Center High Mount Stop Light Bulb-standard Lamp - Blister Pack Rear/front Eiko on 2040-parts.com

News watch March 2010: today's auto industry news

Tuesday 30 March 2010• Mercedes has dismissed claims that its Maybach brand is for sale, after reports in the Chinese media claimed Chinese car company BYD was considering a bid for the upmarket offshoot. BYD has also denied the claims (Reuters)• Toyota president Akio Toyoda has promised his company will listen more carefully to customers and react faster in a bid to regain credibility after the Japanese car manufacturer was forced to recall millions of vehilces over safety fears (BBC)• The Obama administration is expected to unveil its finalised fuel economy and tailpipe emissions through to 2016 this week, to coincide with the opening of the 2010 New York auto show (Detroit News)  Monday 29 March 2010• Toyota has agreed to licence the hybrid technology in the Prius to Mazda, which will combine the electric system with its next-gen Sky engines. It’s part of Mazda’s plans to increase the average fuel economy of its vehicles by 30% by 2015 (compared to 2008 levels) and it hopes to have its first hybrid vehicle on sale in Japan by 2013 (Mazda)• Ford and Chinese car company Geely have signed a stock purchase agreement that will allow the latter to acquire 100% of Volvo (along with related assets including intellectual property rights).

Nissan GT-R Nismo leaks – gets 595bhp

Nissan GT-R Nismo leaks – gets 595bhp Nissan has been planning to add Nismo performance versions across their range of production cars for the last couple of years, and we’ve seen the Juke Nismo and 370Z Nismo already. Next up is the Nissan GT-R Nismo (even though you’d think it might be tough to make the mad GT-R any more ‘sporty’), an arrival confirmed by Carlos Ghosn back in February when he said “It would be unthinkable for us to develop a range of Nismo road cars without including the GT-R“. Now, ahead of a reveal this week, the first photo of the new GT-R Nismo has arrived together with some detail on what’s on offer.

Did you buy yourself a SUPERCAR for Christmas? Plenty did.

Did you buy yourself a SUPERCAR for Christmas? Plenty did. It’s a standing joke that if any of the Cars UK team are asked what they want for Christmas, top of the list is the favourite car of the moment.