Auto News 5

Yvan Muller (Chevrolet) and local hero Norbert Michelisz (BMW) were the winners of the two rounds of the World Touring Car Championship  presented at Budapest last Sunday.

Muller set pole position and maintained his lead in Race 1 to capture his fifth win this season ahead of his teammate Rob Huff and Alain Menu, for a third 1-2-3 sweep for Chevrolet this season.

Yvan Muller, Chevrolet. (Photo: FIAWTCC)

In Race 2, Norbert Michelisz moved up from his fifth position on the grid to the lead after he passed poleman Franz Engstler. He took win in front of his supporters.

Michelisz, driving for BMW crossed the line ahead of Alain Menu's Chevrolet, and Mehdi Bennani's BMW, the Moroccan driver taking his best WTCC career result.

Norbert Michelisz, BMW 320 TC. (Photo: FIAWTCC)

Yvan Muller went wide while fighting for sixth place, and dropped down to 10th. But the reigning WTCCC champion stands on top of the standings, 23 points ahead of Alain Menu.

Race 1:
1 - Yvan Muller - Chevrolet Cruze - RML - 12 laps in 23'23”462
2 - Robert Huff - Chevrolet Cruze - RML + 1”259

3 - Alain Menu - Chevrolet Cruze - RML + 1”759

4 - Mehdi Bennani - BMW 320 TC - Proteam + 10”983

5 - Tiago Monteiro - Seat Leon 1.6T - Tuenti + 15”206
Etc.

Race 2:
1 - Norbert Michelisz - BMW 320 TC - Zengo - 12 laps in 23'37”603

2 - Alain Menu - Chevrolet Cruze - RML + 1”805

3 - Mehdi Bennani - BMW 320 TC - Proteam + 4”998

4 - Pepe Oriola - Seat Leon WTCC - Tuenti + 6”221

5 - Tiago Monteiro - Seat Leon 1.6T - Tuenti + 8”020
Etc.

Championship:
1. Yvan Muller 180 points; 2. Menu 157; 3. Huff 150; 4. Coronel 97; 5. Tarquini 96; 6. Michelisz 78; 7. Oriola 69; 8. D'Aste 59; 9. Engstler 36; 10. Bennani 35.

From GMM

McLaren looks set to run a higher nose this weekend in Spain.

Last week, at the very end of the Mugello test, test driver Oliver Turvey debuted a new front wing that featured a conspicuously higher nose tip.

Oliver Turvey, McLaren. (Photo: WRi2)

McLaren, the early 2012 frontrunner but having struggled recently in Bahrain, was the only notable team this year to ignore the new design trend for ugly 'stepped' front noses, introduced as arguably the best solution to new nose-height safety regulations.

The MP4-27's new nose does not feature a step element, but the tip is notably higher than its predecessor.

"Nowadays it is quite a critical part of the car, you're looking to find very small improvements," team boss Martin Whitmarsh said on Wednesday.

As for whether the new nose will be seen in Barcelona, he confirmed: "You may well see it again, yes. There's a reasonable chance you'll see it on Sunday."

From Williams

The Audi R18 e-tron quattro, powered by Williams Hybrid Power's innovative electric flywheel hybrid system, impressed on its first competitive outing in Round 2 of the FIA World Endurance Championship held at Spa-Francorchamps this past weekend.

The No. 2 Audi R18 e-tron Quattro set the fastest time in Friday's qualifying and its sister car finished in second place around the famous circuit after dominating the early stages in difficult wet conditions.

The race at Spa-Francorchamps can be seen as a “dress rehearsal” for the 24 Hours of Le Mans next month in France.

The winning R18 Audi e-tron quattro at Spa-Francorchamps. (Photo: WRi2)

Williams Hybrid Power designed an entirely new, ultra-lightweight electric flywheel and associated power electronics for the Audi R18 e-tron quattro, delivering 150KW of power with a top rotor speed of 45,000 rpm.

