Debt ridden Saab is to apply for court protection from its creditors in a bid to stave off bankruptcy get again. For months, the automaker has struggled to raise finances to pay off suppliers, and as a result, has halted production. Saab was rescued from bankruptcy last year by Dutch owner, Swedish Automobile (formerly Spyker), as former owner General Motors prepared to shut the company down

Saab has declined to comment on the issue but, spokeswoman Gunilla Gustavs said that the company is continuing to work on raising the necessary funds. The Swedish automaker’s most recent statement said, ” Saab Automobile AB is now working on other options to secure bridge funding which would allow us to stabilize  operations, finalize negotiations with suppliers on payment and delivery terms and restart production”.

If Saab obtains a court creditor protection order, it would place the company into a process of corporate restructuring. Under this process, which Saab entered in 2009 after GM made clear its intention to cease funding the company and exited later that year, the company is granted temporary protection from creditors while an administrator and management seeks to restructure the company into a viable business.

[Source: Automotive News]

Audi has a legion of dedicated fans. In fact, a recent Visibli study found that the auto brand has more engaged social media followers than even Lady Gaga and Justin Bieber. That must mean these fans have quite a few stories to share about how the German luxury automaker gained their loyalty.

Audi wants to share these stories with the rest of the world and to do so the company launched the “Remarkable Audi Film” series. Each installment in the series focuses on real people who discuss what Audi means to them. There are no rehearsed scripts – Audi just turns on the camera and lets the story unfold.

In the first installment in the series, Audi talks with award-winning and Grammy-nominated recording artist Ryan Farish, who uses Audi to perfect his music. After burning his tracks on a CD, he listens to how they sound in his Audi TT. In the video below, you can see what happens when he takes the new Audi A8, outfitted with a 19-speaker, 1,400-watt Bang & Olufsen Advanced Sound System, out for a test drive. You can watch the video after the jump.

If you’ve got a story to tell, send it to remarkable@audi.com. You may be featured in the next installment of the Remarkable Audi Film series.

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Looking to grow sales and continue to take the fight to the Germans, Lexus is reportedly considering a two-door version of the new 2013 GS350. Based on the same platform the car would use the same rear-drive setup and be powered by the automaker’s 306-hp 3.5-liter V6 engine.

Currently Lexus has no hard-top offerings apart from the LFA supercar, while Mercedes offers the E-Class Coupe, Audi the A5/S5 and BMW just introduced a new 6 Series.

“I’d like to do a coupe,” Lexus product planner Ben J. Mitchel told Inside Line, commenting that this would be the perfect vehicle to help, “…increase the emotional qualities of our brand.” Coming just short of confirming the new model, Mitchel did say that Lexus wants to have a “full model line and a global reach.”

If the GS Coupe does get the go ahead, look for a F-sport model to follow, with possible hybrid and convertible versions after that. The Lexus GS350 Coupe could arrive as early as 2013.

GALLERY: 2013 Lexus GS350

[Source: InsideLine]

When a car meets its expected sales target it’s not normally worth reporting, but considering the flop that was the HS250h (not to mention slumping brand sales in general), Lexus seems on track to meet and even exceed its goal with the new CT200h.

According to the latest figures the CT200h was the third best selling hybrid in the month of July, beating out cars like the Honda Insight, Fusion Hybrid, Escape Hybrid and even the Lexus RX450h. Total sales for the year are listed at 5,321, which puts the car well on track to reach its target of 10,000 units, according to Lexus VP Mark Templin.

It also puts Lexus ahead of rivals BMW an Audi in the compact luxury segment. In the month of July, Audi A3 sales tallied just 436 units for a year-to-date total of 3,803, while sales of the BMW 1 Series fell just short of Lexus with 5,257 units moved after selling 664 models last month.

The numbers don’t tell the whole story, however, as sales of the CT only began in March, with Lexus moving 2,200 of them in that month, “way above our plan” says Lexus PR rep Ming-Jou Chen. According to Chen, sales were also hampered significantly until quite recently due to the production stoppage in Japan as the result of the earthquake and tsunami.

If Lexus is able to keep up its current pace the CT is poised to become one of the best selling hybrids in America. Starting from $29,120 the CT200h is rated at 42-mpg average.

GALLERY: Lexus CT200h

Click here to read AutoGuide’s 2011 Lexus CT200h Review

And discuss this story at CT200hForum.com

Kia is continuing its award winning and incredibly original Hamster ad campaign with a third installment that sees the cute (or possibly creepy) critters rolling through an apocalyptic scene in an “Alien Green” Soul, all to the tune of LMFAO’s smash hit, “Party Rock Anthem.” With the Soul, the Hamsters bring peace and happiness by turning a battle between robots and humans into a dance party.

The spot was created by KMA’s advertising agency of record, David&Goliath, which has locked down Nielsen’s “Automotive Ad of the Year” award for two years running with previous Hamster spots for Kia. The ad will premiere on the MTV Video Music Awards (VMAs) on August 28th.

