Speaking to investors at its annual shareholders meeting, General Motors CEO Mary Barra has continued to reaffirm the company’s strengths and commitment to change amid the ongoing recall crisis.

The gathering followed the release of GM’s internal investigation, which cited a “pattern of incompetence and neglect” as contributing factors to the recall delays and consequent deaths.

Barra suggests the company will not have an estimated value of its victim compensation fund for several more weeks, though analysts expect the program to cost several billion dollars.

“I know there are no words that can ease their pain and grief,” Barra added. “I have and will be guided by two clear principles: to do right thing for those that were harmed and to make sure we accept responsibility for our mistakes and commit to doing everything within our power to prevent this sort of problem from ever happening again.”

The company has managed to maintain sales growth since the ignition-switch recall was first announced. Barra suggests the company is now positioned to be “stronger, leaner and more responsive” as it implements a number of changes to place safety at the top of its priorities.

“Today, GM is a very good company,” she said. “Tomorrow, we can be a truly great company.”

A report out of England suggests Bentley is preparing a range-topping version of the Continental GT that will pack at least 700 horsepower.

Tentatively scheduled to debut later this month at the Goodwood Festival of Speed, the Continental flagship will lose a considerable amount of weight by adopting technology gleaned from Bentley’s successful GT3 racing program. All-wheel drive will be tossed out in favor of a lighter and simpler rear-wheel drive setup, and numerous body panels and trim pieces will be crafted out of carbon fiber.

The lightweight Continental will stand out from its regular-production counterpart thanks to a host of aerodynamic upgrades including a deep front bumper with a discreet lip spoiler, side skirts on both sides and a sizable wing mounted on the trunk lid. The performance-focused treatment will continue inside with sport seats, bespoke gauges and carbon fiber trim on the dashboard, the center console and the door panels.

British magazine Autocar reports the range-topping Continental will be introduced as a limited-edition model. Pricing information has not been published yet but the car is expected to cost well into the triple digits.

If the rumor proves true, look for official information about Bentley’s most powerful street-legal model to date to emerge in the days leading up to this year’s edition of the Goodwood Festival of Speed.

Nissan has released another teaser for its Vision Gran Turismo concept.

The company has been promoting a veiled car that will be added to its Gran Turismo 6 lineup. It was expected to be formally revealed today, however the latest teaser merely reveals a glimpse at the front end and overall profile.

“On Monday, June 16, we will reveal the next chapter in our Nissan story to an audience that has always shared our passion for performance,” the company says in a statement accompanying the latest teaser.

The game developers have worked with several other automakers, including Volkswagen and BMW, to introduce new concept vehicles specifically for the virtual driving world.

The Japanese automaker has a total of 148 vehicles that can be driven in the Gran Turismo series, ranging from the Leaf to the GT-R. It is unclear if the game concept will serve merely as a design experiment or hint at one of Nissan’s future race cars that will be headed to real tracks.

Nissan has dropped separate hints that the concept will be brought to the Goodwood Festival of Speed.

Buick has announced a handful of model year updates to its compact premium sedan, the Verano.

Finding few takers for the Verano Turbo’s six-speed manual option, the tri-shield brand has deep-sixed the stick shift. Both Verano engines, including the standard model’s 180 horsepower 2.4-liter four-cylinder and the Turbo’s 250 horsepower turbocharged 2.0-liter four, will be available exclusively with the six speed automatic.

*Update*
Turns out Buick’s initial release on the 2015 Verano was incorrect in one respect – the automaker says that the manual transmission will remain available for the Verano Turbo after all.

New to the Verano for 2015 is OnStar with 4G LTE and a standard built-in WiFi hotspot. Activated when the car is fired up, the hotspot comes with a three-month data trial.

Additionally, Veranos equipped with the Convenience and Leather trim groups gain the option of a new appearance package, which includes a rear spoiler and chrome grille.

All Verano models continue to come standard with a rearview camera, dual-zone automatic climate control, 18-inch wheels and 10 airbags. Upper-level trims add niceties like a heated steering wheel, heated seats and a Bose audio system, along with safety features such as side blind zone alert, rear cross-traffic alert, forward collision alert and lane Departure Warning.

Pricing information for the 2015 Buick Verano has not yet been released.

As we’ve seen with segment-exclusive options like an air suspension and light-duty diesel, Ram hasn’t been shy about thinking outside the box with its pickups. And a newly discovered patent filing suggests that Chrysler’s trunk brand could have another trick feature up its sleeve.

Unearthed by fan site Allpar, the patent reveals a unique split tailgate that can be configured in a multitude of different ways. Each independent half is capable of folding up and down like a normal tailgate, and can also be opened from the side in the manner of a van door.

The design allows longer items like lumber to stick out from one side of the bed, while other cargo can be held in place at the same time by the closed half of the tailgate.

Adding another level of convenience, Allpar claims that the tailgate halves feature push-button activation via touchpads.

While we don’t know for certain when the new tailgate design will arrive, it could well show up for the 2015, when the Ram 1500 is expected to receive a refresh. Rather than being standard, it will likely be offered as an option.

A panel of judges has ruled that lost-value lawsuits against General Motors will be heard in a New York court overseen by Judge Jesse Furman.

