BMW 1-series hatchback (2011) first official pictures

BMW has peeled the last pieces of camouflage sheeting from their F20 1-series and announced details of the upcoming entry-level car. BMW 1-series: the evolutionary new look As revealed in CAR's spy images last month, the 1-series is a clear evolution of its predecessor, featuring smoother lines but a more aggressively-angled front-end. The new headlight design dominates the nose, providing the 1-series with a pronounced squint compared with its predecessor.  F20 has grown in most dimensions over the first 1-series: it is 85mm longer overall, and sits on a 30mm longer.

Saab: GM decides Vladimir Antonov is a good guy after all

Vladimir Antonov - Not a 'Red under the Bed' after all. Some detected the odour of McCarthyism when GM told Spyker there could be no deal on Saab unless it showed major backer Vladimir Antonov the door. Which seemed a bit harsh; after all, there seemed no evidence to support accusations of links to organised crime by Vladimir or Convers Bank.

Chrysler, VW lead February sales gains

U.S. auto sales led by Chrysler Group surged 16 percent in February, giving the industry its strongest showing in four years in a fresh sign that the recovery is gaining more traction. Total light vehicle sales rose to 1.15 million units as the seasonally adjusted sales annual rate hit 15.1 million.