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From GMM

German journalist Michael Schmidt has expressed concern about the half-empty grandstands at Hockenheim last weekend.

In Auto Motor und Sport, he said he was "surprised" by the "lack of interest" in the German grand prix amid the fascinating 2012 season.

Indeed, Germans have seldom had more to cheer about in F1, with the grid boasting legend Michael Schumacher, the reigning world champion Sebastian Vettel, three other race drivers and the Stuttgart marque Mercedes.

But only 38,000 spectators attended on Friday, 50,000 for qualifying and 62,000 for Sunday's race.

In 2005 there were 110,000 spectators on the Sunday, declining to 78,000 in 2008 and 65,000 two years ago.

"Certainly, the ticket prices are extremely high and the financial crisis has an effect, but isn't this also true in England and Spain?" wrote Schmidt.

Indeed, in crisis-gripped Spain, 82,000 spectators turned out to watch Fernando Alonso in May.

Hockenheim boss Georg Seiler said the attendance figures for this year's race has allowed the circuit to break even.

From GMM

Martin Whitmarsh has urged Mercedes to finally sign the new Concorde Agreement.

Despite Bernie Ecclestone's earlier intimations to the contrary, it emerged at Hockenheim that Mercedes is in fact still yet to agree to the terms of the new deal.

It is believed a major sticking point is that top rivals McLaren, Ferrari and Red Bull have all been offered places on F1's post-floatation board, but not Mercedes.

Indeed, in an interview with McLaren boss Whitmarsh posted on F1's official website, the transcript quotes the questioner as saying that only "three team members from Ferrari, Red Bull and McLaren" will be on the board.

"I don't think that it is a secret anymore that nine teams have signed the contract -- and I really hope that the silver team next door (Mercedes) will sign very shortly and it will be then that we will take up our board position," said Whitmarsh.

Mercedes AMG team. (Photo: WRi2)

Another major hurdle to the finalisation of the 2013 Concorde is the fact that the FIA is also yet to sign up.

When asked about that, Whitmarsh answered: "Well, my fear is that at the moment the deal hasn't been done and therefore it adds some volatility to the situation. At times formula one has lost opportunities because of inner frictions."

The Briton did, however, admit that it would be "possible" for formula one to live without its current governing body.

"But I don't think it is a productive thing," added Whitmarsh.

Interestingly, Whitmarsh - the head of the now-fractured teams alliance FOTA - also revealed that teams are in fact not signing a single Concorde Agreement, but a swathe of "individual contracts".

"If we (McLaren) were not happy with our contract we wouldn't have signed it, so I am not complaining, but the danger is that if we all have individual contracts that is probably not aligning us and bringing us together," he said. "It (the Concorde Agreement) has never been perfect, but it's a model that before we abandon it we should be very cautious. Why reinvent something if it functions?"

From GMM

Formula one teams are gearing up to shut down their factories.

At some point between midnight after Sunday's Hungarian grand prix, and the resumption of action at of September's race at Spa five weeks later, all the teams will lock their doors for a full 14-day period.

The cost-cutting measure has been in place for the past few seasons.

Photo: Sahara Force India

"As it happens we're also shutting down our automotive production at the same time, even though we don't need to do it," McLaren team boss Martin Whitmarsh is quoted by Press Association.

"And we're not doing it to avoid any aspersions being cast by other teams. It is a separate company."

Martin Whitmarsh said he is not sure if rival Ferrari is also closing its separate road car plant.

From GMM

Red Bull will be reverting to a standard engine mapping setting in the days ahead of the Hungarian grand prix.

Italy's Tuttosport is reporting that formula one's governing body will shortly formalise their advice to teams that what was uncovered at Hockenheim last weekend will no longer be tolerated.

The FIA's Jo Bauer had flagged up Red Bull's engine settings at Hockenheim, admitting he thought the 'maps' on Sebastian Vettel and Mark Webber's cars were not legal.

The stewards, however, found that while the settings were suspect - reportedly amounting to a form of legal traction control and increased engine exhaust blowing - the letter of the existing rules prevented them from taking action.

Photo: WRi2

So Tuttosport said a clarification of the rule will now "be formalised in the next 48 hours".

Brazil's O Estado de S.Paulo newspaper is reporting the same.

Correspondent Livio Oricchio said the FIA told teams on Tuesday that the text of the relevant regulation will be tweaked to "avoid the interpretation" that was cited by Red Bull in the stewards' room at Hockenheim.

"We rely on the regulator, the FIA, to make sure the fight is fair," Ferrari team boss Stefano Domenicali said.

Scosche launched the bacSTAGE pro II at the Consumer Electronic Show (CES) in Las Vegas last January. This handy device is a mount for the iPad (and iPad 2 or 3) that can be fixed to headrests for backseat viewing.

Scosche says that the product can be installed quickly and easily using just an Allen key, though I was sceptical about this claim when I first saw pictures of the backSTAGE pro II online.

