Auto News 5

Mitsubishi Motors has completed the sale of its wholly owned car plant subsidiary in the Netherlands to the country's VD Leegte Beheer for EUR1, in line with an agreement reached in July.

Hyundai Mobis is beginning operations at a Slovakian plant to produce core brake control systems for 600,000 cars per year.

Toyota Boshoku's European unit has raised its stake in a Polish joint venture to make it a subsidiary to strengthen its management base in Europe.

News 17 Dec, 2012

Leaked patent images give us our first glimpse at the production-ready Renault Captur crossover

Administrators handling London black cab producer, Manganese Bronze Holdings, say they remain hopeful the business will be sold as a going concern.

News 17 Dec, 2012

The final version of the Lexus LF-A supercar has been built in Japan

News 17 Dec, 2012

The facelifted Renault Scenic range will include a four-wheel-drive MPV

In line with plans to strengthen European R&D, Toyota Motor Europe (TME) has announced several executive appointments at its headquarters in Brussels and at its UK plant, from 1 January 2013.

Singapore's Gallant Venture is reported to have signed a conditional purchase agreement for a majority stake in PT Indomobil Sukses Internasional, Indonesia's second largest vehicle distributor.

Toyota will roll out Tundra and Corolla redesigns next year and will revise the RAV4, Avalon and Highlander, but there are some things the division probably won't do.

Nissan admits its launch strategy on the Leaf miscalculated the short-term market potential for the electric vehicle and says it will do a better job of targeting potential buyers.

Last week's premiere of General Motors' redesigned full-sized pickups spotlighted the divergent truck strategies of GM and its Detroit 3 rivals.

Consumers now have unprecedented Internet access to vehicle prices, so some dealers are turning to an old retail concept: no-dicker selling.

UAW President Bob King said he expects few defections by his members when Michigan's right-to-work law takes effect in March. Unionized workers at parts suppliers will be among the first to test King's confidence.

Four recalls on the redesigned 2013 Ford Escape crossover, on the heels of embarrassing technology glitches and delays introducing other important models, have raised concerns about Ford's launch processes.

By calling for cleaner gasoline to help reduce tailpipe emissions, automakers again have put themselves on a collision course with the oil industry. Automakers say they are willing to follow California rules across the United States.

From Lotus F1 Team

Lotus F1 Team announced Monday afternoon that Romain Grosjean will partner Kimi Raikkonen in an unchanged driver line-up for the 2013 season.

In 2012, Grosjean made his return to Formula 1 with Lotus F1 Team.

He finished on the podium in Bahrain (P3), Canada (P2) and Hungary (P3), finishing the Drivers' Championship in eighth position with 96 points.

“It's fantastic for me to be continuing with Lotus F1 Team for 2013,” said Frenchman Romain Grosjean.

“It's superb to have the support of everyone at Enstone. I'm really looking forward to rewarding their faith when we take to the track in Australia. I learnt a lot in my first full season in Formula 1 and my aim is to put these lessons into practice with stronger and more consistent performance on track next year. There are a lot of exciting developments occurring behind the scenes at Enstone and I am very excited with the prospect of the E21. I've already had my seat fitting and spoken with all the personnel involved with the build of the new car ; I just can't wait to get behind the wheel,” Grosjean added.

“Romain is a great talent and we are pleased that he is continuing with us for a second season,” declared Eric Boullier, Team Principal.

“With the continuity of two exceptional drivers like Romain and Kimi we are well placed to build on our strong 2012 with even better results in the year ahead. Both drivers worked very well together in their first year as teammates, and I think there is the potential of even better things from the season ahead. We were regular visitors to podiums in 2012 and we certainly intend to continue with this trend in 2013,” Boullier said.

From GMM

Romain Grosjean insists his formula one career remains "on track".

His comments follow a period of intense speculation, amid suggestions Lotus - and sponsor Total - are considering dropping the 26-year-old after his often impressive yet tumultuous 2012 season.

Some good news for Grosjean, however, is that he won the prestigious Race of Champions event in Bangkok at the weekend, beating the likes of Michael Schumacher and Sebastian Vettel.

Romain Grosjean, winner of the 2012 Race of Champions. (Photo: Race of Champions)

Lotus celebrated the 26-year-old's "emphatic" triumph with a lengthy press release.

As for his F1 career, "Things are on track," the Frenchman is quoted as saying by L'Equipe.

"I hope everything turns out well and I am able to put into practice what I learned this year. I hope to be stronger next season. Normally, you say that the first year is about learning, but F1 is a little different. We went through ups and downs this season, but I learned a thousand things. I had a good start but also went through some difficult times. Ultimately, the team allowed me to grow and I became a better driver. I hope to continue to learn next year," added Romain Grosjean.

Aston Martin will hold a number of international celebrations to highlight its centenary. On January 15th, 2013, exactly 100 years after its incorporation, the oldest surviving Aston Martin -- A3 -- and a new Vanquish will join for a photo call at Henniker Mews in Chelsea, the original home of Aston Martin. A commemorative plaque will be unveiled, along with a special centenary logo.

Next summer, from July 15-21, Aston Martin's Gaydon headquarters will host open-house activities, including factory-based events and driving tours. On Saturday, a monster birthday party with a thousand guests will rock the city of London. Then, on Sunday, the 100 most iconic Aston Martin cars of all time will be featured as part of a concours, and up to a thousand Aston Martins will form the largest gathering in the brand's history.

Over the years, Aston Martin has evolved from a local player into an international star, exporting 75% of its production to 146 dealerships in 41 countries around the world.

Photo: Aston Martin

According to British magazine Autosport, Robert Kubica would be close to a deal with M-Sport to contest the new European Rally Championship behind the wheel of a modified Ford Fiesta.

After he contested several local rallies in Italy last months, the Pole ran in the Rallye du Var, last round of the French rally championship, driving a Citroen C4. After he easily dominated the event, Kubica finally crashed in the very last stage of the rally following a wrong pace note.

Robert Kubica, who seriously injured his right forearm during a rally crash in Italy bak in 2011, was linked to a future with Citroen, but now it seems he is close to M-Sport that would run for him a Fiesta fitted with a modified gearbox system with the two paddle shifts to be located on the left of the steering wheel.

Ford Fiesta M-Sport. (Photo: WRC)

The new European Rally Championship will be launched in 2013, replacing the Intercontinental Rally Challenge that  ran until this year. The first round will be presented quite early in the year, with the Internationale Jänner Rally to be run in Austria, January 3 to 5.