(November 16, 2009) DETROIT — General Motors Co. posted a $1.15 billion loss during the third quarter following its exit from bankruptcy and spelled out plans to begin repaying $6.7 billion in U.S. loans.

"We have significantly more work to do, but Monday's results provide evidence of the solid foundation we're building for the new GM," CEO Fritz Henderson said in a statement.

(November 15, 2009) Mazda is working to reduce its vehicle weights by at least 220 pounds beginning in 2011, with a combination of lighter-weight materials, smaller vehicle footprints and new engineering processes, a top executive says.

The typical Mazda vehicle has gained 80 pounds with each successive redesign, “mostly in larger tires and wheels, and safety equipment,” said Robert Davis, senior vice president of product development and quality for Mazda North American Operations.

(November 15, 2009) Talk about your never-ending telephone calls. OnStar recently passed a key milestone for its Hands-Free Calling service, having sold 2 billion minutes since its launch in 2000.

So how long is 2 billion minutes of call time? Try 3,803 years. The good news is no discomfort or cricks in the neck from pressing a cell phone receiver against your ear since hands-free calling in vehicles allows OnStar subscribers to keep their eyes on the road and hands on the wheel.

(November 13, 2009) Mercedes-Benz may bring a small luxury car to the United States by 2012 intended to compete with the Audi A3 and BMW's 1 series and Mini Cooper, the company's CEO told The Wall Street Journal.

Daimler CEO Dieter Zetsche told the newspaper the small Mercedes would offer upscale luxury features in a small package. Under the plan, Mercedes would import at least one of four next-generation compact models it will start selling in Europe in late 2011.