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The rear-drive performance sedan isn't a favorite mode of transportation with most cold-blooded Canadians travelling in the winter. Often considered ‘slippery', ‘scary' or ‘unstable', many shoppers dealing with snowy roads avoid rear-drive cars in favor of front or all-wheel-driven models.

But RWD can be beautiful to drive in the snow - let alone all year round. More balance, more steering feel, more agility and livelier overall handling are some of the reasons why.

Photo: Justin Pritchard/Auto123.com

These are all attributes delivered, to varying degrees, by the Hyundai Genesis 5.0 R-Spec - one of the Korean automaker's latest models which intends to give pricier European and Japanese models a run for their money.

The R-Spec is big, heavy, and has the better part of 429 horsepower attacking its rear wheels. In late fall, your writer was tasked with evaluating this Korean power-sedan's operation over the course of a winter in Northern Ontario.

Assigned to me for use only in nasty weather, the R-Spec spent many days parked in my driveway until heavy snow accumulations called it into action.

Spring has now sprung across Canada - and I've done what many in the Canadian auto marketplace think is seemingly impossible. I survived the winter north of the ‘Snow Belt' in a rear-drive, V8-powered sedan.

Driven carefully and operated with appropriate tires, this isn't a car you need to skip if you live in the North. Here are some observations from my 4-month, 6,000-km winter test.

• The Genesis's Electronic Stability Control (ESC) system is fast-acting and diligent. There's no worrying about how softly to apply the throttle on snow and ice - as even a slight amount of wheelspin numbs the throttle and reduces power output. Enough slippage is permitted to get moving through deeper snow at low speeds, though during cruising, even slight losses of traction are detected and neutralized instantly. Often times, the ‘ESC' indicator illuminates in the cluster before drivers even realize they've lost traction.

• Smooth performance is the name of the R-Spec's game. World-class levels of quiet and refinement are present here. Even when cruising through snow gently, or spinning the wheels to clear the snow-plow hump at the end of a driveway, minimal noise or harshness are transmitted to the cabin. And since the R-Spec is comfortable and quiet, it's an easy car to operate in a state of elevated relaxation when required by nasty weather.

Photo: Justin Pritchard/Auto123.com

• I managed to get the R-Spec stuck twice. Both times involved fairly deep snow left behind by snowplows, combined with too low a speed to escape them. A little shoveling and a few handfuls of sand were sufficient to free the car. Many front-wheel drive vehicles would have gotten similarly ‘hung up' in the same situation - though Genesis drivers are advised to exercise a little caution in placement of their rear wheels when parking in deep snow, especially on an upward incline.

• Decades ago, older rear-drive cars were front-heavy, more frightening and more ‘slippery' in the snow. Nowadays, rear-drive cars have a weight balance closer to 50/50, meaning more weight and traction at the rear end. The Genesis R-Spec is one such car.

• The washer-fluid reservoir readily accepts a full jug of windshield juice.

• Winter tires were fitted to the tester. Potential shoppers are advised strongly to invest in a set. My favorites include Pirelli Sottozero and Michelin X-Ice. A good winter tire will give all electronic aid systems more traction to work with, dramatically increasing overall performance and safety. A fellow Genesis owner I met at the local gas station complained of low traction in his 2011 Genesis V6, though he was using all-season rubber.

• The 5.0L V8 heats up relatively quickly, providing cabin heat in 2 or 3 minutes even in extreme cold. High-visibility LED taillights cut through snow and fog easily as well, as do the xenon projectors up front. I did wish for a headlight washer system, though. Heated seats are powerful, and the heated steering wheel was a welcomed touch.

• The ESC system is fully defeatable with a single button press, should owners wish to partake in a little donut action on a frozen lake or empty parking lot. Just saying.

Twelve mostly oval drivers paid a visit to the occupant of the Oval Office on Wednesday afternoon.

Those drivers from NASCAR's 2011 Chase for the Sprint Cup had a meet and greet with United States President Barack Obama and the quips were flying.

Tony Stewart, 2011 NASCAR Sprint Cup champion, and Barack Obama, President of the United States of America. (Photo: NASCAR)

The event took place on the South Lawn as the President thanked NASCAR officials for their continuing hard work and support of the military.

