'Car Bubble' Blows Up on Automakers

Gizmos proliferate amid concerns on distracted driving

(NEWSER) - Imagine cruising down the highway at 65mph while checking tweets, buying movie tickets online, or booking reservations at a restaurant. This scenario is the not-too-distant future of driving, reports the Wall Street Journal , as auto manufacturers seek to design an innovative "connected car" full of Internet-accessible gadgetry. The push for a tech-infused car comes as a national push for rules banning phones in cars seems to be fizzling out and automakers look to entice the youth demographic. More»

Finishes first profitable year since its bankruptcy

(NEWSER) - Call it a comeback if you want, because it looks like Chrysler is finally back on its feet. Detroit's smallest automaker posted a $225 million profit today to complete its first profitable year since its bankruptcy and bailout in 2009, the New York Times reports. The profit came on the back of $15.1 billion in revenues, up a whopping 41% from this time last year. More»

2011 disasters knock Toyota into 3rd place

(NEWSER) - General Motors is back on top of the world less than three years after its bankruptcy and restructuring. The company is once again the world's top-selling automaker, with 9 million sales worldwide in 2011, almost a million more than second-placed Volkswagen. Toyota, which took top spot from GM in 2008, fell into third place after production cuts caused by the earthquake and tsunami in Japan and flooding in Thailand. More»

Honda's Acura makes the list twice

(NEWSER) - Autoblog runs down the list of the 10 worst-selling cars of 2011, including:

1. Honda's Acura RL ($47,700): 1,096 sold
2. Hyundai Azera ($25,495): 1,524 sold
3. Mitsubishi Lancer Sportback ($18,395): 1,548 sold
4. Acura ZDX ($46,020): 1,564 sold
5. Toyota Land Cruiser ($68,920): 1,662 sold

BMW edges out Mercedes-Benz for crown

(NEWSER) - The Beamers win: BMW has earned the honor of being the top-selling luxury brand of car in the US for 2011, reports the Wall Street Journal . It takes the title from Toyota's Lexus, which had dominated for a decade but never quite recovered from the March earthquake and tsunami in Japan. This year it came down to BMW and Mercedes-Benz, and the crown was so coveted that neither side wanted to report first, notes Bloomberg . Finally, Mercedes announced sales this morning of 245,192. BMW followed a few hours later and beat the total by about 2,700 vehicles. More»