Auto News 5

Ssangyong President & CEO Lee Yoo-il announced on 2 May that the company sold a total of 10,011 vehicles in April 2012, that is 4,004 in domestic sales and 6,007 in exports respectively.

Asahi Kasei E-materials has started construction of a new plant for production of Sunfort dry film photo-resist (dry film) in Changshu, Jiangsu, China.

Opel has confirmed it will concentrate future Astra production across just two sites working three shifts at the same time as firing a broadside across its Russelsheim factory's bows.

Official pictures and details have been released of the sensational new Porsche 918 Spyder, as a prototype enters the testing phase

Official pictures and details on Porsche's sensational hybrid hypercar as prototype enters testing phase

Porsche again boosted deliveries in April 2012 with a total of 12,588 vehicles sold - up 7.2% on the same month last year. In the first four months of 2012, the sportscar manufacturer has seen a 12.6% year on year increase to 43,141 units.

The BMW 4 Series Convertible has been spotted testing with its roof down for the first time

BMW 4 Series Cabriolet has been spotted testing with its roof down for the first time

Auto legend Carroll Shelby died Thursday night at Baylor Hospital in Dallas at the age of 89.

On the day that Opel workers demonstrated against potential plant closures and job losses, Chevrolet's announcement that it will launch a new subcompact SUV called the Trax might be seen as adding insult to injury.

The alliance between Opel and PSA will lead to more sharing of platforms and technology between the two companies.

Bruno Spengler is back with Auto123.com for some more exclusive columns this year. The BMW factory drive had lots to say since, two weeks ago at the Lausitzring, he handed his team its first DTM win in 20 years.

Hello everyone!

I'm happy to be back as a columnist for more this year. The first two rounds of the DTM season have been something, both for me and my new team, BMW.

After a winter of thorough testing, we were ready to debut or brand new M3 DTM in competition, and see for ourselves where we stood compared to Audi and Mercedes.

Photo: René Fagnan

In terms of raw speed, Hockenheim - the season-opener - was great for us. But in terms of luck, we came short. In qualifying, I was slowed down by a small mechanical issue, which meant I could not give it my all. Ultimately, I missed out on Q4 and had to settle for ninth on the grid.

Then in the race, Ralf Schumacher and I got together on lap 2. I know he didn't mean to hit me, but in the end, it greatly reduced my chances to fight for a good result. I could have scored some points, may be even a top five.

Ralf and I talked about the incident afterwards. He apologized, we shook hands and went our separate ways. Those things happen in racing and, even though I was pretty upset when it happened, Ralf and I have raced long enough to know bad blood is not good to anyone.

Photo: René Fagnan

Barely a week later, I had to chance to redeem myself at the Lausitzring - where we faced yet another challenge -. At Hockenheim, we had all the data from four days of preseason tests a few weeks before the race. At the Lausitzring, we arrived clueless, setup-wise.

To be fair, we did test there a year ago. But the car has come a long way since, so we had to start over from scratch.

Yet, everything went like clock-work. The team did a mega job preparing the car and, right out of the gate, we were fast. So fast actually, we locked up the front row, Augusto Farfus and myself. I was very proud to get the first BMW pole in 20 years.

Photo: René Fagnan

But we knew it wasn't time just yet to celebrate, because the race was still to come - and the Mercedes cars would be fast, just like they showed a week earlier at Hockenheim -. They would be tough to beat.

Indeed they were, especially Gary Paffett. He was faster than us in the race. But my BMW M3 wasn't exactly slow either. Plus my crew lined me up with a terrific strategy, executing pit stops to perfection. It's exactly the way we had to react if we were to cope with the pressure from Mercedes - which pitted before us twice.

We could not afford a single mistake.

Photo: DTM.com

After each pit stop, the team got me back in front of Gary. So once the pit round as over, I knew it was up to me to get the victory. I had to do my job now. I didn't make any mistake and was rewarded with the checkered flag! In its second race since coming back after 20 years of absence, BMW won.

