What's happening in the motor industry? Andrew Hamilton's weekly digest
• Subaru has a new hot flagship car, the Impreza WRX STi. Top speed is 148mph and it will blast from 0 to 60mph in just over five seconds. It has a retail price of €53,950. According to Neville Matthews, managing director of Subaru Ireland, it's "the living, breathing embodiment of everything Subaru stands for." STi incidentally stands for Subaru Tecnica International, that's the motor sport division of Subaru.
• At Hyundai Cars Ireland, Eugene O'Reilly has taken full control. The company was founded in 1995 by himself and his partner, Danny Keany. Eugene has for over 20 years been managing director of the companies importing BMW and Mitsubishi cars. Since its launch in 1995, over 25,000 Hyundai cars have been registered here.
Taking over from him as chief executive at Frank Keane Holdings is William Riordan. He has worked with PricewaterhouseCoopers and latterly with Eircom as divisional finance director during which time he conducted the disposal of Cablelink to NTL.
• Volkswagen has broken its own high-speed endurance record with its W12 supercar. It lapped the Italian Nardo circuit at a 24-hour average of 201mph. This new world record is 17mph higher than the previous best, also set by the W12 last autumn.
• The Geneva motor show last week gave a glimpse of future new models. Much interest focused on Rover's Tourer Concept Vehicle (TCV). It's a sporty estate that suggests a new range of three- and five-door hatchbacks as well as saloons. The 45 is due for replacement in 2004.
More real was Hyundai's Getz supermini which was presented at the show. It will go on Irish sale in the autumn. The entry-level three-door car will have a 61bhp 1.1 litre petrol engine. The cabin boasts mini-MPV dimensions.
• Renault is taking a bigger share of Nissan. The two companies signed an initial strategic alliance agreement in 1999 and now the French company will increase its share holdings to 44.4 per cent at a cost of €1.4 billion. Meanwhile Nissan in Japan is selling 70 per cent of its Murayama factory to a Buddhist sect, which plans to build a series of temples on the site.