Auto News 5

Canadian driver James Hinchcliffe topped the time chart during Firestone Indy Lights practice on the 1.75-mile, 11-turn Toronto circuit on Friday. Full story...

To mark the beginning of new era in sustainable mobility in British Columbia, a ceremony was held Friday, July 17, when Toyota Canada delivered a Prius Plug-In Hybrid (PHV) to a group of BC testing partners. These partners include BC Institute of Technology (BCIT), BC Hydro, City of Vancouver, Ministry of Energy, Mines and Petroleum Resources and the University of Victoria's Institute for Integrated Energy Systems (IESVic). Representatives from each organization were on hand to officially 'plug-in' to the future and deliver the Prius PHV to the province of B.C. To mark the occasion, B.C.'s Minister of State for Climate Action John Yap, Vancouver's Deputy Mayor Ellen Woodsworth, BCIT's President Don Wright, IESVic's Curran Crawford and Toyota Canada's Managing Director Stephen Beatty were on hand for the delivery at 1800 Spyglass Place in Vancouver. "Partnerships that bring the public and private sectors together to spur innovations like plug-in hybrids also bring us one step closer to a low-carbon economy in this province," said John Yap, Minister of State for Climate Action. "We expect that coupling B.C.'s clean energy resources with the cutting edge technology of plug-in hybrids will lead to a Full story...

Dreyer & Reinbold driver, Briton Justin Wilson earned his first ever IZOD IndyCar pole position today in Toronto after his rivals were never able really to threaten him. Full story...

Bruno Magalhães has claimed his first victory in the Intercontinental Rally Challenge following a thrilling finish to Sata Rally Acores Saturday. Full story...

Ford Motor Co. avoided potentially long-term litigation today after reaching an out-of-court settlement on a patent infringement lawsuit with Paice. Full story...

ASSISTANT ART DIRECTOR CHERYL L. BLAHNIK: I had this for several days, and I only wish I could have this vehicle on my planned vacation in Colorado--this would be perfect for mountain passes. Full story...

Rejected-dealer leader Jack Fitzgerald lost a bid for reinstatement of his four Chrysler stores in Maryland when an arbitrator held that they didn't fit the company's plan of consolidating its four brands into each dealership. Full story...

Mando Corp. aims to double the share of its global auto-parts sales that go to China by 2015 as part of a broader strategy of reducing its heavy reliance on sales in the domestic Korean market. Full story...

In today's News Brake: The Mustang GT500 is going fast, Honda may drop the Acura RL, and Obama checks out the Volt . . . But Wait, There's More! Full story...

In today's News Brake: The Ford Mustang Shelby GT500 is going fast, Honda may drop the Acura RL, and President Barack Obama checks out the Chevrolet Volt . . . But Wait, There's More! Full story...

Sales of medium- and heavy-duty trucks in the United States rose 10 percent in June from a year earlier to 22,096 units. Commercial-truck sales have risen every month this year, after almost three years of declines. Full story...

Complaints to U.S. regulators of unintended acceleration in Toyota Motor Corp. vehicles are down sharply as separate government and expert reviews of the matter move forward. Full story...

Toyota Motor Corp. said it has a repair about 600,000 Sienna minivans recalled in the U.S. three months ago for possible corrosion in a cable that holds the spare tire. Full story...

Toyota Motor Corp. wants dealers to educate buyers on model features to ensure they're not mistaken for safety flaws after a 'large number' of owners ignored warnings not to stack floor mats beneath accelerator pedals. Full story...

President Barack Obama has received his first up-close look at the 2011 Chevrolet Volt. Full story...

Prius racks up 200,000 sales in Europe after 10 years on sale.

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Honda Motor Co. is preparing to stop selling its Legend sedan in its home market, a Japanese newspaper reported today. The vehicle, rebadged as the Acura RL for the United States, is the Acura brand's flagship sedan despite lackluster sales. Full story...

You'll recall the recent slanging matches between, in no particular order, Toyota, the US Department of Transport and NHTSA, sundry officials at the automaker, Toyota chairman Toyoda-san, a US president, politicians various and the odd Capitol Hill subcommitee. All over those mat and accelerator pedal-related recalls. Full story...

After holding its own against more established rear-wheel-drive coupe offerings such as the Ford Mustang and the Nissan Z, Hyundai is updating its Genesis coupe for the 2011 model year. Full story...

Here's a brief run-down of reports that caught our eye over the past week or so... Full story...