Furuno Depth Recorder Fe-400 on 2040-parts.com

Ford to sell Aston Martin

By Georg Kacher Motor Industry 31 August 2006 02:39 The world’s two biggest luxury goods firms – including the conglomerate behind brands like Moet and Louis Vuitton – are locked in a battle to buy Aston Martin from cash-starved Ford. Ford announced today that the British sports car manufacturer would be sold and CAR has learned that Swiss-based Richemont and the French holding company LVMH have emerged as most likely to take on Aston despite having no previous experience in the car industry. Ford desperately needs to tap into the potential $700m-$1bn the sale of Aston could generate and hopes to finalise a deal by the end of the year.

Lexus gets new focus

Battered by recalls and public inquisitions, Toyota is hoping to restore its once-pristine image with new hybrid products and a renewed focus on Lexus. Lexus increasingly will be positioned as a “global premium brand,” the company said on Wednesday, and see improved styling, more hybrids and better service. The brand's sales have fallen 9 percent this year, to 26,674 in the United States.

Vygor Opera .2 – just as ugly as the first Vygor & €140k

Vygor Opera .2 - a second take on the new crossover from Italy Last month we reported on the Vygor Opera, a new ‘car’ from Italy which we thought looked like a cross between a 5-Series GT, Subaru and an X6, but after a dose of ugly pills. So when we got an email in to say there’s a second version of the Opera – catchily named the Vygor Opera.2 – we thought Vygor must have bucked up their ideas from the first Opera and employed someone with a proper Italian flair for design. No such luck.