New GM CEO won’t let his pay be cut to $1

Motorists are pulling for Big 3, but will they be willing to buy?
U.S. auto industry's biggest hurdle is the perception -- fair or unfair -- that GM, Ford and Chrysler turn out inferior vehicles compared with their Asian and European brethren, David Lazarus writes. So what'll it take to get drivers behind the wheel of an American car?

New GM CEO won’t let his pay be cut to $1

General Motors' new chief executive says he will not cut his salary to $1 a year like his predecessor Rick Wagoner.

Tata Motors ties up with UBI for passenger car loans

Stocks fall as White House rejects GM, Chrysler plans
Markets react negatively as Washington takes an aggressive stance on the automakers, which may go into bankruptcy. Hints of more trouble among banks also help reverse the recent Wall Street rally. The stock market's version of March Madness was cut short today as the specter of bankruptcies in the domestic automobile industry and still-deep woes in the banking sector pummeled share prices.

The rough road ahead for GM
After months of asking General Motors for a roadmap to profitability, President Obama Monday told the ailing car company: Move over, I’m driving. By John W. Schoen.
President Barack Obama toughens conditions for car aid
President Barack Obama promised that he would not allow America's motor manufacturing industry to vanish but demanded more "painful" concessions from workers at General Motors (GM) and Chrysler.
Tata Motors ties up with UBI for passenger car loans
Auto maker Tata Motors today said it has tied up with public sector lender United Bank of India for providing retail finance facilities to customers buying its passenger vehicles.

GM, Chrysler sales hurt by mixed messages

GM, Chrysler sales hurt by mixed messages
The automakers painted a dire picture of their health to win bailout aid from lawmakers. But car buyers were listening too. For six months, General Motors Corp. and Chrysler have been trying to convince the government that they need billions of dollars in aid, while assuring the American consumer that everything is A-OK.

Fate of Hummer to be decided by Tuesday

By Tuesday, General Motors Corp. will have to decide whether its struggling Hummer brand will die a quiet death or live on with a new owner.

Green cars: will someone hit the accelerator
It's astonishing how suddenly and absolutely the motor industry has been converted to the green cause. The “environment” used to be regarded as that boring blurry thing that flashed past between Esso stations. Now data about fuel economy and CO2 emissions takes precedence over performance criteria such as torque and acceleration. Reading press packs and auto manuals, you could almost mistake car manufacturers for environmental charities.

At 50 mpg, the 2010 Toyota Prius is a game changer

At 50 mpg, the 2010 Toyota Prius is a game changer
The car feels like the same humble, humming people pod, only lacquered with a bit more confidence and esprit. A calculator can be the plaything of the damned. Allow me to demonstrate.

Obama to unveil auto aid plan Monday

President Barack Obama will announce a government plan to help ailing U.S. automakers Monday, White House spokesman Robert Gibbs said.

Tesla unveils electric saloon that it says will be 'luxury green car of choice'
Tesla Motors has finally unveiled its Model S, an electric saloon car which, it says, will become the environmentally friendly luxury car of choice and help the American car industry to wean itself off foreign oil.

Tesla's Model S is here (a prototype, anyway)
Tesla's sedan is intended as a mass-market vehicle and will come with three battery options.

Source: Fuel efficiency standard going up
The Obama administration plans to raise fuel efficiency standards to 27.3 miles per gallon for new cars and trucks in the 2011 model year. That will be the first increase in passenger car standards in more than two decades.
Tata Motors appoints V K Jairath as Addl Director
In a filing to the Bombay Stock Exchange Tata Motors said, Jairath, who was an independent director on the board, has been appointed as an Additional Director.

In hybrid price war, new Prius battles Insight

Third-generation Prius resolves bladder issue
The 2010 Prius won t have its innovative "fuel bladder" that has served as its gas tank since the Japanese-built hybrid first landed on these shores almost nine years ago.

In hybrid price war, new Prius battles Insight

Toyota’s Prius, the long-reigning hybrid king, faces its toughest competition yet in the Honda Insight hybrid.

Tata Nano

Best Box: Kia wins the Soul of today's youth, experts disagree
In a recently reported boxy car comparison test, Motor Trend magazine found three college students to to evaluate three boxy cars and name their personal favorite.

