Auto News 5

General Motors is planning to shut most of its US vehicle assembly plants for up to nine weeks this summer, US media reports said last night. Full story...

Netherlands-based navigator maker TomTom has posted a loss of EUR11m (US$14m) before interest and taxes (EBIT), excluding extraordinary items, for the first quarter of 2009 compared with a EUR6m loss a year ago. Full story...

Toyota Motor SUV specialist SUV assembly unit Toyota Auto Body has revised its group pretax estimate for fiscal 2008/9 up from the preciously projected JPY3.5bn loss to a JPY600m profit after numerous cost cutting measures. Full story...

Toyota will cut summer bonuses for 8,900 managers by an average of 60% compared with 2008 due to the global auto industry downturn, according to a company spokeswoman. Full story...

Audi has decided to make its new Q3 small SUV in Barcelona, Spain, and has postponed any decision on making cars in the US where parent Volkswagen is building a new plant in Tennessee. Full story...

Volkswagen CEO Martin Winterkorn said on Thursday he expected a group profit in 2009 despite a car market slump. Winterkorn also praised VW's cooperation with Porsche, which holds 51 percent of VW. Full story...

Robert Bosch will cut an unspecified number of jobs this year in Germany and abroad as its sales slump. Full story...

Hyundai Motor today reported a smaller-than-expected 43 percent fall in quarterly net profit as a weak currency helped cushion it from falling sales and higher marketing costs. Hyundai posted a net profit of 225 billion won ($166. Full story...

Toyota Motor Corp said on Thursday its group-wide sales fell 27 percent to 1.767 million vehicles in the first quarter of 2009, keeping it ahead of Volkswagen group as the world's top-selling carmaker. Full story...

Toyota Motor Corp said on Thursday its group-wide sales fell 27 percent to 1.767 million vehicles in the first quarter of 2009, keeping it ahead of Volkswagen group as the world's top-selling carmaker. Full story...

Amid the worst sales slump in 30 years and cascading financial problems, General Motors announced today that it will cut 190,000 vehicles from its production schedule for the second and third quarters. Full story...

Amid the worst sales slump in 30 years and cascading financial problems, General Motors announced today that it will cut 190,000 vehicles from its production schedule for the second and third quarters. Full story...

The U.S. Treasury has raised its offer to Chrysler lenders with just over a week remaining for the embattled automaker to reach deals to cut its debt and labor costs while reaching reach an alliance with Italy's Fiat SpA, sources said Wednesday. Full story...

General Motors will shut down its plant in Hamtramck, Mich., for six weeks this summer, a plant source confirmed today. Full story...

Like several other automakers, Porsche will be a no-show at the Tokyo Motor Show this fall. Full story...

The U.S. Treasury has raised its offer to Chrysler lenders with just over a week remaining for the embattled automaker to reach deals to cut its debt and labor costs while reaching reach an alliance with Italy's Fiat SpA, sources said Wednesday. Full story...

General Motors, battling a 49 percent decline in U.S. sales through March, plans extended shutdowns at most of its U.S. plants this summer, news reports said. Full story...

Political allies of the U.S. auto industry expressed serious concern on Wednesday to senior White House officials about possible carmaker bankruptcies, with Chrysler LLC facing an April 30 deadline to cement an alliance to avert probable insolvency. Full story...

This year Mercedes-Benz is celebrating the one hundredth birthday of the Mercedes three-pointed star and the Benz emblem with a particularly exclusive edition of the CL Coupé. This anniversary model shines with an extensive package of appointments and exquisite details. Full story...

This morning London's commuters were reeling from a 'rude' wake-up call, as 308 naked figures joined in the morning rush hour, with only scarves to cover up their modesty. Well, almost... On first inspection, much of London's commuters could have been excused for thinking a public exposure offence could have been in order but for the extremely minute, yet hugely important detail - their fellow commuters were wearing specially made bodysuits which gave the impression the commuters were naked. Full story...