A pre-production version of the all-new 2017 BMW 7 Series has been caught on camera completely camo-free.
Called G11 internally, the next 7 features a slightly more fastback-like silhouette than the current model. Air breathers located behind the front wheels help reduce drag by eliminating turbulence in the wheel housings, while chrome trim around the windows, above the rocker panels and on both bumpers add an upscale touch to the overall look.

The 2017 7 will shed up to 290 pounds thanks to a brand new platform made from lightweight materials including carbon fiber-reinforced plastics. The next 7 will earn the honor of being the first regular-production BMW to use carbon fiber in its construction, and the manufacturing technique is expected to trickle down to smaller Bimmers before the end of the decade.

BMW has previously confirmed the new 7 will usher in a long list of new high-tech features including the world’s first remote-controlled parking technology and a touch screen-based infotainment system capable of recognizing hand gestures.

Mechanically, the 7 will be fitted with the same 3.0-liter straight-six that debuted last week under the hood of the 2016 340i. Eight- and twelve-cylinder models will return, and BMW will expand the lineup with at least one gasoline-electric plug-in hybrid model about a year after the flagship makes its debut.

BMW will introduce the 2017 7 Series next fall at the Frankfurt Motor Show, and the sedan will begin to arrive in dealerships in approximately a year.

Ford has announced the year-old Mustang will enter the 2016 model year with a handful of minor updates.
Most of the modifications for the upcoming model year are found on the list of options. The Mustang EcoBoost Premium can be ordered with a new option package called Pony Package, a name first used in the 1960s. It bundles 19-inch polished aluminum wheels, a three-slat radiator grille and chrome trim around the windows.

As its name implies, the GT’s new Black Accent Package adds black 19-inch alloy wheels, a black spoiler on the trunk lid, dark trim in the tail lamps and blacked-out emblems all around.

Moving up in the pony car hierarchy, the GT Premium gains a California Special Package that includes 19-inch ebony-painted machined aluminum wheels, hood and side stripes, a black spoiler, a model-specific faux gas cap out back, black painted mirrors, hood vents, a strut tower brace, a front splitter, a three-slat grille and dark tail lamp accents. Inside, the package adds Ebony leather/Miko suede seat inserts, red contrast stitching new carpet and aluminum-look trim on the dashboard.

The popular Performance Package that was offered last year on the Mustang GT fastback is now available on GT convertibles equipped with a manual transmission. It brings a larger radiator, a revised suspension setup with bigger sway bars and heavy-duty springs, six-piston Brembo calipers up front, 19-inch alloys, a unique tuning for the stability control, ABS and power steering systems, a more aggressive front splitter and a Torsen limited-slip differential.

Finally, Mustang buyers can further deck out their car by choosing from a long list of customization options including black or silver racing stripes, new wheel designs and a black roof panel. Additionally, the V8-powered GT benefits from new hood vent turn signals, a heritage-laced styling cue first introduced in 1967.

The 2016 Ford Mustang will arrive in dealerships in the third quarter of this year. Ford has not announced how much of a premium it will carry over the 2015 model.

Toyota and Mazda to expand their partnership to hydrogen fuel-cell vehicles, says reports coming out of Japan.

Speaking on condition of anonymity, insiders claim that a deal is being currently being discussed that would supply Toyota’s fuel cell and plug-in hybrid technology to Mazda, says Automotive News.

For years, Mazda has been trying to develop the emissions-free technology on their own, including even a hydrogen-powered rotary engine. Now it seeks to acquire Toyota’s fuel cell expertise, which has come to market in the Mirai, the only mass-production hydrogen FCV currently on the market.

Toyota believes that expanding hydrogen FCV development in other automakers will relieve what it has identified as the technology’s biggest current bottleneck, infrastructure. Earlier this year, Toyota released 5,680 of its fuel cell patents royalty free to spur development.

In return, Toyota would gain Mazda’s know-how in building fuel-efficient and lightweight powertrains, the SkyActiv development process underpinning everything from the next MX-5 Miata to the Mazda 6.

Toyota and Mazda already share a production facility in Mexico, where Mazda build the Mazda2, recently revealed as the Toyota’s Scion iA.

Japan’s Nikkei business journal says the companies ” intended to reach an agreement on the partnership soon,” though neither company has made an official statement regarding the matter.

Last week Sergio Marchionne coyly stated that he was “open” to a partnership with tech giants Apple or Google. As it turns out, the CEO of Fiat Chrysler Automobiles has already met with several rock star CEOs Silicon Valley, including Tesla.

Marchionne has made no secret about looking for a partner to merge with in an effort to consolidate the auto industry. His first and second choices, Ford and GM, have politely declined the courtship.

It’s not clear whether the meetings took place before or after Marchionne’s previous statements, but upon returning from California he expressed some of his opinions to the Automotive News. Regarding Tesla CEO and founder Elon Musk: “I’m incredibly impressed with what that kid has done.”

When asked about a meeting with Apple CEO Tim Cook, Marchionne said he was “interested in Apple’s intervention in the car, that’s his role,” but would not elaborate. It should be noted FCA and Apple already have a relationship, albeit indirectly. Fiat cars use audio systems branded by Beats Electronics, a company that was purchased by Apple in May 2014 for $3.2 billion.

Marchionne reportedly also took a ride in Google’s self-driving car but did not comment on it. Apple, for its part, is also working on an autonomous vehicle.

In the same interview, Marchionne reaffirmed his goal to develop luxury-branded SUVs under the Chrysler nameplate: “When I see a Range Rover on the street, my blood boils, because we should be able to do a thing like that, and we will.”

Fiat has published a dark teaser image that previews a brand new sedan designed to replace the Linea.
The image hints the yet-unnamed sedan will look considerably more modern than the aging Linea, a model released in 2007. More curvaceous than the outgoing model, it will feature elongated headlights, sculpted flanks, C-shaped tail lamps and a discreet spoiler integrated into the trunk lid.

The sedan will be slightly bigger than the Linea in all directions. The extra sheet metal will allow it to offer more space for the passengers riding in the back and a noticeably bigger trunk.

Built on the same Small Wide platform as the Fiat 500X and the Jeep Renegade, the sedan will be offered with a long list of four-cylinder gasoline- and diesel-burning engines borrowed from the Fiat parts bin. Specifications will likely vary from country to country; for example, in Brazil the Linea will feature a market-specific Flex engine that can run on either gasoline or ethanol.

Stay tuned, Fiat’s upcoming sedan will be introduced at the Istanbul Motor Show that will open its doors on May 21st. Like the Linea, the sedan will be sold in a number of global markets including eastern Europe, Latin America, Asia and Africa, but it will not join the Fiat lineup in western Europe and in North America.