Headlines for Tuesday, March 5, 2013

Why Corvette in Europe faces a tough road

By unveiling the 2014 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray convertible in Europe, GM is signaling that it believes this generation of the Vette can stretch its halo beyond American shores. Read More »

AutoNews Now: The South vs. Mexico

Facing threat from across U.S. border, states unite to boost R&D; Opel chief's to-do list; Europe woes hang over Geneva show. Read More »

Nissan pursued by UAW amid Geneva's glitz

The UAW hoped to steal some of Nissan's limelight at the Geneva auto show today by holding a press conference there to accuse Nissan of mistreating its nonunion U.S. factory workers. Read More »

Toyota blinks on Camry deals after February sales fall

To see the constant tension at automakers between sales volumes and profit margins, look no further than the current state of Toyota's Camry. A rare dip in U.S. sales for the Camry last month reflects rising competition for Toyota. Read More »

First Shift: Corvette convertible debuts

Power-operated soft top can be opened at 30 mph; next Jetta SportWagen; fastest Ferrari ever; Honda goes old-car shopping. Read More »

In the limelight, exotics shrug off austerity

So where's the new austere, euro-pinching European auto industry, the one that's struggling to cut capacity and bring wages to a competitive level? No where to be seen, at least at the luxo-elite displays here in Geneva. Read More »

Ford awards Mulally nearly $12 million in performance bonuses

Ford CEO Alan Mulally this week was awarded performance bonuses worth nearly $12 million, Ford disclosed to U.S. regulators on Tuesday. Read More »

Toyota FT-86 convertible falls short

Toyota's FT-86 convertible concept had some skeptics pondering if this was the way to go. They included engineers from Subaru which developed Toyota's production GT86 coupe, as well as Subaru's version -- the BRZ -- and the Scion FR-S. Read More »

GM execs receive 324,489 restricted stock units

Eight top GM executives have been awarded more than 324,000 restricted stock units that vest over the next three years, according to regulatory documents filed today. Read More »

For Volvo, 4 refreshed nameplates to carry load for a while

Volvo is counting on four refreshed nameplates and a new safety feature to help sustain sales until the brand can launch a more complete overhaul of its lineup in a few years. Read More »

UAW's King juggles diversification, southern strategy

UAW President Bob King says he has finally begun to stem the decades-long membership decline in one of America's most powerful labor unions, but his goal of organizing at least one foreign-owned automaker in the South continues to elude him. Read More »

Penske to run Hertz rental locations in Indiana

Penske Automotive Group and auto rental giant Hertz reached an agreement for Penske to operate Hertz rental locations in key Indiana markets. Read More »

For Ghosn, just another impressive day in the media glare

For several years at major auto shows, Renault-Nissan CEO Carlos Ghosn has invited media to freewheeling Q&A sessions. Ghosn continued the tradition here today in an unscripted, open-ended session with about 75 international journalists. Read More »

Yes, we get it: VW has big plans for the U.S.

Need more evidence that Volkswagen AG is infatuated with the idea of conquering the American market? Read More »

Opel prices new Cascada convertible under 25,000 euros

Opel/Vauxhall's new Cascada mid-sized convertible will be priced more than 14,000 euros less than potential rivals when it starts arriving at dealerships in April as the money-losing brand seeks to attract buyers looking for a cheaper alternative to premium convertibles. Read More »

Tesla libel suit over BBC's 'Top Gear' dismissed by U.K. appeals court

An appeals court in the United Kingdom dismissed a libel lawsuit from Tesla Motors, a maker of electric vehicles led by billionaire Elon Musk, against the BBC show "Top Gear." Read More »

Alfa says 4C is the 'ideal' car for U.S. relaunch

Alfa Romeo CEO Harald Wester said the 4C small sports coupe is the ideal model for Alfa's relaunch in North America. Read More »

Carmakers warn of weak European market for years to come

New-car sales in Europe are at the low end of expectations and the market is likely to remain shaky for at least five years as the region implements austerity measures to cut its debts, industry executives warned on Tuesday. Read More »

Jaguar Land Rover to lift investment at UK engine plant

Jaguar Land Rover plans to increase investment at its UK engine plant and double employment at the site to around 1,400, CEO Ralf Speth said. Read More »

New Opel CEO Neumann readies turnaround plans

Karl-Thomas Neumann, Opel's new CEO, outlined three priorities while saying he took the job at General Motors' money-losing European subsidiary because of its improved vehicles and GM's commitment to spend billions of dollars turning the business around. Read More »

New Opel CEO Neumann readies turnaround plans

Karl-Thomas Neumann, Opel's new CEO, outlined three priorities while saying he took the job at General Motors' money-losing European subsidiary because of its improved vehicles and GM's commitment to spend billions of dollars turning the business around. Read More »

Ferrari unveils its fastest model to date

Ferrari unveiled the LaFerrari supercar at the Geneva auto show today. The 963-hp hybrid is the fastest, most powerful and most expensive Ferrari model to date. It succeeds the Enzo. Read More »

Corvette Stingray convertible will have standard power top

The latest Corvette convertible was introduced today at the Geneva auto show, the same place that the '06 Corvette convertible and the '90 "King of the Hill" Corvette ZR-1 made their world debuts. Read More »

Marchionne confirms Fiat's 2013 targets, sees no European market recovery

Fiat CEO Sergio Marchionne confirmed the company's 2013 profit targets today and said a recovery in Europe's car markets this year seemed unlikely. Read More »

Qoros will launch compact sedan in Europe priced below 20,000 euros

Chinese carmaker Qoros said its Qoros 3 sedan will cost below 20,000 euros ($26,000) when it launches later this year. Read More »

Is Buick next in line for Opel's new convertible?

Could the Opel Cascada convertible unveiled at the show here today be headed to Buick showrooms in North America? GM Vice Chairman Steve Girsky wouldn't say for sure, but offered some grist for the rumor mill. Read More »

Is this really a different Note?

When I saw the new Nissan Note today I asked myself: Am I at the right auto show? Is this really the all-new Note that Nissan said would be dramatically different from the first-generation car? No chance. Read More »

Euro contagion means Russia car sales likely to pass Germany this year

Russia is likely to become Europe's biggest market for new vehicles as early as this year as current leader Germany succumbs to the euro zone crisis, according to Toyota Europe's sales and marketing boss Karl Schlicht. Read More »

Ghosn: Too early to revise European sales predictions downward

Renault-Nissan CEO Carlos Ghosn believes it is too early to revise downward sales predictions for Europe this year. Read More »

GM widens lead over Toyota in China with 7.9% sales gain

General Motors' China sales rose during the first two months of the year, extending GM's lead over Toyota in the world’s biggest auto market, as demand for Japanese brands shrank. Read More »

Why Corvette in Europe faces a tough road

By unveiling the 2014 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray convertible in Europe, GM is signaling that it believes this generation of the 'Vette can stretch its halo beyond American shores. Read More »

Toyota sees European profit as revamp bears fruit

Toyota will turn a profit in its European automotive business during the current fiscal year, ending this month, for the first time since 2007. Read More »

Lamborghini celebrates 50th with exclusive Veneno

Lamborghini stole the limelight from McLaren and Ferrari rivals on Monday by celebrating its 50th anniversary with an exclusive hypercar of which just three will be built. Read More »

VW marries massages, movies & maintenance

For most people in the Western world, going to the dealership is like going to the dentist. The visit is considered a success as long as it is quick and painless. At Volkswagen dealerships in China the expectations are higher – and the perks are much better. Read More »