London F1 Grand Prix plans completely serious, says Ecclestone

F1 boss Bernie Ecclestone says the recent publicity stunt by Santander for a London F1 Grand Prix are in fact a serious proposal. We recently saw plans for an F1 Grand Prix in London surface as something of a publicity stunt for Santander, with an impressive video (below) featuring McLaren’s Lewis Hamilton and Jenson button. The start of the London F1 Grand Prix is envisaged at Buckingham Palace and takes in the Mall, The Embankment, Trafalgar Square, Piccadilly Circus and a host of London’s iconic landmarks in a Grand Prix at night expected to attract hundreds of thousands of visitors.

Seat names its new Exeo flagship

By Ben Whitworth Motor Industry 23 June 2008 14:34 Seat's new Mondeo rival – due for a 2009 debut – will be called Exeo. Pronounced ‘ex-ay-oh’ (derived from the Latin exire, meaning ‘to go beyond’ and breaking away from Seat’s city-based nomenclature) the new saloon and estate will rely heavily on the underpinnings of the previous generation Audi A4. It will be the first time that the Spanish carmaker will have a model for Leon and Altea drivers looking for something larger and more aspirational.

U.S. car sales jump 20% in August

UPDATED -- U.S. auto sales--led by Honda Motor Co., the Volkswagen Group and Toyota Motor Corp.--jumped 20 percent last month for the strongest monthly pace in three years. The Detroit 3 also posted double-digit sales gains for August, signaling the auto industry's recovery remains solidly on track despite sluggish economic growth, rising gasoline prices and widespread consumer uncertainty.