Auto News 5

BMW is sticking to a "single digit" percent 2010 sales growth forecast, despite outperforming in the first five months, as tougher comparatives and global fiscal changes kick in. Full story...

Spyker wants to secure a platform-sharing partner for Saab's planned new 92 small car before deciding how to fund the project, and hopes to decide on a partner by year-end, CEO Victor Muller said. Full story...

Fiat stopped short of sealing its near $1 billion investment for the survival of its Naples plant after less than full labor support for plans to boost productivity there. Full story...

Ford Motor Co. plans to build a $450 million passenger vehicle assembly plant in Thailand by 2012 as part of the U.S. company's catch-up game in rapidly expanding Asia. Full story...

Fernando Alonso on Thursday did not back Ferrari president Luca di Montezemolo's latest attack on the new teams. Full story...

Mattias Ekström left a strong impression in his first race of the NASCAR series at Sonoma (U.S. state of California). Full story...

Mercedes is still working on its current car but has started to design the W01's successor, team boss Ross Brawn has revealed. Full story...

Police are looking into a boat crash involving former formula one driver JJ Lehto. Full story...

Pirelli will supply four different dry tyre compounds to formula one teams in 2011, the Italian company has announced. Full story...

French manufacturer Citroën has just announced that it will offer wireless Internet connectivity in all their vehicles. Using a WiFi box located inside the car, it works with a 3G/3G+ SIM card provided by the customer's choice of Internet carriers. That means anyone inside the car can access the web with their portable devices such as laptops, smart phones, etc. the WiFi connection works while driving and while idling, and by a measure of precaution, the roaming feature is deactivated so you don't end up with a huge bill, since hooking up to another carrier than yours is very costly in roaming charges. Since last March, WiFi has been available in the C3 Picasso and C4 Picasso people movers as well as the New C3 and sporty DS3 hatchbacks. By the end of the summer, the rest of Citroën's model range will get it. The WiFi accessory is offered for 500 euros, or about $640 CDN. Full story...

Michelin never applied officially to become formula one's new tyre supplier. Full story...

Ferrari is "wise" to have poached an experienced engineer from McLaren, according to former grand prix driver Jos Verstappen. Full story...

The FIA has announced that next year's World Rally Championship will be made up of 13 rounds, and that all tyre manufacturers will be able to supply the series - not just one. Full story...

Cosworth is tweaking the design of its formula one engine in order to accommodate KERS systems in 2011. Full story...

Michael Waltrip Racing announced, in a press release that Canada's Patrick Carpentier will race the No. 00 NAPA Auto Parts Toyota  in the NAPA Auto Parts 200 NASCAR Nationwide Series race at the Circuit Gilles-Villeneuve at Parc Jean-Drapeau in Montreal on Aug. 29. Full story...

F1 drivers must follow even the rules of the road, the FIA declared on Wednesday. Full story...

There is no doubt that with the current CTS sedan, Cadillac succeeded in bringing their compact sports-luxury sedan within reach of the segment's best, notably the BMW 3-Series, the Infiniti G and the Mercedes-Benz C-Class. Full story...

Over 100 Lamborghini cars past and present, and their drivers, gathered in Switzerland this weekend, 18 to 20 June, in a dynamic celebration of the marque. Owners from across the world joined 'Lamborghini St. Moritz 2010', supported by Lamborghini dealerships and clubs, to celebrate the House of the Raging Bull with a driving programme that included a route through the scenic Julierpass and Fluelapass to Davos. Full story...

Toronto - Heading into the summer months, many Canadians pack up their cars and hit the road for road trips, family vacations and weekend getaways. Snacks and games for the car are all part of the must-have items. But what is the number one item Canadians cannot live without? The answer is: their GPS! According to a new poll by Globe Drive conducted by Harris/Decima, navigation systems (38%) followed by driving tunes (22%) are a necessity when the rubber hits the road. Full story...

Toyota is searching for a new vice president of purchasing for North America to replace Chris Nielsen, who is being transferred to run the automaker's San Antonio, Texas, assembly plant. Full story...