Auto News 5

Twist the key in the 2011 Ford Shelby GT500's ignition, and it burbles startlingly to life after that extra second of cranking that says something big and angry is about to wake up. Just afterwards, its supercharged V8 barks and crackles out the tailpipes with a noise that makes those nearby check for overhead thunderclouds. Full story...

IRC reigning champion Kris Meeke is rumoured to join MINI programme for the World Rally Championship in 2011. Full story...

At this year's Mondial de l'Automobile in Paris on September 30th, Hyundai will celebrate the world premiere of its new B-segment MPV (Multi Purpose Vehicle). To be presented as the Hyundai ix20, a sketch revealed today shows the new model as a striking departure from the boxy 'minivan' image typically associated with the segment, adopting a more dynamic, sportier profile in line with Hyundai's reputation as a modern, progressive automaker. Full story...

A 1959 Cadillac S&S ambulance rescued from a Church in Maryland, USA, after being read it's last rights, has undergone a miraculous restoration as a tribute to the iconic Ghostbusters movie car, and is now being auctioned at Historics at Brooklands forthcoming sale on 25th September. Full story...

The head of the only major motorsport team in Canada, André Azzi has announced on Wednesday his intention to rebuild what Player's abandoned when the anti-tobacco law came into effect six years ago in Canada: a new drivers' development program for Quebec and Canada's best talents. Full story...

Mercedes motorsport boss Norbert Haug has confirmed that the Force India Formula 1 team pays its bills on time and will continue to receive Mercedes engines beyond 2010. Full story...

The Dodge brand is going the distance as the title sponsor of the "Dodge Rock 'n' Roll Virginia Beach Half Marathon presented by SunTrust." Approximately 30 employee runners are driving a caravan of Dodge vehicles that will grip the pavement from Auburn Hills, Mich., to Virginia Beach, Va., over the Labor Day weekend. Full story...

Hanover/Regensburg. Continental is making driving safer and more economical for the future with a new application that reports the tire pressure directly to a smart phone. The vehicle electronic is connected wirelessly with the driver's smart phone, therefore making speedy data exchange possible. Full story...

The American Le Mans Series has announced that it will not race on the same weekend as NASCAR is coming to Montreal next year. Full story...

The American Le Mans Series will be heading to Baltimore's Festival of Speed on Labor Day weekend in 2011. Full story...

Japanese car manufacturer Nissan is rumoured to be in talks with the ITR, the DTM championship organizers for an entry in 2012. Full story...

Peter Sauber and Gerhard Berger have denied reports the pair are set to share ownership of the Hinwil based formula one team. Full story...

General Motors Co. plans to begin courting investors for its initial public stock offering immediately after the Nov. 2 U.S. mid-term congressional elections, two sources familiar with the plans said on Wednesday. Full story...

Any way you look at it, August U.S. auto sales disappointed. Compared with 'clunker August' a year ago, sales fell 21 percent. Compared with the month before, volume dropped 5 percent. Full story...

Chrysler Group recorded its fifth consecutive month of year-over-year increases, as August sales rose 7 percent. Full story...

General Motors Co. posted strong August sales at three of its four remaining brands. Full story...

Ford Motor Co. will hold fourth-quarter North American production at the same level as the third-quarter of this year and down slightly from the last quarter of 2009 because of the economy's modest recovery and lackluster consumer spending. Full story...

Toyota Division sales may have fallen 34 percent in August -- and are now down 1 percent for the year to date -- but General Manager Bob Carter isn't panicking. Toyota was the No. Full story...

First Look: 2012 Ford Taurus and Explorer Police Interceptor

Ford Explores new Police Interceptor models.

For those of you who always obey the speed limit and come to a complete stop, the following information probably won’t be of much interest. But those of you who might occasionally bend the rules should listen up: We’ve got the skinny on Ford’s newest police vehicle offerings. You’d better start scanning the landscape for shapes other than the familiar Crown Victoria, which is no longer being sold.

Photo Gallery: 2012 Ford Taurus and Explorer Police Interceptor - First Look - Automobile Magazine

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In today's News Brake: Ford reveals an Explorer-based police utility vehicle, plans for Austin's Formula One track are revealed, and Chevrolet wants Cruze buyers to try the competition . . . But Wait, There's More! Full story...