We obsessively cover the auto industry…

In the car world, there is a segment of the population that believes tried and true trumps what's novel or new most of the time. A car is a machine with a purpose – be it to deliver your kids to school or afford you the best lap time – and machines are better when they're less likely to fail. Or so the theory goes.

In the gaming world, that sentiment has almost never been true. Retro gamers, and "casual" gamers are changing this paradigm to a certain extent, but historically, newer has meant better when it comes to video games.

With the debut of Gran Turismo 5 in 2010, many believed that the most popular simulation-style racing game of all time had finally relinquished its title as the best, most advanced, mainstream sim racer. Even I, a dyed-in-the-wool GT fan, was forced to admit that Forza Motorsports 4 had caught up with the Polyphony Digital series in that generation.

Three years later, now in the midst of one of the single best Christmas-gift seasons for video games that I can recall, Gran Turismo 6 has arrived to re-light the fires of enthusiasts everywhere. It is, unquestionably, the deepest, most accurate and most entertaining iteration of the franchise to date. The question remains: is it good enough to keep loyalists from looking for kicks at the bleeding edge of technology, with a next-generation console?

BMW may be set to expand its US operations with a new engine plant, Bloomberg reports. The Bavarian automaker already has its Spartanburg, SC factory which builds the company's X3, X5 and X6 crossovers. According to the story, Mexico is also under consideration for the BMW engine factory, with the report claiming a final decision will be made in 2014.

"Establishing local motor manufacturing abroad is more complex than assembling cars, but it's a logical step for them to eventually start making engines in markets where they're expanding vehicle production," Juergen Pieper, an analyst for Bankhaus Metzler tells Bloomberg. Building engines in the US or Mexico would save BMW from having to ship engines for some of its most popular models across the Atlantic.

BMW, for its part, hasn't said anything concrete. Spokesman Mathias Schmidt is quoted in the story saying, "As part of our long-term growth strategy, we're frequently looking at different countries for possible locations of future production facilities. No decisions have been made yet, though, for an additional plant."

What do you think, is this a good idea, or would having a non-German powerplant in its new models remove some of the company's mystique? Have your say in Comments.

As car enthusiasts, there isn't much that's more devastating than being told you physically can't drive. Whether due to injury or illness, that loss of mobility can be a wildly frustrating experience. Fortunately, we humans are fairly good at healing, and in the case of some injuries are back in action within a few weeks. But in the case of broken bones, how long should you wait before sliding back behind the wheel?

A recent story on The New York Times' Well blog tries to answer that question, although the results are fairly confusing. For example, there's no commonly accepted measure of when it's safe to get behind the wheel after a broken bone. While this is largely because every injury and more importantly, every patient, is different, the lack of clarity can be confusing for the average driver.

Making matters worse is that litigation-fearing doctors mistakenly believe they can be sued by "clearing" a patient to drive, although the NYT reports that insurance companies and police place responsibility for any post-op driving accidents on the head of the patient.

The entire piece is well worth a read, particularly if you're recovering from an injury. Hop over to The New York Times Well blog for the full story.

General Motors is not obligated to honor a pre-bankruptcy contract between the automaker, its affiliate, Delphi, and the United Auto Workers to cover $450 million in retiree medical benefits, a federal judge says, according to Reuters. The contract in question was enacted two years before GM's June 2009 bankruptcy filing.

When UAW entered a medical benefit contract with post-bankruptcy GM in July 2009, the payment reportedly was not included. Contrary to UAW's claim that GM is obligated to make the payment because Delphi emerged from bankruptcy in October 2009, US District Judge Avern Cohn says that the language in the July 2009 contract made it clear that GM doesn't owe that $450 million in medical benefits.

"Whether New GM has a moral obligation regarding the payment is another matter and not relevant," part of Cohn's 36-page decision reportedly reads. "The UAW's efforts to turn the absence of language into language is reminiscent of the efforts to capture a 'will o' the wisp."

Bob King, UAW's president, says the union is considering whether to appeal the decision or not.

Preparing for a big debut at the Detroit Auto Show next month, the all-new 2015 Chrysler 200 was out for a late-night photo shoot fully undisguised, and our spy shooters were there to capture its all-new design completely uncovered. While there's no camouflage, the cover of darkness proved to be almost as effective, but we still get a good idea of what this former sore spot in the brand's lineup will look like after its clean-sheet redesign.

The first thing we notice is the stylish four-door-coupe roofline doing its best to impersonate something like the Audi A7, or maybe the Volkswagen CC. The front-end styling is a departure from recent Chrysler designs with narrow headlights and an equally short, chrome-trimmed grille. In profile, the bullet-nosed 200 is somewhat reminiscent of the Tesla Model S. This new design language should definitely help the 200 get noticed in a segment filled with hot sellers like the Toyota Camry and Honda Accord, as well as more stylish offerings like the Ford Fusion and Mazda6.