Furthermore, it brought our win tally in the series to 50. What a weekend...

I never doubted my team. I knew one day or another we would win a race, but I had no idea when. Everybody worked super hard this winter - every single aspect of the car was optimized. A win was the best way to highlight everyone's effort.

Reflecting on the new cars, and the new set of rules, it's all changed the racing since last year. Of course, not having in-race refuelling anymore means we have to start with much heavier cars. It also means that, with every lap, as the fuel burns, we improve our lap times.

Therefore setup is key to be good in the race. You want to be fast when the green flag drops - when your fuel tank is filled to the brim, but you want to be fast at the end as well, when the tank it almost empty. Finding the balance is not easy. The way we drive also has a big impact.

Drive too harsh at the start of the race, and the tires will be shot. That suits me, because I have a smooth driving style.

Now, with our first victory in the bag, we have to watch ourselves. Gathering data will be crucial from now on, since, just like at the Lausitzring, we'll arrive at the tracks with zero running. Friday free practices will be vital. In that respect, for sure, Mercedes and Audi have an edge over us.

Thanks for reading and see you soon I hope!

Bruno Spengler

From Mercedes-Benz

McLaren Mercedes Formula 1 driver and 2009 Formula 1 World Champion Jenson Button is to make a guest appearance at the Brands Hatch DTM weekend, May 18-20.

Button will take the wheel of a Mercedes-Benz DTM 'race taxi' at the legendary British circuit.

On Sunday, Button will meet up with McLaren Mercedes teammate and current DTM championship leader Gary Paffett.

The winner of the first race of the new DTM era will then show him around the new DTM Mercedes AMG C-Coupé, focusing particularly on the features that distinguish it from an F1 car.

Once Button has familiarised himself with the controls, he will be offering his services as a 'race taxi' driver, to take the current DTM championship leader around the legendary English circuit.

On Sunday at 11:10 in front of the Mercedes-Benz hospitality suite, there will be an autograph session for fans followed by a question and answer session chaired by Mercedes-Benz DTM driver David Coulthard (DHL Paket Mercedes AMG C-Coupé) who is the expert analyst on the BBC live coverage of Formula 1 racing.

Most cars can get through the harsh Canadian winter with a good set of snow tires. On the other hand, few cars enjoy winter as much as a Subaru and its competent all-wheel drivetrain.


The 2012 Subaru Impreza just received a makeover and a 2.0i Sport 5-door, equipped with the five-speed manual, arrived on my doorstep with perfect timing. It snowed during five of the seven days of my test drive, and the car proved absolutely brilliant.

When summertime arrives, however, the Impreza becomes just your average compact car. Subaru smartly engineered it to reduce the shortcomings of dragging a full-time AWD setup; namely, in regards to fuel economy.

Less power, less fuel
Lots of eyebrows were raised when Subaru announced the Impreza would ditch its 2.5L engine for a smaller, 2.0L unit. Power drops from 170 horsepower to 148, while torque drops from 170 lb-ft to 145.

But the Impreza also shed a noticeable amount of weight. Compared to its 2011 equivalent, the 2.0i Sport model lost 220 lbs (100 kg), which partly offsets the reduced firepower.

Is it slower? Yup, but nothing to blow a fuse over. The major trade-off is improved fuel economy; with the manual gearbox, the city rating plunges from 10.8L/100km to 8.3, while the highway rating falls from 7.5 to 5.9. I'll take those extra savings any day over the slight difference in performance. The calculated average over the course of my wheelspin-happy week is 9.9L/100km.

Subaru's symmetrical AWD is a full-time setup that distributes engine torque evenly between front and rear wheels. It's one of the best systems out there, and makes this Impreza so entertaining in the white stuff. Switch off the traction control, slap the shifter in first and floor it, and the Impreza claws its way up to speed, lightly kicking out the rear end and getting back into a straight line. Good times.

