Carlos Ghosn's automaker mantra: Go big or you'll go away

Size matters in auto company survival, Renault and Nissan CEO Carlos Ghosn told an audience in Detroit on Tuesday. To cope with the escalating costs and scope of a global industry, successful automakers must complete a trifecta--be able to compete in every technology, every market and every segment, Ghosn said during a luncheon speech at the Detroit Economic Club “No 3 million-unit carmaker can make it,” Ghosn said, explaining why his Renault-Nissan alliance forged an alliance with Germany's Daimler AG. Competency in one or two of the three skills is not enough, and only very large companies can afford all three, he said.

McLaren to bring F1 GTR, LM and Longtail to Goodwood

McLaren is taking the 24 Hours of Le Mans off this year -- actually, it has taken the last 14 years off -- and is instead concentrating on a British tradition: the Goodwood Festival of Speed. The company confirmed it would bring the 1995 Le Mans-winning McLaren F1 GTR to take on the hill this year. It will be joined by the one-off prototype McLaren F1 LM, as well as the Gulf-liveried McLaren F1 GTR Longtail, which claimed second place in 1997.

Ferrari 599XX sets new Nurburgring lap record

So about the Ferrari 599XX being a road car...Ah yes. The 599XX is a £1.2 million special that's hardly your average or common Ferrari. Designed for track use, a maximium of 29 will be built, each delivered to carefully selected Ferrari owners granted access to this rolling testbed.