Kia is looking for similar success to the last spots in order to drum up interest in the refreshed 2012 Soul. Updates for the 2012 model year include some mild design changes, new paint colors and the addition of the UVO Sync-style system. A new 1.6-liter direct-injection engine makes 135-hp (up 11%) and 121 lb-ft of torque and thanks to new six-speed manual transmission fuel economy is up to 28/34 mpg. A larger 2.0-liter engine makes 160-hp (up 13%) and 143 lb-ft of torque with a  fuel economy rating of 27/33-mpg. The 2012 Kia Soul starts from just $13,900 (full pricing details here).

We’ll be sure to update this story with the actual ad once it debuts. Until then, get a look at the all-new 2012 Soul from the car’s debut at the New York Auto Show after the jump:

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The original assumption of Sebastian Vettel collaborating with Infiniti to produce a special edition IPL G37 Coupe may still be accurate, but now rumors are stirring that the Sebastian Vettel Edition Infiniti may actually be based on the FX model, rather than the G37. The belief is that Infiniti has already enhanced the G37 with the IPL line, and it wouldn’t make as much sense to further customize it by adding a Sebastian Vettel Edition.

In a new teaser video regarding the Vettel collaborating with Infiniti, a hint is dropped that the debut of the special edition model may occur at the Frankfurt Motor Show. Unfortunately everything is speculation right now, but Infiniti is causing some curiosity with how they’ll be taking advantage of their partnership with Vettel and whether or not it’ll pay off in the long run. Hopefully whatever model it is, Infiniti has done more than just some aesthetic changes but rather some serious performance modifications to give it a true Vettel-inspired driving experience.

Check out the video after the jump:

[Source: Jalopnik]

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Nissan has announced it will launch the all-electric Nissan Leaf ahead of schedule in the city of Chicago, citing popular demand as well as preparedness by the city.

Last February, Gov. Pat Quinn announced that $1 million would be invested to install state-of-the-art charging infrastructure for electric cars throughout the Chicago area. The City of Chicago matched the investment with an additional $1 million for the project to implement 280 EV charging stations.

“Illinois is laying the groundwork for electric vehicles, and our efforts are paying off,” Gov. Quinn said. “By investing in electric vehicle technology, both the State of Illinois and Nissan are making transportation in our state more efficient, sustainable and affordable.”

The City of Chicago has also spearheaded an aggressive infrastructure plan to add 73 DC quick charging stations and 207 Level 2 stations by the end of 2011. So far, 40 stations have been installed, but when complete, the system will provide the Chicagoland area with the most extensive infrastructure for electric vehicles in the U.S.

The 2013 Kia Forte will be an all-new model, following closely after the changes introduced in the 2011 Hyundai Elantra.

Sharing the same platform as that car, look for an improved ride quality, plus the Forte is expected to get a new design closer in keeping with the larger Optima sedan.

As for engines, look for the 1.8-liter 4-cylinder from the Elantra with 148-hp. Both a six-speed manual and six-speed automatic will be offered. In terms of fuel economy, look for fuel economy that could even exceed the 29/40-mpg rating of the current Elantra. The 2013 Kia Forte could even get a stop-start system that will arrive in the all-new Rio later this year.

[Source: Automotive News]

NASCAR big boys, Jimmie Johnson and Jeff Gordon attended a Chevrolet Volt Homecoming Parade in metro Detroit on August 18 as a part of the festivities surrounding the annual Woodward Dream Cruise.

Over 50 owners from 12 different states attended the even, with both Johnson and Gordon included in the pack as actual Volt owners. In pure racing fashion the duo waved flags to mark the start of the parade. Both NASCAR drivers spent plenty of time talking up the electric Chevy crowd at the parade.

“These cars are just another step in the right direction of going green. Hopefully the Volt will provoke more thought and change,”said Jimmie Johnson.

As for Jeff Gordon, he touched on how Chevrolet is always pushing the envelope in the right direction. “With Chevrolet celebrating its 100th anniversary this year, I can’t think of a better vehicle to show off the brand’s heritage and where it’s headed.”

Check out the video after the jump!

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With the push toward electric vehicles appearing to gather momentum, General Motors has announced that it’s partnering up with Korean electronics giant LG Corporation to develop a new range of EVs. This expands an existing relationship between the two companies, whereby LG has been involved on battery development for the Chevy Volt and its Euro market counterpart the Opel/Vauxhall Ampera.

“Many solutions for tomorrow’s transportation needs may be available more quickly by building on our partnership strategy,” declared GM Vice Chairman Steve Girsky. ”Consumers benefit by getting the latest fuel-saving technology faster if we work with the best suppliers and we save time and money in the development process.”

LG’s President and Chief Operating Officer, Juno Cho, added, “this is a strategic development for LG and we fully support GM’s goal to lead the industry in the electrification of the automobile.”

The need to develop thriftier, cleaner vehicles has been largely driven by impending tough fuel economy and emissions standards, primarily in Europe and the US, the latter of which has proposed a Corporate Average Fuel Economy target of 54.5 mpg for all cars sold here by 2025.

EVs which have no tailpipe emissions, nor gasoline consumption, are expected by many to play a significant role in enabling many automakers to meet the proposed targets.