Porsche Macan to get a bolder look before launch

The Porsche Macan – the baby Cayenne – is to get a new, bold look before it launches in 2014, to make it better able to compete against the Range Rover Evoque. The Porsche Macan, Porsche’s baby Cayenne based on the underpinnings of the Audi Q5, is a big deal for Porsche. Having discovered that an SUV could revive their fortunes after they launched the Cayenne a decade ago, the smaller, lower-priced Macan should give both Porsche’s sales and profits a big boost.

Concept Car of the Week: Matra Laser (1971)

Founded in 1937, French company Matra began its activities by manufacturing military equipment such as aeronautics and weaponry. In the mid ‘60s, under Jean-Luc Lagardere's ambitious direction, the company bought Automobiles Rene Bonnet to expand its portfolio with street and racing cars. The first model solely developed by Matra was the bonkers, but brilliant, 1967 M530, which took its name from the company's surface-to-air missile the R530.

Car sales skid in January; Mini, VW and Volvo biggest losers

U.S. light-vehicle sales, dampened by lower fleet shipments and severe winter weather across large chunks of the country, fell 3 percent in January. Among the biggest automakers, Nissan Motor Co.