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Crunch watch Apr 09: the auto industry in crisis

By Tim Pollard and Ben Pulman Motor Industry 30 April 2009 17:21 Welcome to CAR's news aggregator as we round up the seismic change in the auto industry. Top tip: news summaries are added from the top hour-by-hour  Thursday 30 April 2009• It's official: president Barack Obama confirms this afternoon Chrysler will file for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection as it strikes a patnership with Fiat (Automotive News, subscription required)• 'Over the past month, seemingly insurmountable obstacles have been overcome,' says Obama. 'Chrysler and Fiat have formed a partnership that has a strong chance of success' • Chrysler is filing for bankruptcy protection under Section 363(b) of Chapter 11 bankruptcy code – expected to last for 30-60 days (Detroit News)• Treasury to pay Chrysler $4.5 billion 'in exit financing'• Chrysler tipped to get new board of directors.

Lexus LFA Nurburgring (2010) first official pictures

Lexus hasn’t even started production of the LFA supercar yet, but it’s already unveiled a limited edition version – the Lexus LFA Nurburgring. Built to celebrate the LFA’s entry into the 2010 Nurburgring 24 Hours race, just 50 versions of this track-focussed supercar will be made. The tweaks and changes aren’t radical: the front-mounted 4.8-litre V10 has 10 bhp more (up to 562bhp) and the automated manual ‘box now shifts quicker (gear changes are down from 0.2 to 0.15 seconds) though the 3.7sec 0-62mph time and 202mph top speed remain the same.

Mercedes-Benz replaces CLK with E-class coupe

After a 12-year run and more than 460,000 sales across two generations, Mercedes-Benz has replaced the CLK with the 2010 E-class coupe. Debuting at next month's Geneva motor show and with U.S. sales slated to begin in June, the upmarket two-door represents a departure from its predecessor not only in name but also on a technical basis, switching from the old C-class platform to a modified version of the structure that underpins the recently revealed E-class sedan.