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Japanese carmaker Nissan said on Tuesday it will launch its Micra small car in the Indian market in July from a plant in the south co-owned with its French partner Renault.

“We will produce 80,000 units of Micra in the first 12 months beginning in May,” Renault Nissan Automotive managing director Akira Sakurai said, according to Dow Jones Newswires.

The Micra was unveiled earlier this year at the Geneva auto show.

Separately, Nissan Motor India Pvt. Ltd. Chief Executive Kiminobu Tokuyama said, “The company needs to have a local network to support sales. So, initially we will focus on exports.” He said the company expects to have 82 dealerships across India to boost local sales.

Mr. Tokuyama said the company will sell nine models in India by 2012, of which five will be locally produced. Apart from Micra, Nissan will launch a sedan based on the Micra platform in 2011 and a multi-purpose vehicle based on the same platform by 2012.

The Franco-Japanese carmaking alliance on Tuesday confirmed plans for another small car in the future, with its local partner, motorcycle and scooter manufacturer Bajaj Auto.

“We have room for another product, a small car, with Bajaj. This would be not just for Indian markets but for emerging markets too,” Carlos Ghosn, chief executive of Renault-Nissan, said.

“The Micra will be competitive in terms of price and features with other Indian cars,” Ghosn told media at a press conference in Chennai, where the car will be manufactured.

“To compete in India one must manufacture and source components locally, and meet Indian consumer needs,” Ghosn added.

Nissan sold between 200 and 300 cars in India last year, all imported.

India and its 1.2 billion-strong population is a huge draw because of the low number of car owners.

Several automakers including Ford, Toyota and Honda are in the race to launch small cars in India in the next two years, to rival the Tata group’s Nano, dubbed the “world’s cheapest car” at 100,000 rupees (2,200 dollars).

Just eight per 1,000 Indians own a car, compared with 550 per 1,000 in Germany and 495 in France.

The Indian auto market is forecast to triple over the next decade to six million cars a year from the current two million.

Supermodel Naomi Campbell and sports car manufacturer Lotus Cars join forces for Haiti

In response to the horrific natural disaster that has crippled the nation of Haiti, Naomi Campbell together with Lotus Cars will be auctioning eight special edition “Naomi for Haiti” Lotus Evora sports cars, with the proceeds from the auction going to help the relief effort in Haiti.

The Lotus Evora is a very desirable, multi-award winning, high performance, mid-engined sports car that presents a fantastic piece of design to bid on. The “Naomi for Haiti” Evora sports car has been specially designed by Lotus Design Director Donato Coco and reflects Naomi’s design direction. The bespoke styling combines the flag of Haiti with a dramatic colour scheme and the cars include a full range of options, meaning these cars will all become desirable collectors items.

The “Naomi for Haiti” Evoras will be auctioned at Naomi Campbell’s Fashion for Relief TM charity fashion show on the 18th of February at the London Fashion Week venue at Somerset House. The remaining “Naomi for Haiti” Evoras will be entered into an auction run on the “Naomi for Haiti” website www.naomiforhaiti.com and bidding will commence at 0800 GMT on the 19th of February and will end at 1200 noon GMT on 28th of February 2010.

The grand total raised for the charity and the highest bidders will be announced by Naomi Campbell at the Geneva Motorshow on the 2nd of March. There will also be a link to the “Naomi for Haiti” website from the Lotus Cars website http://www.grouplotus.com/cars/home.html.

The Fashion For Relief TM event has selected to support the White Ribbon Alliance as it campaigns for the health needs and rights of women and girls around the world, especially supporting its partners in Haiti at this time to rebuild the healthcare system for mothers and babies.

Naomi Campbell says, “I am deeply saddened by the recent tragedy in Haiti. So many have been killed and severely affected by the earthquake – women and children in particular are most vulnerable in disasters. Fashion is universal, personal and touches everyone. I am delighted that Lotus Cars is supporting my Fashion for Relief TM charity and I am sure with such generous help we will raise crucial funds to help save the lives of women and children.”