GM begins round of white-collar job cuts
Dreaded white-collar job cuts at General Motors Corp. started Tuesday as the wounded automaker began to deliver on promises to the government to shrink its work force so it can be profitable at lower sales levels.
Tata Nano
You get into a car costing a lakh rupees (100,000 rupees, or £1,390) with zero expectations. Things are bound to break, you tell yourself, and you drive gingerly. Being Indian, I forced myself into a charitable frame of mind, ready to overlook its faults (not unlike the Americans when faced with a new Mustang or British magazines every time an Aston Martin comes along).

India's Tata Motors unveils the world's cheapest car

India's Tata Motors unveils the world's cheapest car
The tiny Nano car, being sold at a base price of $2,200, already has 1 million applicants for the 60,000 expected to roll out this year. Environmentalists fear the impact of such a cheap car clogging streets. With the flash of cameras and oohs and aahs from the crowd, an Indian company Monday launched what is billed as the world's least expensive car, six years after it was conceived and six months behind schedule.

Tata’s Nano to hit India’s streets in July

The world’s cheapest car will retail for just over $2,000 and can be yours â€" if you live in India and are very lucky â€" by July, Tata Motors said Monday.

Tata Motors speeds 8% on bourses driven by Nano
Mumbai, Mar 23 (PTI) Shares of Tata Motors soared as much as eight per cent on the domestic bourses in the morning trade today as the company is scheduled to launch its much-awaited and the world's least expensive car, Nano, later in the day.

Buy a used car? A new one might cost less

For cash-strapped consumers shopping for a car, used would seem like the place to start. Not necessarily. A new one might actually be cheaper.

Newbie challenging the F1 kings
For the past two weeks Jenson Button has barely been able to keep the grin off his face. For the driver who described his past couple of seasons as “a complete disaster”, the 2009 season is shaping up nicely â€" and there is still a week until the first race.

Bailout for car parts makers a hopeful sign for Detroit

Bailout for car parts makers a hopeful sign for Detroit
If the government commits funds to suppliers it won't let the Big Three fail, conventional wisdom says. By deciding to give as much as $5 billion to struggling auto parts suppliers, the government could help keep afloat dozens of the companies that provide the seats, pistons and thousands of other components needed to assemble a car.

New government rules to crack down on rogue clampers
Money Central: the 10 craziest parking tickets of all time

J.D. Power dependability study defies popular opinion

J.D. Power dependability study defies popular opinion
American cars are at the top and imports are on the bottom of dependability study.

Pile in! Station wagons making a comeback

GM’s and Chrysler’s plans to drop several models and brands didn't seem to hinder Cadillac's resolution to press forward with the launch of its first-ever station wagon.

A depressing day for all connoisseurs of canapés
The abrupt cancellation of the next motor show has left observers of the industry with some urgent questions to answer â€" not least where will motoring journalists go for free canapés that week?
Swaraj Mazda to have Rs 80 crore rights issue
Light commercial vehicle maker Swaraj Mazda said that its board had approved a rights issue of worth Rs 80 crore equity shares.

Chrysler CEO: All options still being considered

A darkly veiled peek at Acura's new crossover
When companies get tired of professional spy photographers taking snapshots of upcoming models, they often unveil their own photos.

Chrysler CEO: All options still being considered

Chrysler LLC Chief Executive Bob Nardelli said Tuesday that he's encouraged by the focus of President Barack Obama's auto industry task force on job preservation, but he added that all options for Chrysler are still being considered.

World Agenda: Nano, symbol of modern India, completes its bumpy ride
The Tata Nano, billed as the world’s cheapest car, will finally hit the road in Mumbai on Monday, but the diminutive automobile already says a lot about India.

The auto industry’s other crisis

2010 Chevrolet Camaro: Not quite green ...
EPA testing placed the highway number at 29 mpg -- not bad for a 304-horsepower, 3.6-liter engine.

The auto industry’s other crisis
Even if Washington bails out Detroit, many auto-parts companies could still fail â€" and drag GM, Ford and Chrysler down with them.

Limit on garage size reversed to bring drivers back off the streets

Consumers perceive BMW as cool, Mercedes-Benz, most prestigious
BMW was awarded three 2009 Brand Image Awards for "Best Performance Brand," "Coolest Brand" and "Best Exterior Design Brand,"

Video: Fusion hybrid: The future of Ford?

