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Americans plan to keep their cars longer, AutoPacific study finds

In another chilling sign that auto sales are likely to remain stalled, a new study finds that Americans intend to keep their cars longer, indicating a general concern about the industry and the overall economy. The number of new-car buyers planning to keep their rides more than four years has risen to 59 percent, according to a study released Tuesday by California marketing research firm AutoPacific. That's an increase from last year, when about 45 percent of new buyers intended to wait more than four years for their next purchase, and it's up from 2005's tally of 46 percent.

McLaren Automotive officially launches as the MP4-12C speeds toward production

McLaren Automotive laid out its ambitious plans to become a competitive player in the high-performance car market on Thursday and wants to build up to 4,000 top-shelf sports car annually by the middle of the decade. The company held a grand opening at its base in Woking, England, to celebrate the progress and officially unveil the MP4-12C as it moves toward production. The estimated 592-hp supercar is expected to be exceptionally light and aerodynamic as the company takes aim at the best of Ferrari and Lamborghini.

Nissan scales back on auto shows

Nissan said on Friday that it will not participate in some of the major auto shows in its new business year starting April 1, Reuters is reporting. The reason: to save money. This means no Nissan display at the show in Frankfurt in September and probably another absence in Detroit in January 2010.