Auto News 5

Asheville, North Carolina - The auto journalists on hand for the launch of the all-new 2010 Ford Taurus really did their homework. They attended the whole program, were all ears during the various speeches and drove this great American sedan over hundreds of kilometres while paying attention to every little detail. Full story...

Stefano Domenicali has blamed development money wasted on KERS as the reason for its competitive struggle in 2009. Full story...

Arese, Italy - Alfa Romeo will be celebrating its centennial in 2010 and rejoining the North American market at the same time. In preparation for these two events, we thought it would be interesting to visit the Alfa Romeo Museum located in Arese, in the suburbs of Milano, in order to get re-acquainted with this prestigious brand. Full story...

Once again, after having dominated most of the Iowa race, Ryan Briscoe was denied victory in the closing stages of the race; this time around by Dario Franchitti who earned his second victory of 2009. Full story...

The Infineon Raceway in Sonoma, California always brings in an unusual winner. Sunday's Toyota/SaveMart 350 NASCAR Sprint Cup race was no exception. Full story...

Unveiled to the world for the first time at the 2009 Geneva Motor Show, the new Fiat 500C pays homage to the original 1957 Fiat 500 and its fabric roof, but also offers innovative solutions in terms of mechanical design, engines and comfort. All this in line with the most authentic Fiat tradition of giving people access to segment firsts in content and technology. Full story...

Montreal's mayor Gerald Tremblay says the revival of the Canadian grand prix depends upon formula one resolving its crisis. Full story...

FIA president Max Mosley has dismissed as a joke his reference to some members of the FOTA teams alliance as 'loonies'. Full story...

The J.D. Power and Associates Initial Quality Study, or IQS, serves as the industry benchmark for new-vehicle quality measured at 90 days of ownership. The study is used extensively by manufacturers worldwide to help them design and build better vehicles and by consumers to help them in their vehicle purchase decisions. Initial quality has been shown over the years to be an excellent predictor of long-term durability, which can significantly impact consumer purchase decisions. The study captures problems experienced by owners in two distinct categories: design-related problems, and defects and malfunctions. Full story...

Continuing its tradition of introducing distinctive and unique limited editions, smart Canada today announced the arrival of the smart fortwo edition limited three. Finished in exclusive melon green metallic paint with 12 spoke, 15" alloy wheels, production of this stylish new smart fortwo will be restricted to just 180 units to ensure individuality and exclusivity. Full story...

On Thursday of this week, FOTA, the Formula One Teams Association, plans to speed up preparations for next year's breakaway world championship. Full story...

The BMW Team Italy-Spain won both the WTCC races at Brno with Alex Zanardi and Sergio Hernandez, proving once again that they are the outfit to beat when the series visits the Czech Republic. Full story...

Elvis Presley croons "All Shook Up" from the CD player as Florentino Marin wipes down his 1955 Buick Century sedan on a central Havana street. Full story...

Volkswagen AG will have a "positive result" in the second quarter and would consider giving sports car maker Porsche a loan if asked, CFO Hans Dieter Poetsch said on Saturday. Full story...

Volkswagen AG, among the automakers that have suffered the least in the United States this year, will temporarily shut parts of its Mexican plant starting next week until early August, a union spokesman said on Saturday. Full story...

Alberto Valerio and Pastor Maldonado won rounds 7 and 8 of the season, this week-end at Silverstone. Grosjean is back in the lead on provisional classification. Full story...

Jenson Button would celebrate winning the world championship by proposing marriage, his girlfriend has revealed. Full story...

Far from expanding its existing sponsorship of Brawn GP, Virgin is not likely to still be a sponsor of the former Honda squad in 2010, Sir Richard Branson said at Silverstone on Sunday. Full story...

Local driver Simon Dubé extended his victory streak at Rally Saguenay to three this Saturday, between Ferland-et-Boilleau, south of Ville Saguenay. Full story...

Chinese automaker BYD Auto announced this week the large-scale commercial launch of its F3DM compact hybrid sedan in September. With its very long operating range in electric mode, the car had raised a lot of interest at the Detroit Auto Show last January. Full story...