Garmin Gpsmap 295 on 2040-parts.com

Crunch watch Dec 09: the auto industry in crisis

Welcome to CAR's news aggregator as we round up the seismic change in the auto industry. Top tip: news summaries are added from the top hour-by-hour Wednesday 30 December 2009• Saab's PR chief told AN that GM is extending the deadline for a sale to 7 January – and the Trollhattan factory will resume limited manufacturing in early January to build the new 9-5 and some 9-3 cabrios (Automotive News, subscription required)• Last night Bloomberg reported a Saab board member claiming that the 31 December deadline for a Saab sale or closure 'is not holy'. If GM receives a bid that is 'sufficiently interesting', it'll extend the deadline, said the Saab suit (Automotive News, subscription required)• GM is offering massive discounts on Pontiac and Saturn cars, as it seeks to get rid of the remaining stock from these terminated brands.

Alfa 4C beats Aston Martin DBS (AM310) to Villa D’Este prize

The Alfa Romeo 4C has beaten the Aston Martin Project AM310 (new AM DBS) to the prize for best concept at Concorso d’Eleganza Villa d’Este. As you can’t have failed to notice, this last weekend was the Concorso d’Eleganza Villa d’Este, an elegant and delightful car event on the shores of Lake Como in Italy. And the new Aston Martin DBS (Project AM310) was the big news.

Record-setting Ferrari hydroplane heads for RM's Monaco auction

A record-setting Ferrari-powered 1953 hydroplane, ARNO XI, will cross the block in May at the RM Auctions event in Monaco. The hydroplane set the speed record for a boat of its size on Lake Iseo in northern Italy, running up to 150.19 mph. Designed and built by Achille Castoldi—a friend of Ferrari Grand Prix drivers Alberto Ascari and Luigi Villoresi—convinced Enzo Ferrari to provide knowledge and technical assistance to help develop the world-record-holding boat.