French government vows Renault reform after meeting with Ghosn

The French government will see to it that the individuals responsible for the now debunked Renault SA espionage affair are dealt with, the Finance and Industry ministers said in a statement. "The ministers underscored that they will pay close attention to organizational reform and individual responsibility (at Renault) based on the result of the audit," Finance minister Christine Lagarde and Industry Minister Eric Besson said in a joint statement after meeting with Renault CEO Carlos Ghosn on Thursday. The French state, which owns 15 percent of Renault, has called for a thorough investigation into discredited claims that three Renault executives were spying on the carmaker, possibly for a foreign government.

Win-A-Shelby raffle winner gets a 624-hp GT350

After years of participating in the Win-A-Shelby Raffle, one lucky enthusiast finally drew the golden ticket at the Barrett-Jackson Orange County Auction in Costa Mesa, Calif. William Munn of Maritez, Calif., was crowned owner of the 2011 GT350 on Sunday. By buying five tickets at $100 or a single ticket for $25, participants placed their names in the drawing to win the coveted Shelby.

Fisker Automotive begins hiring blitz

Fisker Automotive will hire 120 workers in the coming months to staff the former General Motors factory in Wilmington, Del., that will build Fisker's next plug-in hybrid sedan, due in 2013. Code-named Project Nina, the future car will join the plug-in Karma sedan in Fisker's lineup as the company expands its portfolio of premium hybrid cars. The Karma is launching this year, and production of the future sedan--expected to be priced at about $39,000 after government incentives--would begin late next year.