Before heading for Budapest and the Hungarian Grand Prix, Fernando Alonso had the opportunity to drive the quickest road car ever produced in Maranello; the LaFerrari.

Alonso took the LaFerrari around Fiorano test track and as you can see from the video below it is not easy to handle the 950bhp hybrid supercar. LaFerrari combines a 789bhp 6.3-litre V12 and a 161bhp electric motor at the rear, enabling it to hit 0-62mph in less than three seconds, while the top speed is more than 217mph.

BMW sees U.S., UK, Germany as top markets for i8 BMW has a good idea where it will sell the majority of its new i8 plug-in hybrid supercars. “The U.S. will be by far the largest sales market for the i8,” the car’s product manager, Hendrik Wenders, said. In Europe, he sees the top markets being the UK,

Visteon posts lower Q2 profits, but raises 2013 forecast

Visteon posted lower second-quarter profits, but the company raised its full-year forecast after CEO Tim Leuliette pointed to stronger operating earnings in all of the company’s regions, including Europe Brembo takes full control of Chinese joint venture Italian brake maker Brembo has bought the 30 percent of its Chinese joint venture it did not already own, the company said.

Ford’s Russian venture will cut production on lower Focus demand

Ford Sollers, a joint venture between Ford and Russian carmaker Sollers, will reduce production at its plant near St. Petersburg and cut daily shifts to two from three

Audi on pace to top 150,000 sales goal in U.S., Keogh says

Audi is on pace to sell more than its stated goal of 150,000 cars and SUVs in the United States this year and will get a boost from diesel models reaching dealerships this month, a brand executive said.

Refrigerant debate puts Europe car sales rebound at risk

The failure of a Germany transport group to make a definitive ruling on the safety of the refrigerant HFO-1234yf gives European car buyers another reason to delay their purchases.

Volvo sales increase 14%, helped by China, Europe

Volvo said its July sales rose 14 percent, citing strong growth in China and Europe. The U.S., where sales grew by 3 percent, was the company’s biggest single market

China Used-vehicle trade volume rises 8% in first half

Some 2,481,600 used vehicles including cars, trucks and buses were traded in during the first half of the year, an increase of 8 percent from the same period last year, according to the China Automobile Dealers Association. The volume of used sedans rose 12 percent from a year earlier to 1,435,900 units while used SUV trade-ins surged 64 percent to 75,700 units.

China’s car imports drop 11% in first half

China imported 526,000 cars in the first six months of this year, down 11 percent from the same period last year, according to China Automobile Trading Co., China’s largest import dealer group. The decline was caused by lower economic growth across China, which has affected purchases of imported luxury vehicles.

Renault will seek to return to key Iran market

Renault wants to return to the Iranian market as soon as the political situation eases. Iran was Renault’s eighth-biggest global market by sales in 2012, above Italy and Spain.

AvtoVAZ design chief Mattin outlines his plans for Lada

Former Volvo styling chief Steve Mattin was hired to transform Lada’s dull designs. Mattin says future Ladas will look simple and robust but must also excite potential buyers.

Lotus sees brighter future as it recruits 100 new staff

Lotus is expanding its workforce 18 months after the UK sport car maker’s future was put in doubt by its new owners

Western Europe car sales rise 4% in July as economy improves

Western European car sales rose 4 percent in July, helped by an additional selling day and a stabilizing economy

Chrysler-Fiat won’t invest in EVs until pricing improves

Chrysler and Fiat will not invest in electrified powertrains until consumers are willing to step up and pay for the technology, said Bob Lee, head of Fiat and Chrysler global powertrain.

Former Ferrari exec Curry will head Jaguar in North America

Industry veteran Jeff Curry was named as Jaguar brand’s vice president for North America. Curry was most recently head of marketing at Ferrari North America.

