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Manufacturers continue to announce vehicle world premieres for the 51st Salão Internacional do Automóvel in the city of São Paulo. The motor show's press preview day is 23 October.

Manufacturers continue to announce vehicle world premieres for the 51st Salão Internacional do Automóvel in the city of São Paulo. The motor show's press preview day is 23 October.

Manufacturers continue to announce vehicle world premieres for the 51st Salão Internacional do Automóvel in the city of São Paulo. The motor show's press preview day is 23 October.

The 51st Salão Internacional do Automóvel in the city of São Paulo opened on 22 October 2012. There were world premieres from Ford, General Motors, Honda, Hyundai, Nissan, Renault and Volkswagen.

The 51st Salão Internacional do Automóvel in the city of São Paulo opened on 22 October 2012. There were world premieres from Ford, General Motors, Honda, Hyundai, Nissan, Renault and Volkswagen.

The 51st Salão Internacional do Automóvel in the city of São Paulo opened on 22 October 2012. There were world premieres from Ford, General Motors, Honda, Hyundai, Nissan, Renault and Volkswagen.

The 51st Salão Internacional do Automóvel in the city of São Paulo opened on 22 October 2012. There were world premieres from Ford, General Motors, Honda, Hyundai, Nissan, Renault and Volkswagen.

General Motors and Hyundai are the first two manufacturers to have announced vehicle world premieres for the 51st Salão Internacional do Automóvel in the city of São Paulo. The motor show's press preview day is 21 October.

General Motors, Hyundai and Toyota are the first three manufacturers to have announced vehicle world premieres for the 51st Salão Internacional do Automóvel in the city of São Paulo. The motor show's press preview day is 21 October.

VW Group Chairman Ferdinand Piech said the company's sales in China will grow at least 9 percent in 2013 after expanding a projected 10 percent or more this year, as more consumers buy their first cars.

For GM's Vice Chairman Steve Girsky, it's time to prove himself at Opel/Vauxhall.

For General Motors Vice Chairman Steve Girsky, it's sink-or-swim time. As a GM director, he opposed the sale of the Opel unit in 2009.

Patrick Pelata, the longtime associate of Renault-Nissan CEO Carlos Ghosn who stepped down as Renault's COO in 2011 after a botched corporate espionage investigation, has accepted a new job in the United States.

Audi cut BMW's lead in 2012 luxury-car sales to just 2,110 vehicles in August, threatening BMW's seven-year hold on the top position in premium auto deliveries.

Opel/Vauxhall will enter its third new segment in less than a year when it launches the mid-size Cascada convertible in early 2013.

Toyota, roaring back after three years of recession, recalls and natural disasters, will struggle to regain its former dominance as it grapples with improved competition worldwide.

Now that David Dauch has succeeded his father as CEO of American Axle and Manufacturing, he must reduce his dependence on GM, the customer that saved his company from bankruptcy three years ago. Dauch says he has a plan to do just that.

The auto industry's weight watchers should have a field day with the redesigned Range Rover to be displayed this month at the Paris auto show.

From Status Grand Prix press release

Nineteen-year-old British racer Alice Powell clinched her first GP3 Series Drivers' Championship point in the season finale at Monza this past weekend and she also became the first female driver to score a point in the series.

It was Alice Powell's first time at the Autodromo Nationale Monza. She finished Race 1 in 12th place and then crossed the finish line in 10th place in Race 2, but two rivals received post race penalties which meant that she was promoted to an 8th place finish and therefore awarded her first GP3 Drivers' Championship point - the first ever to be received by a female racing driver in the series too.

Alice Powell (Photo: LAT Photographic)

"To end the weekend like we did is great! Even though qualifying did not go to plan, it has been a good weekend with two solid results. To get my first point in GP3 is brilliant and I am so chuffed. Status Grand Prix has done a great job and helped me so much this year, so to finish the weekend with a top eight finish is fantastic,” said Alice Powell.

“It's fantastic that Alice finishes the season with a point score. The final two rounds at Spa and Monza are 'big' tracks with famous corners that require huge commitment. Alice got on top of these circuits very quickly and everyone has been very impressed with her race-craft during these races. Alice was consistently one the fastest drivers in sector two at Monza throughout the whole weekend. Now we look forward to 2013 with the new era GP3 car and sincerely hope that Alice can be with us again next year,” said Simon Cayzer, her race engineer.

Off-road aficionados rejoice! The new 2013 Toyota FJ Cruiser is ready for delivery at your local Canadian Toyota dealer. An auto-dimming rear-view mirror complete with an integrated backup camera is standard on every model.

The 2013 FJ Cruiser is powered by a 4.0 liter V6 that produces 260 hp and 270 lb-ft of torque. Six airbags, active front headrests with whiplash protection, child restraint seats anchor points, and a tire-pressure monitoring system are all part of the standard equipment list.

The FJ Cruiser comes in two variations; the M6 is priced at $ 33,440, and offers a combined 12.2 L/100 km fuel rating, along with the A5 model, which starts at $34,440 and offers a combined fuel economy rating of 11.3L/100 km.

Photo: Toyota