Quicksteer K9643 Suspension Ball Joint, Front Lower on 2040-parts.com

News watch June 2012: today's auto industry news

Welcome to CAR Magazine's news aggregator as we round up the daily stories in the auto industry. Top tip: news summaries are added from the top hour-by-hour Friday 29 June 2012• As predicted, BMW and Toyota today announced the next stage of their cooperation to jointly develop powertrains, lightweight technologies, fuel-cells and future platforms (BMW and Toyota)• Today's announcement follows the initial agreement signed in December 2011; in March 2012, BMW and Toyota signed a binding agreement to work together on lithium-ion battery research and for Munich to supply Toyota with diesel engines from 2014 • Now Toyota and BMW have signed a memorandum of understanding to cooperate on the electrification of car powertrains, research into lightweight technologies, develop fuel-cells and to consider future vehicle architectures – 'for a sports car, for example'• Renault will cut 300 jobs at its Flins plant near Paris, it announced today. The factory builds the Clio and is preparing for the new Zoe ZE too (Automotive News Europe)• Ford has warned its pre-tax operating profit in the second quarter will be 'substantially lower' than before.

Olympic Amy aims for rallying gold

OLYMPIC GOLD medallist Amy Williams OBE is taking on new challenge when she takes part in the Wales Rally GB that starts on 14 November. Williams will be driving a rally-prepared Mitsubishi Evo and will be co-driven by veteran expert and Sky Sports News Formula One pundit Tony Jardine. Although she had never competed in a rally until recently, Williams has had an intensive 10 weeks of training, including tuition from professional rally driver Elfyn Evans.

Fiat says it could abandon Chrysler due to unions

Fiat S.p.A. CEO Sergio Marchionne said he is ready to abandon plans to form a partnership with Chrysler LLC unless the U.S. carmaker's unions accept substantial labor cost reductions by the end of the month.