Type S Universal Holder, Flex Arm on 2040-parts.com

Infotainment in cars could get a boost from backup-camera mandate

A federal mandate to require backup cameras in all vehicles, expected Feb. 29, will be a bonanza for suppliers of collision-avoidance equipment. But the mandate also could provide an unintended boost to the infotainment industry.

VW Concept BlueSport at Detroit auto show 2009

By Tim Pollard Motor Shows 12 January 2009 05:29 CAR's been tipping it for ages, but today we finally saw the first proof of VW's ambitions to build a Lotus Elise-style back-to-basics roadster. The Concept BlueSport is a mid-engined sports car with the emphasis firmly on the lack of frills – to the benefit of performance, handling and the car's environmental credentials. The BlueSport is compact at just 3999mm long and that mid-mounted engine keeps weight distribution even-Stevens at 45:55.

General Motors CEO Rick Wagoner to quit, reports say

General Motors CEO Rick Wagoner is about to resign after eight years as the Obama administration prepares to decide on the automaker's request for additional government rescue loans, two people familiar with the matter said. A senior Obama administration official told NBC's John Yang that Wagoner, 56, was asked to step down by the White House. The automaker, which has lost about $82 billion since 2004, awaits word Monday from President Obama on a request for as much as $16.6 billion in additional U.S.