What the papers say: November 18

What car-related news is making the national press today? Find out here with our daily review.

Manchester bullied into road toll charge
The Telegraph reports that the Government has been accused of 'bullying' Manchester into introducing a pay-as-you-drive road charging scheme. It's alleged that the city was told it would lose 1.5 billion in public funding unless residents agreed to the charging scheme.
The Telegraph

Mum's the word when it comes to driving
The Daily Mail covers a report that says mums are better drivers than dads, and children are happier when there's a woman behind the wheel. The report from Hyundai, has found that children feel men are too aggressive and lose their temper too easily. The only good news for dads is that children prefer them to take the wheel when it comes to parking.
The Daily Mail

Honda F1 spends 147m
The Honda Formula 1 team spent 147 million to finish eighth in the 2008 championship, according to a report in the Financial Times. The sum, a record spend in, comes when the sport is desperately looking to cut its costs.
The Financial Times

Opel looks for German backing
The German Government is set to provide Opel with a 1 billion credit guarantee after it was announced the German arm of General Motors could be about to run out of cash. The Financial Times reports a final decision will be made by late December.
The Financial Times

Hamilton's stamp of success
The Royal Mail is planning to honour Lewis Hamilton's Formula One success with a commemorative set of postage stamps, according to The Times. The stamps are expected to be issued in 2009. The move is considered unique as it breaks with the Royal Mail's tradition of not issuing stamps featuring living individuals who are not of royal descent.
The Times

BMW plugs into new market
While the American car industry may be on its knees, BMW is seeking to capitalise on a rare success story with its electric Mini. The Financial Times reports the German company is looking for 500 people in California, New York and New Jersey to lease the new cars. The move follows news that sales of the petrol-driven Mini jumped by almost a third in the first 10 months of 2008.
The Financial Times

General Motors to sell its stake in Suzuki
The Financial Times reports that GM is to sell its remaining 3% stake in Japan's Suzuki Motors for $231 million. The sale is an attempt by the crisis-hit company to shore up its shrinking reserves.
The Financial Times