Auto News 5

International Automotive Components Group (IAC) has announced that it has acquired flooring & acoustics supplier Stankiewicz International Corporation, a US subsidiary of Gimotive GmbH. Full story...

Honda Motor is contacting owners of its second-generation City cars across the ASEAN region as part of the global recall of some 650,000 Fit/Jazz and City models due to faulty window switches. Full story...

The redesigned Kia Sportage will make its world debut at the Geneva motor show on 2 March. Full story...

New soft-roader from Korean firm set to debut at the Geneva Motor Show

Full story...

In front of around 35,000 spectators, two-time World Champion Fernando Alonso made his official debut at the wheel of a Ferrari Formula 1 car Wednesday in the final day of F1 testing at Valencia. Full story...

Two former Formula 1 driver, Jean Alesi and Giancarlo Fisichella will take part to the Le Mans Series with the team AF Corse GT2 class team. Full story...

The best rally drivers from Canada will participate in the opening round of the 2010 Canadian Rally Championship held next weekend as a new season gets underway in Maniwaki, Quebec. Full story...

RM Auctions has a 1963 Ferrari 250 GTO to offer for private treaty sale. This 1963 Ferrari 250 GTO (chassis no. 4675 GT) - one of the most coveted cars in the world - is one of only 36 250 GTOs originally produced and one of a limited few with Series II GTO bodywork. Full story...

Dodge Journey debuted in model-year 2009, as the brand's new compact crossover (based on the Sebring chassis). It's a big seller for Dodge, offering (optional) seven-person seating for not too much money. Dodge intends to keep the winning formula intact for 2010, by not messing with its starting MRSP of $19,995. Full story...

As one of the most-watched TV programs of the year, the Super Bowl is the ideal environment to prominently draw attention to Honda's all-new Accord Crosstour. Airing during the fourth quarter, the 30-second spot features an animated squirrel with an insatiable appetite for "squirreling away" all things cargo, set to the tune of "Funky Stuff" by Kool & The Gang. Full story...

For sports fans who want to get the most out of their Super Bowl XLIV viewing experience...it's Bridgestone or nothing. Bridgestone Americas Tire Operations (BATO) will unveil two new Bridgestone brand tire commercials during the game, which will be broadcast on CBS Feb. 7 from Dolphin Stadium in Miami, Fla. The Bridgestone brand will also serve as the title sponsor of the Super Bowl XLIV Halftime Show featuring the legendary rock band, THE WHO. Full story...

Tesla Motors announced today that former Toyota production engineering general manager Gilbert Passin will lead Tesla's vehicle manufacturing operations. Full story...

The bright yellow and black livery of the new Renault R30 Formula 1 car of Robert Kubica and Vitaly Petrov may have stunned some people, but it is very similar to the paint scheme of the 1977 Renault. Full story...

A sign of better economic times, or just killer deals? Whatever the reason, Canadian vehicle sales in January rose 6.2% over the same period last year, although it's light trucks that are solely responsible for that. The total sales figure of 81,600 is still well below January 2008's sales of 102,800, but it's encouraging nonetheless. Full story...

Good news for the IndyCar fans as well as for Alex Tagliani as the Quebec-based French sports network RDS has confirmed that it would broadcast 16 IndyCar races in 2010. Full story...

Hyundai will be one of the most visible sponsors of Super Bowl XLIV on Sunday, February 7 with a total of eight ads airing throughout the day. The first ad, titled "Paint," will kick off an aggressive campaign supporting the 2011 Sonata. The second in-game ad, titled "10 years/Favre," scheduled for the second quarter, will feature Brett Favre, quarterback of this season's NFC North champion Minnesota Vikings. Available material includes Hyundai's Super Bowl ads. Full story...

Partnering with top-ranked national and international universities, the Ford "Atoms to Engines" team challenged skeptics to develop the world's first virtual materials modeling prediction tool that allows the team to simulate the microstructures of a material before the first prototype is built. Full story...

Sam Michael has played down rumours that some teams are running low fuel this week to artificially promote the competitiveness of their 2010 cars. Full story...

In the beginning there was swapping paint in NASCAR. Now you've got swapping points. Full story...

Richard Branson's Virgin Racing has launched its first Formula 1 car, the Cosworth-powered VR-01. Virgin is the first of the new four F1 teams to unveil its car. Full story...