Dany Bahar, CEO of Group Lotus Plc, stated, “It is a very admirable cause and we are proud to be supporting Naomi Campbell with her Fashion For Relief TM event in aid of the women and children affected by the terrible disaster in Haiti. The whole of Lotus is supporting this very deserving charity, with many working in their own time in order to raise money for the women and children affected by the earthquake in Haiti.”

The Red Cross has said that the earthquake in Haiti has affected approximately 3 million people and it is reported that upwards of 200,000 people have died in the disaster. The magnitude of the earthquake combined with the local geography and house building techniques has exacerbated the destruction.

Ends Notes
Fashion For Relief TM Set up four years ago to demonstrate the kind of contributions the fashion community can make, the first Fashion For Relief TM show was held in 2005 in New York City during their fashion week, and raised more than $1 million dollars for the Hurricane Katrina relief. In 2007 the event, held in London, raised an amazing GBP 1million for the Rotary Flood & Disaster Appeal.

In 2008, Naomi teamed up with Sarah Brown for the first time to host an unforgettable Fashion For Relief TM raising thousands for The White Ribbon Alliance and raising awareness of the charity. Last year Fashion For Relief TM travelled to Mumbai, India and Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania.

Past participants and supporters include: Beyonce, Boy George, Cheryl Cole, Cilla Black, Christian Slater, Claudia Schiffer, Erin O’Connor, Faye Dunaway, Iman, Jamelia, Jessica Stam, Kate Moss, Yasmin Le Bon, Ronan Keating, Kelly Osbourne, Lily Cole, P. Diddy, Princess Beatrice, Rio Ferdinand, The Duchess of York, Joaquin Cortes, Tyson Beckford and many more.

Haiti is the poorest country in the western hemisphere – where 37,000 pregnant women now face birth in dangerous, unsanitary conditions – White Ribbon Alliance’s partner organisation International Planned Parenthood Federation (IPPF) is currently struggling to meet the overwhelming need for basic healthcare services. IPPF’s clinics, which are based in the communities most affected by the earthquake, have been severely damaged. Despite this, they are operating a number of health clinics from tents, with additional mobile bus clinics from the Dominican Republic into Haiti. Such is the huge need that they are desperately short of staff, medical supplies and diesel fuel. In crisis situations, women and children’s health needs and physical safety are at much greater risk; we need your help to address the short term needs and the long term consequences.

FT-86 Concept (world premiere)
The FT-86 (“86″ pronounced “hachi roku”), a compact rear-wheel-drive sports car, provides driving joy and excitement.

* Compact design gives driver greater control, while body’s lightness and low center of gravity allow racecar-like handling
* Both power and environmental performance provided by 2-liter boxer engine and light body
* Flash Red body color contains hint of blue; interior expresses modern feel with minimal coverage of the highly refined structural components evoking enthusiasm for cruising

FT-86 Concept
A Small FR Sports Concept Vehicle that Combines Environmental Performance and the Joy of Driving

TMC seeks to develop the ultimate earth-conscious environmentally-considerate vehicle with a focus on hybrid technologies without losing sight of the appeal of cars themselves or the joy of driving.

Over the past several years, the need has been rising for motor vehicles that take into consideration global warming and other environmental issues, while there has also been concern that there have been too few new sports cars that make the heart beat faster and that the time is right for a new generation of sports cars. In response to these needs, TMC has developed the FT-86 Concept, a sports car equipped with a 2,000cc, horizontally opposed, four-cylinder, naturally-aspirated gasoline engine that evokes the joy of driving a car and the pleasure of vehicle ownership.

As the name “Future Toyota 86 Concept” implies, the FT-86 Concept, which will be exhibited at the 2009 Tokyo Motor Show, is a new 86 Toyota with a flash red finish. It is a compact, rear-wheel drive sports concept car that embodies speed and the excitement of driving that give cars their appeal as well as environmental performance.
A Toyota Sports Car for a New Era when the Driver Plays the Main Role

The FT-86 Concept is 4,160mm long, 1,760mm wide, and 1,260mm high with a wheelbase of 2,570mm, giving it a compact feeling that is easy for the driver to handle while able to accommodate four occupants. In addition to being light and having a low center of gravity, the FT-86 Concept boasts the handling of a racing car as well as a 6-speed manual transmission and ADVICS brakes.