If you can, get the five-speed manual instead of the optional continuously variable automatic, which replaces last-year's four-speed auto. If not, the CVT does a better job in the fuel economy department than the manual.

The 2012 Impreza gets an engine downsize: it's now equipped with a 148-hp, 2.0L four. (Photo: Sébastien D'Amour)

Tasteful interior
Subarus usually feature no-nonsense cockpits finished with solid materials; in the case of our Sport tester, there's minimal silver-painted trim, while all elements of the car's switchgear feel solid.

Grippy fabric wraps supportive seats, despite their minimal adjustment possibilities, and the front chairs are mounted higher up, so you no longer feel as if you're sitting on the floor. The 60/40-split folding seatbacks include a fold-down centre armrest in all but the base model.

The five-door Impreza offers a cargo capacity of 638 litres, which grows to 1,485 litres with the rear seat folded; those volumes figure among the best in its category.

The Impreza's cockpit is solid and tastefully finished. (Photo: Sébastien D'Amour)

BBQ time
The Impreza is a champ in the snow, but when summertime arrives, the full-time AWD setup isn't nearly as useful, adding extra weight and friction on the drivetrain when you don't really need it.

W.hen it's time for barbecues and poolside get-togethers, the Impreza's one true advantage over the competition disappears; it becomes just your average compact five-door hatchback. Happily, Subaru's engineers succeeded in reducing fuel consumption, which we mentioned earlier, so the Impreza is cured of what used to be a disadvantage.

Subaru's AWD system is one of the best out there at providing grip in snowy conditions. (Photo: Sébastien D'Amour)

Competitively priced
The 2012 Impreza starts at $19,995 for a base 2.0i four-door, while the five-door is $800 more. Our 2.0i Sport is listed at $24,795 before taxes, freight and delivery charges.

There aren't many rivals with AWD. The Toyota Matrix AWD ($28,070, automatic only) and Suzuki SX4 iAWD ($20,795 to $24,935) are the only ones, in fact. Other similarly equipped competitors include the Volkswagen Golf 2.5L Sportline ($26,025), the Mazda3 Sport GT ($24,695), the Mitsubishi Lancer Sportback GT ($24,198), the Ford Focus SEL Hatchback ($23,999) and the Kia Forte5 SX ($22,495).

The 2012 Subaru Impreza is worth considering according to how much you love or fear winter. Four-wheel drifts in the snow are a blast in the Subie, and its all-wheel drivetrain provides tremendous grip on the road. If winter isn't a factor in your neck of the woods, though, there are many other compact cars that offer as much equipment, refinement and versatility.

Volkswagen Golf

Ford Focus Hatchback

Mazda 3 Sport

The 71th edition of the prestigious Grand Prix of Pau was held this past weekend in the narrow and twisty streets of Pau in France.

A crowd of 23,000 spectators gathered for the two days of competition.

Here is a summary of the action.

FIA European F3 Championship
Raffaele Marciello scored two wins in two races, beating Carlos Sainz Jr in Race 2.

(Photos: Jean-Claude Loustau)

Porsche Matmut Carrera Cup
Eight-time World Rally Champion Sebastien Loeb was competing in the Carrera Cup, driving for his own team. Loeb scored two straight wins, beating his teammate Jean-Karl Verney, the former Firestone Indy Lights champion.

Championnat de Frace F4
Poleman Alexandre Baron won Race 1 while Spaniard Victor Sendin finished first in Race 2.

Formula Renault 2.0 ALPS
Pole sitter Norman Nato captured victory in Race 1 with Tech 1 driver Paul-Loup Chatin clinched the win in Race 2.

2ème Grand Prix Electrique de Pau
A Audi driver in the DTM series, Adrien Tambay won Race 1. Local hero Mike Parisy won Race 2.

Peugeot RCZ Racing Cup
Julien Briche scored victory in the first race of the meeting. Mathieu Jaminet was unbeatable in Race 2.

