Audi has denied newspaper speculation that it may pull out of Hungary by 2006. Audi is Hungary's largest exporter, with sales of 3.72 billion euros ($4.5 billion) last year. Its factory in Gyor, northwest Hungary, is the main engine production site for VW's Audi arm. It also assembles Audi TT s, and plans to produce 25,000 vehicles this year.

BMW (North America) has announced the BMW iPod® Adapter, the first integration between iPod and a car audio system. The system developed by Apple and BMW enables drivers to use their iPod in BMW's 3 Series, Z4, X3, X5 and MINI Cooper ranges by plugging their iPod into a socket in the car's glove compartment. Drivers can control their iPod using the standard buttons mounted on the steering wheel.

GM has announced a restructuring of its European divisions. Seeking to build a unified European identity around Opel, Vauxhall and Saab, GM has stripped key functions such as finance, engineering, purchasing, manufacturing, marketing and planning from the 3 divisions, centralized them and transferred power to its European headquarters in Zurich, Switzerland. No plans were announced for plant closures or jobs cuts.

GM says it will invest $3 billion in a massive expansion of its Chinese production capacity. GM will raise its production capacity from 550,000 to 1.3 million units by 2007. Powertrain operations in China would be expanded accordingly to tap into the booming Chinese market that has been growing at a rate of up to 100 % annually in recent years. The plan will allow GM to produce 20 new and significantly updated products, including at least 3 from Cadillac.

London Transport is selling 430 of its world famous red Routemaster buses. Sale prices range from £2000 for a bus in need of some ˜care and attention' to £12,000 for a fully restored bus. The buses are to be replaced as part of a modernization programme.

Hyundai Motor CEO, Kim Dong-jin has been sentenced to a suspended 2-year jail term for political funding violations and negligence. Kim Dong-jin, who is also vice chairman of Hyundai Motor Group, which is South Korea's 3rd-largest conglomerate, was found guilty of playing a key role in raising a slush fund to support politicians in the 2002 presidential race.

Hyundai is to invest $1.3 billion in its truck and bus business over the next 5 years, after the end of its DaimlerChrysler AG alliance. DaimlerChrysler plans to sell its 10.5% stake in Hyundai -- worth $1 billion -- and end a strategic alliance with the South Korean auto company that was set up to jointly produce commercial vehicles and engines. "Hyundai plans to spend $1.31 billion by 2008 and $2.37 billion by 2013 to make its commercial vehicle operations competitive.

Marcos Engineering Ltd has entered into a strategic alliance with Prodrive to expand its operations into Prodrive's Warwickshire location and for the development of new chassis technology for its roadcars. The new Marcos TSO will be the first vehicle to benefit from this alliance. The TSO is a high performance, lightweight V8 sportscar that delivers up to 400 HP under current specification.

Magna Steyr has acquired the engineering division of French-based Groupe Duarte. The acquisition includes 5 locations in France and approximately 300 employees. œWith the acquisition of Groupe Duarte's engineering division Magna Steyr has strengthened its position in the European market as a leading engineering and development partner of the OEMs,� says Magna Steyr President and CEO Manfred Remmel.

MG Rover Group and its parent company Phoenix Venture Holdings (PVH) have entered into an œexclusivity arrangement� with Shanghai Automotive Industry Corporation (SAIC) so the companies œcan develop a far reaching strategic relationship�. SAIC is the largest passenger car manufacturer in China, producing 600,000 passenger cars in 2003 with major joint venture partners GM and VW.

Mitsubishi's sales in fiscal 2003, which ended March 31st 2004, were 7.9% down on the previous year at $22 billion, whilst net losses amounted to $1.9 billion. North America accounted for the bulk of all the negative results, and the irony is that European operations were profitable for the first time ever. Further sales and net losses are being forecast for fiscal 2004, underlining why DaimlerChrysler surprised the automotive sector by cutting Mitsubishi adrift until it sorts out its various problems.

Peugeot expects to achieve record sales this year and beat a high set in 2002. Peugeot is forecasting 2%-3% growth in 2004 as it launches new cars into recovering markets. "Peugeot will continue its growth in 2004 and beat its record of 1.955 million vehicles sold worldwide in 2002," says chief executive Frederic Saint-Geours. Worldwide, Peugeot sold 1.9 million cars in 2003 and its sister firm Citroen sold nearly 1.4 million.

