BMW USED CARS

Ford will spend $550 million to transform its Michigan truck plant into a facility that bill be used to built the new Ford Focus, including an electric version of that vehicle.

By transforming the Michigan Trunk Plant into a compact car facility as many as 3,200 jobs will be saved as demand for large SUVs declines. The Truck Plant was the location where behemoths such as the Ford Expedition and Lincoln Navigator were manufactured.

The all new Focus will begin production next year with an electric version of the compact car due out in 2011. This zero-emissions Focus is being built in partnership with Magna International and will be powered by an electric motor mated to a Lithium-Ion battery pack and can be charged though a conventional household outlet.

General Motors has once again posted a massive quarterly loss, coming up short to the tune of $6 billion for Q1 of 09. That is roughly the equivalent of the value of 473,000 Chevy Aveos.

The company burned through $10.2 billion during the period, lowering its cash reserves to $11.6 billion from $14.2 billion at the end of 08. The difference was made up by loans from the Federal Government which amounted to $13.2 billion.

General Motors has now posted seven straight quarterly losses and in total has dropped into the red on an annual basis since 2004 - for a staggering total loss of $84 billion. For those keeping score that amounts to a loss roughly equivalent to the value of 1.3 million Escalades.

With the entry-level premium marketing continuing to grow in Europe, Lexus is planning to get in on the action by bringing a vehicle to market that will complete with the Audi A3 and BMW 1 Series.

BMW is currently looking at adding three new vehicles to the Mini lineup, including an enthusiast-targeted GTI model. U.K. auto pub AutoCar is reporting that the car would be build on the new five-door Mini platform that will also underpin the companys upcoming crossover.

Wed welcome such a vehicle as Mini is already an enthusiast brand so a more hard-core model from Mini can only be a good thing. The sporty new model is likely to have a base powerplant that develops 180hp, with a John Cooper Works version delivering upwards of 220hp.

With the new A3 due out in 2011 rumors of performance and hybrid versions of the car have already emerged.

In the performance category Audi is expected to release an RS3, which will be powered by the same turbocharged five-cylinder currently found in the TT-RS. Output wont be quite as significant, but expect lots of boost on tap and a much as 335hp and 332 ft-lbs of torque. The RS3 will also make use of Audis quattro system and will use a new seven-speed DSG gearbox.