Cadillac Hood Ornament on 2040-parts.com

Pioneer App Radio officially unveiled

Pioneer has officially unveiled the App Radio that AutoWeek told you about earlier this month. Now that it's willing to talk, Pioneer claims that the radio and audio system is "the first in-vehicle product designed to utilize the processing power, storage capacity, network connectivity and apps of the iPhone and iPod Touch as the primary source for its information and entertainment capabilities." That does sound a lot like what Mini Connected and, in a more platform-agnostic sense, Ford Sync are doing. Pioneer said it couldn't speak to the similarity of those systems, but Ted Cardenas, director of marketing for Pioneer's car-electronics division, briefed us on installation of the device and what Pioneer is doing to minimize driver distraction.

Saab on brink of closing after GM rejects rescue plan

Saab Automobile filed for bankruptcy on Monday and is on the brink of shutting for good after former owner General Motors rejected a rescue plan. The move sets the scene for the end of Saab's struggle to survive after months of hastily drawn-up deals for a company that hasn't made a vehicle in months. The latest plan involved Chinese automaker Zhejiang Youngman Lotus Automobile, but this was vetoed by GM, still a key Saab supplier, over the weekend "After having received the recent position of GM on the contemplated transaction with Saab Automobile, Youngman informed Saab Automobile that the funding to continue and complete the reorganization of Saab Automobile could not be concluded," Saab's Dutch owner, Swedish Automobile, said in a statement.

Ferrari F12 TRS revealed – but you can’t buy it

The one-off Ferrari F12 TRS When your pockets are deep enough, the special operation divisions of the world’s luxury and supercar makers are your playground. And one Ferrari client has spent a repute £2.5 million to create a one-off F12 – the Ferrari F12 TRS – twice the price of LaFerrari. Still obviously a Ferrari F12, the F12 TRS gets a pretty dramatic makeover, inspired by the 1967 Ferrari 250 Testa Rossa, from Ferrari Special Projects, design chief Flavio Manzoni and the Ferrari Style Centre.