March 16: Mark Fields, executive vice president of Ford, the only Big Three car manufacturer to decline the bailout, talks exclusively to Morning Joe about the debut of the Ford Fusion Hybrid, and why Ford chose to build this innovative car outside of the U.S. (Other)

Limit on garage size reversed to bring drivers back off the streets
The contortionist’s skill required to squeeze a car into a tiny modern garage and climb out of a barely opened door will become redundant under plans to allow more generous parking provision on new housing estates.
S keeps Tata Motors on creditwatch with negative implications
Standard & Poor's Ratings Services said today that it had kept its 'BB-' long-term corporate credit rating on automaker Tata Motors on CreditWatch with negative implications. At the same time, Standard & Poor's kept its 'BB-' issue ratings on the company's senior unsecured notes on CreditWatch with negative implications.

Kia Cee'd 1.6 CRDi: named and shamed
Journalistic duties required me, the other week, to drive to the training ground of a Premier League football club. Now, a number of cars come to mind that would be entirely suitable for keeping an excitingif, at the same time, slightly intimidatingappointment like that.

Toyota RAV4
When Toyota launched its first RAV4 back in 1994, it was nothing short of a revolution. Transforming the school run overnight, it brought the rough and tough image of an off-roader to families on a budget. The fact that it was also fun to drive helped ensure healthy sales.

Classic American wheels get together at OC Fairgrounds

Classic American wheels get together at OC Fairgrounds
More than 2,000 American hot rods, customs, classics, muscle cars, street machines and trucks gather at the O.C. Fairgrounds this weekend.

Golden era of motoring past found in undergrowth
Long Stratton A collection of historic cars, including a rare 1930s Morris Minor convertible, is to be auctioned next month after being hidden for more than 50 years in an overgrown wilderness. The cars, said to number more than 30, are a roll call of long-forgotten marques, such as Swifts, Rileys, Austins, Singers, a Lea Francis, a Daimler, a Lanchester and a Sunbeam.
Tata Motors in tie up with State Bank of Travancore
In order to provide an added facility of car finance to its customers, Tata Motors has entered into an understanding with State Bank of Travancore for financing its range of passenger vehicles.

GM says it doesn’t need $2B from government

Irvine-based Fisker will run its plug-in on Canadian batteries
Advanced Lithium Power of Vancouver will provide the batteries for the high-end Karma. Fisker Automotive Inc.'s long-anticipated plug-in hybrid will run on Canadian power.

GM says it doesn’t need $2B from government
General Motors Corp.’s chief financial officer says the company will not need the $2 billion loan installment for March that it requested from the U.S. government in February.

Ferrari crash involves alcohol, speed and a white Porsche, police say

Ferrari crash involves alcohol, speed and a white Porsche, police say

Honda's hybrid pricing gambit: the sub-$20,000 Insight

Honda's hybrid pricing gambit: the sub-$20,000 Insight
The Japanese automaker said today that when the 2010 Honda Insight hybrid hits dealer lots in two weeks, it will carry a base price of $19,800.

Honda to price hybrid Insight under $20,000

Honda says its new Insight hybrid will be priced under $20,000 when it goes on sale in the U.S., as the Japanese automaker takes aim at eco-friendly bargain shoppers.

Audi to launch 7 models by 2010; some could go India
Celebrating its centenary year, German luxury carmaker Audi will launch over seven models, including hybrid and 'zero-emission' diesel vehicles, in the next two years, some of which could hit the Indian roads in future.

Ford workers approve UAW contract changes

The United Auto Workers Union says its members working for Ford Motor Co. have approved contract changes that include freezing wages and cutting other benefits.

GOP lawmakers oppose more money for GM

GOP lawmakers oppose more money for GM
A House GOP leader said Sunday he doesn't support handing over more federal money to keep GM afloat unless the automaker develops a viable and long-term business model.
Speed limit may be cut to 50mph on rural roads
The speed limit may be cut from 60mph to 50mph on thousands of rural roads without any change to signs, leaving unsuspecting drivers at risk of prosecution.

