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Crunch watch August 09: the auto industry

By Tim Pollard, Alex Michaelides, Ben Pulman and Freddie Fulton Motor Industry 31 August 2009 10:00 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  Monday 31 August 2009• Bank holiday today in UK; staff on a well earned break from Crunchwatch!Friday 28 August 2009• Toyota will stop producing vehicles at the New United Moor Manufacturing plant in California next March. Company officials and California governor Arnold Schwarzenegger announced the decision, which comes in the wake of factory partner GM’s announced that it would abandon the venture back in June (Detroit News)• Tengzhong may finalise its deal to buy Hummer from GM next week, well placed sources told AN (Automotive News, subscription required)• German economics minister Karl-Theodor zu Guttenberg says it is 'hardly realistic' for GM to keep hold of its European outfit Opel and Vauxhall (Automotive News Europe, subscription required)• Ford's US cop car favourite, the Crown Victoria, is going to cease production in 2011 (Detroit News)Thursday 27 August 2009• Nissan and Chrysler have abandoned plans to build cars for each other in the wake of Chrysler’s alliance with Fiat.

Mini brand to get turbo three-cylinder engine

BMW confirmed the Mini brand will also get BMW's new, turbo three-cylinder engine in upcoming models to be named later as part of a new family of engines for both brands that also includes an all-new four-cylinder. The company won't say which future models get the new three-cylinder other than the already announced BMW i8 plug-in hybrid. It arrives in the spring of 2014.

Italian Grand Prix (2012) RESULT

With McLaren locking out the front row of the grid in Monza, will the 2012 Italian Grand Prix see the Woking team dominate? Spa saw Jenson Button drive brilliantly for a lights to flag win, and here at Monza Button is riding shotgun for Hamilton’s pole as the 2012 Italian Grand Prix looks set to see the resurgence of McLaren continue. This time it was Lewis Hamilton who dominated from the lights – only briefly losing the lead during a pit stop – after a clean start saw him put clear air between the McLaren and a fired-up Massa who managed to wedge his Ferrari between Hamilton and Button before the first corner.