Our spies also caught up with the 200 testing in daylight and got some good shots of the interior. The instrument panel design looks similar to what is found in the Dodge Dart, including the oversized instrument gauges and possibly even the LED accent lighting. We would have to assume – and hope – this prototype is a test model due to its small touchscreen display, as Chrysler's 8.4-inch screen would look much better in its place. The center stack and console are clean with minimal buttons and knobs, but we do see a rotary gear selector, which may confirm reports from last year that suggested the 200 will use a nine-speed automatic transmission to help hit 38 miles per gallon on the highway.

There's no official word yet on powertrain, but we'll get our first up-close look at the car in less than a month. Until then, check out the naked 200 in all its glory by viewing our gallery above.

To celebrate 50 years of Mustang, Ford and Stern Pinball are collaborating on a new pinball machine that will feature the muscle car in all its glory, Polygon reports. Even better, Camilo Pardo, the guy who designed the Ford GT, will provide art for the table; Tanner Foust, Top Gear USA host and professional driver, will handle narrating duties; and a Sony Music soundtrack spanning five decades will provide the tunes.

"The Mustang is one of the most iconic, American cars ever made... What better way to celebrate 50 years of Mustang than with the launch of the Ford Mustang pinball game?" says Stern Pinball CEO Gary Stern.

Watch the promotional trailer for the upcoming Mustang pinball machine below, which will have to hold you over until pricing and availability are announced in early 2014.

Formula One racecars have changed a lot over the years, and you can tell that much just by looking at them. Engines have moved to the back, cylinder counts have changed, tires have gotten wider, centers of gravity lowered to within an inch of the ground, aerodynamics have dictated the form, sponsor liveries have replaced national racing colors... All this in gradual increments until we get to the jet fighters on wheels that we know today.

This may not be the first animated video we've seen showing just how the changes have occurred, and we still really dig the last one. But this minute-and-a-half clip – released to promote this year's Brazilian Grand Prix and portraying the cars magically changing on a kid's scale racetrack – is no less fun to watch, taking us from the days of From the days of Fangio and Nuvolari through Clark, Piquet, Senna, Schumacher and Vettel. Check it out for yourself below.

If you were driving in the rain on a two-lane highway, caught a tire on the edge of the pavement and flipped your car, what would you do? Let out a yelp, maybe a scream? We would too, but somehow this woman found herself in a barrel roll and remained totally silent; completely composed. After the crash, the woman is fully conscious - even slightly perturbed judging by the look on her face. We're just glad she wasn't seriously injured (and we hope nobody else was, either).

Let's try and learn something from this. First, it's a good idea to try to keep both hands on the wheel in a crash, if for no other reason than to prevent them from poking out the side window. Second, keep the interior of your car clean. The woman is lucky none of the stuff in her back seat flew to the front and injured her. Finally, drive very carefully on wet roads, especially if you live in a dry area that doesn't see much rain; the first rain of the season can make oil-covered roads very slick.

Check out the video below to see the barrel roll and how calmly the woman handles it.

Automakers and their executives rarely like to divulge information regarding future goings on, but the board of directors at Ford sound like they're getting a little antsy about chief executive officer Alan Mulally and his plans for 2014.

According to Reuters, as news of Mulally's possible departure to Microsoft continues to swirl, Ford's board is looking to push the affable executive to make a decision about his future sooner rather than later. Apparently, the board is growing concerned that this will-he/won't-he drama may end up distracting the media from covering Ford's other big news events next year – items like the debut of key all-new products like the Mustang and F-150.

So far, the picture for Mulally's eventual successor remains fuzzy, but it's understood that the leading candidate remains the company's chief operating officer, Mark Fields. Just recently, we heard that Mulally will stay until the end of 2014, but a few months ago, Ford seemed open to the idea of him stepping down earlier than that.

Based on the turnaround Mulally has spearheaded at the automaker, we don't imagine Ford's board is particularly anxious to get rid of him, but it does sound like they'd like to firm up their plans sooner rather than later.

As the market for new vehicles continues to improve and crossover and pickup sales have caught fire, it's perhaps no surprise that the sales of all-wheel-drive (and four-wheel-drive) vehicles are also on the rise. Using data provided by Polk, The Detroit News points out that nearly one-third (31.3 percent) of all new vehicles sold this year through September were equipped with either all- or four-wheel drive. This is up from slightly more than a quarter (26.3 percent) during the same nine-month span of 2008.

While the article suggests that buyers are opting for AWD in search of safer vehicles, it also points to increased popularity among brands offering many AWD vehicles (like Subaru and Audi) as a factor in the equation. Of course, there's also the simple fact that more and more vehicles are being offered today with all-wheel drive. This larger number includes, of course, America's ever-increasing crossover pool, but the trend is also due to luxury sedans like the Buick LaCrosse and Jaguar XF, both of which are newly available with all-wheel drive.

Subaru offers all of its models – except the BRZ – with standard AWD, and its sales are up 28.3 so far this year, while the article also reports that 88 percent of Audi's vehicles sold in 2012 were equipped with its Quattro system. This trend figures to continue, too, as more automakers are introducing additional CUVs with the availability of all-wheel drive.

One of the more interesting aspects to this data, though, is revealed in a graph that shows that as car sales slid during the recession, the percentage of all-wheel-drive vehicles sold grew rapidly. This, despite there usually being a cost premium associated with such technology. From 2008 through 2011, sales of AWD vehicles increased by more than 4 percent during years that the industry as a whole was shrinking.

