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AW survey: Honda Element won't be missed

Is Honda making a mistake by killing the Element SUV after the 2011 model year? AutoWeek readers think not. Our poll shows that 56 percent of voters indicated a readiness to wave good-bye to the “toaster on wheels.” On the other hand, 32 percent found the Element was supremely useful and cool, and 12 percent signaled they didn't know how to transport their dogs anymore in its absence (remember the “dog-friendly” Element?).

Jaguar F-Type Coupe by SVO for Tour de France – JLR’s Special Vehicle Operations creates F-Type support car for Sky Team

Jaguar F-Type Coupe by SVO for Tour de France support on time trials We’ve already had two new cars from JLR’s new Special Operations division ion the guise of the new Range Rover Sport SVR and Jaguar F-Type Project 7, and now we get another – the Jaguar F-Type R Coupe support car for Jaguar’s Team SKY Tour de France exploits. The support car SVO has created is the standard F-Type R Coupe with the 542bhp supercharged V8, painted in the SKY Team’s usual blue colours and fitted with a clever roof rack to carry a couple of bikes. Other updates include tech in the car to allow team officials to communicate with the tour organisers – including radio, TV and a power supply – and are designed to be used on the individual time trial runs.

Crunch watch Mar 09: the auto industry in crisis

By Ben Pulman and Tim Pollard Motor Industry 31 March 2009 13:48 Tuesday 31 March 2009• Porsche said that its earnings before tax rose to €7.3 billion in the six months to the end of January – including a €6.8bn windfall from its VW share options (Financial Times)• Fritz Henderson, GM's president and chief operating officer, will step up to replace Rick Wagoner, who was ousted on Sunday as CEO of General Motors (Financial Times)• President Obama is essentially CEO-in-chief of GM – despite not owning a single cent of stock, says Detroit News commentator (Detroit News)• German chancellor Angela Merkel gives assurances that any would-be investors in GM's European arm will be given state support. Opel is asking for €3.3 billion in aid – and up to 25,000 jobs in Germany depend on it, with up to 300,000 jobs across Europe including Saab and Vauxhall (BBC News)Monday 30 March 2009• General Motors' chief executive Rick Wagoner has been ordered to resign by US president Barack Obama with immediate effect. It's part of Obama's administration's critique of GM and Chrysler's turnaround plans – he's understood to be unhappy with the plans submitted (BBC News)• New GM non-executive chairman Kent Kresa has admitted that at the company's next general meeting it will have 'a majority of new directors' (General Motors)• Chrysler will receive US government aid for the next 30 days, but the Obama administration has said that if the company cannot secure a tie-up with the Fiat Group within that time period it will not receive any more money from the taxpayers and could go into liquidation.