China's BYD Sees Profits Plunge 89% in the First Half of 2011

With a billionaire like Warren Buffett backing you up and forming a partnership with none other than Daimler AG is supposedly a recipe for success. Yet Chinese automaker BYD reported a 89% drop in profits in the first half of the year compared to the same period in 2010.

BYD’s sales in the first six months of 2011 were down 23.4%, to 220,131 units. Deliveries of the core models of its range, such as the F0 city car, the F3 compact and the F6 mid-sized sedan plunged right after the governments incentives for new car buyers stopped at the end of last year.

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Guess What Ford is Bringing to the Frankfurt Motor Show this Year?

The above rendering is the work of independent designer David Cardoso

While we wish Carscoop reader and independent designer David Cardoso the best of luck in his work, the 2013 Ford Focus Coupé Design Study that he drew up and which is pictured above, isn't the surprise that Ford is planning for this year's edition of the Frankfurt Motor Show.

However, it does represent the type of vehicle we will be seeing in less than a month's time in Germany.

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German Auto Industry's Progress Threatened by Lack of Engineers

Despite the global economic crisis, German automakers are reporting record profits and sales in the first half of 2011. Therefore, if they can prosper under such dire conditions, then the future looks more than bright, correct?

Well, while true, the German auto industry is actually facing one little tiny problem that seems to be slowing their expansion plans: a shortage of engineers to design the new cars they intend to produce. The reasons for this shortage are the aging, thus slowly but steadily retiring, workforce and the loss of interest in technical studies by the young.

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Coach One: President Obama Gets New $1.1 Million Super Bus

President Obama has a new addition to his means of transportation that already includes the Cadillac Presidential Limousine, the VC-25A (aka Boeing 747-200) Air Force One Jumbo jet and the Marine One VH3-D Sea King or the newer, Blackhawk-based VH-60N “Nighthawk” helicopters.

It’s a big black coach built by Nashville, Tennessee-based Hemphill Brothers and is fitted with the latest technology in security and communications, though both the company and the Secret Service wouldn't divulge any specific info.

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Cadillac Claims to Have Made the 2012 Escalade More Difficult to Steal

In America, the Cadillac Escalade is the favorite choice of thieves, according to the latest study from Highway Loss Data Institute, which we told you about on Thursday. In fact, Cadillac's larger than life SUV has topped the list for several years now.

The problem is that- as you may remember from previous reports- the Escalade is popular amongst thieves not only because stars of all sorts have immortalized it, but also because some security flaws made certain model year versions easy to steal.

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VW to Invest €1 Billion in Renewable Energy Production

Volkswagen seems committed to increase its renewable energy production as it plans to invest close to €1 billion ($1.44 billion) over the next two years, according to a report from Financial Times Deutschland.

This is a significant increase compared to the end of June announcement of a €600 million ($868 million) investment. VW is, reports the newspaper, interested in buying at least two offshore windparks and it is possible that it will announce a partnership with windpark developer Windreich before the end of 2011.

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Chitty Chitty Bang Bang and Pink Panther Car to be Auctioned Off

Two unique Hollywood vehicles will go under the hummer at the Chelsea Auto Legends Show on September 4. The first is one of the rarest and most spectacular cars ever produced: the bespoke “Panthermobile” created for NBC’s Pink Panther TV show that ran from 1969 until 1976.

The 42-year old “Panthermobile” is in original condition, but according to the seller, it needs some restoration. Its engine is not running, though it did when its current owner bought it to another auction in 2007. Nevertheless, it’s not street-legal anyway… Its sale estimate is between £50,000 and £100,000 (US$81,000-$162,000).

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NYC Officials to Shut Down Mass Transit on Saturday as East Coast Prepares for Hurricane Irene

As the entire East Coast of the U.S. braces for big, bad hurricane Irene, which could turn out to be one of the worst storms to hit the region in years, the Governor of New York City, Andrew M. Cuomo, declared today that all subways, commuter trains and buses would stop running at noon on Saturday, August 27.

In addition, the Governor said that if sustained wind surpasses the 60mph (96km/h) mark, all bridges around New York City as well as five Hudson River bridges, the New York State Thruway and possibly other major highways would be closed to all traffic.

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Infiniti to Launch Sebastian Vettel-inspired Edition of the FX50 in Frankfurt

According to media reports, Infiniti is planning to unveil a limited edition of its FX50 SUV at the Frankfurt Motor Show next month. The new edition is inspired by last year’s Formula 1 world champion, Sebastian Vettel. Infiniti already sponsors the Red Bull F1 cars, which are powered by its partner, Renault, and wants to get the best out of this partnership.

Four months ago, before the Shanghai Grand Prix, the 24-year old world champion who is already an Infiniti “ambassador” drove an Infiniti FX50 in a demonstration (as you can watch in the video that follows) describing it as “sporty” and “very well handling”.

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Saab Denies Reports that it is Seeking Court Protection - For Now

As the days go by without a viable solution to Saab's worsening financial problems, the closer the company gets to its breaking point.