There's a fight brewing in the aftermath of General Motors' announcement that Holden, its Australian subsidiary, will soon cease building vehicles. With the end of production for dedicated Australian models coming in 2017, Holden will be limited to selling imported, rebadged models from other GM brands (likely Chevy), a conundrum that is evidently leaving some execs wondering if it wouldn't just make more sense to shelve the Australian marque altogether and replace it with Bowtie branding.

The story, from News Corp Australia, details the battle between executives from Holden and their counterparts in Detroit, with the former led by departing boss Mike Devereux. "Holden is one of the most valuable brands in Australia. We are committed to the brand for the long term. The brand is going to be a part of the fabric of this country for a very long time," he assured News Corp Australia. But there is the acknowledgment that keeping Holden around won't be easy: "There will now be the biggest fight ever to save the Holden brand from being shelved," NCA was told by a Holden employee. "Now that (Holden) won't be making cars and there won't be anything unique about the vehicles, the debate is going to come up again and it will be hard to win."

The unnamed employee might be right. As Holden, the brand is unable to take advantage of the marketing and ad dollars allocated to Chevy on a global basis. There's also concern from GM that shuttering production in Australia has caused irreparable damage to the Holden name. "There is no emotion in this. It will all come down to money. If General Motors thinks sales will go down because the Holden brand is on the nose, then they will switch it to Chevrolet," an insider told NCA.

What's your opinion on all this? Certainly, the financial aspect of replacing Holden with Chevy makes sense, but closing brands is a dicey business, particularly in the court of public opinion. Have your say in Comments – should Holden stay or go?

We had plenty of nice things to say about the sleek, new Hyundai Genesis Sedan when we drove the Korean domestic market version late last month. And while we're still waiting to find out just when the new rear-driver will arrive in the US market, Hyundai's home-market operations have released a series of videos on the new sedan.

Now, unfortunately, all the videos are in Korean. While we haven't the foggiest idea of what they're actually saying, the eight videos in the series give a great look at the new Genesis Sedan in motion, as well as showing off some of the development process behind the newest member of the Hyundai family.

We've embedded all eight videos below for your viewing pleasure. Have a look below.

In terms of being a major newsmaker, the last seven days have probably been the biggest for General Motors since its 2009 bankruptcy. Aside from announcing that Mary Barra will be succeeding Dan Akerson as its CEO next year, the automaker also appears to be streamlining its global operations by pulling Chevrolet from Europe in 2016 and winding down its Holden manufacturing operations in Australia by the end of 2017. Now, as was originally speculated about in October, GM has confirmed that it is selling off its seven-percent stake in PSA Peugeot Citroën.

Despite this announcement, the two automakers will continue to move forward on elements of the alliance launched just 22 months ago, including shared vehicle platforms. According to PSA, these vehicles include a new subcompact MPV and a compact crossover both riding on existing PSA platforms, as well as an all-new subcompact commercial vehicle. Plans for a shared B-segment platform and a new small-displacement gasoline engine have been scrapped, however. In addition to these plans, GM and PSA are still hoping to benefit from synergies like joint purchasing and shared production, but the expected savings from these synergies has been reduced from $2 billion by 2017 to $1.2 billion by 2018.

GM is not discussing how much it expects to get from the sale of its 28.84 million shares of PSA, but The Detroit News indicates that the GM spent $400 million on the alliance 22 months ago.

In other sell-off news, GM has confirmed it has just parted with its its 8.5-percent common equity stake in Ally Financial. The sale, which included proceeds of about $0.9 billion, is expected to net GM about $0.5 billion which will be logged on its fourth-quarter balance sheet as a special item. The stock sale does not mean that Ally and GM are no longer on speaking terms, however, with CFO Dan Ammann saying, "Ally continues to play an important role in financing our dealers and customers in the United States."

Scroll down to read press releases on both GM divestitures.

It's been almost 13 years since Dale Earnhardt, Sr. was killed during the 2001 Daytona 500, but the famed No. 3 will be making its return to the sport at that very track next month with NASCAR Sprint Cup rookie Austin Dillon behind the wheel. We first heard reports of this back in August, but Richard Childress Racing has made the news official this week.

There is no doubt the No. 3 will bring some extra attention to Dillon next season, but ESPN reports that team owner Richard Childress, and Dillon's grandfather, said that he's received overwhelmingly positive feedback from series fans this year. That report also indicated that the neither of the two paint schemes planned for 2014 (with major sponsorships coming from Dow and Cheerios) will have any resemblance to Earnhardt's trademark black, red and white GM Goodwrench design.

With Kevin Harvick – Earnhardt Sr.'s successor – leaving RCR at the end of this past season, Dillon was named as his replacement in the three-car team, which will transition the Chevrolet SS racecar from Harvick's No. 29 back to The Intimidator's number. Dillon is no stranger to the No. 3 in NASCAR, as he has raced and won titles with this number in the Nationwide and Truck series.

What do you think of RCR's resurrection of Earnardt's No. 3? Let us know in our poll and/or Comments.