The key benefits of the Williams hybrid system are a high power density and correspondingly low mass, the ability to continuously deep power cycle, high efficiency energy transfer to and from the e-storage, and an insusceptibility to performance or life degradation over a wide range of operating temperatures.

According to Williams, these defining features are highly suited to endurance racing and made the WHP flywheel the prime candidate for Audi's project when compared to other technologies such as batteries, ultra-capacitors or mechanical flywheels.

German driver Tim Bergmeister survived a terrifying crash at Fuji Speedway when his Porsche slammed in the guardrail at very high speed during the second round of the 2012 Super GT series.

Bergmeister was taken to the hospital in serious condition. His brother Jorg posted this update on Facebook.

"Tims condition has stabilized. He has severe lung injuries and the doctors are trying to safe his left lung while the right side is in much better shape. within the next 2 weeks we will know how it goes. His brokes bones are no issue right now and the good thing is there are no head injuries nor damage to the spinal cord. Please keep your fingers crossed for him. Thank you for all the messages. I will keep you updated. Jörg"

Wednesday, the news came that Tim's surgery was a success and he had regained consciousness.

We wish him a speedy recovery.

Gearhead procrastinators, listen up. Mother's Day is fast approaching - and you've probably got no idea what to get yours.

Since you likely spent the early years of your life tossing Cheerios, crayons and fries all over the interior of moms car, we've put together a list of ideas to redeem yourself - and help mom get the most out of her car and her time with it.

They're even arranged by price for easy matching to your budget.

$0 to $50: Two hours should suffice to wash, polish, shine, tidy and protect mom's car, inside and out. You can do it all for under fifty bucks - even if you have to pick up a new wash mitt, some Armor All, and a six-pack to enjoy during the cleaning procedures. And remember: giving mom ‘neat and tidy' without her lifting a finger is as priceless as gifts get.

Other cheap gift ideas include a peel-and-stick ‘stick family' for her rear window, a clip-on miniature flower vase, or a portable, plug-in travel mug to keep her beverages warm.


$50 to $300: Petro-Canada offers a ‘Season Pass' to their drive-thru car washes for about 200 bucks that'll let mom visit the drive-thru wash every day for 3 months. This gift will help her stay classy at the wheel all spring and summer.

Mom rockin' an older ride? Consider a new audio deck with Bluetooth compatibility for her Smartphone. Install the deck and pair her Smartphone to it for maximum brownie points.

About $120 will get mom an all-in, one-year subscription to Slacker Radio - giving her a custom, personalized radio station she can access through her Smartphone in the car via Bluetooth streaming, at home on her iPad or anywhere else there's an internet connection.

For a more stylish idea, check out some jewellery and accessories. And not just any jewellery and accessories - Maserati jewellery and accessories! If you can't afford that new GranTurismo Mom's always wanted, perhaps a Maserati-branded scarf, silver necklace, tote bag or purse would give her a welcomed taste of the celebrated brand's passion for style and sophistication. Jewellery, accessories and clothing options are available from Maserati's online store.

Photo: Maserati

$300 to $2000: Spending a grand or two alone, or between a few siblings, opens the door on a whole slew of fantastic car-related Mother's Day gifts. Custom wheel and tire packages, body kits, a giant stereo, in-car entertainment consoles and the like are all available in this price range.

Thinking of a high-speed bonding activity? Your favourite premium automaker likely offers performance driving schools in this price range, too. Look for some from BMW, Mercedes-Benz, Porsche, and others.

Money no Object: Need a gift to make up for years of terrible misbehaving and nincompoopery? Money no object? Get mom that shiny new Infiniti she's always wanted.

And even if she's never wanted a new Infiniti, she will-- the moment she lays eyes on the new 2013 IPL G Convertible.

It's got 343 horsepower, a power-folding roof, and will make all her friends jealous. Plus, with actual rear seats and a comfortable but sporty ride, said jealous friends can come along on a road trip. Get back in mom's good books, and she may even let you drive it.