He also lauded Carl Edwards sportsmanship - handling his runner up finish on a tie-breaker to the 2011 and three-time Sprint Cup Champ Tony Stewart. "Everybody who saw Carl after the race — it was a great lesson in how you handle disappointment with grace and with class," Obama said. "He's a outstanding representative for all of NASCAR."

Tony Stewart and Barack Obama. (Photo: NASCAR)

President Obama remarks to Stewart praised the grit needed to comeback from a slow start and capture the title by maximum performance.

"Nobody saw it coming," said President Obama. "We've all heard about athletes who say they're going to do what it takes to win it all, but back in August with the season winding down, Tony predicted he wouldn't be able to pull it off. In fact, he said if he did end up winning the championship, and this is a quote, ‘I'll declare I'm a total bumbling idiot.' But I think Tony's hero, the great AJ Foyt, put it best when he said the reason Tony won is because ‘he drove the best race of his life, period'."

All of the competitors were treated to a special tour of the Presidential residence.

Team Ford M-Sport has confirmed that Dani Sordo will replace the injured Jari-Matti Latvala at the Rally Argentina.

Team MINI Prodrive that usually runs Dani Sordo since last season, gave the Spaniard the permission to take Latvala's seat in the Fiesta. The Finn officially broke a collarbone while cross country skiing.

The Ford-Sordo deal seems quite logical, considering that MINI Prodrive did not plan to run the Rally Argentina, and also because Prodrive has lost its MINI factory team status earlier this year.

Ford Fiesta WRC. (Photo: WRC)

Sordo will test drive the Ford Fiesta WRC starting today in England, before heading to Argentina next week. His codriver, Carlos del Barrio, who was originally due to codrive former F1 driver Eliseo Salazar in his WRC debut, will finally rejoin Sordo in the second M-Sport Ford Fiesta WRC, with Marc Marti (former Dani Sordo's codriver) taking the seat alongside Salazar.

"I am really excited about going to Argentina", Dani Sordo said. "When you are a rally driver all you want to do is to race, so I am really happy that Prodrive has given me the chance to drive the Ford.  I was second the last time I competed in Argentina, but as I will be learning a new car, it will be difficult to repeat this," Sordo added.

From GMM

Mercedes will decide later this season if Michael Schumacher's contract will be extended beyond 2012.

The current three year deal, which began when the seven time world champion decided to return to F1 from retirement with Mercedes in 2010, runs out this season.

Schumacher struggled notably in 2010 and 2011 but appears to have returned to form with the W03, which in teammate Nico Rosberg's hands won the recent Chinese grand prix from pole.

Michael Schumacher, Mercedes W03. (Photo: WRi2)

So will the famous German, who will be 44 next year, race the W04 in 2013?

"Everything is completely open. It will be clear what is best for him, what is best for us, and what is best for all of us together, at some point in the season," team boss Ross Brawn is quoted by German publications, including Sport1.

"But there is still a long way to go until then," added Brawn.

According to paddock insiders, a new deal for Schumacher is highly likely.

"He's a fantastic driver and a great team player," Briton Brawn, a close colleague and friend dating back to their successful days at Ferrari, concluded.

From Ferrari

Andrea Bertolini who works with Scuderia Ferrari on car development and as a driver in GT races, realised a dream he's had since childhood as he shookdown Gilles Villeneuve's Ferrari 312 T4 car.

Photo: Ferrari

Part of Bertolini's role is shaking down the historic single seaters, run by the F1 Clienti department, a unique privilege that has seen him drive the majority of Prancing Horse Formula 1 cars.

Wednesday morning, at Fiorano, Bertolini carried out his 283rd shake down, as he settled into the cockpit of the only car he had yet to drive: the 312T4 used by Gilles Villeneuve the year that saw him and Jody Scheckter give the Scuderia the Constructors' championship, while the South African also took the Drivers' title.

Photo: Ferrari

The car, chassis number 41, is part of Jonathan Giacobazzi's Donelli Vini collection and on 8th May, it will be driven by Jacques Villeneuve to commemorate the thirtieth anniversary of the death of his father.

Bertolini did a few laps on the short version of the track to check the V-12 powered machine was working properly, experiencing the special excitement that comes with knowing you are driving a car that was raced by a driver who will always have a special place in the history of Ferrari.

