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General Motors has told U.S. dealers it is accelerating its timetable for closing about 1,700 dealerships as it rushes to meet a June 1 deadline to restructure under U.S. government oversight, people with knowledge of the discussions said. Full story...

Facing a June 1 deadline to restructure under U.S. government oversight, General Motors may drop its Pontiac and GMC brands as part of broader cost-cutting moves, Bloomberg reported, citing people familiar with the matter. Full story...

Facing a June 1 deadline to restructure under U.S. government oversight, General Motors may drop its Pontiac and GMC brands as part of broader cost-cutting moves, Bloomberg reported, citing people familiar with the matter. Full story...

General Motors has told U.S. dealers it is accelerating its timetable for closing about 1,700 dealerships as it rushes to meet a June 1 deadline to restructure under U.S. government oversight, people with knowledge of the discussions told Reuters. Full story...

Facing a June 1 deadline to restructure under U.S. government oversight, General Motors may drop its Pontiac and GMC brands as part of broader cost-cutting moves, Bloomberg reported, citing people familiar with the matter. Full story...

Noble International Ltd. filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection late Wednesday, just two weeks after the auto supplier revealed the Detroit 3 planned to take their business elsewhere. Full story...

General Motors has told U.S. dealers it is accelerating its timetable for closing about 1,700 dealerships as it rushes to meet a June 1 deadline to restructure under U.S. government oversight, people with knowledge of the discussions told Reuters. Full story...

Francois Dumontier of Octane Management has applied the brakes to speculation that the Canadian Grand Prix is poised to soon return to the formula one calendar. Full story...

Briton Ron Dennis on Thursday announced he is ending his involvement with the formula one team McLaren. Full story...

Fans of sport utility vehicles (SUV) now have an opportunity to thumb their nose at environmentalists. As far as I'm concerned, one of the blue stars in the Mercedes-Benz lineup, the 2009 ML320 BlueTEC 4MATIC, is particularly competent and surprisingly efficient. Full story...

Singer, musician, songwriter and environmental supporter, Sheryl Crow, is part of a growing group of well-known musicians and actors who are passionate about the benefits of Mercedes-Benz BlueTEC clean diesel vehicles. Her Mercedes-Benz R320 BlueTEC is one of today's modern diesel vehicles that are extremely quiet, environmentally clean, and can achieve a range of 500 miles on a single tank of diesel fuel. Full story...

The Porsche World Roadshow, a driving event designed to give potential customers the opportunity to drive the full range of Porsche models, launched today at Mosport International Raceway, just outside of Toronto. Over nine days, more than 350 prospects from around the country will participate in challenging driving exercises that demonstrate the on- and off-road ability of Porsche sports cars and Cayenne SUVs. Full story...

There were plenty of talking points as the formula one world gathered at a chilly Shanghai circuit on Thursday, on the eve of the official action for the Chinese grand prix. Full story...

Canadian Road Leasing Company, a wholly owned subsidiary of Ford Credit Canada, today completed a lease securitization transaction, receiving proceeds of $0.6 billion (Canadian). A portion of the proceeds will be held in a reserve fund for the transaction. Full story...

Martin Whitmarsh on Thursday revealed he offered to resign as McLaren team boss after the recent Malaysian grand prix. Full story...

Formula 1 team figures will meet after the forthcoming China-Bahrain double header to assess the damage to the previously united FOTA alliance. Full story...

The Honourable Tony Clement, Minister of Industry, announced the establishment of an automotive research fund designed to keep the Canadian auto industry competitive and sustainable. Full story...

Canadian race car driver Bruno Spengler drove the new 2009 C-Class Mercedes-Benz to first place overall in the third and final day of the DTM official test held at Circuit Dijon-Prenois in France. Full story...

Supplier Noble International Ltd. filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection for its North American operations on Wednesday, citing a steep decline in auto production and tight credit. Noble is the latest U.S. Full story...

Vile Gossip: GM Vice Chairman Bob Lutz Retiring

Life won't be nearly as entertaining without GM Vice Chairman Bob Lutz.

Of course I have a huge affinity for the retiring, but hardly shy, Bob Lutz. The title of this column is Vile Gossip, after all, and half the things that come from my mouth at any given moment set my own hair on fire. Obviously, I like anyone - especially in this barren industry, bereft as it is of real characters - who can cause a bigger ruckus than I can.

Photo Gallery: GM Vice Chairman Bob Lutz Retiring - Automotive Industry News - Automobile Magazine

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