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October 2008

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Thursday, October 23, 2008

Gas Wars Heat Up In Austin Texas - VIDEO ENHANCED

Gas Wars Heat Up In Austin Texas - VIDEO ENHANCED

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Dixon-Franchitti Pairing Set to Make Racing History

Dixon-Franchitti Pairing Set to Make Racing History

INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. October 23, 2008: When Target Chip Ganassi Racing (TCGR) begins their 2009 IndyCar Series season with Scott Dixon, the reigning IndyCar Series and Indianapolis 500 Champion and Dario Franchitti, the 2007 IndyCar Series and Indianapolis 500 Champion, racing history will be made. TCGR will be the first ... Continue reading

Ireland Bounces Back from Zandvoort Disappointment at Silverstone Test

Ireland Bounces Back from Zandvoort Disappointment at Silverstone Test

Silverstone, Great Britain OCtober 23, 2008: A1GP World Cup of Motorsport was in action again today in Silverstone, Northamptonshire, UK with some teams taking the opportunity to get some extra track time ahead of the second round of the season A1GP Chengdu, China 7 – 9 November. A1 Teams France, Brazil and Switze ... Continue reading

MX-5 Cup Celebrates 2008 Season in Monterey

MX-5 Cup Celebrates 2008 Season in Monterey

MONTEREY, Calif. October 23, 2008: Following an exciting Round Eight race at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca, the teams, family and staff of the SCCA Pro Racing Playboy Mazda MX-5 Cup gathered at the Monterey Marriott to celebrate the season. With five different winners and an average of more than three lead changes per race ... Continue reading

New SPEED TC Rules Package to Cut Costs, Development

New SPEED TC Rules Package to Cut Costs, Development

TOPEKA, Kan. October 23, 2008: SCCA Pro Racing has released changes to its 2009 rules package for the SCCA SPEED Touring Car Championship, designed to reduce both engineering development and cost to race teams. “When I first took on this job less than a year ago, one of the main things that was evident was the nee ... Continue reading

AGR PRE-RACE NOTES - SURFER'S PARADISE

AGR PRE-RACE NOTES - SURFER'S PARADISE

Danica Patrick, #7 Motorola Dallara/Honda/Firestone "I'm really looking forward to racing in Australia. I have heard that it is a great road course. I have improved on my road course races over the past couple of years, so I hope to have a strong result. But most importantly, I plan to use this weekend as momentum for ... Continue reading

Penske, Forsythe Set for Next Week's Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car Series Testing at Daytona International Speedway

Penske, Forsythe Set for Next Week's Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car Series Testing at Daytona International Speedway

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. Oct. 23, 2008: Four new teams, including two of the biggest names in North American open-wheel racing, are set to test Daytona Prototypes at Daytona International Speedway next week during the Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car Series presented by Cask No. 16 October Test Days. The three-day session will be ... Continue reading

Nonpartisan Citizens Against Government Waste Names FCC's Martin 'Porker of the Month'; Cites NASCAR Sponsorship as rationale.....

Nonpartisan Citizens Against Government Waste Names FCC's Martin 'Porker of the Month'; Cites NASCAR Sponsorship as rationale.....

Washington DC., October 23, 2008: It's one distinction he could probably do without. The nonpartisan Citizens Against Government Waste today named FCC Chairman Kevin Martin its October "Porker of the Month" for using FCC funds to sponsor a NASCAR driver as part of the commission's DTV education campaign. The FCC is pay ... Continue reading

BorgWarner Declares Quarterly Dividend

BorgWarner Declares Quarterly Dividend

AUBURN HILLS, Mich., Oct. 23 -- The board of directors of BorgWarner Inc. declared a quarterly dividend of $0.11 per share on all of the company's issued and outstanding common stock. The dividend is payable November 17, 2008 to stockholders of record on November 03, 2008. Auburn Hills, Michigan-based BorgWarner Inc. i ... Continue reading

China Automotive Systems Announces Management's Plans to Purchase Company Shares

China Automotive Systems Announces Management's Plans to Purchase Company Shares

WUHAN, Hubei, China, Oct. 23 /Xinhua-PRNewswire/ -- China Automotive Systems, Inc. , ("China Automotive" or "Company") a leading power steering components and systems supplier in China, today announced that its founder and Chairman, Mr. Hanlin Chen, Chief Executive Officer, Mr. Qizhou Wu, Chief Financial Officer, Mr. J ... Continue reading

