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Marco Sorensen and Kevin Magnussen won the two races of the Formula Renault 3.5 series held at Spa, while Richie Stanaway crashed heavily.

Marco Sorensen (12) and Kevin Magnussen (1) fighting at the start. (Photo: World Series by Renault)

Magnussen clinched pole position for Race 1, but Sam Bird was able to take the lead after a great start.

Marco Sorensen, who started from third position, was able to slice in front of both drivers to take the lead and claim his maiden F. Renault 3.5 win ahead of Jules Bianchi and Bird, while Magnussen was forced to retire after a contact of Arthur Pic.

Again, Magnussen cpatured the pole for Race 2, but this time he maintained his lead after the start.

The Dane lost first position when Robin Frijns moved up to the lead after the pit stops, but Magnussen - the son of former F1 driver Jan Magnussen - was able to overtake the Dutch driver later on to take the win ahead of Nick Yelloly and Frijns.




Behind them, Richie Stanaway had a huge crash when his car was launched over the back of Carlos Huertas' machine. Landing heavily on the ground, Stanaway suffered two broken vertebrae, and he will be out for several months.

Race 1:
1 - Marco Sorensen - Lotus - 21 laps in 46'10"968
2 - Jules Bianchi - Tech 1 - 2"081
3 - Sam Bird - ISR - 4"639

4 - Mikhail Aleshin - RFR - 14"966
5 - Nico Muller - Draco - 15"375
etc.

Race 2:
1 - Kevin Magnussen - Carlin - 18 laps in 1.02'43"958
2 - Nick Yelloly - Comtec - 2"682
3 - Robin Frijns - Fortec - 6"820
4 - Nico Muller - Draco - 9"688
5 - Sam Bird - ISR - 12"820
etc.

Championship:
1. Bird 70 points; 2. Frijns 61; 3. Yelloly 51; 4. Sorensen 45; 5. Magnussen 43, etc.

From GMM

Although the complete opposite of Monaco, Felipe Massa on Tuesday was bound for Canada with his mind still firmly on the famous Principality.

Trapped in a worsening slump since the start of the 2012 season, Massa's tumbling form had triggered speculation the Brazilian was fighting for his career in Monaco.

But on those fabled streets, he appeared to turn the corner.

"I really liked the car there," the 31-year-old said on Tuesday, "and it was working in the right direction to suit my style and I hope this positive trend can continue, starting with the race in Canada and then through to the end of the championship."

Felipe Massa in the streets of Monaco. (Photo: Ferrari)

Indeed, Monaco was apparently such a turning point that his engineering team, led by Briton Rob Smedley, intend to use Massa's Monaco car setup as the foundation for this weekend, in spite of the diametrically opposed lines of Montreal's Circuit Gilles Villeneuve.

Massa admitted that "the setup required for Monaco is very different to that at other tracks", but "even if the street circuit is unique, we can at least follow the direction we took there and make it work at other tracks".

"It might not be a normal situation, but maybe it is the best direction to go in to make the F2012 work for me," he added.

Ferrari driver Fernando Alonso intends to perform well this weekend at the Grand Prix of Canada to honour the legacy of the legendary Gilles Villeneuve who won the Montreal race back in 1978, driving for Ferrari.

After six Grands Prix, Alonso leads the drivers' championship with a slim three-point advantage over Red Bull drivers Sebastian Vettel and Mark Webber.

Fernando Alonso (Photo: Ferrari)

“Leading the championship is only the beginning, it's a starting point, because the ultimate target is leading the championship after the final race in Brazil in November,” says Alonso on the official Ferrari web site.

“It's a long championship and the first six races brought us enough points to be in the lead, but we are well aware that we have to improve. We need to make the car faster, working hard, while making no mistakes and finding consistency, which is not the easiest thing to do in this championship.”

The Scuderia Ferrari admits that traction and top speed have been the Achilles Heel of the F2012 and the nature of the Montreal circuit highlights these two areas of car performance.

“I think we have improved the car in these areas since the beginning of the season and Canada will be a good test in this respect,” said Alonso.

The brakes get some serious use here and, as always tires will play a vital role and for this weekend, Pirelli is bringing exactly the same compounds used two weeks ago in Monaco, namely the Soft Prime and the Supersoft Option.

“It's hard to say in advance, as this season has been so unpredictable with ups and downs for everyone over the course of six races” says Alonso. “However, I don't see any reason why Ferrari should not be competitive in Canada, fighting for the top places come the end of the race. Winning races is not easy, neither is finishing on the podium, but the important thing is to score points and find a good level of consistency.”

Fernando Alonso, Ferrari, Monaco Grand Prix (Photo: Ferrari)

The fact the circuit in Montreal is named after Gilles Villeneuve will have a particular significance this year, the 30th anniversary of his death and Fernando and Felipe were both in Maranello last month to mark the actual date.