Supercars revealed at Geneva motor show
Dreams sell when times are hard, which is why people flocked to the movies during America’s Great Depression, and why last week they came in their thousands to the 2009 Geneva motor show. The best and brightest of all the car exhibitions, Geneva always showcases the most desirable machines. Detroit may be famous for muscle cars, and Tokyo for high-tech vehicles, but it's at Geneva that the costliest, most prestigious cars are displayed.

Edmunds.com vs. Consumer Reports
Consumer Reports recently named the 2009 Toyota Prius as "the best new-car value" -- Edmunds.com, begs to differ.

Don’t listen to the cynics â€" cars are still fun

Don’t listen to the cynics. Vehicles like the high-performance, two-seater Volkswagen Concept Bluesport roadster prove that speed and power are alive and well. By Dan Carney.

Kinetic Engg to issue shares; extends current fiscal
Automobile manufacturer Kinetic Engineering today said it has received the approval from its board to issue 600,000 equity shareson preferential basis.

Concerns raised that GM will not survive

Los Angeles beats New York -- in traffic congestion
Los Angeles remains America s No. 1 city for traffic congestion, but congestion has actually eased lately thanks to higher gas prices and job losses.

Concerns raised that GM will not survive

GM’s auditors have raised “substantial doubt” about the troubled automaker’s ability to continue operations, and the company said it may have to seek bankruptcy protection.

Shapeshifting car, the Rinspeed iChange launched at the Geneva Motor Show
The experimental Swiss auto company Rinspeed unveiled a new car this week at the Geneva Motor Show whose body adapts to the number of passengers on board.

Aston Martin gets into the truck business: The Lagonda

Aston Martin gets into the truck business: The Lagonda
As expected, Aston Martin announced today at the Geneva Motor Show that it would revive the luxury marque Lagonda.

Ford to pay down $10.4 billion in debt
Ford Motor Co. says it will eliminate up to $10.4 billion of its debt by offering debtholders cash and stock instead, as the automaker continues to restructure amid a severe automotive sales downturn.
Lamborghini unveils breathtaking new Murciélago LP 670-4 SuperVeloce
When the 79th Geneva Motor Show opens tomorrow the public will have their first opportunity to set eyes on the new Lamborghini Murciélago LP 670-4 SuperVeloce.

Automakers’ sales slump continued in Feb.

Automakers report steep February U.S. sales declines
GM, Ford, Chrysler and Toyota all see sales slip at least 40%. Economic worries keep buyers away from dealerships, despite record incentive offers. After more than a year of sliding sales, February provided a glimpse of even worse times to come as General Motors Corp., Ford Motor Co., Toyota Motor Corp. and Chrysler all reported declines of at least 40% in the U.S. market.

Automakers’ sales slump continued in Feb.

Major automakers reported February U.S. sales Tuesday that continued to fall sharply, putting the industry on track for its worst sales month in more than 27 years.

Jam of traffic signs an accident waiting to happen
A half-mile section of road in Gloucestershire has 71 road signs, erected by the Highways Agency at a cost of more than £8,500. They include direction signs, place names, 36 “No U-Turn” signs and dozens of speed restrictions.

Automakers seek distraction in Geneva

Gullwing Mercedes in trouble in Turn 2
The SLS looks like a significantly awesome piece of hardware. Set well back in the all-aluminum chassis will be Merc s 6.2-liter, 563-horsepower V8 equipped with dry-sump lubrication.

Automakers seek distraction in Geneva

The Geneva Motor Show will feature more than 130 world premiere presentations as the auto industry tries for a few days at least to dispel some of the gloom clouding its future.

Biker Robert Bennett jailed for taking son on 122mph ride in rain
Robert Bennett’s Suzuki Hayabusa motorcycle, one of the fastest machines on the road, capable of speeds of 220mph, was barely straining when he overtook a police car.
Bajaj posts 17% fall in motorcycle sales in Feb
Two-wheeler maker Bajaj Auto today reported a 16.94 per cent fall in its motorcycle sales in February at 1,31,785 units as against 1,58,662 units in the same month last year.

Bolivia pins hopes on lithium, electric vehicles

To Bolivia's president, it's the great silvery-white hope. Bolivia has about half the world's proven lithium reserves, and its president says he's ready to sink some $200 million into mining it.