Chrysler LLC Clarifies Daimler AG's Third Quarter 2008 Earnings

Chrysler LLC Clarifies Daimler AG's Third Quarter 2008 Earnings

AUBURN HILLS, Michigan, October 23 -- - Announces production changes due to ongoing global economic downturn Today, Daimler AG reported a net loss of euro 351 million for its 19.9 percent share of Chrysler Holding LLC's second quarter 2008 results under International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS). On a U.S. GAAP ... Continue reading

Brilliance China Automotive Holdings Limited (OTC Bulletin Board: BCAHY; Announces the Notice of Special General Meeting

Brilliance China Automotive Holdings Limited (OTC Bulletin Board: BCAHY; Announces the Notice of Special General Meeting

HONG KONG, Oct. 23 /Xinhua-PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- BRILLIANCE CHINA AUTOMOTIVE HOLDINGS LIMITED (Incorporated in Bermuda with limited liability) (Stock Code: 1114) NOTICE OF SPECIAL GENERAL MEETING NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that a special general meeting of Brilliance China Automotive Holdings Limited (the "Company") wil ... Continue reading

Spartan Motors Highlights Third Quarter Results

Spartan Motors Highlights Third Quarter Results

CHARLOTTE, Mich., Oct. 23 -- -- Net sales of $237.5 million, up 59.5% compared to third quarter 2007 -- Net earnings of $0.45 per diluted share, up 462.5% year-over-year -- Return on invested capital of 35.3%, up 315.3% year-over-year -- Gross margin of 18.1%, up 53.4% year-over-year -- Consolidated backlog of $183.8 m ... Continue reading

2009 Volkswagen Routan Minivan Preview

2009 Volkswagen Routan Minivan Preview

DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD WITH CAREY RUSS2009 Volkswagen Routan Preview The new Volkswagen Routan is not the new Microbus, and it is most definitely not an exercise in nostalgia. As well-received as the Microbus concept vehicle was a few years ago, it would have been far too expensive to produce. The market for a $40,000 b ... Continue reading

Better Place Partners with AGL and Macquarie to Build EV Infrastructure in Australia

Better Place Partners with AGL and Macquarie to Build EV Infrastructure in Australia

MELBOURNE, Australia OCtober 23, 2008: Better Place today announced agreements with AGL Energy and financial advisor Macquarie Capital Group to raise $1 billion (AUD) and begin deploying an electric vehicle (EV) network powered by renewable energy. The Better Place model for sustainable mobility will help Australia mov ... Continue reading

Toshiba Announces Plan to Make Lithium-Ion Batteries for EVs and Plug-In Hybrids

Toshiba Announces Plan to Make Lithium-Ion Batteries for EVs and Plug-In Hybrids

Tokyo October 22, 2008; Japanese electronics giant Toshiba Corp. announced today that has joined the race to mass produce lithium-ion batteries for electric vehicles and plug-in hybrids. Toshiba aims to make 3 million lithium-ion battery cells a month starting in 2010, the company said. Battery packs for hybrid cars ca ... Continue reading

Spartan Motors Announces Second Regular Cash Dividend Payment for 2008

Spartan Motors Announces Second Regular Cash Dividend Payment for 2008

CHARLOTTE, Mich., Oct. 23 -- Spartan Motors, Inc. today announced its regular dividend payment of $0.05 per common share, payable on Dec. 17, 2008 to shareholders of record at the close of business on Nov. 17, 2008. In April 2008, the board of directors for the Charlotte, Mich.-based manufacturer of custom chassis and ... Continue reading

Big Three Black Flag Nascar

Big Three Black Flag Nascar

A WashingtonPost.com story by Liz Clarke reported that the Big Three U.S. automakers struggling to survive, they have begun to dramatically scale back their financial involvement in NASCAR, threatening the economic model that has driven the sport's popularity. Other corporate sponsors that helped transform stock-car ra ... Continue reading

GE Stepping Up Investment For Electric-Battery Power Cars

GE Stepping Up Investment For Electric-Battery Power Cars

NISKAYUNA, N.Y., Oct 22, 2008; Scott Malone writing for Reuters reported that General Electric Co is stepping up its investment in developing new battery technologies for autos as it looks to increase its role in electrifying cars -- one of the key strategies to boost fuel efficiency and reduce carbon dioxide emissions ... Continue reading

