Elvex Padded Earmuffs on 2040-parts.com

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.

Audi A1 Quattro (2012) first official pictures

This is the Audi A1 Quattro, a 252bhp and four-wheel drive hot hatch that’s as exclusive as an R8 GT Spyder. Just 333 Audi A1 Quattros will ever be built so they’ll be a rare sight on the road – and particularly in Britain as the entire production run is left-hand drive, and Audi UK will import a tiny number only if there’s enough customer interest. So I probably can’t afford an Audi A1 Quattro, and I might never see one – what am I missing out on?

Ferrari's Corse Cliente takes to the track

UPDATED with video below! The Ferrari FXX and 599XX can be bought for oodles of cash--except you can't take them home when you leave the dealership. Ferrari's Corse Cliente program allows well-to-do owners a chance to help in the development of new sports cars.