Auto News 5

Reports suggest that Beijing Automotive Industry Holding Co (BAIC) may make a bid for Opel/Vauxhall. Full story...

BMW plans to start producing X5 and X6 sport utility vehicles (SUVs) at the Avtotor plant in the Russian city of Kaliningrad in July. Full story...

AvtoVAZ has posted a net loss of 24.662 billion roubles in 2008 against a net profit of 3.669 billion roubles in 2007, the firm has said in a statement. Full story...

A US bankruptcy court has refused Delphi permission to compensate private equity company Platinum Equity by up to $30m in expenses if its bid for the auto industry supplier is beaten. Full story...

New car sales continued to surge in Germany last month as volume rose 40% year on year to 427,000 units according to car makers' association VDIK. First half registrations were 26% ahead of 2008 at just over 2m units. Full story...

GAZ, Russia's second-largest car producer, is to cut 7,000 jobs at its Nizhny Novgorod factory this month because of plummeting car sales, according to the Interfax news agency. Full story...

Ssangyong Motor has won court approval to order the striking workers to leave its plant in Pyeongtaek, it said. Full story...

Proton is showcasing Lotus cars to the Malaysian public for the first time since since it acquired the British-based company in 1996. Full story...

Vehicle seat specialist Lear is to become the latest US components company to file for Chapter 11 bankruptcy as the "fastest and most effective way" to reduce debt in the face of slumping global auto production. Full story...

Volvo Cars will recall 1,020 vehicles sold in South Korea because of defective engine cooling fans, South Korean government officials have said. Full story...

The rate of decline in South Africa's car market declined significantly in June compared with previous months, raising hopes that the market is stabilising. Full story...

While most analysts and industry observers will focus on the lessening year on year plunges in US sales recorded last month (especially by a certain Detroit brand with a blue oval on the building), there was a small but significant change in an important pecking order - Chevrolet's Silverado truck line was nudged back to third highest selling US market vehicle (year to date) by Toyota's Camry sedan, itself kept out of the top slot by 29,390 units of that perennial top dog - Ford's F-series truck line. Full story...

Tesla Motors CEO Elon Musk has said that he will remain in the top job through 2011. Full story...

Special edition 'LP 550-2 Valentino Balboni' honours legendary test driver and ditches 4WD

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Ford's S-Max has been facelifted Full story...

Saab's brand new 9-5 has been caught testing Full story...

Unconfirmed reports have said new vehicle sales in Brazil jumped 17% to a record 300,200 in June from 256,000 in the same month a year ago after the government cut automobile taxes. Full story...

As General Motors starts to sell off some best assets under its restructuring plan to a streamlined new entity, its worst assets, including a highly toxic foundry and a nine-hole golf course, are also going to auction. Full story...

Review: 2009 WheeGo Whip NEV & HSV

WheeGo will have its Whip NEV (Neighborhood Electric Vehicle) on sale by the end of the summer, and expects the Whip HSV (Highway-Speed Vehicle) to be available Summer 2010.

In photos, you can't tell the size of the 2009 WheeGo Whip. They look tiny -- perhaps the size of a Smart ForTwo. In person, all that changes. Regardless of which powertrain is fitted under the Whip's hood, this car is bigger than you expect.

Photo Gallery: 2009 WheeGo Whip NEV & HSV - WheeGo Compact Electric Vehicle - Automobile Magazine

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There may not be a Grand Prix this weekend, but don't be fooled - the majority of Formula One teams will still be in action at the UK's Goodwood Festival of Speed. Full story...