Arctic Cat Reports Fiscal 2009 Second-Quarter Results

Arctic Cat Reports Fiscal 2009 Second-Quarter Results

MINNEAPOLIS--Arctic Cat Inc. today reported net sales of $204.3 million for the fiscal 2009 second quarter ended September 30, 2008, compared with $205.2 million in the same period last year. Net earnings for the quarter were $16.9 million, or $0.93 per diluted share, versus $13.9 million, or $0.76 per diluted share, a ... Continue reading

WABCO Announces Joint Venture With Fuwa for Manufacturing of Air Disc Brakes in China

WABCO Announces Joint Venture With Fuwa for Manufacturing of Air Disc Brakes in China

BRUSSELS, Belgium, October 23 -- WABCO Holdings Inc. (http://www.wabco-auto.com/) , a global technology leader and tier-one supplier to the commercial vehicle industry, today announced that WABCO has signed a letter of intent with GuangDong Fuwa Engineering Manufacturing Co., Ltd., (Fuwa) to form a joint venture for pr ... Continue reading

Honda Stonewalls on Civic GX (CNG) Availability

Honda Stonewalls on Civic GX (CNG) Availability

This continuing coverage on America’s oil crisis arises from the just released book, The Plan: How to Save America When the Oil Stops—or the Day Before (Dialog Press). Buy it here. By Edwin Black Honda is hunkering down in the face of widespread criticism over its mismanagement and reported suppression of its ... Continue reading

Johnson Controls Reports Record 2008 Results

Johnson Controls Reports Record 2008 Results

MILWAUKEE, Oct. 23 -- Johnson Controls, Inc. today reported record sales of $38.1 billion for its 2008 fiscal year, up 10% from $34.6 billion in 2007, reflecting growth in the company's Building Efficiency, Power Solutions and Automotive Experience businesses. (Logo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20070930/AQSU001 ... Continue reading

Chrysler LLC Clarifies Daimler AG's Third Quarter 2008 Earnings

Chrysler LLC Clarifies Daimler AG's Third Quarter 2008 Earnings

AUBURN HILLS, Mich., Oct. 23 -- Today, Daimler AG reported a net loss of euro 351 million for its 19.9 percent share of Chrysler Holding LLC's second quarter 2008 results under International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS). On a U.S. GAAP basis, Daimler AG's net loss for Chrysler Holding LLC was euro 88 million, o ... Continue reading

Daimler Achieves EBIT of Euro 648 Million in Third Quarter of 2008

Daimler Achieves EBIT of Euro 648 Million in Third Quarter of 2008

-- EBIT includes charges from special factors totaling euro 765 million -- Net profit of euro 213 million (Q3 2007: net loss of euro 1,533 million) -- Unit sales down by 3% to 522,500 cars and commercial vehicles -- Revenue down by 7% to euro 23.8 billion, adjusted for exchange-rate effects and changes in the consolida ... Continue reading

Dongfeng Honda to launch new B-class car in 2009

Dongfeng Honda to launch new B-class car in 2009

Dongfeng Honda to launch new B-class car in 2009 http://www.gasgoo.com/auto-news/1008134/Dongfeng-Honda-to-launch-new-B- class -car-in-2009.html Shanghai, October 23 (Gasgoo.com) Dongfeng Honda officially confirmed that it will roll out a B-class car based on the Acura platform by the second half of 2009, Beijing Times ... Continue reading

Industry opposes limit on car license plates

Industry opposes limit on car license plates

Industry opposes limit on car license plates http://www.gasgoo.com/auto-news/1008135/Industry-opposes-limit-on-car-l icens e-plates.html Shanghai, October 23 (Gasgoo.com) The measure to limit the number of vehicle license plates to 100,000 or so would cripple the car industry, the 21st Century Business Herald industry ... Continue reading

FAW-Toyota, Changan Ford cut '08 sales target

FAW-Toyota, Changan Ford cut '08 sales target

FAW-Toyota, Changan Ford cut '08 sales target http://www.gasgoo.com/auto-news/1008137/FAW-Toyota-Changan-Ford-cut-08- sales -target.html Shanghai, October 23 (Gasgoo.com) FAW-Toyota, Changan Ford and some automakers in China has cut their sales target for 2008 due to auto market slowdown, Beijing Times said today, citi ... Continue reading

