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Josef Newgarden (Sarah Fisher Hartman Racing) dominated the third day of practice held Monday at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

Josef Newgarden (Photo: IMS)

Newgarden was able to set the quickest lap of the week so far (222.486 mph) followed by Andretti Autosport's Ryan Hunter-Reay and his team-mate Marco Andretti.

James Hinchcliffe and Ryan Hunter-Reay (Photo: IMS)

Ganassi driver Scott Dixon and Sunday pacesetter Sebastian Saavedra (AFS/Andretti) rounded out the top five.

Will Power (No. 12) and Ryan Briscoe (Photo: IMS)

Meanwhile, Jean Alesi passed the third and final phase of the rookie Orientation Program after completing 40 laps with a fast time of 211.516 mph.

Indianapolis 500 - Day-3 Practice

Pos Driver Team/Car Time Gap

1. Josef Newgarden Fisher DW12-Honda 40.4519s
2. Ryan Hunter-Reay Andretti DW12-Chevy 40.6065s + 0.1546s
3. Marco Andretti Andretti DW12-Chevy 40.6285s + 0.1766s
4. Scott Dixon Ganassi DW12-Honda 40.6323s + 0.1804s
5. Sebastian Saavedra AFS/Andretti DW12-Chevy 40.7636s + 0.3117s
6. JR Hildebrand Panther DW12-Chevy 40.7835s + 0.3316s
7. Dario Franchitti Ganassi DW12-Honda 40.8250s + 0.3731s
8. Oriol Servia Panther/DRR DW12-Chevy 40.8527s + 0.4008s
9. Takuma Sato Rahal DW12-Honda 40.8924s + 0.4405s
10. James Hinchcliffe Andretti DW12-Chevy 40.9079s + 0.4560s
11. Tony Kanaan KV DW12-Chevy 40.9536s + 0.5017s
12. Justin Wilson Dale Coyne DW12-Honda 41.0007s + 0.5488s
13. Ana Beatriz Andretti/Conquest DW12-Chevy 41.0121s + 0.5602s
14. James Jakes Dale Coyne DW12-Honda 41.0892s + 0.6373s
15. Ryan Briscoe Penske DW12-Chevy 41.1016s + 0.6497s
16. Helio Castroneves Penske DW12-Chevy 41.1470s + 0.6951s
17. Will Power Penske DW12-Chevy 41.1783s + 0.7264s
18. EJ Viso KV DW12-Chevy 41.2192s + 0.7673s
19. Bryan Clauson Fisher DW12-Honda 41.2212s + 0.7693s
20. Simon Pagenaud Schmidt DW12-Honda 41.2390s + 0.7871s
21. Townsend Bell Schmidt DW12-Honda 41.2574s + 0.8055s
22. Wade Cunningham Foyt DW12-Honda 41.3250s + 0.8731s
23. Graham Rahal Ganassi DW12-Honda 41.3837s + 0.9318s
24. Alex Tagliani Herta DW12-Honda 41.3897s + 0.9378s
25. Mike Conway Foyt DW12-Honda 41.4990s + 1.0471s
26. Rubens Barrichello KV DW12-Chevy 41.5274s + 1.0755s
27. Ed Carpenter Carpenter DW12-Chevy 41.5684s + 1.1165s
28. Michel Jourdain Jr Rahal DW12-Honda 41.6725s + 1.2206s
29. Jean Alesi Fan Force DW12-Lotus 42.5499s + 2.0980s

Car and Driver revealed that McLaren is grooming a V8, roadster version of the MP4-12C, scheduled to come out later this year.

Geoff Grose, Head of Vehicle Development at McLaren said the new 3.8-litre V8 - which produces 593 horsepower - found in the roadster MP4-12C will be used "in more than one car".

Photo: McLaren Automotive

The new power-plant came from a (long, strenuous and expensive) collaborative effort from McLaren and Britain's Ricardo engineering firm. The hype hype it triggered has most likely killed projects of a V12. Undoubtedly, McLaren engineers, given their race expertise, will have no problem tap all the power they need of the 8-cylinder engine for future projects.

Which means the successor of the famed F1 that McLaren has been talking about could be powered by this same V8. A concept car for the said replacement may come out as early as this year, but is more likely to been seen first early in 2013.


_{Source: Car and Driver}

From GMM

Even amid the chaos of the 2012 pecking order, the star performer is obvious.

That is the view of former F1 driver Christian Klien, who confirmed to the Austrian news agency APA that one of his current roles is a simulator driver for the sport's latest winning team, Williams.

"It (2012) is very open," he said, "but for me Fernando Alonso stands out."

Equal with Sebastian Vettel, Spaniard Alonso is at the top of the drivers' world championship, a full eight points clear of Lewis Hamilton.

The Spaniard's car has been the struggling Ferrari F2012, but he has never finished a race this season lower than ninth (China).

