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The Hyundai Accent is not particularly fast, nor is it the first thing that comes to mind when we're looking for an autocross car.

Those heading to Indianapolis this weekend for the big race should keep a sharp eye on their rearview mirrors.

New MINI Rocketman has been spied on a video shoot in London

Mazda and Alfa Romeo announce plans to co-develop a new roadster, based on the next MX-5

Lada, which has been the dominant brand in Russia for decades, is under pressure to defend its lead as major automakers push into a market poised to become Europe's largest by 2014.

Fiat Group and Mazda plan to develop and build a new roadster for the Mazda and Alfa Romeo brands, the companies said. The model will be a successor to the rear-wheel-drive MX-5/Miata and will have distinct styling for each brand.

Fiat Group and Mazda plan to develop and build a new roadster for the Mazda and Alfa Romeo brands, the companies said. The model will be a successor to the rear-wheel-drive MX-5/Miata and will have distinct styling for each brand.

The Peugeot 208 features a rear bumper from Plastic Omnium that is made from 100 percent recycled materials. In total, 25 percent of the 208 is made using recycled or natural materials while its predecessor, the 207, contained just 7 percent.

With Mazda, Alfa Romeo may finally have found the right partner to help it replace its front-wheel-drive Spider roadster.

Insurance black boxes under fire for logging speeding offences that never happened

New McLaren P12 and Ferrari Enzo will take the fight to the Porsche 918 Spyder, as the hybrid supercar battle hots up

From Renault

Renault has launched a limited-edition version of Twingo R.S., the Twingo R.S. Red Bull Racing RB7 to celebrate the 2011 Formula 1 Constructors' world title.

Photo: Renault

This Twingo was developed by Renault Sport Technologies and features, amongst other things, a Cup chassis, black 17-inch Gana wheels, R.S. Monitor (on-board telemetry system) and a Renault Sport chequered-pattern roof decal.

Photo: Renault

The little Twingo is powered by a 1.6-litre, 16-valve four-cylinder engine that produces 133 horsepower at 6,750rpm and a peak torque of 160Nm at 4,400rpm.

The ‘Cup' chassis, which lowers the car's ride-height by 4mm compared to the ‘Sport' chassis and enhances performance by minimising weight transfer, targets customers seeking even greater enjoyment behind the wheel. The dampers and springs have been stiffened by 10 percent to improve the control of body roll.

Photo: Renault

The optional R.S. Monitor is a fun, practical system which takes its inspiration from the telemetry systems seen in motorsport. The data it displays assists drivers when they indulge in sporty driving.

The exclusivity of this limited edition version is reinforced by a numbered “FIA 2011 World Champion” plaque and a Renault Sport logo inlay for the gear lever knob.

Photo: Renault

From GMM

Heikki Kovalainen is looking for Caterham to move into the midfield, according to his new management company.

Having handled his own career in the wake of Flavio Briatore's demise, Finn Kovalainen recently signed up with IMG, the sports and entertainment management giant.

The 30-year-old has rebuilt his reputation since 2010 in the wake of mixed tenures for top teams Renault and McLaren.

Photo: LAT for Caterham

According to IMG Motorsport's head of clients Martin Anayi, Kovalainen is now regarded by formula one team bosses up and down pitlane as among the top best drivers.

"He is a great guy," Anayi is quoted by Finland's Turun Sanomat newspaper. "Heikki's potential is obvious and he definitely wants to succeed."

There have been rumblings in the paddock that Kovalainen is disappointed that, despite being consistently the best of F1's new teams since 2010, Caterham is yet to break into the midfield.

"This is only the team's third season, so there are still some growing paints," IMG's Anayi acknowledged.

"Heikki has a strong desire to compete, and not just with his teammate Vitaly Petrov. The team's boss Tony Fernandes wants to get in with the middle group. This means that the team needs to regularly get into the Q2 stage of qualifying and in the race be aiming for the points," he insisted.

From GMM

A favourite for victory this weekend, Pastor Maldonado is reportedly lucky to be gearing up to race in the Principality at all.

Bild newspaper recalls that the Venezuelan, who defied his 'pay driver' critics by winning for Williams in Spain two weeks ago, was actually banned after an horror incident on the streets of Monte Carlo seven years ago.

