Volkswagen mulls new Phaeton for the US market

Volkswagen is giving some serious thought to bringing back the Phaeton sedan to the U.S., Automotive News reports. We haven't seen the Phaeton since 2006, when it was withdrawn from the North American market after lackluster sales. Built at the same factory as the much more expensive Bentley Continental GT and sharing much of the underlying mechanicals, the Volkswagen Phaeton managed to be a slower seller in the U.S.

Audi designs car for 'Ender's Game' sci-fi movie

Audi has designed a futuristic car for the upcoming sci-fi action blockbuster Ender's Game. The carmaker joined forces with director Gavin Hood and his production team to digitally integrate its first entirely virtual car – the Audi Fleet Shuttle Quattro – into the futuristic environment of the film. Frank Rimili, chief designer for the film project, said, "Designing the Audi Fleet Shuttle Quattro was similar to customizing a tailor-made suit.

Ford slows rate of cash burn in posting $1.4 billion net loss

Ford Motor Co., the only U.S. automaker operating without federal bailout loans, burned through $3.7 billion in cash during the first quarter in posting its fourth straight quarterly loss. Ford slowed the burn rate from the fourth quarter of 2008, when cash declined by $5.5 billion.