Auto News 5

Renault has reduced the retail price of its new Clio subcompact compared with the outgoing car. In France, the cheapest Clio will sell for 13,700 euros, which is 250 euros less than the base price of the current version.

Toyota Motor Corporation swung back into operating profit in the first fiscal quarter ended 30 June, 2012, booking JPY353.1bn in the black after being JPY108bn in the red in Q1 2011 due to effects of the 11 March Japanese earthquake and tsunami.

Newly-formed pan-European labour body, Industriall European Trade Union (IETU) is citing the rush by OEMs to accept State aid for emerging market ventures as partly to blame for over-capacity, as well as warning slashing production could hand business overseas.

Toyota Motor Corporation has revised its sales and production plans upwards, citing "increased sales volume [in markets] such as in Japan and North America", after booking a solid return to profit in the first quarter of fiscal 2012/3.

New car sales in South Africa increased 18.3% year on year to 54,067 units in July according to the National Association of Automobile Manufacturers (NAAMSA).

Australia is the first market for Toyota's new Land Cruiser LC79 double cab. Developed with the country's mining boom in mind, the new variant can even be fitted with rail arms to travel on mining train lines.

Videos 3 Aug, 2012

Jack Rix travels to Maranello to put the new Ferrari F12 Berlinetta to the test on road and track

Mercedes has given its new A class a sportier -- and more conventional -- design that amounts to an abandonment of the outgoing model's quirky one-box styling.

Mercedes-Benz has given its new A class a sportier -- and more conventional -- design that amounts to an abandonment of the outgoing model's quirky one-box styling.

Unlike mass-market rivals GM and Ford, Toyota posted a quarterly profit in Europe. The Japanese automaker reported a first-quarter operating profit of 35.6 million euros compared with a 68.

Renault's engine plant in Brazil is to increase capacity by 25% between now and 2013 boosting output to up to 500,000 units.

Videos 3 Aug, 2012

Watch official footage of the revised S-Class-rivalling Lexus LS in action

Lexus is reworking its sedan lineup as part of an effort to vault past

Toyota reported a big increase in first-quarter profit and raised its vehicle sales forecast on demand for its cars in North America and Japan. The automaker said vehicle sales at its Toyota, Daihatsu and Hino brands would increase to 9.

Mazda has begun production of the next-generation Mazda6 mid-sized sedan in Japan, and official photos from the launch ceremony show a production version true to the sleek, sculpted lines of the Takeri concept shown at last year's Tokyo auto show.

Renault will expand the capacity of its Brazilian engine plant by 25 percent by 2013, extending a string of recent investments despite concerns about rising costs in Latin America's largest economy.

GM CEO Dan Akerson said an agreement between management and German labor unions on restructuring the automaker's Opel unit is expected in the autumn.

Lear's second-quarter earnings fell 18 percent because of "challenging" business conditions in Europe, the supplier of seats and electric power management systems said.

Visteon reported a slump in sales and cut its earnings forecast for the year, citing lower vehicle production in Europe, South America and China.

Action starts today at the Grand Prix of Trois-Rivieres, the scene of so many stunning performances of the late Gilles Villeneuve in Formula Atlantic. Let's relive his maiden F1 Grand Prix with McLaren.

Photo: WRi2

Villeneuve drove a works McLaren M23-Cosworth at Silverstone during the 1977 British Grand Prix.

Photo: WRi2

The video is quite long I agree, but it gives a chance to see again the greatest drivers from that era such as Mario Andretti, Gilles Villeneuve (of course!), Jacques Laffite, Patrick Depailler, Niki Lauda and James Hunt. The legendary Murray Walker is calling the shots.

Photo: WRi2