Auto News 5

General Motors sales chief Mark LaNeve is mounting a stout defense of the company's Buick-Pontiac-GMC brand strategy, but that may not offer much consolation to dealers. Full story...

Chrysler may shift minivan production out of its Windsor, Ontario, plant, where it has built the iconic vehicles for a quarter century, and produce small Fiat models there instead. As Fiat S.p.A. Full story...

Ford Motor Co. is offering dealers in its development program, who are mainly black or Hispanic, the chance to buy their stores for $1. Ford will brief dealers on the offer today, April 20. Full story...

An investor group called Telesto Ventures says it wants to acquire Saturn's retail operations and provide dealers with vehicles from General Motors through 2011 and from mostly overseas manufacturers thereafter. Full story...

Los Angeles dealer Viken Keuylian once sold 5 percent of the world's Lamborghinis to a star-studded clientele that included the likes of NBA star Kobe Bryant. Full story...

Tired of reading just the headlines on your weekly Automotive News e-mail newsletter? Can't seem to wrestle the office copy away from the honchos? This week is all about you. Usually our Web site is fully accessible only to paid subscribers. Full story...

The credit crisis and other financial problems are accelerating General Motors and Chrysler LLC dealership closings. Full story...

The growing likelihood that General Motors and Chrysler LLC will land in Bankruptcy Court has sent a wave of fear through U.S. auto dealers. Many GM and Chrysler dealers are protecting themselves by cutting inventory and factory orders. Full story...

Today on Parliament Hill, the Canadian Automobile Dealers Association (CADA) renewed its call for the implementation of a robust vehicle scrappage program at the federal level. Since November of last year, vehicle sales have been in steep decline in Canada and all of the other measures taken in support of the auto industry to date could be for naught if the demand side of the issue is not addressed. A fleet renewal program that is more signifigant than the current $300 program would do much to stimulate sales in Canada. Full story...

On Monday, the FIA backed team Williams Adam Parr's claim that Ferrari said it fielded technically illegal cars in formula one. Full story...

The entry list for the next Indianapolis 500 includes a total of 40 cars that will fight to get into one of the 33 grid positions. Full story...

With less than four weeks to go before the start of the 2009 DTM season at the Hockenheimring Baden-Württemberg, the most popular international touring car series presented itself to its fans in the sports city of Düsseldorf. Full story...

The Mercedes-Benz S 65 AMG, the powerful top-of-the-line S-Class model, is now even more appealing: thanks to a series of subtle yet extremely effective fine-tuning measures, the performance saloon is even more striking and priceless than ever before. The updated technology is aimed at ensuring a more dynamic driving experience as well as optimum active and passive safety. Full story...

Distance, not speed, was the goal this weekend on the track at the 2009 Shell Eco-marathon Americas, an event held at the Auto Club Speedway in Southern California on April 15-18, 2009. In this challenge, University and High School students design, build and test fuel-efficient vehicles that travel the farthest distance using the least amount of fuel. And this year Canadians took first prize! Full story...

Canadian race car driver Jacques Villeneuve will not compete in the final round of the Speedcar Series this weekend in Bahrein, site of the Formula 1 Grand Prix. Full story...

It was auto racing at its most thrilling as actor Keanu Reeves prevailed over a highly competitive group of stars of film, television and sports to win the Celebrity Category of the 2009 Toyota Pro/Celebrity Race held in Long Beach, California, on April 18. "The King of the Beach," six-time Toyota Grand Prix winner Al Unser, Jr., finished first among all drivers and won in the Professional category, followed closely by NASCAR Camping World Truck Series champion Johnny Benson. Full story...

The Maybach brand is bringing out the new Maybach Zeppelin to spearhead its luxury saloon model range. The new model, which received its premiere at the Geneva Motor Show, represents the absolute zenith in the high-end luxury saloon seg-ment. Full story...

It was auto racing at its most thrilling as actor Keanu Reeves prevailed over a highly competitive group of stars of film, television and sports to win the Celebrity Category of the 2009 Toyota Pro/Celebrity Race held in Long Beach, California, on April 18. "The King of the Beach," six-time Toyota Grand Prix winner Al Unser, Jr., finished first among all drivers and won in the Professional category, followed closely by NASCAR Camping World Truck Series champion Johnny Benson. Full story...

We have posted a spectacular photo gallery of Red Bull Racing's maiden victory and Sebastian Vettel's second win in Formula 1 at the Grand Prix of China Sunday. Full story...

Porsche today officially unveiled its Panamera four-door performance car. The first all-new, built-from-the-ground-up vehicle from the German manufacturer since the debut of the Cayenne in 2002, the Panamera was presented at the Shanghai motor show. Full story...