Despite an agreement signed with Magna International, General Motors is apparently considering a bid by China’s Beijing Automotive Industry Holding Corporation (BAIC) for the Detroit automaker’s Opel unit. A source said that BAIC will make a binding offer to GM within a few weeks, but analysts indicate that GM will only consider the offer if the Magna deal falls through.
While sales are generally suffering across the board south of the border, BMW managed to sell more than 3,000 vehicles in Canada for the first time ever last month. The German luxury automaker sold 3,003 BMWs in June, a 2 percent increase over the year prior.
Hyundai has been one of the most innovative car companies over the last year or so — from its Hyundai Assurance program to its latest $1.49 gas promo – and will continue that trend with its latest sales tactic. The government’s Car Allowance Rebate System (CARS) – better known as ‘cash for clunkers’ – doesn’t actually take effect until July 23rd, but Hyundai has already begun accepting eligible clunker trade-ins.
Besting its strong U.S. performance, Ford’s Canadian division managed a healthy 23.8 percent boost in June sales. The June sales increase was enough to vault Ford past archrival General Motors to become Canada’s best-selling automaker.
With General Motors now officially terminating its joint-venture at the New United Motor Manufacturing Inc. factory, Toyota is weighing several options for the California plant. While many options are currently on the table, Toyota could be favoring altering the NUMMI plant to produce the company’s popular Prius hybrid.
Amid slumping sales, Porsche is said to be considering reducing production of its 911 Carrera model. The proposed plan would see Porsche idling the 911’s Zuffenhausen, Germany production plant around the Christmas holiday.
Battling plummeting sales, Suzuki says it will offer three months worth of free gasoline to anyone who buys one of its SX4 small cars. The small Japanese automaker’s sales have been off well over 50 percent this year and were down 78 percent last month when compared to the year before.
In its quest for world automotive domination, Hyundai has been busy of late. Before their glimmer twins, the Genesis sedan and coupe, hit the road, they were known as suppliers of decent, but not great transportation. That’s why the 10-year, 100,000 mile warranty plan was implemented: To put buyers’ minds at ease over their purchases. That was then. This is now.
In anticipation of increased demand during the second half of the year, Toyota announced on Thursday it will be increasing vehicle production for the United States by about 65,000 vehicles. Toyota’s inventory levels have decreased dramatically over the past few months, leaving the automaker in short supply of some of its most popular vehicles.
Despite its June 1st Chapter 11 bankruptcy filing, many investors are still trading General Motors stock. As one would imagine, the Detroit automaker’s stock is essentially worthless at this point, leading GM to chime in on the subject.
BMW has released 183 high-resolution images, as well as some basic details, about its upcoming X1 small SUV. Slotting below the X3, itself due for a redesign, the X1 will bow in the United States during calendar year 2011, according to the German automaker.
While many cars sold in North America feature red turn signal indicators built into their rear light clusters, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration says that the amber signals installed in some cars can be more than 5 percent more effective at preventing wrecks than their red counterparts, which the agency says blend too much with brake lights.
In a bid to raise cash, as well as reduce future expenditures, General Motors has begun selling off some of its more diverse assets, ranging from a nine-hole golf course in New Jersey to a toxic waste site in a former metal foundry in Massena, New York.
Audi’s answer to the Mercedes-Benz CLS – the Audi A7 – will hit the market in late 2010 as a 2011 model, a new report finds. Audi first previewed the forthcoming A7 with the Sportback concept at the 2009 Detroit Auto Show.
Continuing its quest to fill virtually every niche in the market, BMW has confirmed that it is readying a GT version of its popular 3-Series. Following in the footsteps of the recently revealed 5-Series GT, the 3-Series GT will offer station wagon-like room in the body style of a five-door hatchback.
Fiat’s Alfa Romeo brand will finally be returning to the United States early next decade, but the legendary Italian brand will likely be sold under the Dodge banner. Moreover, any Dodge vehicles that make the trek to Europe will likely be badged as Alfa Romeos.
Devon Motor Works may have failed to acquire the Viper franchise from Chrysler, but the up-start Michigan automaker is still moving forward with its GTX supercar plans. Our spy photographers managed to snap the first shots of the forthcoming supercar, indicating the GTX will be ready for its August debut.
Cadillac, which has recently shown an affinity for the letter X, will reportedly replace the aging DTS full-size flagship with a Canada-built model based on the upcoming Epsilon II architecture called XTS. If a recent report is to believed, the XTS will be built alongside the Chevrolet Impala and Camaro at GM’s Oshawa, Ontario, assembly plant.
Chevrolet’s all-new 2010 Camaro is back with a vengeance, dethroning the Ford Mustang as the best-selling pony car during the month of June. The Camaro was one of the loan bright spots for General Motors as demand for the Camaro nearly doubled the automaker’s expectations.
Toyota has already hooked up with Aston Martin on one small car project and it looks as though the Japanese automaker could be looking to forge more partnership with European automakers. According to the latest reports out of Germany, Toyota is considering an alliance Daimler.