AUTO

Which is the world's most expensive car? Well, the title of 'world's most expensive car' is hard to award. There are a few cars that are priced in Euros or Pounds, which means their prices in U.S. Dollars depend on the day.

Noisy drivers are the biggest neighbourhood nuisances in Australia, with dangerous drivers running a close second.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average pierced the 13000 level for the first time since before the financial crisis, but traded largely below the mark during a choppy session in which stocks were negative at times. The Dow broke 13,000 before noon Tuesday and a handful of other times throughout the day, but was down 17 points, or 0.1%, at 12933 in afternoon trading.

The U.S. dollar fell to a near two-week low against the euro Monday on hopes European finance ministers would agree on conditions for another loan for Greece.

The candidate who wanted Detroit to go bankrupt is now trying to win votes in Michigan — as the auto industry's recovery is front-page news. Santorum? He's got the same problem.

Kia Motors has released official sketches of its all-new luxury sedan, which the carmaker says will define new standards for design and flair in the large car segment.

From MORRISON SECURITIES PTY. LTD: U.S. stocks fell Tuesday as investors considered weaker-than-expected retail sales data and watched for progress in Europe over Greece's debt.

After a successful first run of the Toyota 100 Cars for Good program, the automaker is bringing it back for an encore.

Stocks added to gains and hit session highs in afternoon trading, buoyed by the adoption of austerity measures by Greece's Parliament. The Dow Jones Industrial Average was recently ahead 82 points, or 0.6%, at 12884. The Standard & Poor's 500-stock index advanced 10 points, or 0.8%, to 1353, and the Nasdaq Composite gained 29 points, or 1%, to 2933.

Stocks were dragged down for their worst one-day loss in about six weeks by tumult over the Greek bailout, disappointing readings on the U.S. economy and a downgrade of nearly three dozen Italian banks.

The Australian stock market is perceived to maintain its current bouyant status thugging within its comfort zone range between 4,200 to 4,300 with the absence of catalysts to bring forth a major boost, analysts said.

Indian manufacturer Mahindra will make its first venture into Australia's passenger vehicle market in 2012 when it launches the XUV500. The seven-seat SUV joins the Mahindra Pik-Up, which will continue in its single and dual cab chassis and cargo body styles.

Australia's national road toll last year fell to its lowest level since 1946.

Toyota has reportedly developed a way to produce its hybrid and electric vehicles without using scarce and expensive rare earth metals.

Volvo is looking to partner with another car maker and share platforms in a bid to offer greater international competition in smaller vehicle segments.

Toyota Australia has axed 350 employees at its Altona plant in Melbourne, blaming the decision on current market conditions that include a high Australian dollar.

Ford Motor Company, the second largest automaker company in the U.S. recently announced a recall of at least 539,000 vehicles worldwide in order to repair certain errors in the affected car models.

Neutron generator and laser Doppler vibrometry, sound familiar? These are the technology used to detect car bombs. The threat of car bombs is real, and whether a person is paranoid or just plain staying safe, how can people check if their automobiles have been rigged to blow up?

From Morrison Securities Pty. Ltd. U.S. stocks rallied as domestic home building jumped to the highest level in nearly two years and another successful Spanish debt auction buoyed investor sentiment.

If you want your car to be innovative within an upmarket-yet- affordable range, then the Kia Rio is the perfect ride to invest on.

Personal car-sharing spreads from California to Oregon and, very soon, to a neighborhood near you. The concept of hiring out your own vehicle has proven wildly popular here and around the globe.

3.5-litre six-cylinder petrol direct-injection with seven-speed automatic transmission, rear-wheel drive 225kW/370Nm. $159,200 (Manufacturer's List Price)

The four-cylinder EcoBoost engine set to power the Ford Falcon in 2012 has been named among this year’s Ward’s 10 Best Engines.

From Morrison Securities Pty Ltd. A negative reaction to last week's European sovereign-debt summit by credit-ratings firms sent U.S. stocks sharply lower Monday, erasing all of the stock-market gains that followed the summit Friday.

From Morrison Securities: U.S. stocks fell in afternoon trading as investor focus shifted from disappointment over the European Central Bank to the closely watched summit on Europe's sovereign-debt crisis. The Dow Jones Industrial Average lost 171 points, or 1.4%, to 12026 in recent action. The Standard & Poor's 500-stock index shed 23 points, or 1.8%, to 1238 and the Nasdaq Composite lost 42 points, or 1.6%, to 2607.

General Motors will buy back Chevrolet Volts from owners who are concerned their plug-in hybrid cars could catch on fire.

MINI and Lexus have been rated the top brands for sales satisfaction among new-car customers in the US.

Honda has announced a global recall of 917,267 vehicles over an airbag defect that has caused at least 20 injuries. The action adds to previous recalls that were issued to address the same problem, resulting in a total of 2.8 million cars being affected.

From Craig James, Commsec Chief EconomistUS non-farm payrolls (employment) rose by 120,000 in November, in line with market expectations. Private payrolls rose by 140,000, the jobless rate fell from 9.0pct to a 2-1/2 year low of 8.6pct and average earnings fell by 0.1pct.