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VW may add small car or SUV to U.S. plant

Volkswagen may build a small car or an SUV at its new U.S. plant in Tennessee, in addition to the mid-sized sedan that goes into production there next year. VW is considering options for the plant's second product even before it has begun building its first, Tom Loafman, the company's purchasing director, said here last week at the CAR Management Briefing Seminars.

Daimler, Renault are set to share vehicle platforms and engines

Following a year of intensive high-level talks and secretive, behind the scenes strategy meetings, Daimler AG and Renault SA have agreed on plans that will see their car-making divisions--Mercedes-Benz, Smart, Renault and Nissan--share resources on a wide range of products. The move signals more consolidation within the European automotive industry. Daimler chairman Dieter Zetsche and Renault president Carlos Ghosn have set out three primary areas of cooperation that will see the carmakers share small-car and light-commercial-vehicle platforms, small gasoline and diesel engines, and electric drive systems.

BMW Z4 GT3 (2011) completes testing

BMW Motorsport has released pictures of its upgraded Z4 GT3 race car. The 2011 car has completed testing and is available for customer teams. BMW Z4 GT3: the lowdown The Z4 GT3 may look like a regular Z4 that's been attacked by a boy-racer with a carbonfibre and tea-tray rear wing fetish. But under the skin the Z4 GT3 ditches straight-six power for a 4.4-litre motorsport-tuned V8 engine, hooked up to a six-speed racing transmissionBMW Motorsport takes a regular Z4 coupe-cabriolet body shell, and removes the retractable hardtop, bonnet, bootlid, front and rear wings and the bumpers.