Porsche has unveiled the new LMP 1 racer the automaker will campaign at LeMans in 2014. See this car biz news and more in today’s Executive Briefing.
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+ General Motors will build Opel Corsas in Belarus for Russia and other Eastern markets starting next year. More here at ABC News.
+ Indian tiremaker Apollo is buying Cooper Tire in Ohio for $2.22 billion, with Cooper stockholders receiving $35 a share. More here at USA Today.
+ Chrysler is recalling 37,000 2012-13 Ram pickups to correct two separate defects in the turn signals and front axles. More here at Edmunds.com.
+ NASCAR veteran and former Indy Racing League driver Jason Leffler was killed in a sprint car crash at Bridgeport Speedway in New Jersey. More here at Yahoo! Sports.
+ Toyota hopes to resurrect its sports GT model, the Supra, last produced in 2002. More here at The Detroit Bureau.
+ Navistar has begun to manufacture trucks in Canoas, Brazil with an initial produciton target of 5,000 units per year. More here at Automotive Business Review.
+ Ford plans to develop new Lincoln models in the fastest-growing new market segments, the company says. More here at Reuters.
+ Porsche has unveiled the new LMP prototype racer the company will campaign at the 24 Hours of LeMans in 2014. More here at the UK Telegraph.
For the previous Executive Briefing June 10, click here.
Let’s hope this Porsche isn’t just a re-bodied Audi as the Bentleys were. I don’t see the wisdom of competing against another division of the company, so I suspect that this new entry won’t actually bring any competition to the race. Given that Audi has won 11 of the last 13 plus the aforementioned Bentley win, they’re likely bored and looking for the exit anyway.
We need to see the US and Japan competing for the overall win. And isn’t it time that China showed us they have the technology to build a car all by themselves?