80 81 Chevrolet Corvette L82 L81 Factory Aluminum Intake Manifold 14014432 on 2040-parts.com

Kia, Chrysler, VW set pace as December sales advance 9 percent

Kia, Chrysler and Volkswagen posted some of the strongest sales gains for December as the industry closed out 2011 on a high note. Automotive News estimates December volume was up 9 percent to 1.24 million from a year earlier--in line with analysts' forecasts. Total industry sales were projected at 12.78 million for the year, up from 2010's total of 11.6 million and the 27-year low of 10.4 million in 2009.

Beijing Auto Show 2014 – the 15 cars that really matter

With somewhere around 90 world debuts, the Beijing motor show certainly had the numbers – if not the organization – to live up to its billing as one of the world's most important auto shows. The back-story to these figures however is that the majority of these unveils were of lightly-revised versions of existing models – from facelifts to localized versions of cars already on sale in other markets. That's not to say there was nothing of interest to see inside the maze of halls at the China Exhibition Center.

Skoda BlueSport Roadster looking likely

Skoda looks likely to build a version of the VW BlueSport Concept - The Skoda Roadster. At the time we reported, we thought thought that Skoda’s image might be a little too down-market still for this little Roadster. We thought it more likely that Audi and VW would be the main producers, and maybe Porsche, as an entry-level model.