Racing in the Renault World Series in 2005, the then 25-year-old ignored yellow flags before striking and severely injuring a marshal.

Organisers of the Monaco grand prix reacted by banning Maldonado from the street circuit for life.

Germany's Bild revealed that Maldonado's wealthy father intervened, promising to pay for the marshal's recovery and rehabilitation from a broken back.

That intervention saved Maldonado's future formula one career, as no team would hire a regular driver that cannot participate in the sport's most famous race.

Photo: Pirelli

Maldonado is therefore a favourite for victory this weekend, with his Williams now acknowledged as arguably the best in the entire field when it comes to slow-speed traction.

And in his four seasons of GP2 between 2007 and 2010, Maldonado finished on the podium each time, winning and achieving pole position twice. In 2006, he won in Formula Renault.

Last year, in qualifying for his first Monaco grand prix, he qualified his then struggling Williams in eighth place, comfortably ahead of Rubens Barrichello.

"He is very good at Monaco," agreed Barrichello.

In the 2011 race, Maldonado was fighting for fifth when he crashed with Lewis Hamilton.

Pastor Maldonado, Williams FW34. (Photo: Pirelli)

"If the last sector in Barcelona is the marker, then the Williams will be unbeatable in Monte Carlo," Germany's Auto Motor und Sport quotes Dr Helmut Marko as saying.

The breakthrough success in Barcelona has piqued the interest of Maldonado's native Venezuela, having not had an F1 points scorer since the ignominious Johnny Cecotto in 1983.

"My country will be following every second of the next race," Maldonado is quoted by O Estado de S.Paulo newspaper. "I love street circuits, this one in particular. My style of driving fits perfectly with Monaco. I am ready to get another great result."

Mazda and Fiat have announced today they would be working together to develop new sports cars over the Japanese firm's MX-5 Roadster platform.

The finished products will then go on to be sold under the names of Mazda and Alfa Romeo, a sister company of Fiat that could use a little hand at the moment.

Photomontage: Auto123.com

As far as Mazda is concerned, its decades-old partnership with Ford fell through in the midst of the 2008 crisis. A new partnership was needed, so it sought refuge in Fiat. The alliance should both help Mazda earn some sales back, and Alfa Romeo add muscles to its line of products.

Each manufacturer will however develop its own engines. The first Alfa Romeo should see the market in 2015. None of the brands have revealed any other detail regarding launch dates or prices.

Scion Canada announced today full details for its 2013 FR-S compact rear-wheel drive sports car. The high-performance coupe is the fifth model to join the Scion family and will go on sale in May.

Authentic Sports Car at an Attainable Price
The FR-S provides Canadian consumers with an authentic sports car at an attainable MSRP of $25,990 when equipped with a six-speed manual transmission, and $27,170 when equipped with a six-speed automatic transmission that features paddle shifters and Dynamic Rev Management technology.

“Pure Balance”
The FR-S, which stands for Front-engine, Rear-wheel drive, Sport; is Scion's definition of an authentic rear-wheel-drive sports car with exceptionally balanced performance and handling, compelling style, flexible utility and surprising fuel efficiency.

Photo: Toyota

The FR-S is a true “scion,” born into a lengthy history of Toyota performance cars and motorsports. During planning and development, it was most inspired by the AE86 generation of the Corolla, better known as the Hachi-Roku, meaning “8-6” in Japanese. The AE86 was a front-engine, rear-wheel-drive coupe that was lightweight and well balanced, making it a solid choice for driving enthusiasts.

Inspired by the AE86, the FR-S is designed around the core goal of achieving “Pure Balance,” which begins with the strategic use of the world's only flat boxer engine in a front-engine, rear-wheel drive configuration. The engine's compact size and flat shape allow it to be mounted mid-ship and extremely low, giving the car a dynamically favourable front-to-rear weight ratio of 53:47 and a low centre of gravity comparable to some exotic supercars.

