It seems that two Indian firms are to fight over for the ownership of Ford’s iconic British car brands, Jaguar and Land Rover--- Tatas and Mahindra & Mahindra but One Equity Partners, a buyout firm funded by US investment bank JP Morgan, is also part of the final list.

Ford is currently struggling with declining sales and a falling US market share and last week it has announced that it was nearing a deal to finally let go of Jaguar and Land Rover. It has also posted a third quarter net loss of $380 million which is lesser than its previous loss incurred for the same period which reaches $5.2 billion.

It was last June when Ford has started exploring the possibility of a sale for its British car brands which led to the selling of the famous Aston Martin last March to a Kuwait-backed consortium.

From the interested buyers of Jaguar and Land Rover, the Mahindra & Mahindra has previously backed up from the bidding process since its basic interest is to acquire Land Rover which is rather contradictory to what Ford wants and that is to sell Jaguar and Land Rover together and not separately.

After probably reconsidering things, the Indian company Mahindra & Mahindra has rejoined the auction but now partners with Apollo in a break-up bid that would given each one of the brands. Meanwhile, Tata Motors another contender for the Jaguar and Land Rover has entered a joint venture with Fiat the producer of Alfa Romeo catalytic converter to produce cars.

Earlier this month Ford has called for six second-round offers, that is according to people familiar with the negotiation. The Detroit-based automaker has evaluated all the offers and has selected the three parties with the highest bids that is again according to unnamed sources quoted by Hindustan Times. Moreover, the bidders are also expected to discuss with the trade unions as well as the UK government with regards to the conservation of jobs despite speculations that some of the bidders may try to transfer production outside UK.

Aside from mentioned companies, buyout firms of which include TPG, Terra Firma and Ripplewood were the other bidders expected to make second-round offers however they were not included on the third-round shortlist. It can be noted that John Murphy, an analyst from Merrill Lynch had previously valued the two brands at $1.5 billion.

This November the highly anticipated version of the second generation 2008 Cadillac CTS will celebrate its Middle East debut at the region’s largest biennial motor show. And just like its predecessor that has previously made its debut last 2002, General Motors premium brand mid-sized saloon would showcase new exciting styling, superior handling and outstanding performance.

The new generation CTS sedan with high quality Cadillac floor mats is much larger with new exciting exterior and interior design. The sporty and nearly coupe like exterior of the new CTS projects a more athletic stance. Some of its remarkable styling cues were derived from the Cadillac Sixteen concept.

Inside, the CTS focus more in providing its occupants with comfort and of course since it’s a Cadillac it’s given a plush interior that combines French stitched leather, wood, carbon fiber or aluminum trim. The other features equipped on the new version CTS include a double sunroof that was derived from Cadillac’s SRX crossover which allows both the front as well as the rear passengers to enjoy a sky view. There is also a LED mood lightning that was added.

For the CTS heading to the Middle East, GM will equipped them with a new port or direct injection high performance 3.6 liter V6 VVT engine mated to a new Hydra-Matic 6L50 six-speed automatic gearbox which is a first for the CTS.

The latest direct-injection technology will also help the normally-aspirated engine to combine together extra power and economy. Power for the CTS is at 311hp enhanced by 15 percent while torque goes up by 8 percent. Cold-start hydrocarbon emissions were lowered by 25 percent while the port-injection version offers 266hp on tap.

The new CTS has perfect handling which is a quality seen from sports saloon. GM will offer the new CTS in both rear and all-wheel-drive configurations with an option of three suspension set-ups of which include luxury FE1, stiffer FE2 and the track ready FE3.

Honda has recently announced that its new 2008 S2000 CR will join the annual 25 Hours of Thunderbill. And it’s not only one S2000 CR that will participate in the dubbed “most severe endurance race on the planet” but two. The 25 Hours of Thunderrbill will provide as the venue for the debut of the 2008 S2000 CR.

There will two teams comprising of four drivers: Honda associates from its various North American operations and two members from the automotive media.

The 2008 S2000 CR with quality Honda shifter was created by engineers from Honda R&D who made sure that the CR met up with the National Auto Sport Association (NASA) Performance Touring C (PTC) specs to demonstrate the on-track performance capability of the new S2000. The modifications done on the CR were minimal and were done just to show how easy it is for track-day or amateur racing enthusiasts to convert their own CRs to become track-compatible.

The two new 2008 S2000 CR are outfitted with a McMahen Autosports Roll Cage, BF Goodrich g-Force R1 DOT racing tires, custom single-outlet race exhaust by AEM, Goodridge stainless steel brake hoses and Cobalt Friction XR series racing brake pads.

It was in 2005 when Honda last joined the Thunderbill competition in which it campaigned two identically prepared 2006 Civic Si racecars which obtained first and second in class and fourth and sixth overall in a field of 58 cars.

Using the remarkable qualities of the S2000 as the basis for the CR and taking them further, Honda was able to introduce more track-oriented suspension settings, aerodynamic–enhancing bodywork, a removable hardtop, higher rigidity and has reduced weight significantly to the new S2000 CR version.

The additional features were also designed to encourage enthusiasts who enjoy open-track day events as well as for racers to give them the opportunity to modify their own S2000 for club racing events.

Auto Spectator has recently reported the sales obtained by Volvo Cars of North America, LLC in the United States for the month. The Swedish-based automaker has reported selling 7,771 units for the month down by 7.4 percent as compared to the same period last year.

In North America including United States, Puerto Rico, Canada, and Mexico the overall sales of Volvo was down by 8.1 percent for the month with 8,452 units sold. The October sales in Canada and Mexico were 433 units down by 26.4 percent and up by 14.3 percent to 248 units.

Volvo the producer of high quality Volvo ignition coils has been in the business of building cars for 80 years now and for its 2008 model lineup it has included the award-winning models such as the new S40 and its wagon counterpart the V50, the XC90, the sporty S60 sedan, the new Volvo C70 which a convertible with a retractable hardtop, all-new Volvo S80, the recently introduced two-door hatchback sporty C30 is Volvo’s new entry to a new segment, the versatile V70 wagon, and last but not the least is the classy yet rugged XC70.

The new 2008 Cadillac CTS with quality Cadillac oxygen sensor has obtained great recognitions and the CTS Sport concept just added a new meaning on the new luxury sedan.

The CTS Sport Concept possesses a customization theme that emphasized the car’s performance character. The show car is equipped with new front and rear fascias, a modified hood, rear spoiler, and 20-inch wheels Recaro sports seats that accentuate the cabin.

The performance is derived from a production spec of the 304-hp 3.6L Direct Injection V6 that exhales through a Corsa cat-back exhaust system with 3.5 inch outlets.

Here are the highlights of the CTS Sport Concept:

• CTS Sport concept
• 3.6L V-6 with direct injection
• Modified hood with wire mesh inserts
• Unique front and rear fascias with carbon fiber and wire mesh inserts
• Carbon-fiber front fender extractors
• Export-model taillamps and CHMSL with clear lenses
• Unique rear deck spoiler
• Headlamps with unique housing finish
• Roof-mounted OnStar antenna
• Brake ducting with LED lighting
• Polished, forged 20-inch wheels
• High-performance brakes with painted calipers and drilled/slotted rotors
• Carbon-fiber interior trim plates
• BlueConnect Bluetooth integrated into the headliner
• Recaro sport seats with leather trim
• Corsa cat-back exhaust with rectangular outlet tips and wire mesh inserts

The CTS Sport Concept is to be unveiled at 2007 SEMA Show.