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Volkswagen hopes to export its first electric vehicles to Japan as early as the middle of next year.

2012 BMW 335i Sedan

A quick spin in the 335i has us longing for the sweet cry of BMW's in-line six.

I wish I hadn't driven this 335i. I was fine, happy even, with our choice of a 328i as our Four Seasons test car. The new four-cylinder is plenty powerful, and its excellent fuel efficiency is oh so au curant. But a quick spin in the 335i has me longing for the sweet cry of BMW's in-line six. It's not the extra muscle, although 300 hp certainly has the ability to charm. Rather, the appeal of the six has everything to do with sound and feel. The six's smooth, distinctive growl is and always will be a huge slice of the 3-series' all-around perfection. And although the lighter four-cylinder should theoretically offer better handling, the six has the advantage of being much more responsive to small inputs of the gas pedal, which is very important considering how sensitive the 3's balanced chassis is to the throttle.

Photo Gallery: 2012 BMW 335i Sedan - Editors' Notebook - Automobile Magazine

Photo Gallery: 2012 BMW 335i Sedan - Editors' Notebook - Automobile Magazine

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Isuzu Motors has said it plans to raise its stake in its joint venture with Russia's Sollers to 45% from 29% to strengthen its presence in the local commercial vehicle market.

Automobile production in Japan in April increased 2.7 times year on year to 799,474 units, up for the seventh straight month, the Japan Automobile Manufacturers Association (JAMA) said.

PSA Peugeot Citroen has asked workers at its Sevelnord plant to agree to a pay freeze, hundreds of job cuts and other concessions, or face possible closure, officials at two unions have said.

Spy pictures reveal all-new MINI's interior for the first time

The wave of new AMG models continues, with the unveiling of the 549bhp GL63 AMG 4x4

Mercedes A-Class-based saloon is spotted testing ahead of its launch in 2014

Toyota has launched financial services in India to provide loans to vehicle buyers at dealerships.

Ferrari will be auctioning off a selection of exclusive items and memorabilia to help victims of the recent Italian earthquakes

Best shots yet of the new Porsche Cayman coupe taken by a reader on the streets of Stuttgart

Japan's Hitachi Automotive Systems announced plans to refurbish its redundant LCD screen plant in Zatec, some 75 km from Czech Republic capital Prague, to produce automotive shock absorbers from next year.

Tata Motors' Jaguar has beaten Toyota's Lexus to the top spot in the UK JD Power and Associates/What Car? UK Vehicle Ownership Satisfaction Study (VOSS). Lexus dropped to joint second place with Skoda after topping the results for the past 11 years.

Special edition marks 30th anniversary of original VW Scirocco GTS

What is it?

General Motors has signed on as the automotive sponsor of the world's most popular soccer club, Manchester United, in an attempt to cement Chevrolet as a global brand. The brand will replace Audi as the team's automotive sponsor.

Volkswagen has agreed a new pay deal with the IG Metall union to raise wages for its German workers by 4.3 percent. VW also agreed to create an additional annual 175 training positions and offer permanent contracts to up to 3000 temporary workers.

Volkswagen has agreed a new pay deal with the IG Metall union to raise wages for its German workers by 4.3 percent. VW also agreed to create an additional annual 175 training positions and offer permanent contracts to up to 3,000 temporary workers.

Following into the footstep of the IndyCar Series, feeder series Firestone Indy Lights will introduce a brand new race car for the 2014 season.

A request for proposal was distributed to potential manufacturers and development firms earlier this month for both engine and chassis, and series officials will begin reviewing and evaluating the submitted applications after the due date of June 30.

Photo: IndyCar

Among the series requests for the new car/engine package are that the chassis must be adaptable to compete on road, street and oval circuits with a minimum of facility-specific parts.

Also, improved technological package to include but not limited to: paddle shifting, data systems and sensors as well as potential to integrate an alternative fuel source.

Dallara, Swift, Elan, Mugen and others car manufacturers are in the running.

From GMM

F1's 'customer engine' teams are worried that the price of power is set to skyrocket.

According to Germany's Auto Motor und Sport, teams like Force India and Sauber currently pay around EUR 10 million for their engine-plus-KERS packages.

That is reportedly set to increase to about 18 million when the turbo V6s debut in 2014.

"That is clearly too much," Sauber co-owner Monisha Kaltenborn is quoted as saying.

The magazine said Williams, Caterham, Toro Rosso, HRT and Marussia agree and have asked the FIA to impose a cost-cap for their 2014 packages.

"We have to ensure that, looking back ten years ago, we don't go back to a point where engines were so much more expensive," she added.

Photo: Ferrari