Auto News 5

Toyota Motor Thailand has confirmed that a new THB 12 billion (USD 400 million) car assembly plant in Chachoengsao will be fully operational by the third quarter of 2013.

PSA Peugeot Citroen has revealed the first details of its forthcoming Efficient-Modular Platform 2 (EMP2).

Opel's supervisory board will likely confirm the appointment of former VW China boss, Karl-Thomas Neumann, as its new CEO at a meeting on Jan. 31.

Robert Bosch's auto division boosted global sales by 1.7 percent to a record 30.9 billion euros last year, but missed its 2012 sales target by 600 million euros.

Robert Bosch's auto division boosted global sales by 1.7 percent to a record 30.9 billion euros ($41.2 billion) last year, the company said today, but missed its 2012 sales target by 600 million euros ($800 million).

Denso says it is to establish a company in Cambodia to boost production and supply in the ASEAN region.

News 23 Jan, 2013

Nissan has reduced the price of its Leaf EV by £2,500, which means it's now available from £23,490

Automotive metal processor, Kemmerich USA, is to establish a manufacturing operation and its American headquarters in Calloway County, Kentucky, creating120 new, full-time jobs in a US$12.2m investment.

China's car warranty regulation will become effective on 1 October, after eight years in the making. The rule will support customers' rights to return defective vehicles and seek a refund or replacement.

Recticel Automobilsysteme is to restructure in Germany with the loss of around 150 jobs following the news it had not been successful in securing interior component production for the Mercedes C-Class model.

German trade union IG Metall said it will not accept demands by General Motors to freeze wages for workers at its money-losing Opel division in Germany.

The anonymous Japanese collector was upset. The rare BMW Kompressor Rennsport, the finest pre-/postwar machine that he had listed, wasn't going for what he wanted. Five hundred thousand dollars he wanted.

PSA/Peugeot-Citroen plans to launch hybrid cars partially powered by compressed air by 2016. The carmaker says the so-called "Hybrid Air" system developed with supplier Robert Bosch will be lighter than a hybrid running on gasoline and battery power.

PSA/Peugeot-Citroen plans to launch hybrid cars partially powered by compressed air by 2016. GM will likely use the technology as part of its alliance agreement with PSA, a spokesman said.

Toyota is nearing a final agreement to license its fuel-cell vehicle technology to BMW, the Nikkei reported.

Porsche is counting on emulating the success of its Cayenne SUV in China when it launches the smaller Macan in the market next year as part of expansion plans aimed at making China the carmaker's No. 1 market.

The 2013 Ford Fusion mid-sized sedan won praise for its handling and sportiness from Consumer Reports, but the magazine's automotive experts faulted the car for poor fit and finish and fuel economy that falls well short of claims on the...

Lotus has set the date for the launch of its new Formula 1 car to be driven by Kimi Raikkonen and Romain Grosjean this season.

Lotus F1's E21 will be the first 2013 Formula 1 contender to be exposed to the world with an online reveal on Monday January 28.

Streaming live from the team's base in Enstone, Oxfordshire, UKthe launch will be broadcast on the team's YouTube channel from 19:15 (GMT) / 20:15 (CET).

The event will also be showcased live on Sky Sports News HD in the UK, including exclusive interviews and additional content.

Adapted from GMM

Toto Wolff says he hopes Ross Brawn will stay at Mercedes, meanwhile the situation at Williams remains unclear.

With Wolff buying 30 per cent of the German team and becoming executive director, it is strongly rumoured that he has wooed McLaren's Paddy Lowe to join him.

That would appear a direct undermining of team principal and technical expert Brawn's position, with Daily Express journalist Bob McKenzie reporting that the 58-year-old is therefore "close to quitting".

Rumor? Could Paddy Lowe quit McLaren for Mercedes? (Photo: McLaren)

Toto Wolff said: "It's all speculation. Ross is here as part of the leading team and I hope he is going to stay."

Pressed, he added: "I have had conversations with Ross and I admire what Ross has done but I need to understand the structure."

McLaren has declined to comment, but if he does leave, 51-year-old Lowe would almost certainly have to serve some 'gardening leave'. Like Brawn, the position of Mercedes' Nick Fry is reportedly also in serious doubt.

Toto Wolff insisted: "There are many intelligent people there (at Brackley) and I'd like to meet them, speak to them and analyse and then make my conclusions. There is an organisation in place and I'd like to work with it."

Williams

As Toto Wolff gets down to work at Mercedes, the situation at Williams remains unclear.

When the Austrian's team switch was announced, Williams made clear that Wolff "will retain his shareholding". It is believed the 41-year-old's Williams stake is worth up to EUR 40 million.

Sources have said Wolff owning shares in competing F1 teams - he has bought 30 per cent of Brackley based Mercedes - is legitimate, but it remains to be seen if the situation will change.

"For the moment I'm going to keep those (Williams) shares," he said on Tuesday. "I have a responsibility as a shareholder. I can't let everybody else down. I'm going to look at the situation in the next couple of weeks or months. I am working 100 per cent for Mercedes, as a director of Mercedes and trying to be successful with Mercedes. But I've had a long interest in Williams and you can't kill an emotion just by resigning from a directorship."

Manager of Valtteri Bottas, shareholder at Williams and Mercedes, Executive Director at Mercedes, Toto Wolff accumulates the responsibilities. (Photo: WRi2)

It is rumoured there could be a silver lining for Williams, with suggestions Wolff's new Mercedes link could deliver a change of customer engine supplier for the currently Renault-powered Grove team.

"No discussions have been held," Wolff said.

DTM

As for Wolff's new role, he said he will be mainly devoted to F1, attending all the grands prix and the major events on the DTM calendar.

Among his first duties will be keeping tabs on injured F1 driver Robert Kubica's test this week in a Mercedes DTM car.

But Toto Wolff played down the prospect of a return to formula one for the Pole in the short term, "If the DTM test goes well and we see that he is doing well in a proper race car with downforce, I think there are still some physical constraints to drive a monocoque chassis with his elbow and arm. I think we all would love to see Robert doing well in a formula one car in the future but that is definitely too early at this stage."

From GMM

Rumours Red Bull team boss Christian Horner recently visited Maranello emerged on Wednesday.

The German website motorsport-total.com reported leaks about the Briton's secret Ferrari visit have been made to the Italian media.

The report said Horner met with Ferrari's head of human resources, Mario Mairano, probably last month.

"The thought is that this is an attempt to indirectly gain access to the services of star designer Adrian Newey," wrote journalist Christian Nimmervoll.

It is believed Horner and Newey always sign and renew their Red Bull contracts together.

Horner, understood to have a Red Bull contract until at least 2014, has also been previously linked to Ferrari team boss Stefano Domenicali's job.

The main entrance to Ferrari's offices in Maranello. (Photo: René Fagnan)