Yamaha Gp8-u596b-10-00 Left Hand Mirror Assembly Gp1200 on 2040-parts.com

New GM Europe chief's plans for Opel/Vauxhall

Nick Reilly speaks out on the future of GM Europe By Richard Webber Motor Industry 07 December 2009 13:54 Following General Motors' back-track on a buy-out from Magna in November 2009, the company's president of international operations Nick Reilly was appointed interim head of GM Europe. Now he's been made the permanent CEO of Vauxhall and Opel, making him the man charged with guiding GM's European division back to profitability.GM has big plans for Opel and Vauxhall, but has made no secret that there will be widespread pain and change before the good times return. The turnaround plan is nearing completion and it's expected there will be around 8300 redundancies, spread around Europe.

U.S. sales of quirky 5-series GT disappoint BMW

BMW's 5-series Gran Turismo was meant to be a stylish alternative to minivans and crossovers when it debuted in November 2009. But sales of the tall, quirky five-door have been disappointing. Now, BMW of North America CEO Jim O'Donnell says he wishes the company hadn't stopped selling the 5-series wagon in the United States last year.

Michelin Challenge Design 2009

As the 2009 Michelin Challenge Design - focusing on the search for ‘America's Next Iconic Vehicle' - drew to a close at the NAIAS in Detroit, culminating in a press preview and an exhibition of scale models, the theme for next year's competition was announced: ‘Electrifying! Beautiful, Innovative and Radiant'. While it may sound like a slogan for a new line of women's cosmetics, this theme does in fact center on the increasingly relevant field of electric vehicle (EV) design; or more specifically the need to combine sustainable powertrains with attractive, well executed design.