Photo: Infiniti

Everybody on this tiny green Earth has a right to equal opportunities. Be it education, food, lodging, and transportation. The issue is not what the people want, it's what the Earth can give, and can take.

Almost overnight, China has become the world's foremost financial power and with money comes the desire to consume, and lots of it.

We, in North America, have had the last Century to adapt our needs and wants to goods being made available through industrialization and increasing technological advances. Think Henry Ford and the Model T and everything that he and it brought to our continent.


To this day, we still consume far more than we really need (I'm guilty) but when I read, watch or surf the news, the words China and growing markets have become synonymous with millions, billions, investment, development, buying, selling, building, expansion, increases, and biggest.

China is seemingly bursting at the seams with money and business opportunities, and everybody wants in. Ford, Chrysler, General Motors, Volkswagen, to name a few, are pouring freight trains worth of cash into the country to build cars to meet the ever increasing demands for more. And more. This list obviously does not include all the home-grown manufacturers that cannot build new cars fast enough either.

The Ex-Big Three have pledged millions and billions to build new plants, assembly lines and manufacturing facilities to build more cars in order to supply the country and the world with more. In business terms, it makes boatloads of sense as every manufacturer in this market has massive gains in sales to show for their investments. How long can the good times roll though?

This tsunami of production and consumption cannot be sustainable for ever... What will be left on the other side of this gynormous wave?

Again, EVERYONE has a right to new cars, clothes, furniture, and everything but the pace at which they are consuming is scaring the pants right off of me, and that in itself is a scary thought...

With the growing global energy crisis, pollution, and everything else that comes as by-products to mass consumption, how long will it be before these increasingly worrisome issues become more than simply things to come? In fact, the reality is that I don't think we are ready for reality.

China is revolutionizing the world and the car business but at what cost? Are we (who's we?) supposed to do something about this?

From GMM

Mercedes has dropped a strong hint that it has no intention of racing out of formula one at the end of this season.

The German marque is currently arguing with F1 chief executive Bernie Ecclestone over the 2013 Concorde Agreement, after only Ferrari, McLaren and Red Bull were offered places on the sport's post-floatation board.

Media reports have indicated Mercedes, a supplier of engines and also with its own Brackley based works team, could quit formula one over the spat.

Photo: Mercedes AMG F1 Team

"We are in discussions with the commercial rights holder and we would like to ask for your understanding that we are not currently commenting on these discussions," a Mercedes spokesman told CNN.

In reality, however, Mercedes is already making plans for 2013.

On Tuesday, the team announced that the Swiss watchmaker IWC Schaffhausen has signed up to become a sponsor "from January 2013".

"It is widely recognised that motor sport serves as a testing ground for technologies that ultimately benefit us all," team boss Ross Brawn said in the media statement. "As the pinnacle of global motor sport, formula one is at the forefront of such development, and that leading role is set to continue in the years ahead."

The Audi A8 is the quattro-driven, V8-powered flagship of one of Germany's most celebrated brands. It's priced in real-estate territory, designed for maximum high-tech comfort and speed, and has more cutting-edge gadgets than your favorite electronics store.

Most importantly, Jason Statham drives one in The Transporter, which is badass.


That was the last-generation A8, though. An impressive car in its own right -- though the latest incarnation of Audi's S-Class and BMW 7 Series fighter has been dialed up to all-new levels.

What a face
Now, retina-piercing LED headlights cap off the massive fascia, complete with a chrome-clad grille that clears the fast lane in a jiff. Elsewhere, styling is restrained and modest but altogether stately. Dual exhaust and LED taillamps cap off the rear end with a hint at the A8's performance capabilities, too. Other than the front end, the A8 instantly oozes status and prestige without being all in your face about it.

And it's all only a hint at the styling on board -- because it's inside where the A8 really nails it.