You wish you had been caught doing. Admit it, sometimes you just want to say f**k it and park wherever and however you feel, with no consideration for others.

I love scouring lots and streets for culprits that either think this way or worse, have no discernible skills or abilities behind the wheel of a car and firmly believe that they've done a great job.


This is my first gallery of parking jobs for 2012. I've got more Costco-oversized-lot heroes, curb-avoiders, line-comprehension-deficient drivers and a few others that you might recognized as having been masterfully orchestrated by yours truly.

Hey! If you've got boss parking-job picks, send them our way and we'll publish them.

In the event you feel bad because some of the pics remind you of your parking skills, here's a video that'll make you feel better:

Team MRS, a regular entry in the International Porsche Supercup, announced its withdrawal from the opening round of the season in Bahrein, due to the situation in the country.

The Porsche Supercup series is run as a support race at certain European Formula 1 Grands Prix, with the exception of the opening round that is presented in Bahrain.

Karsten Molitor, team MRS's chief, announced that his team decided not to race in Bahrain, arguing about team crew safety.

Photo: Team MRS

"Ongoing unrests in the Kingdom of Bahrain in connection with the security situation have caused doubts by the team from Lonsee," the team announced.

"It is the first time in our team history that we have had to cancel a race of the Porsche Supercup. According to our drivers and partners we have reached the conclusion to start only at the second race in Barcelona".

Veteran driver Paul Tracy is more and more convinced that his racing days in a formula car are over and that the chances of seeing him back in the IndyCar Series this year are slimmer than ever.

The former 2003 Champ Car champion has confirmed to SPEED.com that he's likely reached the end of the road as an open-wheel driver after more than 281 open-wheel starts in CART, Champ Car and the IZOD IndyCar Series.

Photo: IndyCar

“I've pretty much resigned myself that if we don't do anything this year, that's the end of it,” he confirmed.

“It's not the ending that I wanted for my career, but it is what it is,” he continued. “I wanted to have a final proper year where I could drive and meet and greet the fans, but it looks like it's not going to happen.”

Photo: IndyCar

The Canadian will be back racing this year thanks to an expanded relationship with the Doran Racing GRAND-AM Rolex Series Daytona Prototype team. Tracy contested the Rolex 24 At Daytona in January, and is scheduled to make a few more starts for them this year, including the inaugural Super Weekend at The Brickyard GRAND-AM race at Indianapolis July 27-29.


From press release

The experimental Nissan-powered DeltaWing prototype sportscar kicked off its European testing program in England at Snetterton, in Norfolk, yesterday with Marino Franchitti and Michael Krumm getting the opportunity to sample the car in wet conditions.

Steady rain throughout the morning enabled the team to undertake wet weather development with tire partner, Michelin, with the hugely innovative 1.6-litre Nissan DIG-T turbo-powered car.

The Nissan DeltaWing features half the weight, half the horsepower and half the aerodymamic drag of a traditional Le Mans sportscar - with front tires that are only four inches wide.

Photo: Highcroft Twitter

With the famous Le Mans 24 Hours just two months away, the Nissan DeltaWing team gained valuable information about the ground-breaking car's performance in typical European track conditions, having conducted all of its development work so far in America.

Franchitti conducted most of the morning running in conditions that ranged from damp to extremely wet weather - gathering valuable data as to how the car performs. Having only previously conducted some brief wet track running on an artificially damp track at Sebring, with the help of a water truck, today's on-track action was an important step in the development of the wet tires for the car.

Michael Krumm climbed aboard for much of the afternoon running - enjoying drier conditions as the team worked on suspension adjustments, braking and gearbox improvements.

The DeltaWing will continue its testing program next week with a two-day test scheduled.

The increasing use of electronic gadgets and technologies has become a major road safety issue. On February 16th, 2012, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) published the first-ever federally proposed guidelines to encourage automakers to limit the distraction risk for in-vehicle electronic devices.

These voluntary guidelines apply to communications, entertainment, information gathering and navigation devices or functions that are not required to safely operate a vehicle. Several manufacturers already restrict access to certain devices, such as the navigation system, when drivers exceed 20 km/h. While annoying, this helps reduce driving distractions and keep eyes on the road.

