BMW prices the Competition Package in the UK

BMW released official pricing figures for the Competition Package in the United Kingdom. As you probably know, this option is available for the BMW M5 and M6 models.

The revised BMW M5 fitted with the Competition Package gets a power boost to a total output of 567 horses, larger 20-inch alloy wheels, a revised sport exhaust system and an improved suspension.

Fiat owner Exor sells stake in Swiss company SGS for $2.6 billion

Exor, the Agnelli family company which controls Fiat, has sold a 15 percent stake in Swiss company SGS for 2 billion euros ($2.6 billion).

PSA’s Varin faces tough challenges as he starts new term as CEO

PSA/Peugeot-Citroen CEO Philippe Varin will have to navigate the Peugeot family and the French government to ensure the survival of the struggling automaker

May declines in France, Italy and Spain dampen recovery hopes

French, Italian and Spanish car sales fell in May, bringing the European market closer to a two-decade low and dampening hopes for any recovery in 2013.

Late-arriving French automakers hope China’s love for French luxury brands will lead to sales boom

German automakers have long seen China as a key market. Now their late-arriving French rivals hope to catch up fast with help from the popularity of France’s fashion brands.

Gucci -branded Fiat 500 models have failed to make an impact in China.

Fiat so far has failed to establish its tiny 500 as a chic city car in China despite a direct link to Italian luxury-goods maker Gucci.

The struggles of the 500 by Gucci could be foreboding to PSA/Peugeot-Citroen and Renault, which both hope to win sales in China because of local consumers’ love of high-end French brands.

The 500 by Gucci special edition, which Fiat calls “a fashion statement you can drive,” has had a negligible effect on sales for the minicar nameplate in China. The automaker sold less than 600 units of the entire 500 range in China last year, according to IHS Automotive.

Falling fleet sales drag down Spain’s car sales in May

Spanish car sales declined by 2.6 percent in May, dragged down by falling sales to companies.

The drop in sales reversed a rise of 11 percent in April for the first time in months when sales were partly boosted by an Easter holiday calendar effect.

Car manufacturers’ association Anfac today said 70,534 cars were sold last month.

A government subsidy scheme has helped sales to individuals with a 14 percent rise in sales to private customers in May but this failed to offset a 14 percent decline in fleet sales to companies.

German car sales fall 10% in May

New-car sales in Germany fell nearly 10 percent in May dampening hopes for any recovery in the crisis-hit European market in 2013.

French car sales fell 10% in May as buyers wait for new models

French car sales fell 10.3 percent in May as consumers held back for new models from domestic carmakers Renault and PSA/Peugeot-Citroen.

Registrations fell to 148,554 cars last month from 165,691 a year earlier, the CCFA industry body said today. The association reiterated its forecast of an 8 percent market decline for the full year.

Renault’s French car sales dropped another 16.5 percent last month. PSA’s fell 8.2 percent and Volkswagen slid 11 percent. General Motors suffered a 25.6 percent sales slump.

Stroud’s new Sunday market

A touch of French style will come to Stroud with the launch of a new monthly Sunday market.

The  market, which combines a flea market with free entertainment, is aimed at encouraging more shoppers to visit Stroud and has the support of the In Our Town campaign.

Stalls selling vintage clothing, handmade products and food from around the world will be set up in Cornhill and Union Street while there will be a flea market in Threadneedle Street.

There is an ‘arts quarter’ in Swan Lane which will host performances including street theatre and music.

The market is the brainchild of Stroud businessman Terry Trimmer.

Former Porsche CFO Haerter fined 630,000 euros for credit fraud in VW case

Former Porsche CFO Holger Haerter has been fined 630,000 euros ($824,000) by a German court for credit fraud in a criminal case over the refinancing of a 10 billion euro bond.

Porsche in talks to buy 10% stake in supplier Mobileye, report says

Porsche is in talks to buy a 10 percent stake in supplier Mobileye, a report said. Mobileye develops safety technology such as camera-based anti-collision systems

Audi sales boss De Meo bullish on China, SUVs

Audi sales boss Luca De Meo expects China’s compact-premium segment to grow from about 10 percent of the luxury market to more than 25 percent by 2020

German car sales fall 10% in May

New-car sales in Germany fell nearly 10 percent in May dampening hopes for any recovery in the crisis-hit European market in 2013

New car market grew for 15th consecutive month in May

The Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) has announced new car registration figures for May 2013. Year-on-year the new car market grew 11%, with 17,823 more cars registered than in May 2012.

May was the 15^th consecutive month of growth in new car registrations, although the total new car market is still down on pre-recession numbers from 2007. Importantly, demand from private buyers rose 20.9%, which betters pre-recession volumes.

