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The Weekly Driver News Service
The “Cash For Clunkers” is picking speed, and the U.S. Senate is in for the ride. With a 60 to 37 vote, the U.S. Senate approved and sent the White Hourse for approve a $2 billion extension for the auto sales incentive program. The initial $1 billion of funding approved in June for "clunker" business has generated more than $920 million in rebates and more than 220,000 in auto sales.
Beyond showcasing cyclists' skills the Tour de France is a three-week daily motorcade of cars, trucks, buses and motorhomes. Equipment trucks, team buses, race sponsors' pristine Skodas and the tiniest Peugeot rentals, more than 1,000 official vehicles made the daily trip from the start to finish of each route from the start in Monaco. This year's race began in Monaco and advanced into Andorra, Spain, Switzerland and Italy and France. I drove a 2009 Citroen C3 Picasso min-MPV. It's a boxy crossover with a five-speed manual transmission, decent acceleration and a lot of storage room. 
The debut will include presentations at The Quail, A Motorsports Gathering at Quail Lodge; The 36th Rolex Monterey Historic Automobile Races at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca; and the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance at Pebble Beach Golf Links.Porsche will debut its Panamera Gran Turismo to the North American public during the Monterey Peninsula’s Classic Car Week, August 9-16.
Mitsubishi Motors Corp. has unveiled its electric vehicle, i-MiEV, but it's twice as expensive as the Toyota Prius and Honda Insight. Still, Mitsubishi, Japan's fourth-largest auto manufacturer, believes the i-MiEV will increasingly intensify global competition in the electric vehicle market.
Penske Automotive Group Inc. will buy the Saturn brand from the bankrupt automaker General Motors, Corp. According to a “memorandum of understanding” signed by the two companies, Penske will purchase the rights to the brand, certain parts inventories and the right to distribute vehicles and parts through Saturn’s dealerships.
General Motors Corp. has sold its Hummer truck unit to Sichuan Tengzhong Heavy Industrial Machinery Company Ltd. in China, according to CNNMoney.com The news comes a day after GM filed for bankruptcy. Some GM plants will continue to build the Hummer brand for the new owner, at least for awhile. The company said its Shreveport, La., plant will keep building Hummers for the new owner until at least 2010.
General Motors Corporation will file for bankruptcy Monday ending months of speculation regarding the future of the country's largest automaker. According to CNN and other media outlets. President Obama will address the nation shortly before noon on Monday explain the proceedings and what happen to GM following the action.
The Tata Nano car has been touted as the world's cheapest automobile. But it appears pending buyers in India want frills when buying the uber economy car. According to Bloomberg News, only 20 percent of the initial reservation total of 203,000 cars is for the no-frills version of the Tata Nano.
Buy a house, get a Ferrari or a Lamborghini or a Bentley — for free. That's the sales pitch being used by Nicholas Peters. a broker in Charlotte, N.C., who's trying to sell 30 luxury homes. A Ferrari, Mercedes, or other exotic car is parked outside each listed property, offered for free with the purchase of every home.
A 1957 Ferrari 250 Testa Rossa has sold for $12.1 million, setting a price world record for cars sold at auction when the rare vehicle was actory in Maranello, Italy. The Testa Rossa was one of only 22 produced from 1957 to 1958. The Scaglietti design is marked by prominent pontoon fenders. The cars also were successful racers, winning 10 of 19 international races from 1958 to 1961.
Copyright 2009 The Weekly Driver. All rights reserved.
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