He has therefore scored points at every opportunity, even finishing first and second in Malaysia and Spain respectively.

"Alonso has an inferior car," Klien explained, "but he uses every single little opportunity. He is the most complete driver who gets the most out of the package he has."

Fernando Alonso, Ferrari F2012. (Photo: Pirelli)

Triple world champion Sir Jackie Stewart agrees that, among arguably the most competitive grid of drivers since the late 80s, Alonso is the standout performer.

"Right now we have the best generation of drivers we've had for a while," the famous Scot told the Spanish sports daily AS.

"Everyone talks about Vettel, who is a great driver, and also Hamilton of course, but there is also Button, Schumacher, Kimi -- all champions. There are others like Webber who also have the quality to win, young drivers coming up, many of them are very good, but also it is true that Alonso is fantastic."

Asked why the Spaniard has not added a title to his tally since 2006, Stewart said: "The explanation is easy -- he hasn't had the luck to get the best car. Now he has one that isn't good, but it's in those circumstances that you see even more the quality that he has."

Given Alonso's push to the top of the championship with a sub-standard car, therefore, all the talk about Ferrari writing off the 2012 championship has been silenced for now.

"We have to keep developing the car," Stefano Domenicali, Ferrari's team boss, said after Barcelona, where significant upgrades were brought to the F2012 package.

"We are not yet fast enough to consistently fight for the podium, but that is the only option if we want to be in contention for the title," he insisted.

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.

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

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.

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

2012 Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution MR

Rally-bred excitement, even without a clutch.

The Evolution MR and I had only brief, late night and early morning encounters. For the first time, I was happy to find an automatic transmission in an Evo as I was in desperate need of minimum-effort transportation. Thus equipped, it actually proved to be a remarkably laid back chariot, with credit going to its light steering, surprisingly compliant ride, and supportive Recaro sport seats. My only complaint was that, as usual, I could have benefitted from a booster seat to better see over the hooded gauge surrounds.

Photo Gallery: 2012 Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution MR - Editors' Notebook - Automobile Magazine

Photo Gallery: 2012 Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution MR - Editors' Notebook - Automobile Magazine

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General Motors is interested in acquiring Ally Financial Inc.'s international operations, CEO Dan Akerson said today.

While BMW employs a digitally sanitized/perfected sound file to give

North American operating profit sank at Nissan Motor in the latest quarter, despite rising sales, as higher costs and fleet sales pinched margins.

Also in this episode: The Williams team claims its first Formula One victory in nearly eight years, and

By Design: Ford Fusion

Mainstream fashion.

In the january ipad issue, I wrote the following about the Frankfurt concept car used as a teaser for the critically important production Ford Fusion/Mondeo: "I harbor a hope that the production Ford to be shown in Detroit two months after this is written will be even better than the Evos--and a worry that it won't be as good. Whichever it is, we'll be stuck with it for a while, because once the presses start stamping, it'll be a long time until anything can change." The definitive Fusion is now here, and it does not enjoy better styling than the Evos, but it's as good, in a less spectacular way. I'm very happy to see an excellent mainstream Ford sedan, probably the best since the brilliant original Taurus a quarter century ago.

Photo Gallery: By Design: Ford Fusion - Automobile Magazine

Photo Gallery: By Design: Ford Fusion - Automobile Magazine

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Eterniti Motors, which first showed us the Hemera super SUV concept in

GM will launch a small Chevrolet crossover late this year in more than 140 global markets, but not in the United States. The automaker said today that it will unveil the Chevrolet Trax in September at the Paris auto show.

Brose North America today announced it will acquire a former Mopar plant in suburban Detroit.

As the nation prepares to observe Memorial Day on May 28, Ford and Chrysler are offering military personnel additional incentives when they buy new vehicles.

Suzuki Motor boosted operating income for the year to 31 March, 2012 by 11.6% to JPY119.3bn as lower sales and the high yen were offset by cost reductions and reduced depreciation.

Driven: 2012 Volkswagen Jetta GLI

The best Jetta you can get.

When the current-generation Jetta was launched, its big advance over the previous model was its much lower price. Unfortunately, that lower price was achieved with some severe cost cutting both in the car's mechanicals -- a cheaper rear suspension and a smaller, less-powerful engine -- and its interior. The arrival for 2012 of the top-spec GLI edition of the Jetta, goes a long way toward remedying those issues.

Photo Gallery: Driven: 2012 Volkswagen Jetta GLI - Automobile Magazine

Photo Gallery: Driven: 2012 Volkswagen Jetta GLI - Automobile Magazine

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New vehicle sales in the Philippines fell 9.7% to 12,304 units in April, from 13,631 units a year ago, according to data released jointly by the Chamber of Automotive Manufacturers of the Philippines Inc (CAMPI) and Truck Manufacturers Association (TMA).