brazil

A story has surfaced on the Latin American Herald Tribune (a publication we hadn't previously heard of) stating that General Motors was planning to invest $1 billion in it's Brazilian operations to update its South American products. So far, that part of the story is true. However, that's where the truth apparently ends. The story goes on to say that GM plans to use money obtained from the proposed government bailout package to pay for the Brazilian investment.

Click above to view more of the Fiat Bugster concept

South America is a vital market for Fiat, and with the Sao Paulo International Auto Show coming up, the Italian automaker's Brazilian subsidiary has cooked up an intriguing concept. Called the Bugster, it looks like the love child from a grappa-induced affair between a KTM X-Bow and a Jeep Wrangler.

Click above for a high-res gallery of the 2008 Audi R8.

A few of the Autoblog crew are former (or current) musicians that have tempered our insatiable lust for all-things-automotive with a healthy appreciation of the aural arts. So whenever an automaker attempts to combine the two, we're keenly interested in the outcome.

Audi teamed up with the German group Bullet and the graphics and video crew at Campana to create an orchestral masterpiece to launch the R8 in Brazil. With 41 musicians, three DJs and one conductor providing the soundtrack, the video clips integrate with the score and sound effects to create an impressive experience. Our only gripe is that the first two videos aren't nearly long enough, but they're worth checking out after the jump.

Click image for a high-res gallery of the L200 Savana

This week, Mitsubishi's Brazilian operation announced the return of the L200 Savana (the model had been previously available). While it shares its name with the snazzy-looking L200/Triton sold in many other markets (including Brazil), the offroad-flavored Savana variant is based on the last-gen truck. While the ultra-1990s interior is indeed dated, the overall package is pretty bitchin'.