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May
18th

BMW eyes new production sites abroad, reports say

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BMW is considering new production sites around the world, including eastern Europe, according to media reports on Friday. But a BMW spokesman told Automotive News Europe today that the company has no plans add a new factory in Europe.
May
18th

Worthersee Tour 2012 – Worthersee Tour 2012

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All the pictures from the Worthersee tuning event in Austria, including the 217bhp VW Polo R concept


May
18th

PRODUCT EYE: Heads-up on BMW’s 640d Gran Coupé

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BMW tends to do things in style and with just a month or two before this year's Tour de France, they turned on a bit of that glamour with the press drive yesterday (17 May) of its 640d SE Gran Coupé west of Strasbourg in the Vosges mountains.
May
18th

US: GM reshuffles sales team ahead of product blitz

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General Motors has reshuffled its US sales team "in preparation for numerous product launches in the coming months".
May
18th

2012 Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT

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Many a spring vacation starts and ends with a pile of overstuffed suitcases and backpacks crammed along with their respective owners into the family minivan, sedan or sport-utility vehicle.
May
18th

UK: April car production up 9.3%

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UK car production rose 9.3% year on year to 94,352 units in April. Of those, 80,936 were exported, up 9.9%.
May
18th

USA: Lexus HS 250h hybrid axed due to poor sales

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Toyota has axed the slow-selling Lexus HS 250h after fewer than three years on the market. The car was sold mostly in Japan, the US and Canada.
May
18th

UK: Uncertain economy continues to unsettle Europe’s new car market

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Data released by JATO Dynamics points to continued weakness in the European car market in April as the region continues to experience economic instability and slowdown.
May
18th

US: Ford starts selling C-Max hybrid

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Ford has begun taking orders for the C-Max hybrid in the US, claiming it is America's most affordable, fuel-efficient hybrid utility vehicle.
May
18th

Russia’s AvtoVAZ doubles 2011 net profit

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Russia's largest carmaker, AvtoVAZ, said on Friday its net profit more than doubled in 2011 to 6.7 billion rubles (about $215.8 million). The maker of Russia's best-selling Lada cars said that its revenue grew 27 percent to 175.
May
18th

China’s Chery seeks government approval for planned venture with Jaguar Land Rover

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Chery has applied for government permission to establish a joint venture with Jaguar Land Rover in China after the two companies signed an agreement in March to cooperate on production.
May
18th

China car dealerships struggle as stockpiles rise, price cuts grow

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Chinese car dealers are struggling with a rising number of unsold cars that threaten to deepen price cuts, according to the nation's biggest automobile dealers' association.
May
18th

Rebadged Chryslers and Dodges get mixed results in Europe

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Fiat-Chrysler CEO Sergio Marchionne's plan to improve slow sales of the Fiat and Lancia brands in Europe through rebadged Chrysler models is getting mixed results.
May
18th

Mercedes, BMW, Audi, Citroen buck Europe’s downward sales trend in April

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Strong demand for premium and near-premium cars helped BMW, Mercedes, Audi and Citroen buck the downward trend in European new-car sales in April.
May
18th

Indy 500: Scott Dixon takes over in Indianapolis

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Ganassi's Scott Dixon was busy on the sixth day of testing at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, reaching a best average speed of 223.088 mph.

Indy 500 Scott Dixon
Scott Dixon. (Photo: IMS)

Josef Newgarden (Sarah Fisher Hartman Racing) and Graham Rahal (Ganassi) finished respectively second and third in what was another show of force for the two young drivers.

Indy 500 Josef Newgarden
Josef Newgarden. (Photo: IMS)

Teams will be able to have their boost levels turned up for from 130 to 140 kPA for Fast Friday, Pole Day on Saturday and Bump Day on Sunday; allowing engines to develop an extra 40 to 50 horsepower.

Indy 500 Helio Castroneves Graham Rahal
Helio Castroneves et Graham Rahal. (Photo: IMS)

Dragon Racing's Sebastien Bourdais and Katherine Legge were in action, driving their Chevrolet-powered cars for the first time.

