BMW and Fiat to create Minicars together?

Tiny ‘bubble cars’ that pack super-efficiency into small dimensions are nothing new to the automotive world, though they have all but disappeared in recent years. Now reports are beginning to speak of an alliance between Fiat and BMW that could yield the next-generation of 100mpg minicars, bearing names not used for decades.
Rumors of the revival of Fiat’s Topolino small car brand and BMW’s Isetta nameplate have been brewing for months, but as yet little in the way of hard evidence has surfaced. Fiat’s Phylla concept has been tipped as a preview of an all-electric car, while Sergio Marchionne, Fiat’s CEO, has confirmed the company is working on a new minicar family under the 1950s Topolino brand. BMW, on the other hand, has kept its cards closer to its chest, revealing almost nothing, refusing even to confirm the project is being considered.

Nevertheless, the latest news from Auto Express claims to have the Italian and German firms working together to build 100mpg (2.35L/100km) cars that emit very little CO2 as part of their overall plan to comply with Europe’s impending stringent emissions standards.

Details of the cars are included in the latest news, with the Topolino reportedly using a 900cc two-cylinder petrol engine. The BMW could borrow that unit or feature a small diesel engine. The same basic engine was previewed in the Fiat Panda Aria concept at Frankfurt last year. In that form, the engine produced 65hp (48kW) in standard trim and 105hp (78kW) in turbocharged form.

Styling for both models will be retro-modern, much like the 500 and Mini, while fuel economy and emissions targets for both cars are claimed to be decidedly futuristic, at 100mpg (2.35L/100km) and less than 90g/km CO2. The cars are expected to reach production by 2010.  There is a possibility that BMW too will use Tata Nano…