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Despite recent negative news surrounding Tesla Motors, the all-electric automaker has just secured $40 million in financing to move forward with ramping up production of its battery-powered sports car, the Tesla Roadster. It was just last month when Tesla was unable to secure a $100 million investment round and was forced to cut nearly 25% of its work force. The failure to fund also slowed work on its second model, an all-electric sedan known as the "Model S." The San Carlos, California-based automaker has more than 1,200 orders for the $109,000 roadster, but has delivered just over 50 to date. With early transmission problems solved and plenty of cash on hand, the high-profile automaker seems to have finally found itself in a position to zip forward.

[Source: Automotive News, subs. req'd]

Two big British car magazines are reporting on some of Tesla's future product plans today following the latest promotional tour by SVP Marketing Darryl Siry. There isn't a whole lot new in the articles that hasn't already been reported here and on AutoblogGreen over the past year, but there were a couple of interesting items and errors. First of all AutoCar is reporting that Tesla is planning to use the platform of the Model S sedan (formerly known as WhiteStar) for future vehicles, which makes perfect sense. Unfortunately, they are also reporting that Tesla is planning an electric SUV off that platform, so we contacted Siry to check on this. Siry told ABG that there are in fact no plans to build an SUV. An SUV body style was just used as an example to demonstrate the flexibility of the platform.

Helping to achieve that flexibility is a reconfigured battery pack that lays under the floor rather than upright behind the seats as in the Roadster. This will allow for a modular configuration so that that the Model S can be offered with different range options. The base model is expected to get a 160-mile range for it's $60,000 base price, while 220- or 300-mile options will cost extra. The magazines did get a chance to see design sketches of the Model S, but Siry wouldn't release them. For now he will only show them in the same room, but we do know the Model S will reportedly have a coupe-like profile on its four-door hatch body style. If Tesla can avoid the launch problems it had with the Roadster, the Model S will be on the road in 2010.

[Sources: AutoCar, CAR, Tesla Motors, AutoblogGreen]

California Governator and (soon-to-be) Tesla Roadster owner, Arnold Schwarzenegger, addressed the seething throngs of media types at Tesla's San Carlos, California facility. The topics of conversation centered on new incentives for Tesla to continue its production of vehicles in the Golden State, specifically the start-up's second vehicle, codenamed the Model S, which according to Tesla, get 225 miles on a single charge and cost $60,000. Tesla did not officially announce when the new model would go on sale, nor would it say where in California the "multi-use sport sedan" would be produced.

The incentive for Tesla to remain in California, rather than move production of the sedan to New Mexico (discussed last year), is part of the CAEATFA program that was approved last Wednesday. The initiative exempts automakers from paying sales and use tax when they purchase manufacturing equipment to build electric vehicles. That's expected to save automakers – and Tesla specifically – millions of dollars when the company invests in building a new plant in California. A Schwarzenegger press conference wouldn't be complete without a lame quote from his erstwhile movie career, and the Governor didn't let us down, saying that he was disappointed by the initial announcement that Tesla was considering a manufacturing center in New Mexico, but that "They'll be back." And they are.

Click above picture to view complete gallery

After all the excitement of official reveals had passed and car company execs had gone back to their hotels, the lovely models of the Tokyo Motor Show were always around to brighten up a background. This year's standouts from last week's show were the girls gracing the Ferrari and Maserati stands, but some of the models from the tire companies were also easier on the eyes than most. Check out the extensive photo gallery below to see all of the good looking girls from the show.

click above image to view gallery of high-res pics

The auto industry is no dummy, and it realizes the best way to get the attention of sleep-deprived auto journalists, who often happen to be male, is to display its vehicles next to attractive models. Frankfurt was no different than any other show in this respect, and we couldn't find a single automaker that hadn't hired at least a few models to lean on their cars (we didn't look that hard them, honestly). Of course, we came to Frankfurt to see the cars, so in most cases we tried to shoot both the model and the car in the same frame. Zoom, however, was used on occasion. Check out the gallery below to see the Fräuleins of Frankfurt 2007.