The stylish concept captures the heart with the “functional utility” of its highly-refined body. It is the creation of Toyota Europe Design Development known as ED2, which has established body lines that take into consideration a low center of gravity and aerodynamics. The interior is distinctive, featuring an instrument panel with a gray and white base, gauges with red neon lights and digital displays, and a navigation system. In addition, a zipper that evokes an image of interior lapping with minimal covering of a highly-refined body presents a striking display.

It is necessary to create a vehicle in which the driver plays the main role in order to have as many people as possible experience the joy of driving.

The FT-86 Concept is neither an electric vehicle nor a hybrid vehicle, but is a sports model with a gasoline engine developed to convey the essential appeal of automobiles in a new era. It is a must-see concept car that expresses TMC’s desire to once again create a Toyota sports car.

The first in a range of high performance sports cars from the home of the world’s most successful racing carcompany

McLaren MP4-12C set to re-write the rules of sports car design through Formula 1-inspired engineering, revolutionary chassis architecture, and absolute focus on efficiency

Legendary McLaren F1 inspires concept; 21st century demands drive McLaren MP4-12C execution

McLaren MP4-12C represents ‘pure McLaren’; from unique engineering to bespoke design where everything is for a reason

The McLaren MP4-12C is revealed as the first in a range of high-performance sports cars from McLaren Automotive, the independent car division based at the McLaren Technology Centre in Woking, England. The 12C, and future models within the range, will challenge the world’s best sports cars, benefiting from the expertise and virtuosity of the McLaren Group.

Twenty years of sports car design, engineering and production combined with inspirational success in Formula 1 have driven Ron Dennis, McLaren Automotive Chairman, to announce his plans for the ultimate line-up of technology-led and customer-focused performance cars for the 21st century. The rules in the sports car world are about to be re-written.

Through a rich modern history, McLaren’s automotive division has already built the world’s most critically acclaimed supercar, the McLaren F1 (1993-1998) and the world’s best-selling luxury supercar, the Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren (2003-2009). McLaren Automotive now looks to the future with a new range of revolutionary sports cars.

“It is a long-held dream of mine to launch a range of high performance sports cars that set new standards in the industry,” said Dennis.

“We began designing and building cars for aficionados of thoroughbred sports cars almost 20 years ago. Incorporating the leading edge technologies that the McLaren Group has built up within its various companies, I believe we are now perfectly placed to open up this new chapter in McLaren’s history as well as play a part in the regeneration of high-tech manufacturing in the UK and global automotive environment,” he concluded.

At its heart, the McLaren MP4-12C features a revolutionary carbon fibre chassis structure, the Carbon MonoCell: the first time a car in this market segment is based around such a strong and lightweight racing car engineering solution and the first time any car has ever featured a one-piece carbon fibre structure.

This step change in sports car design means that the 12C introduces new standards not just in handling, ride and outright performance, but also safety, economy and practicality in an already competitive sector.

Martin Whitmarsh, Team Principal of McLaren’s racing team highlighted the integral part that McLaren’s motorsport and road car experience played in developing the 12C: “McLaren has for years offered a potent mix of race car and road car technologies. This combination of McLaren’s performance heritage, and future demands on what is expected of high performance sports cars in the 21st century, gave us a head-start when we embarked on this project. The 12C, and future variants, draws on the spirit of Formula 1 and delivers real-world technological advances.”

The first car from the new company, the McLaren MP4-12C, is a high performance two-seat mid-engine model in the ‘core’ sports car market segment for cars costing between £125,000 and £175,000. The 12C is pure McLaren, featuring no carryover parts from any other car, and will be produced by McLaren in the UK. It goes on sale through a dedicated, worldwide retailer network in early 2011.

