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Mercedes AMG has best year ever

With car sales plummeting in 2008 (and likely to be worse in 2009) there aren’t many bright spots around. But performance saloons are certainly one of them. As we reported back in December, BMW’s M Division had a cracking year, with sales of nearly 27,000 for the year.

Cadillac CTS Coupe launches in LA +Video

Cadillac CTS Coupe gets official unveil at the LA Auto Show It’s not long since GM revealed that the CTS was going to spawn a Coupe version to go with the Estate (station Wagon), and even less time since we learned there is a going to be a Coupe version of the CTS-V – the Cadillac CTS-V Coupe. Which is now one step closer to reality with the official reveal of the CTS Coupe at the Los Angeles Motor Show, following on from the CTS Coupe announcement last week. Due to go on sale in Spring 2010 (I suppose we’re back to US model years – does that make it a 2011 CTS Coupe?), the CTS Coupe takes the oily bits from the saloon/sedan and puts them in to a very convincing, muscular coupe that sits lower and wider than its four-door sibling.

Who's Where: Martin Smith to retire, succeeded by Joel Piaskowski as Ford Europe head of design

Martin Smith, head of Ford of Europe design for the last 10 years, will retire at the end of this year, before which he will work on a project to study the future direction of the company's global design direction. He will be replaced by current head of strategic concepts group, Joel Piaskowski on 1 July. Smith (64) first joined Ford back in 2004, leaving General Motors as director of design for Opel/Vauxhall.