Mercedes Benz W163 Ml Class Transmission Control Gearbox Unit A0305453632 on 2040-parts.com

News watch December 2011: today's auto industry news

Welcome to CAR Magazine's news aggregator as we round up the daily stories in the auto industry. Top tip: news summaries are added from the top hour-by-hourFriday 30 December 2011• Fisker has recalled all 239 Karma plug-in hybrids manufactured between 1 July and 3 November this year to fix a glitch in its battery. Supplier A123 Systems says the problem affects the battery's cooling system, but Fisker is adamant no customers have complained and this is a precautionary step (Automotive News)• Supplier Continental says business looks brisk in the first quarter of 2012, thanks to strong demand in the US and Asia (Automotive News Europe)• Toyota chief executive Akio Toyoda is gradually changing the culture at Japan's biggest car maker, according to the Detroit News.

Lack of history loses 20% of a car’s value

A CAR being sold without a full service history is worth one-fifth less on average than a car with a fully stamped service book. This amounts to an average of £1464 for the typical used car sold in the UK with a price of £7706. A study by Kwik Fit found buyers expect a 19% discount for cars with incomplete or no service history, which is costing the used car industry £10 billion per year in lost revenue.

2013 Lamborghini Gallardo Spyder revealed

The 2013 Lamborghini Gallardo Spyder has been revealed, joining the 2013 Gallardo Coupe as the last facelift for the Gallardo range. Now we get the 2013 Lamborghini Gallardo Spyder – the open air Gallardo – with much the same minor tweaks to keep the Gallardo range fresh until we get its replacement. That means a bit of fiddling at the front and back for some sharper lines and a bigger outlet at the back to improve cooling for the Gallardo’s V10, which offers 560bhp and 0-62mph in 4 seconds, and the Gallardo LP560-4 Spyder gets a new set of polished alloys.