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Fisker lays off majority of staff

This story originally appeared on Automotive News Fisker Automotive, the plug-in hybrid sports-car maker that has been grappling with financial troubles, laid off about 160 of its more than 200 employees Friday morning. A Fisker source who was among the employees affected said the layoff took place at about 8 a.m. Pacific.

Opel design boss dismissed

Newly appointed Opel design boss Dave Lyon has been dismissed by parent company General Motors, less than a week before he was set to take over the position at the company's troubled European subsidiary in Russelsheim, Germany. Lyon, who was set to receive Opel's design operations from current boss Mark Adams on Aug. 1, was reportedly escorted from GM design headquarters in Michigan late last week under mysterious circumstances.

First Sight: Citroën C4

 The Citroen C4 is a new car that shall be formally unveiled at the Paris Motor Show in September as the replacement for the Xsara that has been quietly competing in the European C-class for six years. The C4 was previewed in Geneva with the C4 Sport (a WRX themed concept car based very closely on the production 3-door C4) and less directly with the C6 Lignage Citroen concept car of Geneva 1999 which introduced many of the new car's exterior and interior design themes on a larger vehicle concept. Sitting between the C3 and C5 in Citroen's range, the C4 platform will also be shared by Citroen's partner Peugeot for the 307 replacement.