Jay Dickens Cam Shaft on 2040-parts.com

Lotus's glimmer of hope: Proton stands by Hethel

After another painful year of sales for Lotus in the UK – down 58% on 2011 - Norfolk's beleagured sports car brand has kicked off the New Year with the grand unveiling of its new flagship Malaysian showroom, and the thumbs-up from senior Proton company suits that Lotus isn't on its last legs. The announcement comes in the same week Lotus’s sales figures were released for 2012. Showing a substantial 58% decrease in sales and selling just 137 vehicles, Lotus Cars was the worst performer in the UK with a woeful 0.01% share of the market.  Are Lotus's Malaysian owners sticking by the company?

Ford reaches agreement to sell Volvo to Geely for $1.8 billion

Ford has reached an agreement to sell its Swedish brand Volvo to Chinese carmaker Geely for about $1.8 billion in a multinational sale expected to close in the third quarter of this year. The pending agreement was announced on Sunday morning, and Ford will continue to supply powertrains, stamping and other parts to Volvo after the sale. If it closes, the landmark deal delivers the premium Volvo brand--long a benchmark for automotive safety--to a Chinese firm that has ambitious plans for growth.

Saab 9-3 ePower electric car at 2010 Paris show

Saab will showcase its electric car ambitions at the 2010 Paris motor show with the new 9-3 ePower. Look out for this badge on future Saabs – it’s the next step from the existing E85 biofueled BioPower models. The 9-3 ePower is a technical testbed vehicle rather than anything you can go and buy, but the Swedes aim to have an electric car to market in the next few years.