BMW Apps
Available on a number of models, the BMW Apps package includes BMW Connected along with a smartphone integration module hidden inside the centre armrest. Owners can bring Facebook, Twitter, their calendar, RSS feeds, Wiki Local, or even their favourite web radio station into their car on the iDrive screen.



It all sounds interesting on paper, but how is it in the real world? I recently set out to find out in a 2012 BMW 335i.

First of all, connecting my iPhone proved to be easy, either with the integration dock or the Apple cable plugged in the USB port. After that, I just had to open the BMW Connected app, and let iDrive recognize and synchronize my phone. By the way, make sure to connect to your Facebook/Twitter accounts and enter the address for your RSS feeds before you install your smartphone, otherwise you won't be able to configure them.

Then the ConnectedDrive menu came alive on the iDrive screen. The architecture is clean and friendly, allowing access to my Facebook status or my RSS feeds with 2-3 clicks. I was even able to post a few pre-written updates on Facebook and Twitter.

Is it safe?
There's one big problem: you can do everything while driving. My good pal Matt St-Pierre helped me for the tests, and let me tell you that we were shocked. While the system isn't exactly dangerous with a passenger to look after it, troubles ensue when the driver steps in.

The BMW owner's manual recommends users to err on the side of caution and avoid playing with the system while driving. The company also added a text-to-speech function that reads Tweets, Facebook updates and RSS feeds. That's nice, but you can still toss that aside and do whatever you please.

You thought writing text messages or talking on the phone while driving was irresponsible? Well, now I understand why the NHTSA and other governments are trying to regulate these practices through strict policies - and why BMW changed its slogan from ''The Ultimate Driving Machine'' to ''The Ultimate Driving Experience.'' Technology is quickly taking over the automobile, all in the name of a ''better experience'' behind the wheel. What a shame.

Adapted from GMM

Bernie Ecclestone's latest proposal is that Formula 1's most important races become a tennis-like 'Grand Slam'.

Insisting that the calendar will probably not expand much beyond 20 races, the F1 chief executive also admitted that "circumstances change".

If that's the case, the most important races could be like international tennis' Slams.

"Absolutely," Ecclestone told Germany's Auto Motor und Sport. "I'm working on it. And if it gets that far, then there would be more points for the Grand Slam races."

On another topic, Ecclestone has confirmed he is still at loggerheads with Mercedes over the new Concorde Agreement.

The German car maker's team is the big missing name, after F1 chief executive Ecclestone announced recently he has agreed terms with "the majority" of the teams including Ferrari, McLaren and Red Bull.

Ecclestone indicated that the disagreement he is having is with Brackley based Mercedes GP, the Ross Brawn led works outfit and not the car maker.

The team believes it should have been offered a better deal, based on Mercedes' long history in the sport. But Ecclestone disagrees.

"If you trace the roots of that team, they started as Tyrrell," he said. "Since then, there have been four different owners and four different names.

"I can see little history with this (Mercedes) team," Ecclestone insisted.

The Briton confirmed that teams will receive bonuses under the new Concorde for "history and success", adding that Mercedes has won "one race" so far.

The F1 boss also revealed he does not support moves to install a budget cap in F1.

"It wouldn't work. You can't stop people from spending the money they have. They will always find a way to get around whatever you try to do to control it. Instead, the technical rules should be written so that it is not possible to just use money to make a faster car," Ecclestone insisted.

Another solution, said the 81-year-old Briton, is to allow smaller teams to buy year-old customer cars.

He said a clause will "probably" be written into the next Concorde Agreement.

Ecclestone acknowledged the dilemma that allowing customer cars could result in all the small teams buying the best car off-the-shelf, resulting in there being only a handful of constructors left on the grid.

"The way I'm imagining it, this would not be possible," he insisted. "I'll tell you about it soon."

From GMM

A travelling F1 journalist believes this weekend's controversial Bahrain grand prix could go ahead without problems.

Ahead of the island Kingdom's highly-contentious return to the F1 calendar this weekend after a two-year absence due to civil unrest, some of the sport's correspondents have this week been reporting from the scene of often violent protests.

The Telegraph correspondent Tom Cary said he was approached at a protest on Tuesday by a man wearing a Ferrari shirt.

"I love F1," the man said, "but not over our blood."

