DETROIT, March 8 (Reuters) – A $100,000-plus Fisker
Automotive luxury car died during Consumer Reports speed testing
for reasons that are still unknown, leaving the struggling
electric car startup with another blow to its image.

“It is a little disconcerting that you pay that amount of
money for a car and it lasts basically 180 miles before going
wrong,” David Champion, senior director for the magazine’s
automotive test center, told Reuters.

March 7 (Reuters) – Toyota Motor Corp named
an engineer to head its North American operations and promoted
Jim Lentz, who helped orchestrate the Japanese automaker’s
response to a string of safety recalls that began in late 2009.

The company said on Wednesday that it had appointed Shigeki
Terashi, 57, currently head of its U.S. engineering and
manufacturing operations, as president and chief operating
officer of Toyota Motor North America Inc.