The FR-S's 2.0-litre, naturally aspirated four-cylinder engine is the result of a joint development between Toyota and Subaru. The partnership first began with Toyota's DNA and legacy of products, second, Toyota`s cutting-edge D-4S injection system was adopted from the Lexus ISF and combined with Subaru's newly developed, horizontally opposed engine, which incorporates both direct and port injection for each cylinder, one injecting fuel directly into the combustion chamber, the other a port injector located above the intake valves. Third, design elements including roof line, and body design hail from other Toyota products.

The D-4S system uses the direct injectors at all engine speeds. Both the direct and port injectors are used at certain engine speeds and under certain engine loads to help fill out mid-range torque. The D-4S is also a key technology that reduces vehicle emissions. FR-S heads utilize dual variable valve timing, making adjustments to the intake- and exhaust-cam timing to help optimize power, torque, and fuel mileage. The D-4S system, partnered with a high 12.5:1 compression ratio, results in an impressive 200 horsepower and 151 pound-feet of torque.
Despite the engine's powerful 100-horsepower per litre, the FR-S has an estimated 7.2L/100 km combined rating when paired with the automatic transmission and an 8.2L/100 km combined rating when paired with the manual transmission.

The flat-four mates with either a six-speed manual or a six-speed automatic transmission. The manual offers quick, precise shifts with a short-throw; while the automatic features aggressive up shifts and sporty rev-matched down shifts that are initiated by steering-wheel-mounted paddle shifters. The automatic features Dynamic Rev Management technology that quickly raises the engine speed to help match engine revs to gear ratios on downshifts, limiting driveline shock and adding to the visceral experience of driving the car.

The automatic transmission also features Sport Mode that quickens shift timing as well as throttle response. In Sport Mode, the transmission will also hold gears longer at higher revs before upshifting, making it easier to exploit the torque and horsepower in the upper reaches of the rev range.

Both transmissions have the same 4.10:1 final drive ratio. To help bring the rear-wheel-drive design to life, FR-S features a Torsen® limited-slip differential, apportioning power to the rear wheels with precision and immediacy.

The idea of “Pure Balance” is further realized by the FR-S's lightweight design and compact size, a combination that allows it to be quick and nimble into and out of corners, with dynamic manoeuvrability and confident handling. The coupe weighs in at an impressive 2,758 pounds when equipped with a manual transmission and 2,806 when equipped with an automatic. The FR-S is kept to a minimum weight by utilizing an aluminum hood, a solid roof, and by featuring a trunk design instead of a hatchback.

The FR-S's low weight is complimented by a dynamically tuned suspension setup consisting of MacPherson struts up front and a double wishbone system in the rear. Excellent steering feedback and input is provided by Electronic Power Steering with a sporty 13:1 steering ratio. Lightweight 17x7-inch alloy wheels and ventilated disc brakes are standard on all four corners.

Powerful Exterior Design
The fierce exterior of the FR-S is a solid reflection of its inner power. The profile, inspired by the Toyota 2000GT, reveals a hood and roof-line that is remarkably sleek and low, giving it an aerodynamic shape that channels air cleanly over to the top. The low stance continues to exaggerate the coupe's menacing face, which is made up of sharp lines, a wide lower intake and angular headlights that house the projector-beam halogen lamps. The aggressive front fenders protrude upward and boast the iconic ‘86' piston emblem, which highlights the car's AE86 heritage as well as its unique new boxer engine. The rear fascia sits low and wide, with aerodynamic lower treatments that surround the sporty dual exhaust system. LEDs illuminate the edgy taillights, while centre-mounted backup lights finish the muscular design.

The FR-S will be available in seven colors including Raven, Asphalt, Hot Lava, Argento, Ultramarine, Firestorm and Whiteout.

Performance-focused Interior
The FR-S's interior includes a 2+2 seating configuration that is designed with both form and function in mind. The comfortable yet assertive front seats feature deep bolsters and are mounted extremely low, while the rear seat folds down flat, creating flexible space. It will also come standard with unique FR-S badged floor mats.

The large centre-mounted tachometer is the focus of the three-gauge cluster and features a programmable shift-indicator, which has a small but intense indicator that lights up when redline is reached. The driver can set the warning to go off in 100-rpm increments, starting at 2,000 rpm. A chime can be programmed to sound when redline is approached. Speed is monitored by both digital and analog gauges.

