Volkswagen Jetta Passenger Dash Bag Air on 2040-parts.com

Electric Ford Focus to guest on Leno show

Jay Leno's new show goes live Monday on NBC, and a guest star from Dearborn, Mich., will have a recurring role. The battery-electric Ford Focus will be the centerpiece of a bit dubbed the “Green Car Challenge” on the show. Leno, a noted car guy, will have celebrity guests compete for the best track times in the Focus.

Production of Camaro convertible to start in 2011

Despite General Motors' current economic woes, production of a convertible version of the Chevrolet Camaro is on track to start in early 2011. That is later than the original plan of having the ragtop Camaro go into production early next year, a GM spokesman told Automotive News. But the program was not canceled, just delayed, the spokesman said.

GM profits surge to $3.2 billion in first quarter

General Motors on Thursday posted net income of $3.2 billion for the first quarter, its fifth straight quarterly profit since emerging from bankruptcy. Stripping out one-time charges and gains, including $1.6 billion in income from the March sale of GM's ownership in Delphi Automotive, GM earned $2 billion before interest and taxes. GM's net income for the January-through-March period a year earlier was $865 million.