Autoblog

Click on the image above for pictures of the Brutale 910 R

Volkswagen may not be the only auto manufacturer interesting in a storied Italian motorcycle maker. Hot on the heels of its purchase of Jaguar and Land Rover, rumors are swirling that Tata may be considering purchasing a stake in MV Agusta. According to a few Indian and Italian sources, Ratan Tata, chairman of the Tata Group, is reportedly in talks with Claudio Castiglioni, the man running the show at MV Agusta.

Tata's involvement with MV Agusta could inject a unique flavor to the Indian conglomerate's portfolio, which has already been boosted by its acquisition of the two aforementioned classic British marques. A healthy injection of cash could do wonders for MV Agusta as well, considering what it has already proven capable of even in its currently meager financial position.


[Sources: Faster and Faster, India Automotive, Motoblog]

Click on the image to view more high-res shots

We've grown rather accustomed to seeing special-edition MV Agusta Brutales, but this is the first time that one has featured four wheels. MV Agusta and Citroën have teamed up to produce a two-door hatchback show car called the C2 1587 Brutale. The naming scheme and the color pallete are clearly inspired by what is arguably Italy's hottest naked bike, the MV Agusta 1078 RR Brutale. We're not clear on what other tie-in exists between the two vehicles beyond that, though. Featuring a 1.6 liter 16-valve engine with 125 hp, the C2 1587 Brutale's power output is nowhere near as impressive as its two-wheeled inspiration. We do like the interior, which features plenty of black leather and alcantara with red outlines and stitching. Ultimately, we feel that this is one mash-up that the world probably could have done without.


[Source: MV Agusta]

Over the weekend, Dylan Weiss from Cry Havoc Productions, Inc. let us know that his latest motorcycle-specific documentary went live at Discovery's Turbo online site. We've spent some time watching the footage, and we think it's awesome. Focusing in on Honda, Yamaha, Kawasaki, Suzuki, BMW, Ducati, MV Agusta and Bimota, the crew took plenty of footage home with them and managed to ride some of the greatest modern sportbikes ever created along the way. Best of all, over four hours of video is available online for free at their mini-site, broken down into 50 segments.

The whole shebang was shot in High Definition, so we have some serious hopes that it will air on The Discovery Channel, be offered on DVD or both. It's extremely entertaining and we definitely recommend checking it out. Thanks for the tip, Dylan!

[Source: Cry Havoc Productions, Discovery Turbo]

Click on the image above for pictures of the Brutale 910 R

We are not the only ones who think that the MV Agusta Brutale is the most beautiful bike sans clothing, with the Italian press fawning all over the frenetic four-cylinder sportbike. While we've not been pleased with every take on improving the near-perfect looks of the Brutale, MV Agusta has started to offer some limited editions of the machine with new color and graphics schemes. MV has recently added the Wally Brutale 910 R to the already announced Brutale Hydrogen. This whole special edition series was started by the Italia edition, which was created to commemorate Italy's win in the last World Cup. There isn't much the Italian company can do to improve on the overall design of the Brutale, but having a few extra choices when it comes to what little clothing is draped over the bike is surely a good thing as far as we're concerned.

Source: MV Agusta via Gizmag]

Just a little while ago we learned that MV Agusta was working on a 675cc triple engine to compete in the middleweight sportbike class following the successful formula that Triumph has discovered with its Daytona. What might a Brutale with the possible three-bore engine look like? The photo above is a CG rendering of a possible new model from MV Agusta, which would likely be known as the B3 675 Brutale. This naked bike would compete with the Triumph Street Triple 675, which is the naked version of their Daytona 675. If this rumor turns into something more concrete, expect to see proof at the rapidly approaching EICMA show in Milan.

[Source: Moto-Station]

Back when Triumph first released a middleweight sportbike, it aimed right at the heart of the market that was (and is) dominated by the Japanese four-cylinder models. After that initial failed attempt, Triumph chose to shake things up with its Daytona 675, which had one less cylinder and a bit more displacement, and they found a winning combination. So, with that precedent already firmly set, we hear that Italian bike makers MV Agusta and Benelli are planning to use the same formula for their upcoming middleweight bikes too. While Benelli has a recent history of offering triples, MV Agusta currently offers only a few soul-stirring and supremely beautiful four-cylinder sportbikes. Considering how much love Triumph's Daytona has gotten, we are pretty excited to see what the Italians have up their sleeves. If the rumor holds true, we'll know for sure in early November when the bikes are expected to be introduced in Milan.

[Source: Raptors and Rockets]

It may sound a bit like a lowball bid from the Price Is Right, but automaker Proton has sold its 57.7 percent stake in Italian motorcycle manufacturer MV Agusta for the princely sum of one euro (about $1.18 USD). It isn't that the Malaysian concern was just feeling particularly generous... far from it, in fact. The company's new owner, Italian investment company Gevi SpA has agreed to take on Agusta's "restructured frozen debts," which amounts to some 106.9 million euros (circa $127 million), and has further promised to invest 32.5 million euros ($38.5 million) as operating capital.

As Proton had already completely written off its investment in the bikemaker, its bottom line for 2005 remains unchanged. To say that the carbuilder made a mistake in investing $83 million (70 million euro) in Agusta just one year ago would be to utter an understatement worthy of former Iraqi Information Minister Mohammed Saeed al-Sahaf.

[Source: The Malaysian Star]