New Models Key for Japanese Car Maker Profits

New Models Key for Japanese Car Maker Profits

Japanese auto makers are gearing up for a round of new-car releases that could give them a financial edge in a slumping economy, thanks to the opportunity they have to cut production costs-per-vehicle. Toyota will kick off 2009 by introducing 10 new designs in Japan; Mazda will launch six. Click here for a picture of T ... Continue reading

Mercedes-Benz World Drivers Circle Earth 32 times

Mercedes-Benz World Drivers Circle Earth 32 times

In the two years since its official opening, visitors to Mercedes-Benz World in Weybridge, Surrey, have taken to the handling circuits to drive the equivalent of 32 times around the Earth, or three times the distance to the Moon. ... Continue reading

UK Will Have Significantly Fewer Car Dealers In Future, Say Industry Experts

UK Will Have Significantly Fewer Car Dealers In Future, Say Industry Experts

There will be significantly fewer car retailers operating in the UK in the years to come, as a result of vehicle manufacturers tightening control over dealership standards, according to analysts PricewaterhouseCoopers. ... Continue reading

HRH The Duke of York opens the Sir Harry Ricardo Innovation & Sustainable Transport Centre

HRH The Duke of York opens the Sir Harry Ricardo Innovation & Sustainable Transport Centre

Part of a £6.4M capital investment programme at the Ricardo Shoreham Technical Centre, this new facility underscores the company's commitment to investment in the next generation of clean, sustainable and high performance transport and clean energy technologies ... Continue reading

It's Viva Vivaro As Luton Plant Hits 600,000 Milestone

It's Viva Vivaro As Luton Plant Hits 600,000 Milestone

October 23, 2008: Production at General Motors Manufacturing Luton plant has reached a significant milestone, with the plant's 600,000th van rolling off the production line. ... Continue reading

New Caddy Sportline Models Add Excitement To The Range

New Caddy Sportline Models Add Excitement To The Range

Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles has released prices and specifications for the exciting new Caddy Sportline and Caddy Maxi Sportline models announced last month, which along with the existing Transporter Sportline panel vans and five-seater kombi, expand Volkswagen&'s stylish Sportline range to five models. ... Continue reading

From Vision To Reality: "Car-2-Car" Communication Put To The First Road Test

From Vision To Reality: "Car-2-Car" Communication Put To The First Road Test

A milestone on the way into the automotive future has been reached at the testing grounds in Dudenhofen, Germany. For the first time, several vehicle manufacturers jointly presented their latest developments in "Car-2-Car" communication using real vehicles. Volkswagen demonstrated tomorrow's technology in a Passat Vari ... Continue reading

The New VW Golf - The Safe Choice

The New VW Golf - The Safe Choice

The independent testers at EuroNCAP put the new Golf through a series of rigorous tests. The result: five stars which is the best result compared with the direct competition. ... Continue reading

Governor Of The State Of Tennessee Visits Volkswagen

Governor Of The State Of Tennessee Visits Volkswagen

The Governor of the State of Tennessee, Phil Bredesen, visited Volkswagen in Wolfsburg on Wednesday. The 50-strong delegation also included the Mayor of Chattanooga, Ron Littlefield, and media representatives from the region where the new Volkswagen production plant will be located. ... Continue reading

Volvo Car Corporation Launches New Car Building Tool Online

Volvo Car Corporation Launches New Car Building Tool Online

The third generation of the car building tool "Build your Volvo" is now complete and ready to be introduced. The visualisation of the cars is greatly improved as is the integration of the tool, from all aspects, with Volvo Cars product information system, to enable a comparison of technical data, pricing and different ... Continue reading

The Buffed And The Beautiful!

The Buffed And The Beautiful!