The decision affects lost-value complaints, outlined in dozens of separate lawsuits, that have been filed by owners who claim to have suffered economic damages due to the ignition-switch recall.

The court will be tasked with determining if GM’s bankruptcy proceedings will legally shield the “new GM” from claims regarding actions that were taken by the “old GM.”

Attorneys representing the plaintiffs argue that the current entity is liable for pre-bankruptcy claims involving the ignition-switch recall. The company is accused of omitting the known defect from the bankruptcy proceedings, effectively defrauding the court.

GM and supplier Delphi — also named as a defendant — both pursued bankruptcy in New York courts. Several judges, including Furman, “have some familiarity with the common defendant and its prior bankruptcy proceedings,” the panel concluded, as quoted by Reuters.

The company still faces numerous other lawsuits, including wrongful-death claims and shareholder filings.

Development of Toyota’s fuel-cell car is reportedly progressing ahead of schedule, bringing the potential launch window back into late 2014.

The company is said to be preparing to manufacture dozens of the vehicles each month at its Motomachi plant in Japan, with commercial production beginning in mid December, unnamed sources have told The Japan Times.

The latest report suggests Toyota may be planning to sell the car for around 8 million yen (~$78,000 USD), which is slightly below previous rumors of a $100,000 price tag. The company is said to be hoping for a price drop into the $29,000 to $49,000 range by 2020.

Hyundai recently launched its Tucson Fuel Cell in the US market, available initially in California via lease only for $499 per month with $2,999 down. Honda is also in the race to launch a fuel-cell vehicle in 2014, possibly as early as November.

Based on the FCV concept, Toyota’s fuel-cell car will also likely be targeted at California due to the availability of hydrogen refueling infrastructure.

Toyota has reportedly dismissed the idea of building a hybrid variant of the Toyota 86 platform (Scion FR-S, Subaru BRZ) in the near future.

Rumors have suggested the company’s Scion division may be developing a four-door variant of the FR-S that would eventually be outfitted with a hybrid all-wheel-drive system.

Toyota marketing director Fabio Capano argues that a hybrid edition would not “speak to the majority,” according to comments to Autocar. Such a model is also said to bring hefty development costs.

“We can create a product with this technology, but it needs to make proper business sense,” Capano said.

Separate reports have highlighted Toyota’s partnership with BMW to build hybrid technology, including a supercapacitor system, that could be used on their co-developed sports car. Both the next-generation BMW Z4 and revived Toyota Supra are rumored to be built upon a hybrid reconfiguration of the GT86 platform.

Toyota has previewed a similar system with its Yaris Hybrid R, which pairs a 300-horsepower gasoline engine with three electric motors for a total output of 414 ponies.

The Japanese automaker recently introduced minor updates to the Toyota 86 and its stablemates, however the company is said to be limiting platform development — potentially shelving a turbocharged edition — due to lackluster sales.

Hyundai has unveiled the mid-generational refresh of the Grandeur sedan at the Busan Motor Show. The full-sizer will likely appear in US markets under its North American badge, the Azera.

The front fascia has been redesigned with a new vertical-bar grille and LED fog lights flanking a grille that spans the width of the chin. A redesigned rear bumper also sports a flatter character line and new trapezoidal exhaust outlets.

Inside, the center console’s HVAC controls get a revamp while the touchscreen navigation display grows to eight inches and is now standard equipment. A slew of modern safety conveniences also populate the spec list: Front collision, lane departure and blind spot warnings, as well as parking assist functions.

The Grandeur was shown with a new 2.2-liter diesel, force fed by a variable geometry turbo and good for 200 hp and 325 lb-ft of torque. It meets the Euro 6 emission standards new to the books since September 2014. An improved 2.4-liter direct-injection gasoline inline-four generates 188 hp and 178 lb-ft. However, US market engine options are likely to remain the existing 293hp 3.3-liter V6.

The current Azera was introduced two and a half years ago at the Los Angeles Auto Show in November 2011, so expect to see the updated version on our shores soon.

Mitsubishi plans to tackle the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb again this year, fielding two all-electric racers in the challenge. As the name implies, the Mitsubishi MiEV Evolution III is the automaker’s third attempt at the Electric Division title in the United States’ second-oldest motorsports event.

The car itself is built on a dedicated tube-frame chassis. A high-capacity battery powers four electric motors, one at each wheel as part of the Mitsubishi in-wheel motor Electric Vehicle system. The company has been developing MiEV technology, first fitted to a Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution, since 2005. Together, the four motors can generate 603 hp, up 67 from last year’s MiEV Evolution II.

Additionally, wider tires, a carbon-fiber cowl and wind tunnel-optimized aerodynamics set it apart from last year’s model. An improved S-AWC all-wheel-drive system, similar to the unit in the Lancer Evolution, distributes power based on vehicle dynamics.

The first car will be piloted by a long-time Mitsubishi factory driver, Hiroshi Masuoka, who has won the Dakar Rally twice. The second car will have six-time Pikes Peak motorcycle champion Greg Tracy behind the wheel.

The 2014 Pikes Peak International Hill Climb takes place on June 29.