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General Motors salutes Bob Lutz

General Motors gave a fitting send-off to now-retired vice chairman Bob Lutz on Tuesday in Detroit. Lutz officially hung it up on April 30 after more than five decades in the auto business. He was most recently an adviser and served an extended stint as GM's product boss.

Gilles Vidal on Peugeot's Design Direction

Peugeot's new 508 sedan and sport wagon unveiled in detail last week represent not only a new pair of family cars to compete against the likes of the Ford Mondeo and Opel/Vauxhall Insignia but the start of a new design direction for the brand. When asked whether he was going to kill off the brand's current low-down big and gapey grille graphic for something more subtle across its whole production range new director of style at Peugeot, Gilles Vidal exclusively told Car Design News: "Yes... definitely.

Toyota's quake-hit Yaris plant offline for at least another month

Toyota's quake-hammered Miyagi assembly plant, which makes the Yaris small car for export to the United States, is expected to be offline for at least another month. Workers have completed repairs at the factory and restored electricity, but the facility cannot get supplies of natural gas, a person familiar with the situation said. The assessment underscores the long road facing Toyota and other Japanese automakers in bringing plants back into full operation following the deadly quake, which killed more than 11,000 people, ruptured gas lines, shutdown electric grids and snarled logistics across half the country.