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As one of seven Tier 1 partners of the Olympic Games, BMW is banking on massive exposure for the brand during this summer's jamboree in London, not the least through the automaker's sponsorship of 150 athletes. BMW UK managing director, Tim Abbott, is not revealing what the cost will be, but outlined his Olympic thoughts to Simon Warburton.

Updated Lexus RX gets more equipment and a new F Sport model

A Woman’s Place Is In The Garage – SEMA Mustang Build Powered By Women

Vote for Your Favorite Design at HOTROD.com on May 23

This summer, the women of the auto industry will strut their stuff and show off their skills to raise money for the SEMA Memorial Scholarship Fund with the first-ever SEMA Mustang Build Powered by Women.

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The Thai new vehicle market continued its recovery from the deep setback in the fourth quarter of 2011 with sales rising by 30.5% in April to 87,788 units, according to the Federation of Thai Industries.

The partnership between Fiat and Tata Motors in India may be headed for a split after the two carmakers ended a distribution deal that had allowed Fiat to sell cars via Tata's dealerships.

The partnership between Fiat and Tata Motors in India may be headed for a split after the two carmakers ended a distribution deal that had allowed Fiat to sell cars via Tata's dealerships.

Nexteer Automotive has promoted its top executive in Europe to COO of the former General Motors-owned steering and driveline specialist. Laurent Bresson, 40, starts his new job immediately.

Daimler, Mercedes-Benz's parent company, is overhauling its product development organization, changing the structure of the organization and the responsibilities of several executives.

Takeshi Uchiyamada, the enormously influential Toyota Motor Corp. executive who next month takes on the largely advisory role of vice chairman, drew inspiration from Japan's doomed push to build a jet fighter in the last days of World War II.

Gasoline at $4 a gallon and government-mandated fuel economy targets are creating vast opportunities for many big global suppliers.

General Motors' decision last week to end paid Facebook advertising was more than an awkward moment for a media behemoth on the verge of a high-profile stock offering.

The auto sales collapse that started in 2008 is hitting home in the service department in 2012. Late-model vehicles traditionally represent the sweet spot for repair and maintenance work for dealership service departments.

BMW and other automakers are trying to break through the long-held notion that small engines are only for wimpy econoboxes and drivers who find comfort in the far right lane of the freeway.

Several automakers have rolled out incentive programs that pay dealers escalating bonuses as sales targets are hit in a bid to wrest back market share or boost key models.

After Ander Villarino takes his third Racecar Euroseries win in a row in sprint race at Brands Hatch, Javier Villa ended his fellow countryman's domination by taking endurance race win.

Ander Vilarino won the Elite Sprint of the Bands Hatch 200, the second event of the 2012 EURO-RACECAR NASCAR Touring Series. For his third victory in three races this season, the Spanish driver finishes ahead of his two main contenders: RomainThievin, poleman, and Javier Villa. A trio already seen on the Nogaro's podium.

Photo: Euro-racecar series

Spanish Javier Villa has ended the winning streak of Ander Vilarino in the Open Endurance race of Brands Hatch 200, a great battle with Villarino that ended on lap 22, when junior driver Villa took the lead and pulled away in front. Romain Thievin took another podium finish behind both Spaniard.

Villarino still leads provisional championship classification ahead of Thievin and Villa.

Mathieu Audette (Acura RSX) won both rounds of the first Castrol Canadian Touring Car Championship (CTCC) weekend of 2012, held at the Canadian Tire Motorsport Park.

The Ste-Anne-des-Lacs driver bested Sasha Anis (Hyundai Genesis) in both races to the finish. Scott Nicol (Honda Civic Si), who finished fifth the day before because of a transmission problem, climbed to third spot on Sunday, thanks to a two-place penalty handed to Bob Attrell (Hyundai Genesis).

Mathieu Audette. (Photo: Tom McGory/Pole-Position Magazine)

"I couldn't have asked for a better weekend," admitted Mathieu, who now turns the wheel over to his F2000 champion brother Rémy for the next round of the CTCC, which happens to be the Canadian Grand Prix weekend, held at the circuit Gilles Villeneuve on June 8-9.

In the Touring class, the battle between Team Octane drivers Karl Thompson and Michel Sallenbach (MINI Cooper), which saw Thompson come out on top Saturday, yielded a different result the second time around. Sallenbach pulled out a passing move out of his trick bag to steal the win away from his teammate.

"Now I'm happy," Sallenbach said. "I've been chasing him [Thompson] since yesterday and I finally I had an opportunity to pass him and I had to take it."

Unlike in Touring, the results in the B-Spec class were identical. Nick Wittmer led the way in front of Greg Pootmans and Simon Dion-Viens, making it two all Honda Fit podiums in the debut weekend of the category.

From GMM

Paul di Resta is at the front of the queue should Mercedes need to replace Michael Schumacher.

That was the claim on Monday of Nick Fry, the chief executive of the German carmaker's UK-based formula one team.

Seven time world champion Schumacher's existing three-year contract expires at the end of this season.

Paul di Resta, Sahara Force India. (Photo: WRi2)

"Paul's on our radar," Nick Fry is quoted by the Telegraph.

Scot di Resta, 26, has impressed since debuting for Mercedes-powered Force India in 2011. He entered F1 as the reigning DTM champion, driving for Mercedes.

"He has done a fantastic job, he's a nice guy, he's a great team player and he would be one of the drivers undoubtedly that, if Michael were to decide he didn't want to continue, we would look at," Fry added. "We haven't reached that time in our thinking yet, but we have all got a lot of admiration for Paul."

From GMM

Vitaly Petrov has revealed he lost his seat at the Renault team, which is now known as Lotus, following disagreements with key team members.

For 2012, the Russian has had to switch to Caterham, a F1 backmarker.

In the meantime, with an all-new driver lineup comprising former world champion Kimi Raikkonen alongside Romain Grosjean, Lotus has stepped up a gear and is now among the sport's most highly competitive teams.

"What happened last year was a shame, but at the end of the season relations with some people soured and they were against me," Petrov is quoted by the Russian website f1news.ru.

Vitaly Petrov with his ex-team boss, Eric Boullier. (Photo: WRi2)

Now he's at Caterham, paired with Heikki Kovalainen, who is widely regarded as the Tony Fernandes-led team's main driver.

"At Renault it didn't work," Petrov explained. "I was ahead of my teammates, but asked to leave anyway. But this was an exception, as in all situations you must always strive to be ahead of your teammate."

The Russian insists Kovalainen is not treated preferentially.

"Of course things sometimes appear that way, but when I saw the situation from the inside, I realised that everything is open. Here's an example: in Malaysia we had one new engine cover, they called Heikki and I together, and tossed a coin! From that day I had not a single doubt."

As for his chances this weekend in Monaco, Petrov insisted: "There is a good chance to be in a good position. But if we score points then it will not be because we are fast but because of something else like a better strategy."

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To highlight BMW Motorsport's 40th anniversary, we present you with a photo gallery of all the most memorable Munich cars - from M to Z.

Buckle up!

Photo: BMW