AFP The latest European challenge to the all-powerful US credit ratings agencies doesn’t come from the continent’s financial capital Frankfurt — but Berlin, better known for raves than banking. “We want to become the European voice on the ratings market,” declares Torsten Hinrichs, chief executive of Scope Ratings. From his office overlooking the huge Tiergarten park, once the hunting ...

  AFP Embattled automaker Volkswagen will hold talks on Monday with two component suppliers, in a bid to end a stand-off over car parts deliveries that has severely disrupted production at the German giant. ES Automobilguss, which supplies cast gearbox components, and Cartrim, which makes seat covers, suspended their deliveries in August over a legal dispute with Volkswagen. VW secured ...

  Bloomberg In Carmel, Calif., Aston Martin announced the addition of a sister car to the Vanquish Zagato coupe it debuted earlier this year: the Vanquish Zagato Volante. Aston will make only 99 of the Vanquish Zagato Volante open-top cars. The lower body sills are carbon fiber; its V12 engine gets nearly 600 horsepower. Sprint time to 60mph is 3.7 ...