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Cash for clunkers plan revives trade fight

Import brand automakers and dealers warned on Thursday that a vehicle scrappage proposal before the Senate would violate trade agreements and could weaken the economy. The Senate could vote on the plan on Thursday, which would offer $10,000 to any moderate- or low-income consumer who trades in a car or truck that is at least 10 years old and buys a new one that is more fuel-efficient and "assembled in the United States." The trade-ins would be scrapped rather than resold. The U.S.-made mandate "smacks of the protectionism that led to the Great Depression," said Barbara Nocera, the top Washington lobbyist for Mazda North American Operations.

2013 Astra Convertible spied on video – The new Vauxhall Calibra / Opel Manta?

2013 Astra Convertible Spy Vauxhall and Opel have now managed to reveal much of the new Astra Model range – with the Astra GTC debuting at Frankfurt last month being the latest – but there’s still the drop-top Astra Convertible to come. The 2013 Astra Convertible – which may arrive as the new Vauxhall Calibra – has been caught on video testing ahead of an expected debut at Paris in 2012, before going on sale across Europe in 2013. Looking very much like the GTC with a cloth top, the new Astra Convertible loses the tin-top of the old model and gets a folding canvas top in the name of economy, lightness and dynamics.

Bentley SUV plug-in Hybrid Concept at Geneva

The Bentley SUV Concept will debut at Geneva It’s reported that the Bentley SUV Concept is heading for Geneva 2012 complete with plug-in hybrid powertrain. We reported last month that we though there was a strong possibility we could see the Bentley SUV at the Geneva Motor Show this year, although the only fly in that ointment of speculation was the imminent arrival of the Lamborghini SUV. But now we know that the Lamborghini MLC will not debut at Geneva, but wait a month to be revealed at the Beijing Motor Show at the end of April, the strong possibility that the Bentley SUV will arrive at Geneva now becomes a probability.