Auto News 5

Toyota officials in the US have said they saw "optimism" in that country's auto sales trends and welcomed the Obama administration's intervention in the industry. Full story...

Ford executives said the last week of March provided the first uptick in US industry sales since January but stopped short of calling a bottom to the prolonged slump in industry sales. Full story...

Italy's Brembo and SGL Group of Germany are in advanced talks to combine their businesses in carbon ceramic brake discs to share costs, especially in the development of new products for a growing market. Full story...

General Motors has asked for US$2.6bn of low interest government loans to support the development of three new hybrid vehicles, according to a business plan update released this week. Full story...

Despite selling 24.5 percent fewer vehicles, European automakers outperformed the rest of the industry as U.S. sales fell 36.8 percent in March. Full story...

French carmaker Renault SA is aiming for its volumes in Asia and Africa this year to at least equal what it sold in 2008, despite a sharp global sales slowdown, a senior executive said today. Full story...

The Slovak government has said it would extend its auto trade-in bonus scheme aimed at boosting new car sales after its funding ran out last week due to intense demand. Full story...

Almost production-ready luxury saloon is spied at the Nurburgring

Full story...

A round-up of the best unveils and surprises from this year's Seoul Show.

Full story...

Hot new track day 911 caught testing at the Nurburgring

Full story...

Tata Motors Ltd., the Indian automaker that bought Jaguar and Land Rover last year, today said its global new-car sales fell 14 percent in its fiscal year ending March 31. Full story...

The key word of Barack Obama's election campaign was 'change'. And that's what GM and Chrysler are about to experience - big style. Mark Bursa assesses the prospects for what's left of the US auto industry. Full story...

Kia Motors Corp's U.S. sales unit has raised $305 million in an asset-backed loan from six U.S. banks to refinance maturing debt, officials at South Korea's No.2 automaker said today. Full story...

Kia Motors Corp's U.S. sales unit has raised $305 million in an asset-backed loan from six U.S. banks to refinance maturing debt, officials at South Korea's No.2 automaker said today. Full story...

US total light vehicle sales (adjusted for selling days) may have been down 34.2% to 855,358, as calculated by WardsAuto.com, but that was nonetheless well up on February's 687,356 and rather better than Edmunds.com's (unadjusted) forecast of a 42.7% plunge to 774,000 units or JD Power's 798,000 prediction. Full story...

Toyota Motor Corp. is going for the jugular with its upgraded Prius, setting a 2.05 million yen starting price ($20,750) in Japan that is on par with the newly released Honda Insight. Full story...

Antonov, the UK-based vehicle transmission specialist, has strengthened its relationships with the Chongqing and Sichuan governments to create what is said was a firmer and broader platform for the possible formation of a joint venture in China to produce its proprietary TX-6 automatic transmission, which has the major innovation of eliminating the traditional torque converter for a more efficient planetary gearbox. Full story...

V10-engined LFA will be star of Japanese expo.

Full story...

Clearest-look yet at VW's GTI-beater with 270bhp

Full story...

Home of the best New York Motor Show coverage on the web. Full story...