“McLaren is already a car maker with maturity and experience, having produced iconic cars such as the F1,” said Antony Sheriff, McLaren Automotive Managing Director.

“The next step was to construct a range of pure McLaren high performance sports cars that are true to the company’s philosophy and reflect our position as an absolute technology and performance leader. So, when we embarked on the 12C project, we wanted to re-write the rules of sports car design. Indeed, the 12C offers performance and technology that exceeds that of the world’s most expensive and sophisticated supercars, while competing in a much more accessible market segment. And to achieve this result, we designed every component from scratch to meet the extreme goals of the 12C and avoid any compromise.”

“Forget what you know about sports car companies, McLaren is different,” he concluded.

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Nine out of 10 new car shoppers expect gas prices to rise sharply over the next month, and two-thirds of them say that’s influencing their thoughts on what to buy, according to a new survey.

Kelley Blue Book’s Market Intelligence Study found that consumers’ expectations of higher gas prices are creeping higher, with 87 percent anticipating sharp rises in a May survey, up from 66 percent in April.

The findings suggest that the U.S. auto market’s recent shift toward cars and away from trucks will accelerate this summer.

In May, cars accounted for 52.7 percent of new light vehicle sales, according to Autodata Corp., up from 51.9 percent in March.

The shift to smaller vehicles is likely to be further encouraged by a government “cash-for-clunkers” program offering customers cash vouchers of up to $4,500 to trade in old vehicles. Customers buying substantially more fuel-efficient models would benefit the most under the bill being hammered out in Congress.

But analysts say it’s unclear whether these shifts in customer behavior are permanent.

Last summer, the share of car sales increased to as much as 57 percent of the total when gas prices surged, but the market went right back to a roughly 50-50 car-truck mix when fuel costs subsided, said Rebecca Lindland of IHS Global Insight. “We did not see any long-term change.”

That is only likely to happen “if gas prices stay above a certain level — maybe $3 a gallon for months on end,” she said.

Alternatively, the government could change consumers’ behavior by increasing fuel taxes, as governments have done in Europe and other parts of the world, Lindland said. “But I’m not advocating those.”

U.S. gas prices typically rise in the summer, when people drive more. They now average $2.64 a gallon, up from $2.53 a week ago, and $4.06 a year ago, according to the roadside assistance organization AAA.

In Michigan, gas prices average $2.87, compared with $1.98 a gallon in March.

“With gas prices rising, combined with what happened a year ago in May, the consumer is skittish,” said Tom Libby, president of the Society of Automotive Analysts.

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Thailand’s exports of vehicles are expected to improve in the second half of 2009 on the expectation that the world economy, including that of Thailand, would recover, an auto expert said Saturday.

Spokesman Surapong Paisitpatnapong of the Federation of Thai Industries’ Automotive Industry Club said the sector in Thailand is optimistic that the world economy, including Thailand and its major trading partners including the United States, Europe, Australia, China, Japan, Indonesia and Malaysia, should improve during the second half of this year after governmental economic stimulus measures to boost their economies.

With high expectations that the recovery measures will help boost economies around the world, the number of purchase orders for cars assembled in Thailand should also increase, Mr. Surapong said.

The Automotive Industry Club has maintained vehicular production in 2009 at 1.08 million units, with exports taking 590,000 units and the rest for domestic sale. In the same timeframe, dealers are expected to import about 10,000 units.

Car production in Thailand during the first two months this year contracted 49 per cent in line with an earlier projection, Mr. Surapong said.

The Obama administration announced a $5-billion plan today to buffer the finances of struggling auto suppliers, the first of what officials said would be several steps to aid the U.S. auto industry.

The Supplier Support Program will use a trickle-down method of funneling money through Detroit automakers to their direct suppliers, increasing the power of General Motors Corp. and Chrysler to decide which of their suppliers survive. Ford Motor Co. said it would not need to take part in the plan.

The announcement precedes what’s anticipated to be a broad outline of additional aid for GM and Chrysler that President Barack Obama’s auto industry task force is expected to unveil well before the end of the month. The two automakers have asked for $21.6 billion in loans to survive the year.

