TOP 10  -  GM set to bring Volt electric car to Europe

General Motors is planning to rebadge its Chevrolet Volt electric car as an Opel and bring it to Europe as part of the US carmaker's plans to expand the model range of its highly anticipated new vehicle.GM is sufficiently encouraged by the development of the Volt that it has begun work on several other similar vehicles.

[ Source : ft ]

TOP 9  -  Japanese cars sell more in China than German cars

There were 278,000 sedans of foreign brands sold in China, accounting 77.16% of the total sales of sedans in the country that month. Of these foreign-brand sedans, Japanese sedans still led the China's sedan sales by selling

128,400 units, or 35.58% of the total, in July in the Chinese market, where German-brand and U.S.-brand sedans only sold 67,800 units and 48,600 units respectively in that month, said Zhu Yiping, an official from Chinese Association of Automobile Manufacturers (CAAM), to the Shanghai Securities News on Monday.

[ Source : gasgoo ]

TOP 8  -  Drive: Lexus IS-F

The Lexus IS-F is a significant new design for one core reason: it introduces a performance sub-brand parallel to that of the M-cars from BMW, AMG from Mercedes-Benz, and the S and RS sub-brands from Audi. This then is Lexus making a logical next step to further encroach on the established German premium brands.

[ Source : cardesignnews ]

TOP 7  -  BMW: We still have arrows in our quiver

BMW went into F1's three-week summer holiday on a low, having surrendered second place in the constructors' championship to arch rivals McLaren-Mercedes post-Budapest. Indeed the Hungarian Grand Prix was a dismal one for the Munich and Hinwil-based concern, with Robert Kubica and Nick Heidfeld only finishing eighth and tenth respectively.

[ Source : crash ]

TOP 6  -  FIRST DRIVE: Fiat 500 Abarth superhatch

There's something hugely appealing about the unexpectedly fast, small car. It's the combination of cute looks and the promise of major amusement from cheeky, giant-killing performance.

[ Source : motoring ]

TOP 5  -  Ford's bold small-car effort starts today

The Cologne plant is the first to build the new car, which Ford plans to tailor to meet customer preferences for interior features, exterior colors and other options in each region of the world.The Fiesta goes on sale first in Europe, and by 2010, is to reach North America, where affordable, fuel-efficient subcompact cars are now hot-sellers.

[ Source : freep ]

TOP 4  -  HYUNDAI, KIA TO INVEST $US10.5BLN IN R&D, FACILITIES IN 2008

The investment included more than 2.7 trillion won for R&D for the company's vehicle division and 2 trillion won for the Hyundai Steel Co., the nation's second-biggest steelmaker, Chung Mong-koo, the company's chairman, said.

[ Source : tradingmarkets ]

TOP 3  -  Carjacker steals Porsche from servo

A man stole a luxury car in Sydney's east last night after threatening the vehicle's passenger at gunpoint while the driver paid for petrol.

[ Source : abc ]

TOP 2  -  Nissan Plans on Doubling German Market Share, Handelsblatt Says

Nissan Motor Co. wants to double its market share in Germany to 3 percent by 2012 to shift focus from a falling U.S. market, Handelsblatt reported, citing unidentified people close to Chief Executive Officer Carlos Ghosn. The carmaker plans this year to hire 55 of the 120 additional dealers it needs to achieve that goal, the Dusseldorf, Germany-based newspaper said. Nissan currently has 400 partners retailing its brand in Germany, Handelsblatt reported.

[ Source : bloomberg ]

TOP 1  -  Panasonic Toyota Racing To Hit The Streets Of Rotterdam

The streets of Rotterdam in the Netherlands will ring to the sound of Formula 1 this weekend when Jarno Trulli demonstrates a TF107 for Panasonic Toyota Racing at the Bavaria City Racing event on Sunday.Just one week before the European Grand Prix on the new street circuit in Valencia, Jarno will be back behind the wheel of a TF107 on a 2.2km track through the centre of Rotterdam.The spectacular downtown lay-out gives fans a superb chance to see a Formula 1 car close up, with Jarno crossing the Willemsbrug bridge and passing some of the city's most recognisable landmarks on Coolsingel before the track loops back on itself at Hofplein.

[ Source : paddocktalk ]