Top-of-class cabin
On board, endless contrasting colors, textures and materials combine with a decidedly techy and modern look that makes the cabins in some competing models look downright sleepy.

Simply, every inch of this cabin invites you to examine, touch and feel it. It's all colorful, rich and sumptuous to the eyes and fingertips, and trimmed like the business centre in a luxury hotel. And the meticulous assembly quality makes you feel like you're sitting in a car worth this sort of money.

Sharp LED lighting is employed in the instrument cluster, as well as within the optional $7,000 Alcantara suede headliner, for a more upscale look. A rear-seat entertainment console, privacy shades, cigar-ready ashtrays, and self-sealing doors that pull themselves closed further the effect. Mood-lighting can be set by color and vehicle zone, and there are two fully functional sunroofs as well.

Oh -- and since the A8 tester was the A8L, its lengthened compared to the standard A8, for more rear-seat legroom. It's fit for a rap star. Or pretending you're a rap star.

It's priced in real-estate territory, designed for maximum high-tech comfort and speed, and has more cutting-edge gadgets than your favorite electronics store. (Photo: Justin Pritchard)

Gadgets?
Like gizmos? There's a touch-pad for doodling your destination or phone number into the A8's computer, a drive-select interface to customize the A8's dynamics, a supercomputer in the instrument cluster, and full cellular phone connectivity. Driver assist systems monitor your blind-spots, following distance, rear-end collision risk, and front and rear clearance during parking. Cruise-control self adjusts its speed based on traffic, and there's even an alarm if you drift out of your lane.

Hell, it's practically self-aware.

End of the day, this is one of the all-time most beautiful, high-tech cabins on the road today. Its' a car you could be driven around in -- though enthusiasts will likely want to be up front in the driver's seat.

4.2 litres of V8 velvet
Displayed under the hood like a trophy is Audi's 4.2L, direct-injected V8. This is one of my all-time favorite engines, and it makes 372 horsepower for this application while achieving a redline just over 7,000 RPM.

It absolutely sings.

Not loudly or intrusively, mind you -- but with that subtly- uted, aggressive Hollywood car-chase sound. This blends with a delightful high-RPM zing as the tachometer sweeps for its upper limits.

Displayed under the hood like a trophy is Audi's 4.2L, direct-injected V8. (Photo: Justin Pritchard)

A driver's yacht
This is a driver's car. It's not trying to isolate those on board from any and every sense of the outside world, or the workings of its engine or chassis. Driven hard, you can hear the engine, feel the crisp gear shifts, sense the steering loading up and click the paddle-shifters for fingertip control over the whole experience.

There's plenty more cornering grip than most A8L drivers will ever touch, and despite being the size of your local Canadian Tire, it's still a machine that encourages spirited driving and never feels intimidated by its weight or mass.

Brakes are powerful and fairly precise, and quattro AWD means fuss-free traction in virtually all situations. The lively driving feel is refreshing -- especially considering most luxury cars this large feel like their suspension and steering are made of melted cheese.

This is unquestionably a car in harmony with the road. (Photo: Audi)

Notes and Gripes
Other notes from my test drive? The 8-speed automatic helps the A8L achieve surprisingly good mileage. I was delighted to burn through just 10.1L/100km of premium unleaded at speeds well above the posted limit.

Gripes included slightly higher than expected levels of wind and road noise, and an intimidating parking experience. The A8L is as long as a quad-cab pickup truck, and fitted with a radar warning system that beeps alarmingly should you get within four miles of any other object. Of course, if you own one of these, you're using the valet, anyway.

Shoppers with plenty of fundage after a gargantuan sedan with some of world's best design, technology and performance should consider this machine a priority test drive.

For the rest of us, the as-tested price of about 130 grand is a great reason to stay in school or say yes to Encore.