“While it is clear that buying confidence among UK motorists is very strong, continued economic uncertainty abroad, particularly in the rest of Europe, will mean that manufacturers remain cautious about performance in the second half of 2013.” said SMMT Interim Chief Executive, Mike Baunton

Is TVR making a comeback

TVR was at one point on of the largest specialised sports car manufacturers in the world, offering both coupes and convertibles with in-house straight-6 and V8 engines.

Founded in 1947, TVR was based in the English seaside town of Blackpool, Lancashire until 2006 when the company was split up into several smaller subsidiaries. Since that time the company has not made a single new car.

Last summer, owner Nikolay Smolensky announced that building a new TVR model was not going to be financially viable, thus bringing TVR’s existence as a car manufacturer to an end.

Well looks like something is going on as the company’s website was recently updated with an image saying “Never say never…”

Porsche stops Cayenne and Panamera production as floods hit supplies

Porsche stopped production at its plant in Leipzig, Germany, after floods in the region disrupted supplies. The factory builds the Cayenne SUV and Panamera sedan.

Volvo puts creative business up for review

Volvo Cars has put its global creative account into review. The Swedish automaker, controlled by China’s Zhejiang Geely Holding Group, said it is seeking a global agency

UK new-car sales rise for 15th successive month

UK new-car sales rose 11 percent to 180,111 in May, marking the 15th consecutive month of growth for the market, the country’s auto trade association said today.

Audi reports May sales rise 6% on U.S., China, UK gains

Audi said global vehicle sales rose 6 percent in May to 137,200 cars with robust growth in the United States, China and the UK helping to offset falling demand in most of Europe

Porsche sales rise 13% in May on strong demand for Boxster, Cayman

Porsche’s global sales rose 13 percent in May on strong demand for the Boxster and Cayman, leaving the automaker’s sales boss “cautiously optimistic” about the second half

VW extends lead in common architectures — but there are risks

Automakers are fast-tracking flexible architectures to underpin multiple models across different brands and segments to catch up with VW Group’s modular platform development

Mercedes gets May sales boost from compacts

Sales at Daimler premium brand Mercedes increased 7 percent to 121,360 vehicles in May, a record for the month, primarily because of strong demand for the automaker’s new compact models. Sales of Mercedes compacts such as the A class increased 66 percent in May

Renault Espace will be replaced with SUV-styled crossover

Renault will replace its Espace large minivan with an SUV-styled crossover, the automaker’s design chief, Laurens van den Acker, said

GM to offer free maintenance across its lineup

General Motors will include free maintenance on most 2014 Chevrolet, Buick and GMC models in a bid to increase sales through better customer loyalty, CEO Dan Akerson said

Bentley executive will head UK industry body SMMT

Bentley executive Mike Hawes will be the new CEO of the UK auto industry association, the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT)

BMW makes gains in South Korea on free-trade deal

Sales of BMW vehicles in South Korea have tripled since 2009 with the help of a free-trade deal that will get even more advantageous for European carmakers next month.

CLEPA names former PSA exec as new president

European supplier group CLEPA has named former PSA executive Arnaud de David-Beauregard as its new president. The 63-year-old will start his new role on Jan. 1, 2014

GM may not build next-generation Aveo in S. Korea; union threatens strike

General Motors has told its South Korean labor union it has no plans to produce the next-generation Aveo small car in the country for the time being, prompting the union to threaten strike action. GM says the Chevrolet model will be built in China and the United States

Volvo to increase plug-in hybrid output

Volvo has revised upward its production forecast for the V60 plug-in hybrid due to higher-than-expected demand. Volvo plans to make 10,000 units of the low-CO2 model by the end of 2014, up from a previous target of 4,000 to 6,000

EU-China trade dispute could put European carmakers’ sales at risk

A trade dispute between the EU and China could hit European automakers’ sales in China. A tariff on cars with larger engines would hurt German premium automakers BMW, Mercedes and Audi

Opel will replace Astra with Zafira at Ruesselsheim plant

GM’s Opel brand will stop making its compact Astra hatchback in Ruesselsheim, Germany, in 2015 to make space for the Zafira minivan now made at its Bochum plant, which is scheduled to close by the end of next year

VW offers free inspections in Australia over gearbox worries; no recall planned

Volkswagen has written to car owners in Australia offering free inspections of its vehicles in response to growing worries about potential gearbox problems that have already triggered recalls in China and Japan. The automaker has not ordered a general callback of vehicles in Australia

Schaeffler tech chief sees suppliers playing even greater role in future engines

Suppliers’ responsibilities in vehicle development are growing. Schaeffler Chief Technology Officer Peter Gutzmer aims to expand the company’s value creation across a wider range of functions.