VENTURE CAPITAL POST

Apple Inc (AAPL.O) has allowed some companies to test their apps on its yet-to-be-launched Apple Watch and adjust the tools to the watch's design, Bloomberg reported.

The main talking point at this week's Geneva car show is likely to be a vehicle that may never be built: the Apple car. The world's automakers will gather in the Swiss city to tout their latest minivans, city cars and sport utility vehicles against an uncertain market backdrop, with growing signs of recovery in Europe offset by slowing demand in emerging markets.

Toyota Motor Corp's (7201.T) Lexus brand finished on top of the Consumer Reports annual "brand report card" for the third straight year, the influential U.S. magazine said on Tuesday.

German luxury carmaker Audi could reach its goal of 2 million sales a year before its 2020 target, helped by revamped models and new sport-utility vehicles, its chief executive told Reuters.

German automakers BMW and Volkswagen (VOWG_p.DE) are joining with ChargePoint to build a U.S. network of fast-charging stations for electric cars and plug-in hybrid vehicles, the companies said Thursday.

Volvo Car Group plans to export a Chinese-made midsize sedan this year to the United States, and is starting to weigh the possibility of building a vehicle factory in the United States, people familiar with the Chinese-owned automaker’s plans said.

Demands for compensation from Chinese car dealers hit by a market slowdown have become an industry-wide issue, BMW's board member for sales said on Friday, adding relations were not simply about "holding hands and walking into the sunset."

Foreign automakers in China may struggle to dictate sales goals in the future after dealers complained to the government that inflexible targets set during a market boom obliged them to buy too much stock and bear the brunt of a drop in demand.

Hyundai Motor and affiliate Kia Motors promoted younger executives on Friday, in moves analysts said would help smoothen an eventual leadership succession at the family-owned conglomerate.

General Motors Co (GM.N) has developed contingency plans in case recalls of potentially lethal Takata-made air bag inflators widens, forcing the U.S. automaker to repair millions of vehicles, the company said on Friday.

Nissan Motor Co Ltd (7201.T) said on Wednesday it has ordered the recall of more than 80,000 vehicles sold in Mexico to check for potential defects stemming from air bags made by Japanese company Takata Corp (7312.T).

Volvo Car Corp said it will start selling vehicles online as it rolls out new models to compete with German luxury rivals such as BMW (BMWG.DE).

Daimler's (DAIGn.DE) Mercedes-Benz needs to catch up with German rivals BMW and Audi in China to meet its goal of becoming the world's largest maker of luxury cars by 2020, a company executive said on Wednesday.

Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCA) (FCHA.MI) (FCAU.N) began meeting U.S. investors on Friday after launching a $2.5 billion convertible bond issue and a share sale to reduce its debt pile and fund an ambitious investment plan.

Germany's BMW (BMWG.DE) is not interested in buying a stake in U.S. electric carmaker Tesla Motors (TSLA.O), German weekly WirtschaftsWoche reported on Friday, citing a BMW statement.