AutoWeek Daily Drive — Friday, June 19, 2009

HOME   |   CAR NEWS   |   CAR REVIEWS   |   RACING   |   AUTOSHOWS   |   SUBSCRIBE   |   MARKETPLACE Friday, June 19, 2009 FIA president Max Mosley drew a crowd Friday in Silverstone as the rift between the sanctioning body and the... FIA pushes ahead with plans for 2010, sans FOTA group The FIA was quick to respond to the Formula One Teams Association announcement of a breakaway F1 championship for 2010. The FIA's response read: "The FIA has noted the latest press statement from FOTA. The FIA is disappointed but not surprised by FOTA's inability to reach a compromise in the best interests of the sport. It is clear that elements within FOTA have sought this outcome throughout...   Chrysler cancels Cummins diesel for the light-duty Dodge Ram Chrysler will cancel its contract with Cummins Inc. for the light-duty diesel engine planned for the Dodge Ram 1500 pickup. Chrysler disclosed the termination as part of a group of supplier rejections filed Wednesday in U.S. Bankruptcy Court. The engine was originally scheduled for delivery in... You May Have Missed...   Game over? FOTA announces formation of breakaway "Formula One" Championship In a stunning development Thursday night to the ongoing dispute between the FIA and the Formula One Teams Association, FOTA announced via a statement that it plans to leave the official Formula One World Championship in favor of establishing its own breakaway series beginning next year. The...   Transit Connect hauls Ford back into U.S. small-van market Ford has launched its Transit Connect in the United States, and about time, too. It's one of the coolest vehicles coming out this year. And at a starting price of $21,475, it's a bargain, too. The Transit Connect isn't new. In fact, it's been on sale around the world since 2003, and Ford has...   Audi R8 Spyder spied Audi's tempting topless supercar has been spied during testing, and the R8 Spyder appears to be close to its expected debut at the Frankfurt motor show in September. The car captured in spy shots shows a fabric top, which would allow Audi to maintain the R8's shapely styling, particularly in the ...   GM to kill Pontiac Vibe in August The Pontiac Vibe is meeting its demise in August. General Motors said Thursday afternoon that it will end production of the small wagon as part of its long-term viability plan and the wind-down of the Pontiac brand. Production of Vibes for the 2010 model year began in March. The wagon is...   GM confirms cutbacks for NASCAR Sprint Cup teams To the surprise of nobody, General Motors said it must reduce its financial support of its Chevrolet-based NASCAR Sprint Cup teams. The official word came Wednesday, when major Chevy teams were asked to participate in the cutbacks. Last weekend, GM said that it was dramatically cutting support...   NASCAR commissioner eases race-suspension penalty against Long NASCAR commissioner Charles Strang lightened the penalties against part-time Sprint Cup driver Carl Long for cheating last month at Lowe's Motor Speedway. Long, who runs only a handful of races, was fined $200,000 and suspended for 12 races for using an oversized engine in an all-star exhibition ... CLICK HERE TO UNSUBSCRIBE from the AutoWeek Daily Drive E-mail or to sign up for other AutoWeek e-mail products. IMPORTANT: Please add AutoWeek.com to your E-mail Address Book to ensure you will continue to receive our newsletters. Please DO NOT reply to this e-mail. You will not receive a reply if you use this e-mail address. Crain Communications, 1155 Gratiot Ave. Detroit, MI 48207.