Auto Shows

SHANGHAI -- Not long ago, a black stretch version of the Audi A6 was the unofficial ride of choice for Chinese government bureaucrats.
Even today, rows of the cars are visible outside Shanghai's municipal training school, where the officials receive instruction and attend meetings.
Last year, China's government directed its officials to buy domestic limos rather than foreign sedans, such as those from Audi, Mercedes-Benz or BMW.

NEW YORK -- The sound system perched over the Chevrolet stand at the auto show here last week roared so loudly with music, mixed in with the sounds of revving engines and screeching tires, that earplugs were handed out to the hundreds of onlookers gathered for Chevy's press conference. It was General Motors' way of sending a message: Chevy's performance division is on a roll. And GM plans an advertising campaign to spread the word. Last year, Camaro sales topped Ford Mustang sales for the third straight year. GM says Chevy

TOKYO -- Subaru will gradually adopt the angular face of the Viziv concept crossover shown at the Geneva auto show across its lineup, the brand's global design chief says.
Subaru's current front end, dominated by a hexagonal grille and wraparound headlights, is too tame, global design chief Osamu Namba says. Going forward, models will take their styling cues from the Viziv.
The concept's front has aggressively incised bracket-shaped headlights that fuse with

CHICAGO -- The Kia Cross GT concept shows what a Kia seven-seater might look like. And it offers a glimpse of the brand's new design direction. Peter Schreyer, Kia Motors Corp. president and chief design officer, says the Cross GT is the next step in Kia's ambitions to move upscale. He said the concept is the next logical step for his "simplicity of the straight line" design language. For instance, the concept's grille is integrated smoothly into the headlights. "You might see that on other products too," he said. Schreyer is

TOKYO (Bloomberg) -- With Toyota Motor Corp. back on top as the world's largest automaker, President Akio Toyoda isn't looking to a relative youngster like the Prius hybrid to defend that lead.
Instead, he's counting on a middle-aged veteran: the 47-year-old Corolla.
Later this year -- the company hasn't said when or where -- Toyota plans to introduce a revamped version of its global best seller, which last underwent a redesign in 2008.

LOS ANGELES -- As Mazda and Fiat work to finalize their deal to make roadsters together, the companies are looking at other possible joint projects, Mazda's CEO said. Takashi Yamanouchi, CEO of Mazda Motor Corp., said that engineers from the automakers are drawing up an "opportunity list" of potential vehicle projects. Yamanouchi, speaking through an interpreter at the Los Angeles auto show, declined to identify segments under consideration. In September at the Paris auto show, Yamanouchi said Chrysler-Fiat CEO Sergio Marchionne

"Editor's note: An earlier version of this story reported that Lamborghini would add 11 new stores in China, to reach a total of 25. The automaker will in fact add an extra 6 dealerships to reach 20.
Lamborghini plans to add 6 stores in China this year for a total of 20 dealerships -- a sign of its commitment to the market despite flat sales this year.
In an interview with Automotive News Europe, Lamborghini CEO Stephan Winkelmann was

The Tokyo Motor Show has taken a beating in recent years. Its tally of global concept and production-vehicle debuts and its attendance have fallen, even as rival shows in China have risen in global importance and prestige. Now organizers are attempting to rebrand the Tokyo event as the world's top showcase of automotive technology. Next year's show will kick off under the theme "Compete! And shape the future." The idea is that the industry and its technology can advance only in the crucible of creative rivalry. The 10-day show

RENNES, France -- Peugeot hopes more upscale features and an innovative design will help its 308 hatchback gain market share against the segment leader Volkswagen Golf in the saturated European compact market.
Peugeot says the 308 is the latest model that reflects the brand's ambitions to move upmarket by offering innovative driving features for roughly the same price as its predecessor.
Peugeot says it has packed the 308 with extra features that the current

LOS ANGELES -- Lexus Division will show its redesigned 2013 IS sedan at the Detroit auto show in January.
The IS sedan shares a platform and 3.5-liter V-6 engine with the longer GS sedan, but it also has its own entry-level 2.5-liter V-6. When the GS was redesigned this year, much of its platform and powertrain were carried over. The main changes involved design and technical refinements, such as increasing body rigidity. Expect similar changes for the IS, and the addition of a more tightly