“It was a very emotional event,” recalls the two-time World Champion.

“The anniversary of Gilles' death was a very special day, with his son Jacques driving his father's car at Fiorano, in front of his wife and daughter. Now we come to race at the circuit named after him and this city has always had a lot of Ferrari supporters, so we want to do well and give our tifosi and Gilles' fans something good to cheer about," Alonso concluded.

2012 Hyundai Sonata Limited

The Hyundai Sonata is a really compelling option in its segment.

The Hyundai Sonata really is a compelling option in its segment, because it is very stylish, comfortable, spacious, and reasonably priced. I can't get over just how composed and comfortable the ride was over a few hundred miles of highway driving over the weekend. Equally impressive was that the Sonata is very quiet inside, with only a little wind noise when you have the power sunshade open.

Photo Gallery: 2012 Hyundai Sonata Limited - Editors' Notebook - Automobile Magazine

Photo Gallery: 2012 Hyundai Sonata Limited - Editors' Notebook - Automobile Magazine

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Driven: 2012 Honda CR-V

Honda's compact crossover defines the category.

Compact crossovers are where the volume is in the SUV segment, and the volume leader among compact crossovers is the Honda CR-V. (That's in 2012 year to date. In 2011, Ford managed to push out more Escapes, even though that vehicle was at the very end of its long life cycle. But one suspects that those cars all disappeared into Hertz fleets, because, where I live at least, you hardly ever see an Escape on the road whereas it often seems like every other car is a CR-V.)

Photo Gallery: Driven: 2012 Honda CR-V - Automobile Magazine

Photo Gallery: Driven: 2012 Honda CR-V - Automobile Magazine

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New-car registrations in Germany fell 4.8 percent in May leaving five-month growth at 1.33 million, 0.3 percent higher than in 2011, the federal transport authority said.

Volkswagen's overhaul of senior management aims at improving the group's performance in three key areas: China, Audi and heavy trucks.

Ford is in talks with its partners to introduce local brands in China, while it focuses on building up its own brand in the world's biggest auto market, its China chief said today.

Our exclusive images show the sensational new BMW-rivalling Pajun saloon could look when it arrives in 2016

NIssan Leaf-buyers in Australia must now take a suitability test

The European debt crisis, the appreciating yen and slowing automobile demand in the United States are among the concerns facing Japan's automobile industry, Akio Toyoda, CEO of Toyota, told reporters in Tokyo today.

Mercedes increased its lead over rival BMW in the U.S. luxury-vehicle sales race for the year, as deliveries in May rose 19 percent to 22,515. Sales of BMW-brand cars increased 7.3 percent to 22,168 and Lexus, the No.

Aston Martin unveiled a coupe concept called the AM310 last week at the Concorso d'Eleganza Villa d'Este at Lake Como, Italy.

A new touchpad controller system may soon simplify BMW's iDrive interface. Developed by Preh GmgH, which also supplies Audi and Mercedes-Benz, the current prototype allows friendlier browsing and selection.

New functions could be integrated as well to limit the number of buttons on the centre console.

Touchpads are starting to grow in popularity within the auto industry. The Audi A8 was one of the first vehicles to include one, and now more and more manufacturers are following the lead.



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Ford's doing great. Their mainstream brand has got plenty of products in the pipeline and they're constantly improving their current line-up.

To balance their books, Ford unloaded all the luxury brands that were bought under previous management over the last few years, namely Jaguar, Land Rover, Aston Martin and Volvo. Of course, that was after adopting their platforms, safety technologies and performance know-how. Then, Mercury was killed off; a virtual carbon copy of Ford's products, so no big deal.


That leaves Lincoln as Ford's premium stable-mate which has been suffering for a while, not quite certain of its mission or who their target audience should be.

The company is hoping that will soon change, as the Lincoln brand is in the process of reinventing itself. There will be a greater distinction with Ford products, starting with styling. Max Wolff, their new Design Director, has started by applying his artistic creativity to the 2013 MKS sedan, the 2013 MKT crossover, while totally reskinning the 2013 MKZ sedan, due this later this year.

Mild changes for now
The new MKS hasn't been reinvented, but has received redesigned front and rear fascias. The car's nose now boasts the new Lincoln corporate visage, complete with a grille that mimics an eagle's spread wings. Wolff and his team could have been a little more adventurous, as the MKS doesn't boast the uniqueness, the boldness that certain other luxury brands flaunt.

Ditto for the car's posterior; the reworked taillights fail to add character to the overall appearance. On the other hand, the MKS is elegantly subtle, and there are people out there who dig a set of wheels that doesn't stick out of the crowd.

