Polaris 1544904-804 Asm-rail 165 Bsc 3.5p Lh K Sgy on 2040-parts.com

Pontiac is done by end of 2010; Saturn shutdown accelerated

Pontiac--the brand famous for the GTO, the Firebird, the Star Chief and, most recently, the Solstice--is dead. It will be phased out by the end of 2010 as part of sweeping cuts announced Monday by General Motors as it tries to remake itself into a smaller company with fewer plants, workers and dealers. GM said it will concentrate on four U.S.

Akio Toyoda waves family flag, heir makes crisis personal challenge

The reclusive Akio Toyoda is taking the rare step of waving the family flag, as the scion to Toyota Motor Corp.’s founding dynasty tries to steer the world’s largest car company out of a spiraling safety crisis. In testimony prepared for the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, President Toyoda pursues a rare personal tack on the emergency, saying “my name is on every car.” “As you well know, I am the grandson of the founder, and all the Toyota vehicles bear my name,” Toyoda says in prepared comments circulated ahead of Wednesday’s committee hearing in Washington. “For me, when the cars are damaged, it is as though I am as well.” The intimate reflection is a departure for Toyoda, who has spent most of his career sidestepping public discussion of his lineage.

Next-gen Nissan Versa coming to U.S.

The next-generation Nissan Versa will be sold in the United States, the company announced on Monday morning. A sketch released shows a more sculpted and lined compact than the current car. Nissan sold 7,021 Versas in September in the United States, an increase of 47 percent over the same period in 2009.