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Is Mercedes preparing to buy Ducati?

Remember the AMG-Ducati deal made at the 2010 Los Angeles auto show last month? A partnership of like-minded brands, albeit on two wheels and four. Daimler marketing types reckon that buyers of its AMG go-faster cars could in many instances be equally interested in go-faster motorbikes of the sort Ducati specialise in, and vice versa.

Detroit Auto Show: Volvo S60 sedan

Showing a new direction inspired by Scandinavian design, Volvo displayed a concept vehicle at the Detroit Auto Show that previews the new S60 sedan, due in 18 months. The car has a new face--with angled headlamps, a coupe roofline and no B-pillar--and an interior with the "environment of a modern Scandinavian living room," said Steve Mattin, Volvo senior vice president of design. The car's more emotional look is part of a longer-term strategy to give Volvo a more exciting image in the United States through changes in product design and marketing, said Stephen Odell, CEO of Volvo Car Corp.

Volkswagen to add compact four-door coupe to its lineup

Volkswagen has hatched plans for a second four-door “coupe” model as part of a strategy to shore up its North American and Chinese market shares while providing a suitable addition to its European lineup. To be positioned underneath the recently facelifted CC, the new four-seater is set to form part of the Jetta lineup, joining successors to today's sedan and wagon models in an expanded three-model range. They're all set to hail from Volkswagen's Puebla plant in Mexico, the same site responsible for the newly launched second-generation Beetle.