Fox Monster #4 Ricky Carmichael Beanie Winter Hat on 2040-parts.com

Crunch watch Dec 09: the auto industry in crisis

Welcome to CAR's news aggregator as we round up the seismic change in the auto industry. Top tip: news summaries are added from the top hour-by-hour Wednesday 30 December 2009• Saab's PR chief told AN that GM is extending the deadline for a sale to 7 January – and the Trollhattan factory will resume limited manufacturing in early January to build the new 9-5 and some 9-3 cabrios (Automotive News, subscription required)• Last night Bloomberg reported a Saab board member claiming that the 31 December deadline for a Saab sale or closure 'is not holy'. If GM receives a bid that is 'sufficiently interesting', it'll extend the deadline, said the Saab suit (Automotive News, subscription required)• GM is offering massive discounts on Pontiac and Saturn cars, as it seeks to get rid of the remaining stock from these terminated brands.

BMW limits special-edition M3 coupe to 30 copies for the United States

As the 25th anniversary of the M3 draws near, BMW is starting the celebration a bit early with a limited-edition M3 coupe for U.S. buyers. And BMW means limited--it will sell only 30 copies of the car, painted in a color called Frozen Gray.

Hyundai SonataTransform

Hyundai has released the first photos of its Sonata Transform sedan, one of the most important vehicles in the carmaker's lineup. This is its first major facelift since it was launched in 2004. The new design is a departure from its predecessor and the styling language has shifted from what was geometrical to a more organic and softer form, with rounder bumper surfaces and softer edges at the radiator grille and around the headlamps.