Having just sealed the three-way tie-up between Renault, Nissan, and Daimler, Carlos Ghosn already lusts for more. At a press conference in Brussels, Ghosn said the alliance is open to new partners to get in bed with. Muses The Nikkei [sub]: “He may envision a grand coalition of Japanese, European and U.S. automakers.” (Read More…)

During the courtship stage between Geely and Volvo, and after their recent nuptials in Gothenburg, Sweden, we often raised the matter of Chang’an. Chang’an has had a joint venture with Ford since 2001. Under the JV, they also make Volvos in China, the S40 and S80, to be exact. They don’t make them in large numbers. 22,405 Volvos were sold in China last year, up nearly 80 percent compared to 2008. The S40 has been on the Chinese market since 2006. The S80L, a long version of the S80, was introduced last year. Chang’an had been in play as a suitor for Volvo, but bowed out.

What will happen to Chang’an’s Volvos? (Read More…)

The V6 wars may show no signs of stopping. However, Ford is quietly making contingency plans for a future conflict: The war of the four-bangers. Start hoarding your big bore brutes and head for the hills. Ford may want to take them away.

Ford will use the upcoming SAE World Congress, to be held from April 13-15 in Detroit, to showcase its engine-building prowess. Ford will demonstrate to the world’s most eminent confab of piston-heads that there is a replacement for displacement. (Read More…)

Eleven Nanos were puttering down India’s National Highway 8 on their way to the dealer (don’t they have car haulers there?) when one of them burst into flames, reports India’s Deccan Chronicle. These cases of spontaneous Nano combustion seem to pile up. (Read More…)

Chandler, Arizona, NBC affiliate Channel 12 has the harrowing story of a runaway Toyota that nearly killed a boy.

Driver Chuck Schmeiser pulled his 2008 Prius into a grassy parking lot. A boy helped the driver ease up the car to a berm and park the Prius. Then, says Schmeiser, “The car just accelerated, went over the berm, and at that time we did hit that young man.” (Read More…)

Underpinning further indications that the luxury segment is climbing off its death bed, Audi just announced amazing numbers for the first quarter of 2010. Audi just had the best quarter in recorded Audi history. Audi’s worldwide sales climbed by 26 percent in the first three months of 2010, writes Das Autohaus [sub]. In March, the four-ringed  daughter of Volkswagen sold 110.400 – never had Audi sold so many cars in a single month. And who’s buying all those Audis? (Read More…)

A while ago, we predicted that China’s March new car sales might exceed expectations. We came to that conclusion by reading the usually reliable tea-leaves of the March GM sales. They came in at 68 percent above March 2009. Using them as an indicator, growth of overall March sales in China could be in the 50 to 60 percent range. Analysts polled by Reuters think the number will be 30 – 40 percent. It looks like they are wrong. (Read More…)

Despite rumors of Maybach’s imminent demise, or, even more shocking, a sell-off to China’s BYD (a rumor that had been debunked the next day) Maybach is alive and well. Why, we don’t know. But anyway, Maybach will introduce a facelifted model at the upcoming Beijing Auto Show. The car is already in town. (Read More…)

So today, Renault, Daimler, and Nissan did what we said they would do and announced a three-way tie-up. Which is good, because we are running out of inappropriate pictures. The marriage goes far beyond the exchange of symbolical stock holdings. (Read More…)

When the all-electric Nissan Leaf will be available in Japan in December, buyers will be faced with a tough decision: Should I buy a Nissan Leaf for $40,000, and deal with range anxiety, or should I go with the $26,000 gasoline equivalent?

To which Nissan will answer: “The Leaf, of course. It will save you huge amounts of money.” How much? Are you sitting down? (Read More…)

Lighten up, Toyota. You are not alone. Today, Nissan recalled 25,024 cars in Japan because some of their accelerator pedals have caught the stickyness sickness, and may not want to come back to idle once you take the foot off the gas. (Read More…)

Have you ever seen a junkie on withdrawal? Not a pretty sight. This is what the German car market looks like. Taken off Abwrackprämien-money, cold turkey has got Germany on the run.  According to just released data of the German Kraftfahrtbundesamt, March 2010 new car registrations in Germany are 26.6 percent below March 2009. (Read More…)

Last evening, U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood declared he’d be seeking the maximum penalty from Toyota. That’s $16.4m, because “they knowingly hid a dangerous defect for months from U.S. officials and did not take action to protect millions of drivers and their families.” That’s the largest civil penalty the U.S. Department of Transportation has ever sought. According to Reuters, “previously, the largest fine was $1 million against General Motors Co for failing to promptly recall windshield wipers in 2002-2003 model vehicles.” One would think Toyota can pay that out of petty cash. But the matter has Toyota concerned. Plaintiff lawyers are rubbing their hands. (Read More…)

After reading the tealeaves and other more reliable indicators, it looks like Renault, Nissan, and Daimler will announce their happy three-way partnership and cross-shareholdings on Wednesday. (Read More…)

If Automotive News’ [sub] dealer sources have heard right, then Daimler might sacrifice their S-Class on the altar of the almighty EPA and its newly announced CAFE standards. (Read More…)