Auto News 5

Threatened Renault cylinder head supplier, Fonderie du Poitou Aluminium (FPA) has secured a buyer and investment worth EUR36.5m (US$47.7m) just days before the French Presidential elections, saving 390 out of 450 jobs.

DAF Trucks has announced a new engine generation, developed for the new Euro 6 emissions legislation, which comes into force in the European Union on 1 January 2014.

Audi will reveal the RS Q3 concept, a high performance version of its small crossover, at the Beijing motor show.

Skoda will giive an insight into its future model offensive in China at AUTO CHINA 2012 in Beijing (April 23rd - May 05th 2012) featuring the MissionL design study.

Volkswagen will agree terms to build another factory in China during Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao's visit to Germany on April 23, as Europe's largest carmaker expands operations in the world's biggest auto market, two officials said.

Volkswagen will agree to build another factory in China during Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao's visit to Germany on April 23, as Europe's largest carmaker expands operations in the world's biggest auto market, two officials said.

Toyota Motor plans to localise production of its Hiace light van in Thailand later this year, according to local reports.

New vehicle sales in Malaysia fell by 15.3% year-on-year in March to 53,583 units, compared with a record high of 63,265 units a year earlier, according to the Malaysian Automotive Association (MAA).

BYD is set to reveal a prototype of a C-segment plug-in sedan. The Qin, which is believed to be headed for production in 2013, would be a natural rival for FAW Volkswagen's forthcoming Kaili EV.

MG Icon concept is a Juke-rivalling SUV which is set to debut at the Beijing Motor Show

Exclusive images show how the McLaren shooting brake estate could look when it arrives as early as 2014

The European Commission and United Nations are working on a shake up of the way fuel economy is calculated, Auto Express has learned

UK parts supplier GKN posted a 19 percent rise in first-quarter profit, driven by a strong performance from its automotive business and acquisitions made last year.

Electric cars will be killed off by new company car tax rules, expert warns

Italians worried by rising car taxes and highly publicized tax fraud spot checks cut back their purchases of Fiat's high-end sports car brands Ferrari and Maserati in the first quarter of 2012, an industry body said.

With Tata Motors planning $12 billion in capital spending and product development for its luxury Jaguar Land Rover brands over five years and a proposed partnership with China's Chery in the pipeline, conditions could be right for an initial share...

With Tata Motors planning $12 billion in capital spending and product development for its luxury Jaguar Land Rover brands over five years and a proposed partnership with China's Chery in the pipeline, conditions could be right for an initial share...

Official pictures have been released of a hot Q3 ahead of its debut at the Beijing Motor Show next week

Credit hire firm refused to downgrade reader's £375-a-day hire car, which would have cost insurance company over £20,000

From GMM

A travelling F1 journalist believes this weekend's controversial Bahrain grand prix could go ahead without problems.

Ahead of the island Kingdom's highly-contentious return to the F1 calendar this weekend after a two-year absence due to civil unrest, some of the sport's correspondents have this week been reporting from the scene of often violent protests.

The Telegraph correspondent Tom Cary said he was approached at a protest on Tuesday by a man wearing a Ferrari shirt.

"I love F1," the man said, "but not over our blood."

Some other F1 regulars have skipped Bahrain altogether, as only 260 journalists are registered to attend -- about 25 per cent down on the usual number.

Writing in the German-language Speed Week, however, Mathias Brunner endeavoured simply to make his way from the airport to his hotel, and on to the Sakhir circuit, where he will spend the week reporting about the grand prix.

"I am a formula one journalist. I travel to countries where grands prix are held," he began.

"After China, I wanted to get my own idea about what is true: the picture of the (Bahrain) government, where everything is fine, or the picture of the activists, where the entire place is in a state of civil war."

Brunner said FIA president Jean Todt had "no time" to answer questions about Bahrain when he visited the Chinese grand prix last weekend.

"My job is not to seek out unrest and talk with the opposition, but it's also not to parrot the slogans of the government. I just want to get an impression about where the grand prix is taking place.

"My first impression is that it's stiflingly hot. After a quarter of an hour's drive it is clear that there are more police about than on our last visit two years ago -- I have counted more than 50 vehicles, at least.

"Then I saw a burned-out police car on the right of the main road."

Brunner said he was questioned at a police check-point before reaching the Sakhir circuit, and questioned again when he parked too close to a police car in the media parking lot.

He also said he saw some police inside the circuit, before stopping for a "one stop strategy" at a fast food outlet on the return to his hotel.

"I drove a different route on purpose, and there were a lot of police on the roads there as well," said Brunner.

"But what is clear is that the view about Bahrain in the Shanghai paddock (last weekend) in no way reflects the true situation in the country," he concluded.

Italy's La Gazzetta dello Sport is reporting that the race could theoretically still be cancelled as late as Thursday.