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General Motors, Ford Motor Co., American Honda and Toyota Motor Sales U.S.A. all reported sales declines of more than 31 percent in December as the U.S. auto industry capped its worst year since 1992.

Ford Motor Co. dominates a special list of Detroit 3 vehicle recommendations by Consumer Reports in its February issue. The magazine normally recommends cars in its April issue.

Chrysler LLC, which launched a test loan program with credit unions in 12 states last month, has expanded the program to all 50 states.

Filed under: Concept Cars, Coupes, China

Dongfeng began as one of Chairman Mao's pet projects in 1968, but lately, the Chinese automaker has been feeling left behind, despite being one of the largest carmakers in the pentad of China's auto industry. According to reports, Dongfeng intends to change that by introducing a new sport coupe of its own, with sales beginning sometime in 2009. While the pignosed monstrosity on the right isn't necessarily the final design, it's an enduring tribute to the first-generation Hyundai Tiburon after ransacking the Pep Boys' "shiny crap" aisle. At least there will be rockin' tunes supplied by that bitchin' concertina built into the hatchback. To be fair, what we've seen so far is a concept, so we'd expect an actual production car -- rumored to be aimed at the premium buyer and powered by Mitsubishi -- to be toned down. Here's hoping.

Gallery: Dongfeng Coupe

[Source: China Car Times]

REPORT: Dongfeng to launch coupe in 2009 originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 05 Jan 2009 15:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Concept Cars, Etc.

Click above for a gallery of the Hodge Hawk

We don't have anything against the T-Rex, but... you can keep it. Whenever we enter the market for a three-wheeled vehicle, we'll take this baby designed by New Zealander Alex Hodge. A fiberglass shell rides on an alloy chassis that connects the three wheels. For motive power there's the heart of a Honda RC51 sportbike, and the 10,000 rpm, 120 rear-wheel-horsepower would give the thing a theoretical top speed of 145 mph. When it's red light time, disc brakes are fitted up front and double-up in the back. Sure, you can't buy it yet, but we're not looking for a trike at the moment, either. And we can wait. So Alex, get to work, please...

[Source: Alex Hodge via Autoblog.nl]

Fly like a Hawk in Alex Hodge's single seater originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 02 Jan 2009 19:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Concept Cars, Detroit Auto Show, Sedans/Saloons, Crossovers/CUVs, Volvo

Click above for a hi-res gallery of the Volvo S60 Concept

It may not be the same as attending the event in-person, but a live, interactive webcast of Volvo's press conference at the Detroit Auto Show, where the S60 concept and production XC60 for North America will be shown, could be the next best thing. The broadcast is intended for media types and members of the press, but the fact that it's being aired on DirecTV (channel 101, January 11 at 5:30 - 6:30 PM ET) means that anybody with a television and the satellite service can watch it live. Alternatively, users can register for a password to the online site, the location of which is not yet determined.

The coolest bit of tech that's making an appearance for this event is the capability to send questions to a live host who will then relay selected inquiries to key Volvo executives. These days, the global economic downturn is affecting everyone, including those who would normally cover these events for the media. This being the case and assuming the event is a success, we'd expect to more manufacturers to adopt a similar system at upcoming auto shows. Of course, we'll be there live and you can always direct your browsers to our pages for the best coverage available.

Gallery: Volvo S60 Concept