Today, Sweden's public radio (Sveriges Radio) ran a report citing unnamed sources that said Saab's parent company Dutch group Swedish Automobile NV (SWAN) was preparing to apply for court protection from its creditors. If that were to happen, Saab would be placed in a process of corporate restructuring similar to the one it entered in 2009 while GM was in control.

Later in the day, Mats Fägerhag, head of technical development at Swedish Automobile NV told the radio station, "We have not taken any decision to apply for reorganization".

Swedish Automobile NV issued a rather vague statement saying the company is looking to secure funds and is evaluating "all available options" to "secure the continuity of Saab".

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Saab Worker's Unions May Force Company into Bankruptcy State

Apparently, it’s not just suppliers who are demanding to either be paid by cash-strapped Saab or seize its assets. IF Metall and Unionen, the two biggest worker unions of Saab Automobile, have stated they will most likely request a court order to put the company into bankruptcy, unless their wages are paid within the next two weeks.

Saab is scheduled to pay its workers on Friday, August 26, however the company announced on Tuesday that payments may be delayed since the funds that it had supposedly secured are not yet available.

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Cadillac Escalade Remains the No1 Target for Car Thieves in the USA

For years, Caddy’s big SUV, the Escalade is the number one target of thieves in the States and this hasn't changed in the latest study from the Highway Loss Data Institute (HLDI).

According to the latest data for 2008-10 models from HLDI, the Escalade is more than six times as likely to be stolen by thieves compared to the average vehicle.

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GM and LG to Jointly Design New Electric Vehicles

Not long after the announcement on the collaboration between Ford and Toyota on the development of a new RWD hybrid drivetrain, rivaling General Motors came out with details on its own deal with South Korea's LG Group for the design and engineering of future electric vehicles.

The deal builds on GM's expanding relationship with LG, which is the battery cell supplier for the American firm's Chevrolet Volt and Opel Ampera extended-range EVs.

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GM Canada Puts a Price on 2012 Buick Regal eAssist and Regal GS

Following a similar announcement in the USA earlier this month, General Motors has now released pricing for the 2012 Buick Regal eAssist and Regal GS in Canada.

The new Regal with GM's eAssist micro-hybrid technology that's good for 8.3 lt/100km in the city and 5.4 lt/100km on the highway, will start at CA$34,190, while the sporty Regal GS fitted with a 270-horsepower 2.0-liter turbocharged engine will start at $42,345.

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Kia Clarifies that All UK Market Picantos have ESC as Standard

After Euro NCAP released yesterday the results of its latest round of crash tests, the Kia Picanto was the only one out of the 10 cars tested that was awarded four, and not five, stars. The reason being that the electronic stability control system (ESC) was not standard across its range, as the Euro NCAP tests mandate.

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Porsche 911: A Timeline of the World's Most Famous Sports Car

If there were ever a more appropriate title for Porsche’s almost five decades old evolution of the 911, it would be “Against all Odds”. The reason being that the iconic model introduced in 1964 by Ferdinand Porsche, has proven to be a runaway success despite its shortcomings.

But let's take it from the beginning. First of all, it was Porsche’s second model after the 356 and it was unveiled at the Frankfurt Motor Show in 1963. Its original designation was the 901. However, Peugeot had registered all three-digit numbers with a “0” in the middle for its lineup, and Porsche was forced to change the name to 911.

More importantly, it was the layout that should have condemned the 911: physics dictate that the right place to put an engine in a car is either up front or in the middle. However, the 911 had its flat-six placed behind the rear axle.

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Lexus Teases the New GS F-Sport and GS 450h Hybrid

We only just got our first taste of the next generation of Lexus's executive sedan with the presentation of the 2013 GS 350 at the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance show in Monterey last week, but the Japanese automaker has already moved along and is now getting ready for the world premieres of the GS F-Sport and GS 450h. Read more »

US DoT to Launch Vehicle-Exchanging Info Project in 2012

The US Department of Transportation is planning to launch a real-world test of vehicles that can “communicate” with each other next year in the vicinity of Ann Arbor, Michigan.

The 3,000 cars equipped with the Denso-developed technology will help the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration assess whether it should make such systems mandatory in future vehicles in order to avoid accidents. The decision is not expected before 2013.

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Report: McLaren Preparing New Models Including an MP4-12C Cabrio and a Lamborghini Aventador Rival

When the launch of your first and your second road models are separated by close to two decades (19 years to be exact), then you hardly qualify as a car manufacturer.

That is the case with McLaren: production of the extraordinary F1 begun in 1992 and stopped almost 100 cars later in 1998. Deliveries of its second production model, the MP4-12C, have just begun. Therefore, McLaren may be a big name in Formula 1, but it lacks Ferrari’s cache and experience in production models.

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Study: Car Parts Most Likely to Fail During the Summer

UK insurer specialist Warranty Direct revealed data showing which car parts fail more often in the summer months between June and August. According to the study, Britain's summer climate contributes to the quicker deterioration of axle and suspension parts, that account for more than 25% of the insurance company claims. Read more »