A quirky twist on the famous New York shoeshine chair, the "Insignia Shine Service" has been built to highlight the importance of maintaining clean front and rear lights on cars, especially as the clocks go back this weekend and winter is drawing in. ... Continue reading

Chrysler Still Moving Ahead with New Engine

Chrysler Still Moving Ahead with New Engine

DETROIT, Oct 22, 2008; Kevin Krolicki writing for Reuters reported that Chrysler LLC is moving ahead with investment in a more fuel-efficient V-6 engine program, a senior executive said on Wednesday, declining to comment on the automaker's merger talks with General Motors Corp. (GM.N: Quote, Profile, Research, Stock Bu ... Continue reading

Fiat Beats and Confirms '08 Profit Goal

Fiat Beats and Confirms '08 Profit Goal

CHICAGO, Oct 22, 2008; James Kelleher writing for Reuters reported that the Italian industrial group Fiat (FIA.MI: Quote, Profile, Research, Stock Buzz) said on Wednesday that it would meet the low end of its 2008 goal for group trading profit. Fiat confirmed its group trading profit -- a measure of operating profit th ... Continue reading

Daimler Achieves EBIT Of EUR648 Million In Third Quarter Of 2008

Daimler Achieves EBIT Of EUR648 Million In Third Quarter Of 2008

The worsening banking crisis, its effects on the real economy, and the resulting global consumer uncertainty had a negative impact on the business development of Daimler AG (stock-exchange abbreviation DAI) in the third quarter of this year. Daimler achieved EBIT of EUR 648 million in the third quarter of 2008 (Q3 2007 ... Continue reading

IntelliChoice.com Names Best Certified Pre-Owned (CPO) Programs for 2009

IntelliChoice.com Names Best Certified Pre-Owned (CPO) Programs for 2009

Volvo, Volkswagen and MINI Ranked Highest on Overall Value SAN DIEGO October 23, 2008; IntelliChoice.com, a leading provider of automotive cost and value analysis and part of Source Interlink Media , today announced the winners of its 10th annual ranking of Certified Pre-Owned (CPO) manufacturer-sponsored programs. Ove ... Continue reading

Mercedes-Benz C 350 CGI BlueEFFICIENCY: Driving Pleasure And Efficiency Thanks To Innovative Direct Fuel Injection

Mercedes-Benz C 350 CGI BlueEFFICIENCY: Driving Pleasure And Efficiency Thanks To Innovative Direct Fuel Injection

Mercedes-Benz is introducing the C 350 CGI BlueEFFICIENCY featuring second generation direct fuel injection as the fourth BlueEFFICIENCY model in the C-Class. Compared to the current C 350, the new saloon consumes more than ten percent less fuel. At the same time, the innovative V6 engine delivers 15 percent more power ... Continue reading

Advance Auto Parts to Report Third Quarter Results on October 29, 2008

Advance Auto Parts to Report Third Quarter Results on October 29, 2008

ROANOKE, Va.--Advance Auto Parts, Inc. , a leading automotive aftermarket retailer of parts, batteries, accessories and maintenance items, will report its third quarter 2008 financial results after market close on Wednesday, October 29, 2008. The company will detail its results on a conference call scheduled to begin a ... Continue reading

ArvinMeritor Hosts Conference Call and Web Cast to Discuss Fourth-Quarter and Full-Year Earnings for Fiscal Year 2008

ArvinMeritor Hosts Conference Call and Web Cast to Discuss Fourth-Quarter and Full-Year Earnings for Fiscal Year 2008

TROY, Mich., Oct. 22 -- ArvinMeritor, Inc. will host a conference call and Web cast to discuss the company's fourth-quarter and full-year results for fiscal year 2008 on Tuesday, Nov. 18, 2008, at 9 a.m. (ET). To participate, call (888) 680-0890 ten minutes prior to the start of the call. Please reference participant P ... Continue reading

Parker Declares Quarterly Cash Dividend

Parker Declares Quarterly Cash Dividend

CLEVELAND, Oct. 22 -- Parker Hannifin Corporation , the global leader in motion and control technologies, today announced that its Board of Directors has declared a regular quarterly cash dividend of 25 cents per share of common stock to shareholders of record as of November 20, 2008. The dividend is payable December 5 ... Continue reading

Commercial Vehicle Group Reports Third Quarter 2008 Results

Commercial Vehicle Group Reports Third Quarter 2008 Results

NEW ALBANY, Ohio, Oct. 22 -- Commercial Vehicle Group, Inc. today reported revenues of $192.9 million for the third quarter ended September 30, 2008, compared to revenues of $160.9 million for the third quarter of 2007. Operating income for the third quarter was $0.5 million compared to $2.8 million for the third quart ... Continue reading

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