Volvo sales increase 14%, helped by China, Europe

Volvo said its July sales rose 14 percent, citing strong growth in China and Europe. The U.S., where sales grew by 3 percent, was the company’s biggest single market

VW nears decision on U.S.-built crossover

Volkswagen will make a decision by year end about whether to expand its U.S. assembly plant to produce a new three-row crossover.

Ford Sollers CEO races to expand output in Russia to tap growing SUV demand

Ford has been expanding fast in Russia since 2011, which is when the company formed a joint venture with Sollers. Ford Sollers CEO Ted Cannis said the partners are adding local SUV production to help boost annual output to 350,000 units

Audi sales rise 10% in July on China, SUVs

Audi reported a surge in July sales on Wednesday, helped by growth in China and rising demand for its SUVs. Sales rose 10 percent last month to 131,300 vehicles, driven by a 27 percent jump in volumes in China

TI Automotive mulls sale that may fetch $1.5 billion, report says

TI Automotive, the closely held auto-parts maker founded almost a century ago, is exploring options including a sale that may fetch about $1.5 billion, people with knowledge of the matter told Bloomberg

Jaguar Land Rover gains not enough to stop parent’s quarterly profit decline

Jaguar Land Rover’s rising sales and positive financial results were not enough to help parent Tata Motors from posting a 23 percent fall in quarterly profit. It’s the third straight decline for India’s biggest truck and bus maker.

VW’s futuristic XL1: Sporty looks, high fuel economy

The XL1 is Volkswagen’s vision of an extremely fuel-efficient commuter car. It combines a strong, lightweight carbon fiber body with slick aerodynamics, an efficient diesel-electric plug-in hybrid powertrain and sports car looks.

Ford expands purchases with preferred suppliers

Ford’s preferred suppliers will get a bigger share of the automaker’s purchasing budget — 70 percent, up from 65 percent — as the automaker continues to downsize its network of suppliers

Interiors giant Faurecia eyes exteriors in North America

Faurecia, a giant in interior parts, is now setting its sights on exteriors. The French supplier believes there is opportunity in bumper fascias, hoods and front-end modules in North America

Mercedes closes gap with BMW, Audi on strong demand for compacts

Mercedes narrowed the gap with luxury-car market rivals BMW and Audi in July as deliveries of the revamped E-class model and its compact vehicles surged.

Russia car sales decline slows in July

Russian car sales fell for a fifth straight month in July, but the 8 percent decline was an improvement over an 11 percent drop recorded in June, according to a trade group.

Fiat, Renault sign Russian van production deal, source says

Fiat and Renault have signed a preliminary agreement to have vans made in Moscow at a subsidiary of Russian truckmaker ZIL, a source said. The factory is set to make 50,000 vans a year.

Ford’s China volume surges 71% on strong Focus sales

Sales at Ford Motor Co. and its two joint ventures in China jumped 71 percent year-on-year to 72,834 vehicles in July on robust demand for the Ford Focus compact and two locally produced SUV models. Focus deliveries rose 77 percent from a year earlier to 32,920 units, according to Ford. Combined deliveries of the EcoSport and Kuga, two locally built SUV models that hit the market this year, reached 14,450 units.

Volvo China sales jump 62% on XC60 demand

Volvo Car Corp. says it sold 4,640 cars in China last month, up nearly 62 percent year-on-year as the Swedish automaker enjoyed strong demand for its XC60 compact crossover. The company says it sold 2,278 XC60 units, a monthly record. While its sales are growing, Volvo remains a minor player compared with Audi, BMW and Mercedes-Benz, which dominate China’s luxury market.

GM’s China president leaves to join local retailer group

Ye Yongming, Shanghai General Motors’ president, will leave the company to join Shanghai Bailian Group Co., a leading Chinese retailer group. Ye has been appointed president of the state-owned Bailian Group, according to information the Shanghai municipal government posted on its Web site. The Bailian Group operates supermarkets and a chain of convenience stores across China. Shanghai GM, GM’s passenger vehicle joint venture with SAIC Motor Corp., has not named a successor for Ye.