Volkswagen hits back, weighs making a bid for Porsche

Volkswagen is considering an audacious reverse-takeover bid for its majority shareholder, Porsche, in a twist in the drawn-out struggle for control between the two German carmakers. The Volkswagen Group's supervisory board is said to be weighing the possibility of purchasing Porsche AG, in a move that would relieve its holding company, Porsche SE, of massive debt that industry analysts suggest the company may not be able to fund should the world's financial crisis drag on well into 2010--a scenario put forward this week by the International Monetary Fund. The secret plan emerged as shareholders were set to convene at Volkswagen's annual meeting on Thursday, and it comes after Porsche revealed that it is carrying some 9 billion euros ($11.73 billion) in debt, most of it owing to interest on loans taken out to purchase its 50.8 percent stake in VW.

James Bond's Aston Martin to light up London

With little more than a week to go, RM Auctions is gearing up for its fourth-annual Automobiles of London event. It's set for Oct. 27, with preview times beginning on Oct.

2012 Mercedes A-Class undisguised on video

The new A-Class caught on video on Lanzarote The 2012 Mercedes A-Class will launch at Geneva next month, and we have the first undisguised video and photo of the new A-Class. Mercedes-Benz has already confirmed that the new 2012 Mercedes A-Class will make its debut at the Geneva Motor Show in March, and that it’s the five-door A-Class that will hit the road first. Which means Mercedes are out shooting footage for the launch of the A-Class, and a sharp-eyed cyclist has managed to grab a brief bit of footage of the new A-Class on the road to Playa Blanca on Lanzarote as Mercedes went about their work.