Italian Formula 1 driver Elio de Angelis sadly lost his life on this day in 1986 when testing his Brabham-BMW at the Paul Ricard circuit in Southern France.

De Angelis was born March 26 1958 in Italy. He raced in Formula 1 between 1979 and 1986, driving for teams Shadow, Lotus and Brabham.

Elio de Angelis. (Photo: WRi2)

He scored two wins in F1. The first one came in 1982 at the Austrian Grand Prix in Zeltweg when his Cosworth-powered Lotus crossed the line just 0.05 seconds ahead of the Williams of Keke Rosberg. His other win came at the San Marino Grand Prix at Imola in 1985.

First victory of Elio de Angelis, ahead of Keke Rosberg, for 0.05 second. (Photo: WRi2)

The tragic accident that took his life happened May 15, 1986. When testing at the Paul Ricard circuit, the rear wing of his Brabham BT55 detached at high speed in the "S de la Verrerie", resulting in the car losing downforce on the rear wheels, which instigated a cartwheel over a sidetrack barrier and causing the car to catch fire.

The impact itself did not kill the likeable Italian but he was unable to extract himself from the car unassisted. Track marshals, mechanics and even journalist provided him with emergency assistance. De Angelis died 29 hours later, at the hospital in Marseille where he had been taken, from smoke inhalation.

Elio de Angelis was not only a very good race car driver, he was also a highly gifted piano player. He is sorely missed.

A number of Jeep owners don't like driving their Wrangler with the top on. Christopher Hinrichs, founder of Autovation Limited, has a clever solution called JeeTops, which consists of a fixed panoramic sunroof that installs into the Freedom Top three-piece modular hardtop. It's like the best of both worlds!

Photo: JeeTops

Bringing the outside in without leaving the occupants exposed to the rain, wind and road debris, JeeTops provide exceptional visibility even for those sitting in the back while blocking 99.9% of UV A and UV B rays.

JeeTops can be retrofitted to every Jeep Wrangler and Wrangler Unlimited from 2007 through 2012 including Sport, Sahara, Rubicon, Arctic, and Call of Duty models. Production will continue until the 2014 MY. Several colours are available.

The front sunroof panels are made of 3/16″ acrylic (same material OEM engineers use for aircraft canopies and ship portals) and covered by a 5-year/80,000-km warranty. They are said to normally resist scratches and impacts. However, should the top suffer any damage, it can easily be buffed.

The manufacturer advises not to use abrasives on the JeeTops, but rather a microfiber cleaning fabric. Owners should also avoid window cleaning products that contain ammonia.

JeeTops are built in Wisconsin where the demand continues to grow. Christopher Hinrichs want to break through the Canadian market in the next few months. A few retailers already sell the product including three in Ontario. Pricing is set at $1,295.

Canadian JeeTop retailers: jeetops.com

Photo: JeeTops

Photo: JeeTops

Many journalists (myself included) are wondering about Lotus' racing strategy because, to tell you the truth, we can't figure it out.

The brand all but disappeared from the map following the death of its brilliant founder, Colin Chapman, in 1982. The F1 team survived for a few years, and then Lotus completely vanished.

Oh yeah, that's right: A couple of GT cars did race in various lower-tier series, but that was nothing to write home about.

Ferrari's Dany Bahar became the new CEO in 2009 and worked to put Lotus (now owned by Malaysian automaker Proton) back on the rails.

After introducing a new family of production models, Lotus decided to make a subtle yet full-scale return to auto racing, which is weird considering that it had been missing for almost two decades.

This year, Lotus is involved in Formula 1, IndyCar, GP2, GP3, endurance races such as the 24 Hours of Le Mans, the British Touring Car Championship, American Le Mans and others. What exactly is the reasoning behind this sudden explosion of black and gold?

Photo: IMS

For the record, Lotus is having a hard time on the track. Only the F1 team, managed by Genii, enjoys some success.