Porsche will not build a new fourth product line before 2009, says the company's Chief Executive Wendelin Wiedeking. Porsche will decide next year whether or not to build a fourth model line -- next to its 911, Boxster and Cayenne models. "We will officially announce our decision in 2005. Having said that, the (new) car would not be built before 2009,�says Wendelin.

Renault has unveiled a new $6,000 car for emerging markets. Renault plans sales of the X90 family of vehicles, whose main model will be called the Logan, of at least 700,000 per year. The cheap cars will have hit showrooms in 30 countries within a year and will keep expanding. They will be built on six sites starting with Romania, then Russia from mid-2005, then Morocco, Colombia, Iran and most likely China.

Saab has announced a new œAlcokey� concept to reduce drunk-driving accidents. Alcokey features a small mouthpiece on the key fob, which measures the blood alcohol content of the driver. If the driver's breath sample contains alcohol above the legal limit, a red light will illuminate on the fob and the engine will not start. The unit, costing about $300, will be tested by various companies in Sweden beginning in August.

TRW Automotive has launched production of airbag electronic control units (ECUs) from its wholly-owned subsidiary in Anting, China. TRW is now manufacturing and shipping safety electronics ECUs to a major Japanese vehicle manufacturer for its global platforms. "The production of safety electronics in China is another significant step in our efforts to support the global expansion of our customers in the region," said Peter J. Lake, executive vice president, Sales and Business Development for TRW Automotive.

On the lighter side .... some strange but true stories.

Hans Flegnar filled his car with petrol at a service station on Bonn, Germany. After paying he got into an identical car to his own which had the keys in the ignition. He did not realize his mistake until the police telephoned him the next day.

A garage owner in Moscow was kidnapped by an angry customer, chained to a wall and forced to promise to improve his shoddy repairs.

The US military's latest radar-jamming technology is causing problems in Florida. Drivers are now finding that their remote garage door openers will not work.

A 40 year-old man from Florence, Italy who stood in court accused of shooting a driver dead in a road-rage incident to the judge œHe shouldn't have laughed when he overtook me.�

Charlie, a golden retriever dog, greets customers at a petrol station in Houston, Texas. He trots off carrying their payment between his teeth, before returning with the change.

It seemed that a resident in Wilster, Germany tried to open his own drive-in Greek restaurant when he careered backwards through the window of his local taverna. He came to rest at the table he had booked for the evening.

The Swedish organization for Sexual Education, which was formed to increase awareness of contraception and prevent the spread of disease, said yesterday that it plans to deliver condoms by car. Cars loaded with condoms will patrol the streets of Stockholm, Gothenborg and Malmo waiting for ˜emergency' telephone calls.

Jaguar went too far with one recent mailshot. The Valentine's day letter, read: "So, what might drive you wild? Could it be the touch of skin on your fingertips? A long, honed body? Firm sensuous curves? A deep, responsive purr? ... I think I have the perfect match for you. I'll send you a photograph next week." A subsequent mailing contained information on Jaguar's XKR sports car. Many people complained, and Britain's Advertising Standards Authority ruled that the mailing was "sexually suggestive and likely to offend or distress some recipients. Jaguar apologized.

Ian Townsin, 39, of Eastbourne, UK kept falling off his bicycle after drinking 10 pints of beer. Passing motorists called an ambulance after seeing Townsin lying at the side of the road after one such fall. When the paramedics tried to help he decided to try get home unaided. Finally the police arrived and he tried to outrun them on his bicycle. He was arrested and later fined $150 for drunken cycling.

Traffic officers in Marbach, Germany set up a speed camera to monitor vehicles passing through a new 5 mph zone. The first offender was a dog detected at a speed of 14 mph.

Police in Olen, Belgium arrested a pair of tow-truck operators. They were caught pouring oil on the road to cause accidents and so increase their business.

Loudspeakers are being used in Germany to scare off birds which leave droppings on new Volkswagens that are ready for export at Bremerhaven.

Thieves in Buchy, France stripped a Mazda MX-5 of anything they thought they could sell - but when they returned to their own car, they found it up on bricks with its wheels stolen.

Medics in Bergen, Norway saved a man's life by crashing their ambulance. The man was choking on a piece of steak - which became dislodged by the impact of the crash.

A passenger who missed his stop because he had fallen asleep woke up in the bus terminal in Bradbury, Texas, USA, waited till everyone had gone home, then stole the bus and drove it to his home 25 miles away.