Auto News 5

Malaysian national carmaker Proton Holdings is in partnership talks with Volkswagen, according to media reports. Full story...

The joint venture between Korea's Samsung SDI and Germany's Bosch plans to invest KRW500 bn (US$407m) in an electric vehicle battery plant as part of its bid to gain 30% of the global market by 2015. Full story...

Contracts finalising the merger of Volkswagen and Porsche will be delayed as the two companies work out a number of details that need to be settled, a VW spokesman told the Financial Times Deutschland. Full story...

The UK government has ordered lawyers to gather the necessary evidence required to ban former directors of defunct MG Rover Group from holding company office in future. Full story...

2009 Honda S2000 CR

The S2000 perfectly distills what has traditionally made Hondas so appealing.

I'm sure going to miss the S2000 when it goes away after the '09 model year. I'm not a huge fan of this racy CR edition, what with its garish wing, hard top, and wild fairings behind the headrests; I'd honestly prefer to own the $2000-cheaper base S2000 and have the benefits of a stealthier appearance and an easier-to-lower roof. Depriving a CR of regular track exercise would be a crime, but if I had the money for both an S2000 and regular track time, I might change my S2000 preference.inline_mediumwraptextright29836482/reviews/editors_notebook/0908_2009_honda_s2000_cr0908_04_z+2009_honda_s2000_cR+front_three_quarter_view.jpgTrue

Photo Gallery: 2009 Honda S2000 CR - Honda Roadster Sport Coupe Review - Automobile Magazine

Read More | Digg It | Add to del.icio.us

Full story...

The Federation internationale de l'automobile, the FIA is nearly ready to select the thirteenth team for F1's 2010 grid, president Max Mosley told reporters at Monza on Friday. Full story...

NASCAR Canadian Tire Series' leader Andrew Ranger is expecting a tough race this week-end in Barrie for the Torbram Electric 300 presented on the short oval known to be a "car crusher". Full story...

Luca di Montezemolo nearly dropped a bombshell on Friday when he announced that Fernando Alonso would join Ferrari - "sooner or later". Full story...

BMW is to offer a special edition of its popular X5 to mark the range's 10-year production milestone. Full story...

Adrian Sutil proved that Force India's brilliant performance at Spa was not just a flash in the pan. The German ranked 3rd in the morning session and then first this afternoon! Full story...

Honda of America Mfg. marked 30 years of manufacturing in America today with a symbolic tree planting ceremony that represents the company's deep roots in America and its longstanding relationships with the communities that have hosted the company's operations. Full story...

AURORA, ON, and MOSCOW, Russia, - Magna International Inc. and Savings Bank of the Russian Federation today announced that their joint offer to acquire a 55% interest in Adam Opel GmbH ("Opel") has been selected by both General Motors Company ("GM") and the Opel Trust as the preferred solution to address the future of Opel. Under the offer, the acquired 55% interest in Opel would be owned 50:50 by a Magna/Sberbank consortium ("Consortium") with GM retaining a 35% interest and Opel employees acquiring 10% as part of a new labour framework. The offer contemplates a total equity investment by the Consortium of Euro 500 million over time. Full story...

Yesterday, General Motors announced the launch of a new Satisfaction Guarantee program to eligible buyers of new Chevrolet, Buick, GMC and Cadillac vehicles. This new incentive is part of the larger "May the Best Car Win" marketing campaign that aims to demonstrate that GM has total confidence in its product line-up when compared to the most competitive vehicles in each segment. Full story...

The Chevrolet Equinox fuel cell electric vehicles today passed 1 million miles of gasoline and tailpipe pollution-free driving by homemakers, accountants, computer game designers and others using the vehicles every day in real-world conditions. Full story...

The new Auris HSD Full Hybrid Concept, presented publicly for the first time at the Frankfurt motor show, marks a significant milestone in Toyota's plan to equip its mainstream European models with full hybrid technology. Toyota is committed to making the environmental benefits of its Hybrid Synergy Drive (HSD) accessible to a wider customer base and it is on track to offer a hybrid version of every model in its range by the early 2020s. Full story...

Renault boss Flavio Briatore says that the race-fix claims being aimed at him and his outfit are 'outrageous lies', after warning Nelson Piquet Senior that he may take legal action against him over the matter. Full story...

ING Renault F1 Team and its Managing Director Flavio Briatore personally, wish to make a statement in the Nelson Piquet 2008 Singapore Crash Affair. Full story...

Audi is the worldwide leader in the field of lightweight design. For 15 years Audi has been producing aluminum bodies based on the Audi Space Frame (ASF). Numerous patents and awards document the innovative power of this technology. Full story...

Ricardo, Inc., the US subsidiary of Ricardo plc, the leading independent provider of technology, product innovation and engineering solutions to the world's automotive, defense, transport and new energy industries, has announced that the award of $2.1 million (GBP1.3m) of funding has been made by the UK Technology Strategy Board to a consortium led by advanced battery manufacturer Axeon and including Ricardo, which will develop a new lightweight battery for use in electric small city cars, improving their performance, functionality and range. Full story...

It's come to Ford's attention that countless shoppers are complaining about the lack of European models available on this side of the globe. If you're one of thousands offended by this, there's now some cause for excitement. After enjoying popularity in Europe, the sassy Ford Fiesta is officially coming to Canada. It's not joining the party until next summer, but Ford recently procured a few units from Holland to give Canadian auto journalists a sneak preview of the new model. Full story...