Yes, the car you see above is the Chrysler Sebring the new Volga Siber and I chose the image to illustrate the efforts of GAZ to become an important automaker. GAZ has bought 50 percent of the Italian diesel manufacturer VM Motori from its previous owner Penske Corporation. Who is the owner of the other half of the shares? GM. VM Motori is currently supplying diesel engines for Opel and Chevrolet, like the 2.0-liter diesels under certain European models. VM Motori is also working on the development of a new 3.0-liter for Cadillac. GM also develops its industrial diesel developments in South-East Asia with the Italian specialist. GAZ expects to move some VM Motori production in Russia, which would be installed into the Gazelle and Maxus vans. This future manufacturing facility in Russia could also supply other manufacturers.

[Source: Le Blog Auto]

Russia's giant natural gas company, Gazprom, has proposed developing a network of compressed natural gas (CNG) filling stations for automobiles across Europe. Currently, most Central European countries get natural gas from Russia via continental pipelines. What Gazprom says now is that they and their partners could expand the use of that existing network, or even make it bigger, in order to feed CNG stations for CNG cars. Gazprom's CEO Alexei Miller said that "there is no real alternative for the use of hydrocarbons at present or in the next decades," and stated that biofuels weren't a good solution because they increase food prices. Miller also said that natural gas costs half the price of oil and that Gazprom had plenty of it. Check the full press release after the jump. Thanks to John for the tip.

[Source: Gazprom]

PSA and Mitsubishi have officially laid the first foundation stone of their €470 million joint plant in Russia, located in Kaluga, 180km south-west of Moscow. The plant, which is being built on a 200 ha plot, is expected to produce 160,000 vehicles per year from 2011. Which models? Basically, Peugeot and Citroën C-Segment cars (current models are the the 308 and the C4) but also a compact SUV/crossover which will be sold under the Peugeot, Citroën and Mitsubishi brands (currently named 4007, C-Crosser and Outlander, respectively). The cars are intended for the Russian market and not scheduled for export. PSA builds some of the most advanced diesel powertrains available, named HDI, which are also installed in Minis and Fords. Russia is also one of the main energy suppliers to the EU. Mitsubishi's full press release after the jump.

The Euro 2 emissions standards were put in place for passenger cars in January of 1993. Russia adopted these standards in the fall of 2005, and the limits will soon have a very real impact on vehicles entering - or trying to enter - central Moscow. According to a Google-translated page from Auto Lenta-RU, cars that don't meet the Euro II standards will not be allowed into central Moscow starting on the first of September this year. The reason is to improve the environment in the city - no "congestion charge" wording here. New cars that are made in Russia shouldn't have a problem meeting this level, but early editions of the Zhiguli don't. Since early April, trucks that don't meet the standard were banned from the inner city.

[Source: Auto Lenta-RU, h/t to TheRookie]

In a similar fashion to the Peugeot Moodif concept, I'm not sure what the relationship between Alexey Bykov's Audi Quattroflex design concept, and the Audi motor company is, but its an interesting idea either way. Like the Moodif, the Quattroflex embraces flexibility by allowing the wheelbase to be extended in order to carry large packages or shortened to allow for easy parking.

Originally posted to a Russian language website Cardesign.ru, the concept picked up the award for best use of technology at the prestigious Interior Motives Design Awards last year. Student Alexey Bykov's vision uses a joystick to control what is essentially a powered bed, running on wheel-mounted electric motors. Drawing inspiration from the design language of the Audi brand, the concept, which would look great in Blade Runner, would probably fail the curtain airbag safety test if it was ever considered for manufacture. Still, I love the wheels inside rims idea, the way you steer by tilting the front wheels, and the advanced materials that form up the seat.

As hot as this concept looks though, I think the best thing was the comment in Russian stating that the design 'RuLeZ'.

[More photos after the jump]

Related:

• Peugeot Moodif squeezy design concept

[Source: Yanko Design]