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Rumors that BMW might produce a version of its racing-minded M3 GT4 are true, according to the head of the automaker's M division.

Dr. Kay Segler, head of BMW's M Division and former chief at MINI, says it's a possibility that the company could authorize a limited run of the race-prepped M3, but says no decision has been made.

The M3 GT4 contested this year's 24 Hour Nurburgring endurance race. Offering the vehicle as a street would not only

The teaser campaign for the new "grand Bentley" continues with this latest photo from Crewe--the rear roofline of the new sedan that's to replace the Bentley Arnage.

The new sedan is set for a debut at the Pebble Beach Concours in August, and for sale next year. From the details shown in the photo, the new four-door's look bears some resemblance to the Brooklands coupe that's in the current Bentley lineup.

In advance of the debut, Bentley also released the

Suzuki has opened up the pumps—to ease the jitterbugs, of course. The automaker will offer free gas cards with purchase of any new 2009 SX4 small-car models in the U.S.

The promotion, called "Free Gas for Summer," includes a pre-paid debit card good for $270 on the 2009 Suzuki SX4 Sport (sedan) or $290 on the 2009 SX4 Crossover (hatchback). That's good for three months of driving, according to Suzuki, considering the EPA highway rating, today's gas pricing, and the U.S. norm of

The next couple of years will be very busy for BMW as it launches a handful of new models including new versions of current top sellers and some models we’ve never seen before. The new X1 falls into the latter category and will take the automaker into the compact SUV market currently dominated by the likes of the Toyota RAV4 and Honda CR-V.

The X1 has been conceived with the flexibility to offer traditional RWD and xDrive AWD configurations, as well as a wide variety of gasoline and diesel

The future of plug-in electric cars boils down to their adoption by drivers. As we have reported, car buyers are leery about EVs and concerned about charging their vehicles in public areas.  A public charging infrastructure is virtually non-existent in the U.S. at this point.

Automakers are working with utility companies, local governments, and municipalities to develop such an infrastructure in a timely manner.

Lack of infrastructure has not dissuaded

Many of Volkswagen's new vehicles continue to be rated worse-than-average by Consumer Reports in reliability, below the industry average in J.D. Power's annual Initial Quality Survey (the latest just released last week), and near the bottom in post-sales service, as gauged by Power's latest annual Customer Service Index (CSI).

Yet, as the latest Total Quality Index from Strategic Vision suggests, Volkswagen owners are among the happiest with the ownership experience. VW placed at the top

General Motors is set to cut back financial support for its main teams competing in the NASCAR Sprint Cup after filing for bankruptcy protection earlier this month.

Less than a week since cuts were announced for its Nationwide and Truck Series teams, the automaker has now taken a similar step with the outfits it supports in NASCAR's top series.

Hendrick Motorsports and Stewart/Haas Racing, currently the top teams for Chevrolet in the championship, confirmed that they've been notified of the measure.

"We had very