I was wrong. In less than 5 minutes, I had no trouble setting it up, and I really did use just an Allen key. I didn't even have to take the headrest out - I just lifted it up as far as it goes, slipped on the mount and fastened two screws using the Allen key. Ta-dah!



After installing the mount, you just have to slide your iPad into the bracket, and then tighten it at the base. Once secured, you can tilt the backSTAGE pro II for the best viewing angle. When we tested it, this sturdy mount stayed put - the iPad hardly moved, if at all, so no car sickness or headaches.

With a built-in 12V car battery socket, you can power your iPad on the Scosche backSTAGE pro II as long as you want without worrying about running out of juice. Plus, with an integrated USB port and outlet for headphones or wireless (infrared) headphones, you can connect accessories directly to the mount - pretty nifty. And, if headphones aren't for you, the bracket mount also has a small built-in speaker.

Although, at $150, it's one of the most expensive iPad car mounts on the market, it's still a great product and a solid substitute for an automaker's own car entertainment system or portable DVD device. Moreover, it's safe for passengers - the Scosche backSTAGE pro II has successfully passed all crash tests, a major bonus.

General Motors, which dropped Super Bowl advertising in May because it's too expensive, has become a sponsor of signing English Premier League soccer's Liverpool two months after signing Manchester United.

GM plans to make lump-sum pension payments in late August to white-collar retirees who have decided to take a buyout and forego a monthly pension check, a key step in GM's plan to bolster its balance sheet.

Audi's R8 halo machine is getting a light update, and the freshened model will go on sale in the United States early in 2013.

Ford has produced a one-off Red Tails edition of the 2013 Ford Mustang GT for an auction at the

2011 Kia Sportage EX - Four Seasons Wrap-Up

Greater expectations.

A funny thing happens when you consistently surpass people's expectations. Eventually, those expectations get raised. In that vein, we were not shocked when Kia, the Korean automaker that's been producing vastly improved and incredibly good-looking new vehicles for the last three years, took the sheets off the vastly improved, incredibly good-looking new Sportage. We were eager to get our hands on one for an entire year.

Photo Gallery: 2011 Kia Sportage EX - Four Seasons Wrap-Up - Automobile Magazine

Photo Gallery: 2011 Kia Sportage EX - Four Seasons Wrap-Up - Automobile Magazine

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GM said today it plans to increase research and development in Canada significantly by 2016, meeting a commitment to boost those activities as part of the automaker's 2009 government bailout.

Ford said today the price of the C-Max Energi plug-in hybrid will start at $33,745, including a $795 shipping fee, and will be eligible for a $3,750 federal tax credit. After the tax credit, the vehicle will cost $29,995, including shipping.

The Ultimate Tire-Testing Machine

When BMW redesigned the 3-series for 2012, it probably didn't consider the needs of tire technicians in South Bend, Indiana. Maybe it should have.

When BMW redesigned the 3-series for 2012, it probably didn't consider the needs of tire technicians in South Bend, Indiana. Maybe it should have.

Photo Gallery: The Ultimate Tire-Testing Machine - Automobile Magazine

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CTS, the Indiana supplier linked to Toyota's unintended acceleration recalls in 2010, said today its second-quarter net income fell 20 percent from the year-earlier period to $3.3 million.

When most of us think of Gale Banks, we think of diesel engines, big honkin' trucks and tuning boxes that make pickups perform like slingshot dragsters.

2012 Toyota Prius C Three

The Prius c might just be the most sensible and desirable model in the Prius lineup.

The Prius c might just be the most sensible and desirable model in the Prius lineup, which now consists of the small Prius c; the conventional Prius; and the biggest model, the Prius v. After all, hybrids make the most efficient use of their powertrains in urban settings, and the Prius c is an ideal city car. It's small, it's nimble, it's easy to get in and out of, it has great outward visibility, and it has strong off-the-line acceleration for dashing around town. I'm not bothered by the thin carpeting and other cheap interior trim bits; the overall interior aesthetics are just fine, the radio works well, the gauges are clear and bright. As for the Habanero color of our test car, all I can say is, "wow." I know that Prius owners generally like to telegraph the fact that they're driving earth-friendly vehicles, but this color is garish and gross.

Photo Gallery: 2012 Toyota Prius C Three - Editors' Notebook - Automobile Magazine

Photo Gallery: 2012 Toyota Prius C Three - Editors' Notebook - Automobile Magazine

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Also in this episode: Only one in five Chrysler dealerships will sell the 2013 SRT Viper, Lincoln announces pricing for

News 25 Jul, 2012

Vauxhall refuses to pay out when recall fix to leaky Astra radiator fails, leaving one owner facing a £2,300 repair bill

In setting the entry price for the 2013 Lincoln MKZ mid-sized sedan from $36,800, including shipping, Lincoln has taken aim at the Lexus ES 350. Lincoln said today it is taking dealer orders for the MKZ, which arrives in showrooms in late fall.

The Volkswagen brand's U.S. product planner wants a more Americanized lineup.