Greentech Media reports that Think Global will announce a deal with a large automaker next week concerning the development of a car. At the Cleantech Forum in San Francisco Tuesday, Think chairman Jan-Olaf Willums said the new car will be larger than the car we know from Think. Greentech Media theorizes the automaker could be Ford, which purchased and then sold Think a while back. My guess is GM because there is talk GM may open up E-Flex to other companies. Stay tuned for further developments.

[Source: Greentech Media]

In an interview with Automotive News, BMW sales and marketing director Stefan Krause says "we cannot take the blue out of BMW and change it to green. ...Maybe we could add a fourth brand." The Automotive News article is called BMW: We may need a 'green' brand (Subscription required). Reuters says BMW's reasoning for creating a new green brand is lower average CO₂ emissions in the face of increasing regulations.

The BMW green brand rumors were at a light smolder when we first wrote about it last November. The Automotive News interview should bring it to a small bonfire. BMW made a hydrogen car and they have a green Efficient Dynamics program. BMW also makes the fuel efficient Mini and recently began selling the tiny Smart in the United States. Do they need to do any more?

[Source: Automotive News via Reuters]

There was a rumor at the 2007 LA Auto Show that there will be hybrid version of the 2009 Pontiac Vibe and Toyota Matrix. The Pontiac Vibe is a product of NUMMI, New United Motor Manufacturing, Inc., a joint venture between GM and Toyota. So, if the rumor is true, GM and Toyota are working on a hybrid together right now.

Toyota wants to license their hybrid technology and GM has worked with other companies on their own hybrid system. I am not a big fan of what-ifs but making a hybrid is not something that's lightly considered and it would explain a lot of things like why has GM not come out with a full hybrid passenger car yet. Of course, the hybrid Vibe might also be a mild hybrid without any real exchange or license of technology.

I guess we find out soon enough; the 2009 Vibe and Matrix go on sale the first quarter of 2008.

[Source: New York Times]

FAW, a Chinese automaker that builds and sells the Prius in China, may release a hybrid Besturn sedan (Bentung is based on the Mazda 6) at a cost of 250,000rmb (33,532.75 US dollars). Recently, we told you about another Chinese car maker showing off a hybrid and how China is making bold moves to support cleaner fuels. We asked will electric cars be common place in China before the US? Should we be asking the same about hybrid cars?

[Source: China Car Times via Inside Line]

We noticed the Mini was getting a little bigger but we never expected this. Car Magazine has several spy photos of a Mini 4X4 SUV - well, a "lifestyle 4x4" SAV, which means sports activity vehicle, is what the marketing department is going with to hide the fact they are butchering the star brand of small car market. The Mini SAV is based on the Clubman but it's a little taller, has tail lights form an SUV, a new drive train in the rear that makes it all wheel drive and, I almost forget: It's 13 feet long (4000mm)! It's rumored they might call it Monte or Colorado and release it in 2009 for a wooping £20,000, making it the most expensive Mini as well as with the largest. In the article, Car Magazine asks "is this Mini marketing gone mad?" What's your answer?

[Source: Car Magazine via 4wheelsblog]

The BMW Mini and, more recently, the new Fiat 500 are both drool-worthy, luxury superminis. It seems Toyota's luxury brand, Lexus, has caught small-car envy from BMW and Fiat: Lexus is rumored to be working on a small, luxury car based on the Toyota Auris platform. The rumor also says the mini could be a hybrid, with a RX powertrain and an electric engine in the boot. We think Lexus can pull it off: Just take a look at Lexus' little LF-C concept in the picture above and the gallery below (and make sue to check out Lexus' interesting solution to replace the mirrors). Whatever it looks like, the rumored car may cost sub-£20k and start production within five years.



Related:

• VIDEO: Fifth Gear tries out the new Fiat 500
• Gas-Guzzling BMW highlighting 40 mpg MINI

UPDATE: edited to include gallery

[Source: Reuters]

Reports are circulating that Porsche is trying to buy Volkswagen. Porsche took 30 percent ownership of VW in March. A takeover offer was made then but less than 1 percent of VW shareholders accepted the offer. I mean, come on! Talk about a clash of cultures.

Porsche makes sports cars. VW does carbon offsets. When you think VW, James Dean in a roadster race car is probably not the first ting that comes to mind. Maybe Porsche has seen the modern Deans (DiCaprio, Damon) driving a Prius and decided to buy VW's green tech? The times they are a changin'.

Frankfurter Allgemeine Sonntagszeitung and Der Spiegel magazine, citing unnamed sources in the stock market, say it may take a while to cross the 50 percent mark. So expect the 7 billion euro deal to break the start of 2008. Then VW Beetle drivers everywhere can feel a little bit cooler.

Update: While it may seem like a clash of cultures, Porsche and VW has had a very long and close working relationship.

[Source: Forbes]