98 99 00 01 02 03 04 Dodge Intrepid Structural Support Bracket 4663952 on 2040-parts.com

Toyota will pay NHTSA fine, adds to recalls

Toyota has stayed at the top of the news in the last few days. The Japanese automaker agreed to pay the record $16.4 million fine the U.S. Transportation Department levied against it, even as it scrambled to fix the Lexus GX 460 that Consumer Reports said was unsafe to drive.

Italian firm buys stake in Aston Martin

The former owner of Italian motorcycle maker Ducati has bought a 37.5-percent stake in financially strapped British car maker Aston Martin. The move means future Astons could use modern drivelines and electric architectures from Mercedes-Benz's AMG division, insiders with knowledge of the deal suggest. Private equity fund Investindustrial has signed a memorandum of understanding with current Aston Martin owner Investment Dar of Kuwait that will see it pay $240 million (150 million pounds) for the ownership stake.

MG name stands proud again at Longbridge

The company that runs the remnants of former UK automaker MG Rover has dropped a reference to its Chinese parent from its name. NAC MG UK has changed its name to MG Motor UK to emphasize the MG name, a company spokesman said. Nanjing Automobile Company or NAC bought MG Rover's assets in July 2005, three months after the UK's last domestically owned volume carmaker collapsed through financial difficulties.