The automaker's IndyCar effort is shaping up to be an utter disaster. The deal to supply its turbocharged V6 engine came too late, and the entire program suffered as a result. Lotus missed the winter tests and participated in the first race with an unproven, underpowered, and extremely delicate engine.

In fact, three of the four teams powered by Lotus entering the 2012 season have voided their contracts. As for driver Simona de Silvestro, she'll have to spend all of the remaining races behind the wheel of an excessively slow car.

Lotus probably wanted to make waves or at least a splash in North America by competing in IndyCar and at the Indy 500, but it's seriously starting to lose credibility instead. That's not good at all for a company whose overarching goal is to sell expensive production cars.

The Lotus F1 Team has posted a very interesting blog about the crucial effect of temperature on the behaviour of the 2012 Pirelli tires.

Thanks to the efforts of Kimi Raikkonen and Romain Grosjean, Lotus has scored one podium, two fastest laps and twenty-seven points is not a bad a return from a single race - Sunday's Grand Prix of Spain in Barcelona - particularly in one of the most highly contested F1 seasons in recent memory.

The blog explains that Friday in Barcelona may not have seen either Lotus at the head of the times, but a string of simulation runs demonstrated the pace of the E20 over a race distance - of course the most important factor over the course of the weekend.

Photo: Lotus F1 Team

A similar pattern emerged through Raikkonen's running on Saturday morning, instilling a confidence that the race could provide a very strong result for the team. Despite the Finn pointing out understeer through certain sectors of the lap, the car appeared just as stable (if not more so) than any of its competitors, who were also experiencing the same hindrance.

Qualifying itself once again gave positive indications as to the performance of the Renault-powered E20. Although not threatening the ultimate pace of the Lewis Hamilton, both Raikkonen and Grosjean sailed through to the pole position shootout, with both admitting that minor mistakes (through turns eight and nine respectively) perhaps cost them even stronger starting slots than their eventual P5 / P4 positions (later upgraded to P4 / P3 after a penalty for the McLaren).

Sunday's race threw a familiar spanner in the works ; temperature variation. The team has found throughout the season that the E20 works best in warmer conditions ; a trend which was once again realised here (most prominently at the beginning of the Grand Prix).

Photo: Pirelli

With a significant temperature drop from the heat of Friday and Saturday, the drivers were unable to stay in touch with the leaders in the early stages.

However, as the race went on and rack temperatures rose the E20 began to come into its element, with Grosjean's fastest lap of the race standing at over a second quicker than the next non-Lotus F1 Team competitor - despite missing a significant portion of his front wing end plate.

In addition, the decision to run a second set of scrubbed soft tires during the second stints showed, somewhat surprisingly, that the hard rubber was in fact the faster option in Barcelona. While this may seem counter-intuitive, it provides another valuable piece of information for future races.

From GMM

Martin Whitmarsh is sure McLaren's recent errors will not affect contract negotiations with Lewis Hamilton.

The British team's latest mistake not only cost Lewis Hamilton pole in Spain, it put the 2008 world champion to the very back of the grid.

Asked if he worries that the now seemingly constant flow of team gaffes will damage McLaren's efforts to re-sign Hamilton, Whitmarsh insisted: "No, I don't. He has got to build the support of the team, he has got to feel comfortable doing it, he has got to want to drive and he is in good shape," British newspapers quote the McLaren team principal as saying. "I look forward to working with him for a long time to come."

Martin Whitmarsh supervising Lewis Hamilton's qualifications. (Photo: McLaren)

But Whitmarsh admitted that, given Hamilton's tumultuous 2011 season, he was worried the British driver might have despaired last Saturday when the team's refuelling mistake cost the 27-year-old pole.

"I was concerned," added Whitmarsh, "because it is a pretty tough thing to happen to a driver. But I have to say he showed some greatness I had not seen before. By the end of our chat he was consoling me. The relationship between Lewis and the team is stronger and better and hopefully we will work together for a long time."