Auto Makers Spend $400m to Reunite Zeppelin

LONDON - Four of the world's leading automobile manufacturers have banded together to sponsor a Led Zeppelin reunion. Ford, Infiniti, Toyota and Mercedes-Benz will each contribute about US$100M for an album of 10 new songs and a world tour. In exchange each car maker will get the use of one song from the recording to feature in their ad campaigns for the next two years.

The album is officially untitled and fans are already calling it Led Zepellin X. It is the first album of new material from the band (which lost drummer John Bonham in the 80's) in over 20 years.

Like the band's classic mysterious unnamed fourth album the album art features four glyphs. The band would not comment on the meaning of the glyphs or why there were four and not three to reflect the missing Bonham.

The album has already created controversy even before its release. Televangelist and former presidential hopeful Pat Robertson has condemned the glyphs as "satanic runes" meant to "intrigue young Americans with arcana and the ways of the devil".

Spokespersons for both Ford and Mercedes-Benz responded that there was no known satanic, pagan or religious significance to any of the symbols. Rolling Stone rock critic J.D. Considine added "This is a ridiculous witch hunt. One of these glyphs is a freakin' peace symbol. Does Robertson think peace is a tool of satan?"

The album is due in stores August 9, 2002.

The tour kicks off at a Berlin Mercedes plant on August 1.