Mazda opens new plant in Salamanca, Mexico

Mazda Motor Corp. chairman Takashi Yamanouchi opened the company's new small-car assembly plant in Mexico today, calling it the company's "most important global strategic base." The factory, which will produce up to 230,000 vehicles each year, is a cornerstone of the structural reform plan "upon which the very future of company hinges," Yamanouchi said in remarks prepared for the opening ceremony. "Mazda's Structural Reform Plan, upon which the very future of the company hinges, positions this plant as our most important global strategic base," Yamanouchi said of the factory, which is about three hours northwest of Mexico City in Guanajuato State.

Pininfarina reveals New Stratos

Pininfarina has revealed a one-off supercar called the New Stratos for German collector Michael Stoscheck. The car has a 4.3-liter V8 and is meant to channel the spirit of the legendary Lancia Stratos rally car of the 1970s. It was shown on Monday on the Paul Ricard circuit at Le Castellet.

Nissan Juke n-tec arrives in the UK: Price from £16,295

Nissan has revealed a new model in the Juke range – the Juke n-tec – with cosmetic tweaks and extra equipment  Cost from £16,295. It was a move that gave Nissan an edge as car makers woke up to the realisation that car buyers wanted something a bit higher riding and a bit more butch than a saloon car to ride around, leaving other car makers hustling to catch up with Nissan’s Crossover jump. And it was the success of the Qashqai that inspired Nissan to follow up with a little brother in the shape of the ‘I’m ugly but I’m funky’ Nissan Juke, which looks a bit like a four-wheeled bug prowling the urban landscape, but which is actually a good little car.