According to a report in the Financial Times, GM is considering dropping the Daewoo badge for Western Europe - and replacing it with Chevrolet. The Chevrolet badge is already used in North America (naturally), China and Eastern Europe (where some factories remain in the hands of the old Daewoo company, so GM has to use a different name). GM's discomfort with Daewoo badge is clear from the company's present title: GM Daewoo. After all, there is no such company as GM Saab or GM Opel.

However it does seem a bit late: GM Daewoo has spent tens of millions re-establishing the Daewoo name over the last year and another name change will cost even more money. Chevrolet is also hardly the natural choice for small cars in Europe: if the name means anything over here, it is probably for big yellow taxis is New York or rumbling Corvette sports cars.

A press release from Jaguar proudly boasts that the company took top honours at the "Superbrands" annual Oscars announced last night being voted one of the six most highly rated brands in the UK.

Consumers voted Jaguar the favourite brand in the car manufacturer, motor services and travel services category. Jaguar came top in the 'affinity' sector cited as the brand consumers would most like to work for and the brand consumers would miss the most if it was no longer around.

So far, so good. However, the effect is somewhat undermined by the final sentence: "Jaguar was the only car manufacturer in the top six with first place going to Marks and Spencer." Sorry? Marks and Spencer top UK brand in 2004? Presumably Philip Green was not one of the voters.

German tuner MTM, founded by an ex-Audi engineer, has designed its own supercar, the Apollo. It features an Audi 4.2 V8 engine tuned to produce 650bhp within an ultra-lightweight body (the car is claimed to weigh just 1000kg). Feeding those parameters into a computer results in an estimated top speed of 240 mph.

The company claims it will be able to sell 50 cars per year with prices between €115,000 and €175,000 (£80,000 - £125,000). Cynics might be prepared to bet the price of the car on those targets not being met.

Aston Martin Racing has revealed details of its all-new DBR9 that will spearhead the marque's return to international motor racing in 2005. The new DB9-based GT racing car is being prepared by Aston Martin Racing's partners, Prodrive, based at Banbury, UK. Prodrive is probably best known for developing the rally-winning Subaru Impreza, but it has also worked on a wide range of racing cars over the years.

The DBR9 will compete during 2005 in selected international sports car events, including Le Mans. Aston Martin Racing will also make a very limited number of DBR9 racing cars available to selected customers, which will be prepared to the same specification as the Works cars.

  Schroeder Warns France over Tax Plan

German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder has warned of potential problems in Berlin's relationship with Paris if France were to discriminate against German car makers.

"If there was discrimination of the German car industry through demands on the one hand and penalties on the other hand, this could not only violate the European idea, but cause problems in German-French cooperation," Schroeder said.