Auto News 5

GM has paid back another tranche of a 1.5 billion ($2.2 billion) euro bridge loan advanced by Germany in June to save Opel / Vauxhall from bankruptcy. GM said Friday it had paid back another 200 million euros of the loan. Full story...

Hyundai-Kia's share gains have overwhelmed rivals this year, and the climbing yen and South Korea's export-friendly trade pacts are giving Japanese automakers even more worries. Full story...

Nothing finally went according to plan for Alex Tagliani who, after being unable to complete the qualifications session, had to take the start with the reserve car during the Nationwide event presented Saturday, in Phoenix. Full story...

TROY, Mich., -- The North American International Auto Show (NAIAS) has announced the debut of Electric Avenue, a 37,000 square foot feature on the main floor of the 2010 show. The new showcase will spotlight electric vehicles and technology of both traditional automakers and innovative entrepreneurs. Full story...

The Hinwil based Sauber team is "waiting patiently" to know if it will be able to keep racing in formula one in 2010. "We are waiting patiently for our starting place," team founder Peter Sauber said referring to the FIA's declaration last week that "urgent clarification" is being sought as to Toyota's "legal position" following the Japanese carmaker's decision to withdraw from F1. Full story...

You know the Infiniti G35 coupe. It's that sleek two-door with the classy fascia, flat rear end, wide taillamps and the stance of a Nissan 350Z. It makes that distinctive, semi-exotic exhaust howl you probably like, too. Full story...

The Malaysian-owned new Lotus team has signed its first driver for the 2010 season, boss Tony Fernandes revealed on his Twitter page. "Public announcement soon," he said. "The dream continues." Meanwhile, Jarno Trulli was this weekend trackside for the Sprint Cup event in Phoenix ahead of his NASCAR test for Michael Waltrip Racing in the coming day. Full story...

Nelson Piquet Jr. will take part in the Superkarts USA Super Nationals in Las Vegas next week-end competing against drivers like Michael Schumacher. It will be a first race appearance for the young driver since the end of his Formula 1 career early this year. Full story...

Back in 2004 and shortly after the Mazda 6 hit the market, it seemed like buying one was a pretty foolproof choice. In addition to capitalizing on a great new styling language, the sporty sedan and wagon from the alternative Japanese manufacturer began winning awards from international press and industry authorities in a big way. The 6 had arrived--and it was a sporty, nicely styled and fun-to-drive machine that made the Accord and Camry look downright boring. Full story...

Superman is back! Mark Martin, trying to win his first NASCAR Sprint Cup Championship, called his teammate Jimmie Johnson Superman for good reasons after the race in Phoenix: No one in the past four years has been good enough in NASCAR's playoffs to beat Johnson in the so called Chase for the Sprint Cup. Full story...

Audi today released the final social media video installment documenting behind-the-scenes considerations that shaped its entries in this year's Los Angeles Design Challenge, a competition associated with the upcoming L.A. Auto Show involving Southern California automotive studios. Full story...

Ford Motor Co. has resolved its workload dispute with workers at its assembly plant in suburban Kansas City, Mo., a spokeswoman said, as local employees wrapped up voting to authorize a strike. Full story...

Ford Motor Co. has resolved its workload dispute with workers at its assembly plant in suburban Kansas City, Mo., a spokeswoman said, as workers were expected to wrap up voting to authorize a strike. Full story...

Fiat plans to boost Italian output about 40 percent to 900,000 units a year under a restructuring scheme, la Repubblica newspaper said. Fiat will present the plan to unions in a couple of weeks, the daily said. Full story...

Fiat plans to boost Italian output about 40 percent to 900,000 units a year under a restructuring scheme, la Repubblica newspaper said. Fiat will present the plan to unions in a couple of weeks, the daily said. Full story...

From behind the wheel, the production version of the Nissan Leaf electric car is smooth, silent, feels nearly friction free and offers all the prodigious torque inherent in an electric car. Full story...

GM has paid back another tranche of a 1.5 billion ($2.2 billion) euro bridge loan advanced by Germany in June to save Opel / Vauxhall from bankruptcy. GM said Friday it had paid back another 200 million euros of the loan. Full story...

Toyota Motor Corp. will soon offer to fix the accelerator pedals of up to 4 million vehicles in the United States that are subject to the company's largest ever safety recall, Kyodo News reported. Full story...

IndyCar driver/owner Alex Tagliani was pretty happy with the team's work after the first day of practice for the Nationwide event in Phoenix where he finished a lonely 42nd in the first session but an unexpected 23rd in the afternoon. Full story...

McLaren has confirmed British newspaper reports revealing that Jenson Button visited the Woking based team's headquarters on Friday.The 2009 world champion-elect had just touched down in Heathrow after a post-season holiday in Japan when he made "a small detour to Woking to say hello", a McLaren spokesman said. The Guardian newspaper said his manager Richard Goddard was also given a tour of the factory by team boss Martin Whitmarsh. Full story...