Automotive News is dishing on Volvo's product lineup plans between now and 2010. The newly released second-generation S80 won't see any major changes, nor will the new 70-series wagons, the C70, or the C30. The S40's going to bid us adieu, as there's price overlap with the S60, and the S60's not much larger than the S40. The C30's going to serve as the entry-level Volvo, while also angling at MINI's territory of cutieified premium small cars. The S60, while handsomely drawn, is becoming long in the tooth. A redesigned S60 will bow in 2010, and it will be smaller than the current model in an effort to differentiate it from the S80, as well as still serve those customers who would have gone for the S40.

While Gothenburg's losing a sedan offering, it'll be adding a CUV in early 2009 when the XC60 hits the streets. With the CUV market currently on fire, a smaller Volvo 'ute to go after X3 shoppers is a shrewd move. The basic hardware's already been piled together as the Land Rover LR2, which we suspect offers a decent preview of the XC60 experience. Basically, what we see happening is the phasing out of the P2 platform that Volvo developed in the '90s for the original S80, and a migration of all vehicles to some flavor of the EUCD platform.

[Source: Automotive News - Sub Req'd]

Audi of America yesterday released details of its full lineup of 2008 models, along with the changes that will accompany them. The details include the fact that the A4 and A6 series will get the S-Line treatment as standard. There are also two new packages, Titanium and Audi Exclusive, with which to deck out the cars. Click through the jump to read the press release, which also recaps (but doesn't have much new to say) on the 300 S4 Cabriolets that will come to the US, and the S5.

click above image to view more model pics from the 2007 Shanghai Auto Show

Whether it's the North American International Auto Show in Detroit, the Mondial de l'Automobile in Paris, or the Shanghai Motor Show in China, one thing remains constant: models standing next to cars. We've had a lot of discussions lately about why models are still used at auto shows in this enlightened age, and our best answer is that automakers want the public to feel like they would look this good standing next to a Buick, BMW or Geely automobile. Clearly, this strategy is not lost on the many Chinese automakers at the 2007 Shanghai Auto Show. Our colleague from Autoblog Chinese kept his camera snapping a couple extra frames at each display so he could assemble this Girls of Shanghai Gallery for us, so we hope you enjoy. It's interesting to note the mix of western and Asian models hired for this show, as well.

[Source: Autoblog Chinese]

Gallery: Girls of Shanghai

Renault is planning to expand into the upscale market with five new models within the next three years, sources have confirmed. Previous ventures upmarket didn't turn out so well for the French automaker, but it's determined to make another go of it with the hopes of cashing in on the market for pricier vehicles.

The first new model slated for production is a compact crossover previewed by the Kaleos concept (above) unveiled last year in Paris. It's been developed with input from Samsung Motors, Renault's South Korean subsidiary. Samsung is also expected to contribute to the development of a large sedan and a large SUV for Renault as well. Further premium models could be niche vehicles made in limited quantities, and Renault would be smart to start cashing in on its Formula One success with something other than a special-edition Clio or Megane before their racing prowess evaporates.

Management admits that previous upscale models from Renault have been less than successful, humorously referring to the dismal Vel Satis as "the automotive equivalent of wearing a suit without removing the hanger." For a time, Renault had considered acquiring a premium brand for itself, but such ventures didn't pan out, and apparently Infiniti, which came along with the Nissan acquisition, wasn't enough to satiate Ghosn's appetite for the upscale.

[Source: Just-Auto]

In the not-too-distant past, many of the Korean automaker designs were so lame that you had to put a pretty girl in the foreground for most people to even look at them. Times have changed, and Korean design has advanced to the point where the need has waned to employ hundreds of pretty models at the upcoming Seoul Motor Show in South Korea.

For fans of auto show models, these gals aren't going away altogether, but their numbers are going down. Hyundai models will drop in number from 46 to 36, Kia is going from 44 to 36, and GM Daewoo and Renault Samsung Motors are also following suit. And while the models are shrinking in numbers, the amount of fabric they'll be sporting will grow. Miniskirts and "sleeveless shirts" will be less prevalent in an effort to put more emphasis on the cars (how novel!).

Some of the Korean carmakers will utilize more college students and/or "car experts" whocan answer the auto-related questions of potential customers. We agree that the vehicles should have the lion's share of attention at the Seoul Motor Show, but we just wish all those upstanding young ladies didn't have to lose out on a payday (and a photo op) to keep cars in the spotlight.

Thanks for the tip, Jennifer!

[Source: The Korea Times]