The automaker will cut 8,500 to 10,000 hourly jobs and 2,100 salaried jobs through 2008. The company already had begun cutting 1,100 temporary workers Wednesday. It will eliminate shifts at five North American assembly plants and cut four vehicle models from its lineup.

The cuts come in addition to the 13,000 layoffs Chrysler announced in February as part of a massive restructuring plan. Those cuts included 11,000 production jobs and 2,000 salaried jobs. The new round of cuts was expected to involve buyouts or early retirement packages similar to those made in February. (more…)

Sensuality and provocation characterise every Lamborghini, with an aggressively innovative style. Lamborghini prides the extraordinary manufacturer of extreme super sports cars without compromise. (more…)

The Finn’s lap of one minute 45.994 seconds was just 0.017secs clear of team-mate Felipe Massa, with McLaren’s Fernando Alonso 0.080secs further back.

Alonso’s team-mate Lewis Hamilton, who has struggled to match the Spaniard all weekend, was fourth fastest but 0.395secs adrift.

The BMW Sauber of Robert Kubica and Williams’s Nico Rosberg with next up.

Kubica’s team-mate Nick Heidfeld, Red Bull’s Mark Webber, the Toyota of Jarno Trulli and Heikki Kovalainen’s Renault completed the top 10. (more…)

At a July hearing, the team were found guilty of fraudulent conduct by the FIA council but were not punished because of insufficient evidence.

But the emergence of new evidence means McLaren must again defend themselves.

If the WMSC decides to punish them, McLaren could lose points or even be thrown out of the championship.

First, the WMSC will examine the new evidence to consider again if McLaren benefited from the 780-page dossier of Ferrari information. (more…)

The 37-year-old, from Cheltenham, Gloucestershire, drove a Bugatti Veyron as it raced a Typhoon fighter jet at RAF Coningsby, Lincolnshire.

In September 2006 he was treated for swelling to the brain after his jet-powered car crashed.

The BBC said it was confident that “stringent” safety rules had been met.

The stunt, part of filming for a new series in October, saw Hammond behind the wheel of a car capable of speeds of more than 250mph, and which can travel from 0 to 60mph in 2.5 seconds. It is said to be the world’s fastest production car. (more…)

AVAS representatives declared for HotNews.ro that John Fleming, Ford Europe CEO, will meet the committee’s representatives on Monday, ion order to present some of the technical offering’s details.

Negotiations with Ford should have begun on Monday, but the Privatization Committee demanded supplementary documents.

Sebastian Vladescu, head of the Committee, estimated this week that the transaction may be closed before September 1. Ford would take over in this deal some 72.4 of the stock at Craiova.

HotNews.ro, Jul 13, 2007

Both the financial and technical offers will be open on Monday in the presence of Ford officials.

Sebastian Vladescu, the president of the Committee, declared that the transaction could be colsed by the end of August, Ford taking over 72.4% of the company shares.

Previously, non-binding offers were submitted by General Motors Corporation, Ford Motors Company and Russian Machines, part of the Russian group Basic Elements owned by Russian mogul Oleg Deripaska.

The Romanian state has been holding the majority stake in the plant since 2004 and planned to sell it by the end of June 2007.

The transaction was evaluated at 60 million USD, 50 million of which cover the majority stake and the other 10 cover the company’s debts to firms in the Daewoo group.

Update
The Authority for State Assets Recovery (AVAS) postponed the negotiations with Ford, motivating that the American company needs to fill up more papers, a press release informed on Monday.

HotNews.ro, Jul 9, 2007

Each bus amounts to almost 200.000 euro and will enter into public use by 2008. Aside the AC and video system, the buss has LCD monitors, automatic taxing and passenger counting system.

In 2006 however, bus acquisitions faced criticism mainly from the press, as the buses, even though very expensive, lacked air conditioning both for the driver and the passengers. To remedy their mistake, town hall officials decided to install AC for the driver. This amounted towards a greater sum paid for from the public budget.

HotNews.ro, Jul 10, 2007

According to the data at the Car Importers and Exporters Association (APIA), Dacia sold 18,487 units in Romania since the beginning of the year, less than the figures last year.
Meanwhile, exports increased 26.0, compared to Q1 in 2006, with peaks in the Logan and Logan MCV models.

In the Euromed region, including the Eastern Europe, Turkey and North Africa, sales increased 6.4%. The major growth came from the launching of the Logan model on the Russian market.

Still, total sales of the Renault group decreased 2.6% during the first three months of the year, down to 10.25 billion euros, compared to 10.54 billions in 2005.

HotNews.ro, Apr 27, 2007