strength steel. Although it will be slightly smaller than the current model in all directions, clever packaging will allow it to offer a more spacious cockpit and a bigger trunk.

The Passast moves up a notch on the market thanks to improved materials and more high-tech equipment. A 12.3-inch TFT screen will replace the instrument cluster on all but the least expensive trim levels, and high-end models will be offered with a heads-up display as well as the latest generation of Volkswagen’s touch screen-based infotainment system.

Tech-conscious buyers will be able to order the Passat with a wide array of electronic driving aids including Side Assist with Rear Traffic Assist, Trailer Assist, Front Assist System with Emergency Braking as well as Traffic Jam Assist. Finally, the Passat will be able to park itself when ordered with an optional new function called Park Assist.

Mechanically, the next Passat will be offered with a host of gasoline- and diesel-burning engines whose outputs will range from 118 to 276 horsepower. The headline-grabber will be a new 2.0-liter twin-turbocharged TDI mill that will send 236 horsepower and a potent 368 lb-ft. of torque to all four wheels via a seven-speed DSG gearbox and Volkswagen’s 4MOTION all-wheel drive system. Volkswagen expects the oil-burner to return up to 47 mpg in a mixed European cycle.

The most fuel-efficient member of the next-gen Passat lineup will be a plug-in hybrid model powered by a 1.4-liter TSI four-cylinder engine linked to a 100-horsepower electric motor. Reports coming out of Germany indicate the plug-in hybrid Passat will boast a total of 201 horsepower and be capable of cruising on electricity alone for up to 31 miles. With both power sources running, the plug-in hybrid will offer a total driving range of over 600 miles.

The European-spec Passat will go on sale across Europe shortly after greeting the show-going public in Paris. The U.S.-spec model’s replacement is still a couple of years away but the current variant is expected to get a thorough facelift in 2016.

Chrysler has fired back at the National Highway Traffic Safety Association, responding to criticism that a Jeep recall is not being handled in a timely fashion.

The automaker has fought with the agency at nearly every step of the recall, which centers around fire risk from ruptured fuel tanks. To help protect against a tank breach, the company agreed to install trailer hitches on the 2002-2007 Liberty and 1993-1998 Grand Cherokee.

In its latest letter to the Chrysler, the agency noted that it was satisfied with the hitch remedy but claimed that the current rate of parts production would drag out the repair process to nearly five years.

“According to the agency, after conducting and analyzing eight rear impact crash reconstruction tests, NHTSA informed Chrysler that ‘it did not have any reservations about implementation of Chrysler’s proposed remedy,’” the company said in a statement. “This reflects Chrysler Group’s long-standing position — supported in the public record by real-world data — that the vehicles are not defective.”

The exposed fuel tanks have been officially associated with at least 51 fatalities. In an open letter to the NHTSA, Center for Auto Safety director Clarence Ditlow suggests the real total may be significantly higher. The advocacy group counts 370 fatal fire crashes in the recalled models, resulting in 503 total victims and at least 167 deaths directly blamed on fire.

“To date, not a single Jeep has been remedied under this recall while at least 4 people have died and 2 more have been seriously burned in Jeep fire crashes,” Ditlow wrote.

Chrysler argues that the recalled models are “among the safest in their peer groups” and “met or exceeded” the industry standards in effect at the time they were first sold.

The company has not yet filed its formal response to the NHTSA.

Fresh details have surfaced concerning Mercedes-Benz’ long-rumored inline six-cylinder, an engine type the automaker last produced in the late 1990s.

According to a Motoring report, Mercedes is developing a new straight-six engine family that will consist of both naturally aspirated and turbocharged units ranging from 2.2- to 3.5-liter of displacement.

While Mercedes had switched to V6 motors in the past due in part to their packaging advantages, the shift back to straight-sixes is said to be motivated by a desire to maintain or increase refinement as the brand continues to downsize its engines in the interests of efficiency.

The new mills are believed to share components with Mercedes’ latest four-cylinders. Previous rumors have suggested they could also spawn a new range of three-cylinders.

Interestingly, no AMG derivatives of the six-cylinder are said to be under development, although that could certainly change in the future.

Should Motoring’s report prove accurate, expect to see inline-sixes in the next-generation E-Class and SL-Class models. The current C-Class could also adopt the engines at its mid-cycle refresh, industry whisperings have hinted.

For a quick look at the history of Mercedes’ straight sixes, head over to an earlier article about the motor layout’s potential resurgence at the three-pointed star brand.