Auto News 5

Spearheading the creation of one of the most beautiful sports cars ever made is one of the reasons why Ferruccio Lamborghini has earned a spot in the European Automotive Hall of Fame. Full story...

Volkswagen group's union chief Bernd Osterloh has joined the four-person inner council of Porsche Automobil Holding, the body that oversees the Porsche-Piech family's 51 percent stake in VW group. Full story...

General Motors is restructuring its sales, marketing and aftersales operations in Europe to give its Opel, Chevrolet Europe and Saab brands more autonomy. Full story...

France's automakers made big changes late last week that they hope will help them emerge from the worst sales slump in decades. Full story...

Two of Europe's biggest dealer groups are restructuring their businesses to protect themselves against the slump in new-car sales. Full story...

Suppliers are looking for more than €10 billion in loans from the European Investment Bank to help them cope with a growing cash shortage. Full story...

Sales of the Volkswagen Golf were supposed to suffer last year ahead of the arrival of the new sixth-generation model last autumn. Full story...

General Motors could close three or more European car plants this year as the cash-starved automaker desperately seeks to align its production with collapsing car sales. Full story...

For many race fans, the unveiling of the Peugeot line-up for the endurance series last week was not welcomed news. Jacques Villeneuve and Ricardo Zonta, the former teammates at BAR F1 in 1999, would not be back this season. Full story...

For many race fans, the unveiling of the Peugeot line-up for the endurance series last week was not welcomed news. Jacques Villeneuve and Ricardo Zonta, the former teammates at BAR F1 in 1999, would not be back this season. Full story...

More than 70 per cent of Formula 1's eighteen confirmed drivers for 2009 have lost weight since the end of last season. Full story...

Contradicting media reports, Renault technical director Bob Bell insists the French team is on course to record a strong start to the 2009 season next month. Full story...

In a few months, Europeans will have a brand-new model at their disposal that will be the envy of the rest of the world. Following the indisputable success of the diminutive 500 subcompact, Fiat will launch a soft-top version this spring. The small master of the road pays homage to the 1957 model but with a decidedly contemporary attitude. Full story...

After selling over 26 million units worldwide, including 400,000 in Canada, the Volkswagen Golf is back for a sixth generation. While executives of the German automaker talk about an evolution rather than a complete transformation, they did have a few surprises in store for journalists during the model's North American premiere at the CIAS in Toronto. Full story...

For many race fans, the unveiling of the Peugeot line-up for the endurance series last week was not welcomed news. Jacques Villeneuve and Ricardo Zonta, the former teammates at BAR F1 in 1999, would not be back this season. Full story...

Matt Kenseth wins the rain-shortened Daytona 500, opening round of the 2009 NASCAR Sprint Cup. Full story...

The Audi Allroad quattro sauntered off of the North American playing field some years back, though Audi is now officially building a new A4-based Allroad model for Europe. With European availability announced from this summer, the new Allroad would do battle with the likes of elemental off-road wagons like the Subaru Outback, Volvo XC70 and the upcoming Saab 9-3x. Full story...

This week, Auto123.com features the following road tests: The Volkswagen Passat wagon, a car that proves that luxury and flexibility can indeed coexist. The Honda Pilot, a spacious SUV that's as fun to drive as it is to ride in. The Mazda6 GT, a sedan that combines elegance and performance. Check out our video dedicated to the 2009 Canadian International Auto Show in Toronto, the biggest auto show in the country. Full story...

Rumours that Bruno Senna has inked a contract to make his formula one debut with the team currently known as Honda next year are untrue. Full story...

Team Williams will not deploy KERS technology until after at least the first six races of 2009, according to team driver Nico Rosberg. Full story...