Auto Sector

Porsche downplays plans for four-cylinder Boxter

Porsche downplays plans for four-cylinder BoxterStuttgart  - Porsche is said to be downplaying plans to build a special economical four-cylinder version of the Boxter, the British Autocar magazine has reported, quoting company sources.

A Porsche spokesman described the report as "pure speculation." The next generation of the Boxter Roadster and the Cayman coupe would still be offered with a six-cylinder engine, the spokesman added. He pointed out that they would be more economical because of direct injection systems.

Jaguar XJ epitomizes some highlights of British motoring

Jaguar XJ epitomizes some highlights of British motoringCoventry, England  - The Jaguar XJ, which celebrates its 40th birthday this year, in a sense epitomizes the very best and worst of British motoring.

Driving an XJ is an emotional experience that clearly differs from the cool precision of taking the wheel in a Mercedes.

For a start, there is the distinct smell of the opulent leather interior coupled with neatly arranged dials on the wooden dashboard, giving it an aura of luxurious opulence.

Smart Fortwo hits cult status as Batmobile

Smart Fortwo hits cult status as BatmobileLas Vegas  - At least Batman doesn't have to worry about getting a parking space now.

A specialty auto fitter gave a Smart Fortwo a kind of celebrity makeover at a Las Vegas trade show earlier this month, transforming the subcompact car into a mini-Batmobile, complete with a black airbrush paint job and tailfins.

Designer George Barris, renowned for creating the original Batmobile in the 1960s superhero television series, teamed up with the Californian specialist firm Vertical Doors to build the Batsmart.

Mazda buys back 6.87-per-cent stake from Ford

Mazda Motor CorpTokyo - Mazda Motor Corp bought back 6.87-per

Ailing Ford to sell 20-per-cent of Mazda stake

Tokyo/New York  - Mazda Motor Corp and other business partners plan to buy back a 20-per-cent stake of the Japanese automaker from Ford Motor Co on Wednesday, the automakers said Tuesday.

Ford will reduce its share of Mazda to 13 per cent from the current 33.4 per cent in order to raise badly needed funds. The second-largest US automaker said it hopes to raise 540 million with the sale.

Mazda was expected to purchase a 6.9 per cent stake of 96.8 million shares for 184 yen per share, worth a total of about 17.9 billion yen (185.18 million dollars), the Japanese company said. The rest of the shares are to be sold to other unidentified investors.

No Christmas gravy for Europe's ailing carmakers

Brussels  - Ah, the style of an Italian Ferrari, the solidity of a German Mercedes, the flair of a French Renault!

The car industry is not only Europe's pride and joy, it provides income for some 12 million families and last year generated a combined turnover of 551 billion euros (700 billion dollars), or about 5 per cent of the continent's gross domestic product (GDP).

One in every three cars sold around the world is European.

But now, caught between the global credit crunch, a recession and the need to make greener vehicles, Europe's automobile industry says it is facing its most difficult moment since the oil crisis of the early 1970s.

Pages