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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.

Maserati’s 50,000 sales target starting to look possible

22,500 sales so far in 2013 from Maserati, thanks to cars like the Ghibli (pictured) When Sergio Marchionne revealed in 2011 that he wanted Maserati sales to hit 50,000 a year by 2015, we were all very sceptical. After all, Maserati were only managing fewer than 6,000 sales a year at that time, so a target of 50,000 a year seemed mad. But it’s starting to look a distinct possibility.

Porsche Boxster E (2011): prototype Boxster EV

Porsche recently rolled out the first of three Boxster E electric vehicles, to take part in the 'Electromobility Region Stuttgart' local government initiative in Germany. The Boxster E is powered by two electric motors, capable of a peak power output of 180kW. Energy is stored in a 29kWh battery pack.  Not with the Boxster E. Three electric Boxsters are being built as part of a programme sponsored by the Baden-Wurttemberg state government (Porsche's home state in Germany) and WRS, the Stuttgart Region Economic Development Corporation.  Porsche's hometown of Stuttgart is one of eight model regions participating in a federal pilot programme sponsored by the Minitsry of Transport, Building and Urban Affairs to develop EVs and their supporting infrastructure.  The three Boxster E prototypes will take part in the programme, acting as mobile laboratories for testing EV usage and planning for EVs in urban infrastructure.  CAR's view? We reckon this electric Boxster E is much cooler than your usual EV council van.