BMW to push build-to-order for X3

BMW wants you to buy a car the European way: The German automaker, which wants to pass Lexus as the leading luxury brand in the U.S. by 2012, is trying to convince its U.S. customers that they should order their BMWs with exactly the stuff they want on it, not settling for whatever is on the lot.

VW Passat Alltrack: UK price & spec revealed

VW Passat Alltrack - starts at £28,475 Volkswagen has revealed price and specifications for the VW Passat Alltrack. Arrives in the UK in May from £28,475. Volkswagen revealed the VW Passat Alltrack, a 4WD rufty-tufty, jacked-up Passat Estate back in November ahead of a public debut in Tokyo, and the promise of the first Alltracks in showrooms by April.

Real UK car sales ‘have halved’ in November 2008

By Tim Pollard Motor Industry 02 December 2008 09:58 The United Kingdom’s car market is in freefall, CAR has learned. Although official registration figures won’t be released until later this week, we can reveal that retail sales slumped by 45% in November 2008. It’s a crucial metric, retail registrations being actual sales to real people – as opposed to bulk-buy fleet deals to businesses (which are also down).