The FR-S features a performance-oriented, 365-millimetre diameter, leather-trimmed steering wheel that has both tilt and telescopic adjustment.

The soft-skin dash top has a “flat horizon” design, influenced by the simple purity of the Toyota 2000GT dash. At the centre of the dash top is a raised rib, which functions as a “centreline” that reflects at the base of the windshield, helping a skilled performance driver intuitively find the centre of the car.

The FR-S will come standard with an eight-speaker AM/FM/CD/USB Pioneer™ audio system. Standard features also include HD Radio™ technology and Bluetooth® connectivity that allows for streaming audio capability.

Sports Car Performance with Excellent Safety Features
FR-S comes standard with six airbags, including dual-stage advanced driver- and front-passenger airbags, front-seat-mounted airbags and side-curtain airbags.


_{As reported by Toyota Canada}

From now on, speed limit offenders driving luxury cars will not only face a fine for breaching the highway code, but also be investigated to make sure they paid their taxes.

Italy being literally submerged in debts - 2,500 billion dollars -, authorities have decided to take action against the many Italians who find ways to go around their fiscal responsibilities.

Photo: Ferrari

Since many of the said offenders are driving luxury cars, the moment they are pulled over by policemen for speeding is perfect to pin them down for their other offences.

The initiative is part of a plan put in place by the new Italian Prime Minister Mario Monti, and seems to be paying dividends. Since the start of the year, 12 billion of unpaid tax dollars have flowed back into the state's pockets. 2,000 luxury car owners who had "forgotten" to pay their due were caught.

On the downside, the prime minister has had to reinforce security at the national revenue agency offices to protect the employees from threats - 250 letter bombs, Molotov cocktails and other forms of aggressions - coming from unhappy Italians who were forced to pay up.


_{Source: ABC News}

Road safety has been at the forefront of Volvo's concerns for the past 85 years.

In 2008, the Swedish manufacturer gave itself an ambitious goal: "By 2020, nobody shall be seriously injured or killed in a new Volvo." Consequently, it has perfected an airbag system designed to protect pedestrians in the event of a collision, a system that will be standard on all new S40.

Photo: Volvo

Volvo claims it should greatly reduce death and injury figures of road accidents. According to statistics, in Europe, 14 % of pedestrians hit by a car end up dead. In China, the same stat rises to 25 %. In total, each year, 1.3 million pedestrians lose their life.

The new safety system is set to activate itself between 20 and 50 km/h, since 75 % of accidents involving pedestrians happen at speeds below 40 km/h.

Seven sensors were integrated in the front bumper, when the vehicle comes close to an obstacle, they can tell whether it's a person or an object and deploy the airbags if needed within thousands of a second. The whole process from detection point to deployment only takes hundredths of a second.

The closing laps of the 1982 Indy 500 turned into a nail biting duel between Gordon Johncock and Rick Mears.

The 1982 Indianapolis 500, held Sunday, May 30, 1982 is often considered one of the greatest editions of the race by historians, media, and fans.

Gordon Johncock, who had previously won the rain-shortened 1973 race, was the winner. Rick Mears finished second by a margin of 0.16 seconds, the closest finish in Indy 500 history to that point.

Sci-fi and K2000 TV series fans have been dreaming of a car that listens ever since David Hasselhoff's Kitt made it to the screen in the middle of the 1980's.

Voice activated technologies have come a long way in the last few years, but Nuance technologies takes the game to a whole new level with its latest Dragon Drive system.

"What are the best Indian restaurants in the neighbourhood?" you may wonder. Just ask and your Dragon Drive-equipped car will tell you. Say: "Take me to dad's" and it will map the way for you, given your father's address was entered beforehand in your phone.

The system, which works thanks to a telephone hook-up - be it USB or Bluetooth connectivity -, can also pick songs and give out information about traffic and weather conditions. You may also use Dragon Drive if your car is fitted with a Suscriber Identity Module (SIM), which is the case for certain GPS-equipped vehicule.

It's still not enough for you car to pick you up at the mall, but at least Dragon Drive enables you to keep both hands on the wheel and your eyes on the road at all time!

No price or launch date has been announced yet.


_{Source: CNET}