Auto News 5

The so-called BRIC markets -- Brazil, India, Russia and China -- will build more cars than the mature markets of Europe, the U.S. and Japan next year. VIPEP countries could be the next growth opportunities for automakers. Full story...

At the 2010 Paris Auto Show, British manufacturer Lotus turned the establishment on its head by unveiling nothing less than an entire range of new vehicles. Yes, the wraps were taken off five performance coupes and sedans that the Hethel automaker will soon be producing. And, in true Lotus tradition, each one sports a moniker starting with the letter E: Esprit, Elan, Elite, Elise and Eterne. Full story...

John Middlebrook, the ex-GM executive and now NASCAR chief appellate officer, upheld the NASCAR penalties against Clint Bowyer's No. 33 team but reduced the fines against crew chief, Shane Wilson from $150,000 to $100,000. Full story...

Jacques Villeneuve, the 1997 Formula 1 World Champion declared he and his partners were now looking to purchase an existing F1 team for next season. But let's be perfectly honest, the choice is pretty limited. Full story...

The 2010 Paris Motor Show has turned undoubtedly green and clean with a focus on a huge reduction of CO2 and the presence of several electric vehicles. Race cars were not numerous indeed... Full story...

As pictures speak louder and in a more detailed fashion than words, I've selected 10 cars that made my heart do a backflip. I've selected these in no particular order. Essentially, sleek racy lines, an aggressive stance and some ginormous wheels will get it on my list. Or a hot compact hatchback. Oh, and it's got to be Euro or Japanese... Whatever! There are so many. Full story...

That's 'Cruze' with a 'Z', by the way. Replacing the Cobalt, which replaced the Cavalier, this new compact sedan from Chevrolet will soon launch as a 2011 model. Among many other things, the American automaker hopes the Cruze's top-notch powertrain, safety, warranty and value equation will be the automotive equivalent of a hand-grenade tossed into its competitive set-- which includes the Mazda 3, Honda Civic and Toyota Corolla. Full story...

Detroit/Stuttgart. smart USA intends to launch a five-door car on the US market within the next 15 months. This was announced by smart USA in Detroit today. Full story...

Korea's new formula one circuit is almost complete, an official of the Yeongam venue has revealed. Full story...

The son of a former F1 driver is reportedly targeting a test driver seat with the Lotus team. Full story...

Vitantonio Liuzzi has played down rumours Force India is planning to replace him at the end of the season. Full story...

Kimi Raikkonen has broken his silence to scold Renault and reveal he will not be joining the Enstone based formula one team in 2011. Full story...

Former team principal Bob Bell has left the Renault Formula 1 Team, the Enstone-based squadron announced on Wednesday. Full story...

Briton Peter Warr, who was best known as a former team boss of the legendary Team Lotus Formula 1 squadron, has passed away in France on October 4th. Full story...

Nissan presents the Sentra SE-R Spec V as an inexpensive, economical sports sedan targeted at those who are wise with their money yet yearning for a little performance when they turn the key. I suspect that there's a pretty significant market for this sort of vehicle. It bridges the gap between the performance desires of a young "tuner" and the realities that tuner will face upon starting a family. Full story...

Investment bankers for GM have met with sovereign wealth funds and private investors in the Middle East and Asia to gauge interest in the automaker's planned stock sale, said two people familiar with the meetings. Full story...

Volkswagen AG may expand production of a mid-sized sedan designed for U.S. customers to China in a bid to win buyers in the world's biggest auto market. Full story...

A survey released this week suggests that revised fuel economy labels proposed by federal regulators will confuse many likely car buyers -- and will emphasize the wrong information. Full story...

U.S. auto sales in 2010 and 2011 will continue to crawl -- not walk or run -- out of last year's recession, according to forecasters at the Auto Industry Hot Topics Conference here. Full story...

U.S. auto sales in 2010 and 2011 will continue to crawl -- not walk or run -- out of last year's recession, according to forecasters at the Auto Industry Hot Topics Conference here. Full story...