Mercedes-Benz S 350 BlueTEC 4MATIC

BMW 7 Series

Lexus LS 460

From GMM

Ferrari's title tilt could hinge on the competitiveness of the updated F2012 this weekend in Barcelona.

"What I want is to have a competitive car in Barcelona," insisted the famous Italian marque's president Luca di Montezemolo on Tuesday.

"That's what I've asked for," he is quoted as saying by Brazil's O Estado de S.Paulo newspaper.

Ferrari had congregated at its Fiorano test track, to watch Jacques Villeneuve drive the 1979 single seater to mark the 30th anniversary of his father Gilles' fatal crash.

Fernando Alonso aboard the new F2012 at Mugello, last week. (Photo: Ferrari)

But Montezemolo's disappointment is with the latest Ferrari, which has been heavily updated since the Bahrain grand prix three weeks ago.

"Our technicians are confident, but we will have to see how our opponents have advanced too," he added.

O Estado de S.Paulo correspondent Livio Oricchio claimed "Montezemolo knows" that anything other than a big step forward in Barcelona will mean Ferrari has to "start thinking about" its 2013 project instead.

"Now we have to make a quantum leap, to have a car that is more competitive, less difficult to drive, and gives confidence to the fans," Montezemolo is quoted by La Stampa newspaper.

"Let's see how it goes in Spain," he told Rai television.

"I have asked for an extraordinary response from our engineers," Montezemolo is also quoted as saying by Italy's Sky Sport 24.

La Gazzetta dello Sport, meanwhile, quoted lead driver Fernando Alonso as saying: "Our goal is to be world champions in November, and if we are to succeed then we must do better than we have done so far."

Team boss Stefano Domenicali agreed: "We expect a significant evolution that will bring us closer to the step we need. The Spanish grand prix is definitely open, as is the championship. I say this because we believe."

AutoExpress.co.uk readers vote satellite navigation the most useful in-car gadget of all time

2012 Buick Regal GS

Buick has a bit of a mixed bag with the Regal GS.

Comments left on previous articles about the Regal GS generally fall into two distinct groups: those who are irked that the new GS isn't a re-pop of the rear-wheel-drive Grand National they adored as a kid, or those who are irked that GM didn't just import the Opel Insignia OPC's driveline -- peaky twin-turbocharged V-6, all-wheel-drive, and all -- into the United States.

Photo Gallery: 2012 Buick Regal GS - Editors' Notebook - Automobile Magazine

Photo Gallery: 2012 Buick Regal GS - Editors' Notebook - Automobile Magazine

2012 Buick Regal GS | Digg It | Add to del.icio.us

Insurance and fire investigators in suburban Houston are probing a house blaze that destroyed a new Fisker Karma plug-in hybrid car last week.

Also in this episode: We review the 2012 BMW 528i sedan, the Cadillac ATS and the

The Marin Sonoma Concours d'Elegance will bring a selection of coachbuilt French cars to the Marin Civic Center in San Rafael, Calif., on May 20.

Ford is beefing up its dealer network in China as it pushes hard to catch up with rivals such as Volkswagen AG and GM.

Toyota said today it will spend $30 million to expand its Georgetown, Ky., plant, boosting the factory's annual four-cylinder engine capacity by more than 100,000 units.

General Motors' Opel unit has not completely denied a Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung (FAZ) report at the weekend that the Opel Astra in future will only be produced in England and Poland thus putting the Rüsselsheim plant "at risk".

Opel labor leader Wolfgang Schaefer-Klug said a deal to restructure General Motors' European brand could be achieved in two to three months, paving the way for a return to profitability.

Opel labor leader Wolfgang Schaefer-Klug said a deal to restructure General Motors' European brand could be achieved in two to three months, paving the way for a return to profitability.

Opel/Vauxhall said its new minicar will called Adam when the model launches in 2013. With the Adam, the GM unit aims to rival cars such as the Fiat 500 and Mini. The car, previously code-named Junior, will debut at the Paris auto show in September.