The two Lotus drivers, Jean Alesi and Simona de Silvestro, were again the slowest of all.

Indy 500 Katherine Legge
Katherine Legge. (Photo: IMS)

Indianapolis 500 Practice Day-6

Pos Driver Team/Car Time Gap
1. Scott Dixon Ganassi DW12-Honda 40.3428s
2. Josef Newgarden Fisher DW12-Honda 40.4115s + 0.0687s
3. Graham Rahal Ganassi DW12-Honda 40.5259s + 0.1831s
4. Will Power Penske DW12-Chevy 40.5529s + 0.2101s
5. Justin Wilson Dale Coyne DW12-Honda 40.5927s + 0.2499s
6. Ryan Briscoe Penske DW12-Chevy 40.6302s + 0.2874s
7. Wade Cunningham Foyt DW12-Honda 40.6413s + 0.2985s
8. Dario Franchitti Ganassi DW12-Honda 40.6606s + 0.3178s
9. Charlie Kimball Ganassi DW12-Honda 40.6649s + 0.3221s
10. JR Hildebrand Panther DW12-Chevy 40.7200s + 0.3772s
11. Mike Conway Foyt DW12-Honda 40.7425s + 0.3997s
12. Alex Tagliani Herta DW12-Honda 40.7803s + 0.4375s
13. Oriol Servia Panther/DRR DW12-Chevy 40.7899s + 0.4471s
14. Helio Castroneves Penske DW12-Chevy 40.7982s + 0.4554s
15. Bryan Clauson Fisher DW12-Honda 40.8184s + 0.4756s
16. Tony Kanaan KV DW12-Chevy 40.8781s + 0.5353s
17. Takuma Sato Rahal DW12-Honda 40.9277s + 0.5849s
18. James Jakes Dale Coyne DW12-Honda 40.9414s + 0.5986s
19. Ana Beatriz Andretti/Conquest DW12-Chevy 40.9828s + 0.6400s
20. Rubens Barrichello KV DW12-Chevy 41.0149s + 0.6721s
21. Michel Jourdain Jr Rahal DW12-Honda 41.0673s + 0.7245s
22. Ed Carpenter Carpenter DW12-Chevy 41.0781s + 0.7353s
23. EJ Viso KV DW12-Chevy 41.1806s + 0.8378s
24. Townsend Bell Schmidt DW12-Honda 41.1846s + 0.8418s
25. Sebastien Bourdais Dragon DW12-Chevy 41.9161s + 1.5733s
26. Jean Alesi Fan Force DW12-Lotus 43.3758s + 3.0330s
27. Simona de Silvestro HVM DW12-Lotus 43.7552s + 3.4124s



May
18th

Bill Gates’ first Porsche now up for bid

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The first-ever Porsche owned by Bill Gates, a 1979 911 Turbo that he purchased a few years after founding Microsoft with Paul Allen, is now up for bid in Austria.

Sources say that Gates liked to go on high-speed excursions with his Porsche on the desert roads surrounding Albuquerque, NM before he and Allen moved Microsoft to the Seattle area.

1979 Porsche 911 Turbo Bill Gates
Photo: Dorotheum

Allen even had to bail him out of jail after one midnight escapade where Gates received three speeding tickets, including two from the same cop who was trailing him.

Registration slips still with the Porsche indicate that Gates held on to it at least through 1990. The car eventually wound up in Austria where its current owner repainted it in its original metallic turquoise.

Consigned with Dorotheum, the prized 911 Turbo carries a pre-auction estimate of about $55,500 to $71,000. We'll know its exact value on June 6th.


Source: Hemmings
May
18th

F1: The Mercedes AMG drivers look forward to Monaco

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Michael Schumacher and Nico Rosberg are getting impatient to race again in the streets and remain confidents.

Nico Rosberg loves Monaco and explains on Mercedes AMG website: "it's a great feeling to be driving at home, knowing that all my friends and family are watching. I have always been quick around the streets here, and I believe a good result is possible for us next weekend. The nature of the track should suit our car but as we have seen at every race so far this season, tyre management will be crucial."

