David Clark on 2040-parts.com

Crunch watch Mar 09: the auto industry in crisis

By Ben Pulman and Tim Pollard Motor Industry 31 March 2009 13:48 Tuesday 31 March 2009• Porsche said that its earnings before tax rose to €7.3 billion in the six months to the end of January – including a €6.8bn windfall from its VW share options (Financial Times)• Fritz Henderson, GM's president and chief operating officer, will step up to replace Rick Wagoner, who was ousted on Sunday as CEO of General Motors (Financial Times)• President Obama is essentially CEO-in-chief of GM – despite not owning a single cent of stock, says Detroit News commentator (Detroit News)• German chancellor Angela Merkel gives assurances that any would-be investors in GM's European arm will be given state support. Opel is asking for €3.3 billion in aid – and up to 25,000 jobs in Germany depend on it, with up to 300,000 jobs across Europe including Saab and Vauxhall (BBC News)Monday 30 March 2009• General Motors' chief executive Rick Wagoner has been ordered to resign by US president Barack Obama with immediate effect. It's part of Obama's administration's critique of GM and Chrysler's turnaround plans – he's understood to be unhappy with the plans submitted (BBC News)• New GM non-executive chairman Kent Kresa has admitted that at the company's next general meeting it will have 'a majority of new directors' (General Motors)• Chrysler will receive US government aid for the next 30 days, but the Obama administration has said that if the company cannot secure a tie-up with the Fiat Group within that time period it will not receive any more money from the taxpayers and could go into liquidation.

Ford Fiesta Sport package announced

Ford Fiesta Sport - a sport package with teeth for the new Ford Fiesta Sadly, the Ford Fiesta Sport is not a performance package. But, unlike almost every other ‘Sport’ version from car makers on the market, it is not just a cosmetic job either. It genuinely offers something more sporty, and adds a few additional features that will make life a little more fun for those of us who enjoy spirited driving.

Skoda Fabia vRS 2000 (an open-topped vRS) at Worthersee

Skoda Fabia vRS 2000 Concept Yes, it’s Wörthersee Tour time again. Which explains why we have an OTT Skoda on display - the Skoda Fabia vRS 2000. Finished in the same striking green as the production Skoda Fabia vRS, the vRS 2000 is a concept car put together just for the GTI-Treffen event in Worthersee and is based on the Fabia vRS 2000 rally car and, as Skoda boss said, Worthersee “…is a welcome opportunity for us to show off our sports models and make sure that everyone knows that Škoda really has something to offer here.” It would have been hard to believe even just a few years ago that a car like the vRS 200 could ever come out of Skoda, but we’re now at the point where, if you can set aside badge snobbery, Skoda often has more to offer than parent VW.