Auto News 5

November was another good month for automakers. According to Ward's, more than 869,000 cars and light trucks left dealer lots, down 8.2% compared to October but 12.0% ahead of November 2009. Crunching those numbers yields a seasonally adjusted annualised rate (SAAR) of 12.26m light vehicles, the same as to October, indicating a slow but steady recovery. So far this year, sales are up 11.1%. Full story...

Ford has signed a four-year agreement with Belgian unions to secure the future of its Genk assembly plant. Production capacity will be maintained at 225,000 units a year, with the potential to grow beyond that figure, depending on market demand. Full story...

One of Daimler's rising stars, Jerome Guillen, has moved to U.S. electric sports car manufacturer Tesla. Full story...

Economic woes and the end of scrappage schemes threatened a bleak start to 2011 for some of Europe's top car markets. Full story...

Fernando Alonso has urged his fans to be calm amid the Vitaly Petrov controversy, even if he understands their feelings in the wake of the recent 2010 finale. Full story...

MINI's new crossover will arrive in Canadian dealerships in January, at a base price of $27,850 before tax, freight and delivery. Full story...

Indian race car driver Karun Chandhok visited the site of the new road circuit being built near New Delhi. He posted photos on his Twitter account. Full story...

Citroen's motorsport boss Olivier Quesnel said that Kimi Raikkonen and Petter Solberg will have the priority to drive for the Citroen « B » team in 2011. Full story...

I often hear or read automotive journalists praising the benefits of an all-wheel drive layout in a car or truck, and I agree; four wheels that manage engine power will always be more capable than two, especially on slippery surfaces. Full story...

In 2011, French automaker Renault will attempt to court the young, urban crowd by promoting its Twizy concept car with iAd, Apple's advertising network designed to reach iPhone and iPod Touch users. Full story...

The Dodge Viper is back! A few months after production ended, the automaker is reportedly planning a rebirth in the not-so-distant future. Full story...

Toyota is not kidding around with safety; after the much-publicized episode of recalls due to sticking accelerator pedals earlier this year, they are doing everything in their power in order to change the negative perception that some customers might have concerning the safety of their vehicles. Therefore, they have announced the introduction of their Star Safety System for all their 2011 vehicles, in a press release today. Full story...

When you're in a slump, the best thing you can do as a vehicle manufacturer is offer alluring incentives. That's what Honda and luxury division Acura have done, and despite a very slow start to the 2010 calendar year, they are now matching last year's sales. Full story...

Seven-time World Champion Michael Schumacher is cautious about the 2011 season after a difficult return to formula one this year. Full story...

The Indy racing League has decided to revise its TEAM program awarding money to each car in the IndyCar series and two of the smallest teams will be the biggest losers. Full story...

BMW works driver, Briton Andy Priaulx looks set to graduate to the DTM series in 2012 with German car manufacturer BMW. Full story...

Mississauga, ON - Continental Tire Canada (CTC) announces a price increase of up to 6% with some in-line adjustments on all Continental, General and Proprietary Brand passenger and light truck tires in Canada. The price increase will vary by product line and size. The price increase is effective as of January 1, 2011 for the Canadian market and is a response to the continuing rise in raw material costs. This alignment will only affect summer and all-season tires. Full story...

Lamborghini, Ferrari, Maserati. Just these words alone give me shivers. I see one on the road and I can't stop staring at it. The sound of the engine makes me hold my breath for a moment. These cars are the reasons for becoming an automotive journalist. Full story...

Are you familiar with Frank Rinderknecht and Rinspeed? Over the past few years, this Swiss car tuning expert has created by far some of the most imaginative yet unorthodox concepts the auto industry has ever seen. Among their popular achievements is a Lotus Elise converted into a zero-emission submersible. Called sQuba, it made quite a splash during its introduction at the 2008 Geneva Motor Show. Full story...

Comprised of 36 Karl Lagerfeld photos, Pirelli's 2011 calendar has been officially revealed in Moscow. Entitled "Mythology," it explores topics such as gods, heroes and myths while promising an idyllic, black-and-white interpretation of beauty. Twenty-one models from the four corners of the globe, including actress Julianne Moore, helped create this work of art. Full story...