Taiwanese Man Bumps into a Traffic Officer�with his Truck

True, accidents can happen any time and at virtually any place, but we think the driver of the small truck seen in this video from Taiwan is unforgivably careless. How on earth can you not see the police officer with the distinctive yellow markings in broad daylight?
Even though he was literally hit by a truck, the officer managed to get up by himself and trot to the sidewalk before another motorist had the chance to finish the job. And yes, that's definitely going to hurt for a while�

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Kia's Global Sales Surpass 1 Million Mark in the First Half of 2010

Kia Motors Corp. saw its overall global sales of passenger cars, recreational vehicles and commercial vehicles through the first six months of 2010 surpass the 1 million unit mark, recording an increase of 34.1% over the same period last year and reaching 1,004,724 units.

Percentage-wise, the highest gain came from China where sales increased by 75.6 per cent to 170,977 vehicles.

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Fiat Marks 500 Launch in China with 100 �First Edition� Models

The first Fiat 500 to make its way into China was presented today in Shanghai by Fiat Group Executive Vice President for International Operations, Lorenzo Sistino.
To celebrate the launch, Fiat crafted a special version named 500 �First Edition� featuring bodywork graphics by five young Chinese designers. The special edition will be available in a limited run of just 100 numbered units ahead of the city car�s regular launch in China on September 15.

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New Study Finds that Chinese Buyers Prefer European over Local Brands

Car buyers� preferences in China are shifting towards European models and away from domestic and even Japanese vehicles, according to a new study published today by JD Power Asia Pacific. This is the third year that the study takes place.
The latest edition included 65 brands and 161 separate models in nine segments and is based on responses from 4,979 potential buyers of new-vehicles located in 53 cities.

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China Hopes To Poach Overseas Automotive Engineering Talent

China has a problem. Although it has the financial and material resources to compete with the world�s automakers, it lacks the design and engineering knowhow.
The solution � to companies such as BAIC, Dongfeng, Chang�an and others � is to seek talent abroad; in Germany, Italy, Japan, the UK and USA. Research and development centres are popping up in Nottingham and Detroit and recruitment fairs are being held in Munich, Stuttgart and Aachen.

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Saab Finalizes Deal with Panga Da and Youngman, Announces New 9-1, 9-6X and 9-7

Saab�s parent company Swedish Automobile NV said on Monday it converted the non-binding memorandum of understanding with Pang Da Automobile Trade Co. and Zhejiang Youngman Lotus Automobile Co into a final agreement. However, the deal is still subject to regulatory approval from Chinese and Swedish authorities as well as the European Investment Bank.
In addition to the above agreement, Saab announced the formation of a Sweden-based joint venture company between itself and Youngman called NPJV, which will focus on the development of three new product models.

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Bentley Defies Crisis with a 20% Increase in Global Sales

Crisis? What crisis? For you and me, perhaps, but not for Bentley buyers. The VW-owned British luxury carmaker announced today a 20% increase in global sales for the first half of 2011 with 2,978 cars delivered to customers, the best start for the company since 2008.

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China Opens World�s Longest Ocean Bridge Measuring 26 Miles in Length! [with Videos]

China opened today to the public not just one or two, but amazingly four of the world�s longest over-sea bridges. Three of the bridges are part of the Beijing-Shanghai High Speed Railway, which made its maiden trip today.
This project began in 2008, cost around US$33 billion and employed approximately 10,000 workers. It is expected to carry double the number of passengers than before (80 million versus approximately 40 million), whilst also reducing the time it takes to make the journey from 10 to less than 4 hours!

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Daimler Signs US$2.87 billion Deal with BAIC

The picture may seem familiar: Chinese and German businesspersons on the same table signing some papers, while German Chancellor Dr. Angela Merkel, and Chinese Prime Minister Wen Jiabao, standing behind them with their country flags are floating in the background.
Only this time the Germans are Daimler�s executives, not Volkswagen�s, and the other signatory is BAIC (Beijing Automotive Industry Corporation).

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Volkswagen to Build Two New Plants in China

The Chinese government has given, as expected, the green light to the Volkswagen Group for the building of two new automotive plants in the cities of Foshan and Yizheng. The final approval for the project was signed today, June 28, in Berlin during a meeting between Chairman of VW�s board, Prof. Dr. Martin Winterkorn, and the Presidents of the Chinese partner companies.

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Chrysler Seeks Fiat Synergies to Produce Cars in China

China is the world�s largest car market: last year alone, more than 18 million vehicles were sold there, of which 13.76 million were passenger cars. Furthermore, analysts McKinsey & Company predict that it will grow tenfold between 2005 and 2030.
Do you want to know Chrysler�s share in this massive car market? A measly 31,000 in 2010 and a projection for just 40,000 in 2011. Therefore, it is only natural that the American carmaker is looking for ways to increase its share in this rapidly expanding market.

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Nissan Announces New Midterm Business Plan, will Introduce a New Vehicle Every Six Weeks for Six Years

Japanese carmaker Nissan Motor Co. revealed on Monday its new midterm business plan dubbed �Power 88�, with which it aims to boost both its global market share and profit margin to 8 percent within six years � hence the �88� reference in the name. Last year, Nissan, which is 44.3 percent owned by French partner Renault, had a 5.8 percent global market share.
The new plan calls for the introduction of 52 new cars for fiscal years 2011 to 2016, or about one new vehicle every six weeks.

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New Chinese Order Provides Saab with a Temporary Lifeline

Maybe the future of Saab isn�t as dark as it looks, and the voluntary bankruptcy proposed by suppliers isn�t the only solution. Well, at least for now. That�s because the Swedish automaker announced today that an unnamed Chinese company place an order to buy 582 cars, with a total value of � 13 million.
The pre-payment is to be received this week, giving Saab a much needed funding to pay its workers and suppliers. This, however, is only a short-term lifeline for the ailing company and the efforts to secure funds that will guarantee the brand�s future and restart production, which has been halted again since June 8, are ongoing.

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Mercedes Chinese Partner BAIC

Beijing Automotive Industry Holding Corp., commonly known by the acronym BAIC, is one of Mercedes-Benz's partners in China. However, that didn't stop the Chinese automaker, which has acquired the intellectual rights for Saab's older 9-5 and certain 9-3 models, to rip off the design of Mercedes' B-Class for its new BC301Z five-door hatchback and to a lesser extent, the BC302Z sedan.

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