An administration official speaking on background said the supplier program was “the first piece” of the Obama plan, adding there was “great urgency” to avoiding a wave of supplier collapses that could have threatened wider economic turmoil.

“We will have more to say about the industry in the coming days,” the official said.

Shares of auto suppliers soared on news of the program, even though it was half of the $10 billion that auto suppliers had suggested for such a plan. The Treasury Department said the program was not meant to save every firm, saying that “the failure of certain suppliers is a natural, albeit painful, part of the business cycle.”

“But as the restructuring process moves forward, the Administration is committed to helping stabilize the industry, protect American jobs, and give consumers the confidence and the means to purchase cars,” the Treasury said in a statement.

Michigan lawmakers hailed the plan. Rep. Sander Levin, D-Royal Oak, said the program was a “valuable first step.” Sen. Debbie Stabenow said the plan was “a very significant sign that they understand the importance of suppliers, and they want to help.”

With industry analyst firm Grant Thornton predicting last week that up to 500 U.S. auto suppliers are on the brink of failure, rescuing the auto supply chain had risen to the top priority for the Obama administration’s auto task force. The weakest U.S. sales in four decades triggered massive cuts in production over the past few months, leaving suppliers struggling for cash.

In normal times, a supplier gets paid between 45 and 60 days after shipping a part to an automaker, and can use the promise of that payment as collateral for loans. But in recent months, the collapse of credit markets and the troubles at GM and Chrysler have made lenders unwilling to trust those promises.

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Mazda Motor Corporation will debut two new models of the all-new Mazda3 (known as Mazda Axela in Japan) product range at the 2009 Geneva International Motor Show from March 3 through 15, 2009. The world premiere of the Mazda3 with i-stop, Mazda’s advanced fuel-saving start-stop system, will be shared with the all-new Mazda3 MPS, Mazda3’s high performance flagship model. The Mazda3 MPS (Mazdaspeed Axela) now features improved fuel economy and emissions that satisfy Euro Stage 5.

Mazda3 i-stop

The Mazda3 is one of Mazda’s core products, with more than two million units of the first generation produced. The design of the new model has a bolder and more dynamic stance; it is agile and confidence-inspiring, enhancing the sense of oneness between the driver and car. It also has high environmental and safety performance levels, exemplifying Mazda’s Sustainable Zoom-Zoom long-term vision to provide cars that are eco-friendly and safe while still being fun to drive.

The Mazda3 with i-stop embodies Sustainable Zoom-Zoom and adds a new eco-friendly option to the lineup. It features the i-stop system in combination with the MZR 2.0 DISI (Direct Injection Spark Ignition) engine. Together, these two Mazda proprietary technologies help the new model achieve approximately 12 percent lower fuel consumption (urban cycle) than the current European Mazda3. By providing great driving performance as well as top-class fuel economy, the Mazda3 with i-stop is a different type of eco-car that will exceed customer expectations.

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Suzuki Motor Corp will shelve a plan to launch large-sized cars in 2010 and delay the start of overseas factories amid a sharp deterioration in the global auto market, the Nikkei business daily reported on Monday.

Suzuki and other automakers are under growing pressure to cut output and scrap capital investment plans as auto demand worldwide, including in India where Suzuki commands around half the market, declines sharply.

Suzuki had planned to introduce a big car based on “Kizashi” concept model that would have had an engine of up to 3.6 litres, in a bid to attract customers looking to upgrade from smaller vehicles.

In an interview with Reuters in September, Suzuki CEO Osamu Suzuki had flagged the likelihood for the project’s cancellation, saying it made little sense to launch a car into a shrinking segment of the market.

The Nikkei said the firm also plans to postpone plants in Thailand and Russia in 2010.

Suzuki officials were not immediately available for comment.

Shares of Suzuki rose 3.4 percent to 1,270 yen, underperforming a 4.3 percent gain in the Tokyo stock exchange’s transport equipment subindex.

source : reuters