The 2013 Lincoln MKS receives mild cosmetic revisions, including a new corporate face. (Photo: Michel Deslauriers)

Now AWD only
A 3.7L V6 remains as the base engine, which produces 305 hp (up from 273) and 280 lb-ft of torque (up from 270) and is mated to a 6-speed automatic transmission with paddle shifters. Those who wish for more muscle can opt, as before, for the twin-turbo 3.5L V6, good for 355 hp and 350 lb-ft.

All-wheel drive, which used to be optional, is now standard fare in the Canadian-spec MKS. In addition, Ford claims a fuel consumption reduction with both engines.

Reworked suspension
To make Lincolns more appealing, one of the aspects taken into consideration is improving their handling capabilities. As such, the 2013 MKS swaps the old car's fixed-rate dampers for continuously controlled ones.

The MKS and MKT also receive what is called Lincoln Drive Control, an electronically adjustable suspension with three drive modes: Comfort, Normal and Sport. This will be exclusive to Lincoln vehicles. Basically, you can program what mode you want when the shift lever is in the 'D' position, and in the 'S' position, too.

With very little time on a closed circuit with the MKS, and no time at all on the open road, I didn't notice any difference between the three modes. I did drive an MKT through the countryside, however, and again, no difference besides perhaps a more responsive throttle in Sport mode. We'll have to further evaluate this when we perform a full road test.

The big downside: unlike similar systems in rival luxury brands, you can't simply press a button to switch suspension modes, you must fiddle through the on-screen menus to change modes, which you shouldn't be doing while driving.

A new, electronically adjustable suspension is now featured in the MKS. (Photo: Ford)

Better steering feel
The braking tests we were invited to perform, between the 2013 and outgoing 2012 models, also didn't produce any convincing results, despite the larger diameter front and rear discs; again, the very limited time behind the wheel didn't help.

On the other hand, what has significantly improved is the MKS' steering feel. It boasts a quicker ratio and is now electrically assisted with both engine choices, not just the EcoBoost V6 as before. It's more responsive to driver inputs, and makes the car a lot more enjoyable. How little things can do wonders.

More gadgets
For 2013, the Lincoln MKS gets a bunch of new high-tech gizmos, either standard or optional. The list includes: MyLincoln Touch, lane-keeping assist, a driver drowsiness detection system and automatic high beams. Adaptive cruise control, collision warning, Active Park Assist, blind-spot monitor and other stuff are still offered.

Inside, the steering wheel and centre stack are redesigned, looking much better. The finger-swiping volume and fan speed interfaces, like those in the MKX, are now found in the MKS, which may not please everyone. A heated wheel is now available, as is new wood (real) and leather colours.

Inside, the steering wheel and centre stack are redesigned, looking much better. (Photo: Ford)

Price decrease
The 2013 MKS starts at $47,700, while the EcoBoost version costs $52,200. That's a $2,500 drop in price compared to their 2012 equivalents.

So, the 2013 Lincoln MKS full-size luxury sedan will be an in-betweener car. It's an improvement over the 2012 model, without being the result of the brand's new strategy and creative direction. Still, it's not at all bad for representing Lincoln through its transition period.

Cadillac XTS

Hyundai Genesis 5.0 R-Spec

Volvo S80

Volkswagen CEO Martin Winterkorn replaced three Audi board members and added a board level post for China as part of a top management shake-up to push forward his growth plans for the automaker.

Volkswagen CEO Martin Winterkorn replaced three Audi board members and added a board level post for China as part of a shake-up of top management to push forward his growth plans for the automaker.

Ford will pursue its boldest attempt yet to tackle a nearly $50 billion risk to its business when it begins offering lump-sum pension payout offers to 98,000 white-collar retirees and former employees this summer.

A court in Germany ruled this week that the grandchildren of a German industrialist have a valid claim to a classic Mercedes car worth about $4 million that was taken by American soldiers during World War II.

From GMM

Sergio Perez is not a leading candidate to replace Felipe Massa next season, Ferrari president Luca di Montezemolo has said.

"We never take a decision before the second half of the season," the Italian told Reuters.

Montezemolo acknowledged Brazilian Massa's surge of form in Monaco last weekend, amid speculation Sauber's Perez - already the cream of Ferrari's driver development programme - might nonetheless be fast-tracked into the race seat for 2013.

"No," he said of the 22-year-old Mexican.

"Perez is a good driver but to drive a Ferrari you need more experience."

That is where 35-year-old Australian and Monaco winner Mark Webber might come in, with multiples sources indicating a one-year Ferrari deal for 2013 would pave the way for Perez to step up a season later.

But Red Bull's Webber insisted: "This (speculation) always happens around this time of year.

"Only rarely does anyone do anything now, or make any major decisions," he is quoted on Saturday by AFP news agency.