Mercedes AMG F1 Nico Rosberg
Nico Rosberg, Mercedes AMG. (Photo: WRi2)

Michael Schumacher adds: "Monaco is just a circuit of its own very unique character. The circuit is really so much fun to drive. Of course, knowing that I will lose five positions on the grid does not add to this feeling but this just means that I will have to try even harder. I'm actually quite confident that we should look reasonably good in Monaco due to the hard work that everybody in the team is putting into the development of our car."

Mercedes F1 AMG Michael Schumacher
Michael Schumacher, Mercedes AMG. (Photo: WRi2)


May
18th

F1: HRT moves into new headquarters in Madrid

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From HRT

The small HRT Formula 1 Team has officially open its doors to the new headquarters at the Caja Mágica in Madrid, Spain.

Team Principal, Luis Pérez-Sala, and drivers Pedro de la Rosa, Dani Clos and Ma Qing Hua acted as the hosts of this meeting with the press, sponsors, suppliers and friends of the team.

HRT F1
Photo: HRT F1 Team

The Mayoress of Madrid, Honourable Madam Ana Botella and the President of the Spanish Motorsport Federation and Vice-President of the FIA, Mr.Carlos Gracia, wanted to accompany the team on this special day.

They toured the new facilities alongside the maximum representatives of the team, through the management, administration, operations and engineering areas up until the workshop where the mechanics were working on the F112 for the Monaco Grand Prix.

HRT F1
Photo: HRT F1 Team

"We're extremely proud to have finally opened our doors to everyone and have shown what, since a few months ago, is HRT's home. It's been a lot of hard work but it's a dream that has finally come true and an exciting project. This is the present but we continue to work looking ahead to the future to make this a top level sporting and technological centre and surely, with the help of everyone, we will achieve this,” said Luis Pérez-Sala, Team Principal HRT Formula 1 Team.


May
18th

F1: Flavio Briatore writing rules for ”GP1” series

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From GMM

Flavio Briatore could be readying to burst back into formula one.

Germany's Auto Motor und Sport said the ousted and formerly banned Italian is busily writing regulations for a 'GP1' championship.

They could be adopted should the FIA not sign up to the 2013 Concorde Agreement, according to the report.

Apparently, the political rumblings in F1 at present are not limited to the sport's planned floatation, or Bernie Ecclestone's spat with Mercedes.

Cost-control is also a buzzword. As reported recently, the vast majority of F1's teams want the FIA to enshrine cost-cutting in the actual sporting regulations, even to the point of pushing for a once highly-controversial budget cap.

F1 chief executive Ecclestone, however, is not famously close with the FIA's new president Jean Todt, and according to Auto Motor und Sport he is not convinced that the Paris federation needs to write and control the rules.

Enter Briatore. The German report said Ferrari will be a fan of the former Renault chief's rumoured regulations, as they steer away from the premium on aerodynamics.


May
18th

Rally: Volkswagen set for lengthy stay

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From WRC

New Volkswagen Motorsport chief Jost Capito has told that the firm is likely to extend its stay in the FIA World Rally Championship beyond 2015.

Volkswagen will enter a fleet of Polo R WRCs in 2013 as part of a three-year commitment to the sport's highest echelon. Sebastien Ogier will drive one of the two factory cars, while a programme for a junior driver in a third entry remains a possibility.

“If you see what is here, what is built up here and what is coming, then it's difficult to believe it's going to be for just three years,” said Capito, who has recently replaced Kris Nissen at the helm of the German team. “VW does things on a long-term and strategic basis, it doesn't go in and out of [programmes] easily.”

WRC Polo R Volkswagen
Photo: WRC

Capito said the Polo R WRC project was on course with further testing planned this year ahead of the car's competitive debut in 2013 when Rallye Monte-Carlo is expected to open the new season.

“The plan is to test this year and wait for Monte Carlo [to debut the new car],” said Capito, who confirmed that it would be unlikely for the car to compete any sooner despite accepting it could be beneficial.

Ford ran its new Focus RS WRC on Rally Australia in 2005 ahead of its full debut the following year. Capito was the company's European motorsport head at the time.


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