Some other F1 regulars have skipped Bahrain altogether, as only 260 journalists are registered to attend -- about 25 per cent down on the usual number.

Writing in the German-language Speed Week, however, Mathias Brunner endeavoured simply to make his way from the airport to his hotel, and on to the Sakhir circuit, where he will spend the week reporting about the grand prix.

"I am a formula one journalist. I travel to countries where grands prix are held," he began.

"After China, I wanted to get my own idea about what is true: the picture of the (Bahrain) government, where everything is fine, or the picture of the activists, where the entire place is in a state of civil war."

Brunner said FIA president Jean Todt had "no time" to answer questions about Bahrain when he visited the Chinese grand prix last weekend.

"My job is not to seek out unrest and talk with the opposition, but it's also not to parrot the slogans of the government. I just want to get an impression about where the grand prix is taking place.

"My first impression is that it's stiflingly hot. After a quarter of an hour's drive it is clear that there are more police about than on our last visit two years ago -- I have counted more than 50 vehicles, at least.

"Then I saw a burned-out police car on the right of the main road."

Brunner said he was questioned at a police check-point before reaching the Sakhir circuit, and questioned again when he parked too close to a police car in the media parking lot.

He also said he saw some police inside the circuit, before stopping for a "one stop strategy" at a fast food outlet on the return to his hotel.

"I drove a different route on purpose, and there were a lot of police on the roads there as well," said Brunner.

"But what is clear is that the view about Bahrain in the Shanghai paddock (last weekend) in no way reflects the true situation in the country," he concluded.

Italy's La Gazzetta dello Sport is reporting that the race could theoretically still be cancelled as late as Thursday.

From GMM

Ferrari does not have a leading car so far in 2012, but when it comes to pitstops, the famous Italian team is setting the pace.

That is the finding of the Spanish sports daily Marca, reporting that Fernando Alonso's 2.4 second pitstop in Shanghai was the fastest of all.

And the report said Ferrari's pitstops were on average six tenths better than those performed by rival top teams Mercedes, McLaren and Red Bull in China.

(Photo: Ferrari)

Marca also said Ferrari has managed to speed up its pitstops compared with the 2011 season, despite the FIA's ban on helium-powered air-guns that has cost every team at least two tenths of a second.

"On a grid as tight as this one (in 2012), it is very important to take care of these sorts of details. They can gain you positions and points, which could be decisive at the end of the season," Fernando Alonso is quoted as saying.

Ferrari test driver Marc Gene agreed that the only missing element at the Maranello based team at present is a good car.

"On the other hand," he told Diario Sport newspaper, "it is noteworthy that we have done the best pitstops, the strategies have generally been good, and the car is reliable. What we lack is the pure speed, both in qualifying and the race."

Adapted from GMM

Apparent troubles for New York's inaugural grand prix could be good news for Texas, according to reports in the United States.

Bernie Ecclestone said on Tuesday that the race scheduled for mid next year on the streets of New Jersey, amid the Manhattan skyline, could be pushed back to 2014.

"Maybe the New York race will be 2013. It's a when, 2013 or 2014," Ecclestone told the BBC.

Austin broadcaster KXAN reported that the news could mean the organisers in Austin, scrambling to have the bespoke Circuit of the Americas ready for this November's US grand prix, can get immediate access to state funding.

But a spokesman for the Texas comptroller said: "Any situation with the New Jersey race would not change the decision to not pay funds in advance of Austin's formula one race."

Photo released end of March. (Photo: circuitoftheamericas.com)

The owners of the German chemical plant where an explosion led to the shortage of a key automotive resin material said it will be at least three months before it can return to normal production.

The owners of the German chemical plant where an explosion led to the shortage of a key automotive resin material said it will be at least three months before it can return to normal production.

TRW Automotive Holdings says it received orders for its electric park brake technology from three major North American automakers.

Audi has lifted the veil on a production-based concept from its quattro performance division that previews a range-topping variant of the Q3 for European markets.

The 2013 Dodge Dart compact is priced to compete, but much of the car's success depends on its reliability, automotive analysts say.

Private equity firm Carlyle Group is looking to sell auto parts supplier Metaldyne and hopes to fetch as much as $1 billion as it cashes in on a strong recovery in vehicle production volumes, people familiar with the matter told Reuters.