Auto News 5

The Suburban Collection in Detroit has parlayed the idea of giving weekend loaners to local bloggers into what it calls the Social Test Drive.

If your dealership is not showing up prominently in Google search results, you're missing a big opportunity. On Thursday, Aug. 2, at 2 p.m.

Toyota and Honda are striving to get people excited about their product lineups, with more adventurous styling and new performance models, while also playing a bit of catch-up.

Sometimes maligned, sometimes acclaimed, the continuously variable transmission is poised to snap up more North American market share in coming years.

Six to eight times a month now, someone who brings an F-150 into Earnhardt Ford for service ends up buying a new truck instead of going ahead with the repair.

Ford executives seemed remarkably calm last week as they admitted that European losses will widen to more than $1 billion this year, roughly double the amount they had earlier expected.

Jimmie Johnson joined a very special club with his fourth Brickyard 400 win on Sunday.

Michael Schumacher, AJ Foyt, Al Unser Sr., Rick Mears (Johnson's hero) and Jeff Gordon are all at least four-time winners at the venerable Indianapolis Motor Speedway in their various series. Schumacher won five times on the Formula One road circuit.

Now Johnson, who led 99 laps of the 160-lap race, is a member of that exclusive club.

Despite his five straight NASCAR Sprint Cup championships he was emotional after the race at the 2.5 mile race track.

"That victory lap was something special," Johnson said. "Man, you just hope to race here. And to win four, four wins! I'm at a loss for words."

Fourth Brickyard 400 win for Jimmie Johnson. (Photo: NASCAR)

He also thanked teammate, Gordon (who finished fifth) “it's really wild for me to get my start in a Cup car for him.” Gordon is also listed as owner of the car that is entered by Hendrick Motorsports.

Kyle Busch, who finished 4.758 seconds behind in a Toyota, said, “you talk about a different zip (postal) code Jimmie was in his own country today.” We were in our own zip code, and if it weren't for the #48 we would have won it.” It was Busch's best finish at the Speedway.

Greg Biffle finished third, his best finish here said “we were pretty loose, but the car was pretty free, we need the car to turn but our car was loose all day.”

Dale Earnhardt Jr. NASCAR's most popular driver and Johnson's teammate finished fourth taking the series points lead for the first time since 2004.

"You run in the top five and the top 10 enough, you'll get enough points," Earnhardt said "But we'd like to win more races. I know our fans would like us to win some more races, too."

Johnson passed Biffle with 39 laps to go and was never challenged in the final laps. Chad Knaus (his crew chief) gave me one heck of a race car today. And pit road was awesome, too. It was a total team effort. We put it on them today. It was nice." It was his 58th career win and third of the season.

Jimmie Johnson leading the race at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. (Photo: NASCAR)

It was a relatively calm day with only five cautions for 25 laps and none of the controversy of the restart of Saturday's Nationwide Series race.

Last year's series' runner-up, Carl Edwards, had an optimistic second-place start which was followed by an engine problem and a 29th place finish. He's dropped to 12th place in the standings 61 points behind Clint Bowyer in 10th. Carl says his strategy for the next six races is “simple,” he said. . I don't think we can think about points anymore. I don't know what the spread is but it can't be good. That is what I am saying when I say it is simpler. We just have to go race for wins now.”

If your ideal car is something fast and sleek with a melodious V12 engine and an interior that redefines luxury, then chances are you'll like the new 2013 Aston Martin Vanquish.


The first car to wear the Vanquish name was launched back in 2002 and quickly became popular among the rich and famous. In 2005, an updated Vanquish S model was launched, which had more power, better brakes and improved aerodynamics. However, in 2008, the Vanquish was replaced by the DBS model which was more of a tweaked version of the DB9, rather than an all-new car. For 2013, the Vanquish name is back, dethroning the DBS as the flagship of the British luxury sports car manufacturer.

The 2013 Aston Martin Vanquish might look all new, but it still has a lot of familiar bits on it, too. The chassis, for instance, is a new development of the VH-platform (the original Vanquish was the first car to use this modular platform), now featuring an aluminum and carbon-fiber bonded structure.

For 2013, the Vanquish name is back, dethroning the DBS as the flagship of the British luxury sports car manufacturer. (Photo: Aston Martin)

The 2013 Aston Martin Vanquish might look all new, but it still has a lot of familiar bits on it, too. The chassis, for instance, is a new development of the VH-platform (the original Vanquish was the first car to use this modular platform), now featuring an aluminum and carbon-fiber bonded structure.

The engine is also familiar: an all-alloy, 48-valve, 6.0-liter, V12 which first saw service in the DB7 Vantage back in 2000. In this new application, this motor produces 565 hp and 457 lb-ft of torque. Power is fed to the rear wheels via a 6-speed automatic transmission with paddle shifters. This gearbox is called Touchtronic 2 and is the same unit used in the Aston Martin DB9, Virage and Rapide models. In the new Vanquish, a limited slip differential is offered as standard, which will help transfer power to the road more effectively.

Hook it up properly, and Aston Martin reckons the 2013 Vanquish will cover the 0-100 km/h sprint in just 4.1 seconds, and keep accelerating on to a top speed of 295 km/h. While nowhere near other production sports cars in its price range, these figures are still very respectable.

Speed is one thing, however, an Aston Martin is more about making a stylish statement, and the new Vanquish will not disappoint in this area.

Aston Martin reckons the 2013 Vanquish will cover the 0-100 km/h sprint in just 4.1 seconds, and keep accelerating on to a top speed of 295 km/h. (Photo: Aston Martin)

For starters, the new body is stunning. Penned by a design team lead by Marek Reichman, Aston Martin's design director, the Vanquish is a beautiful culmination of many recent Aston Martin designs. The front headlights on the 2013 Aston Martin Vanquish are similar to those found on the Virage, the taillights echo the look of the One-77 limited edition supercar. Even the style of the exterior rearview mirrors are reminiscent of the ones found on the One-77.

The similarities with the One-77 continue when you open the door, as the interior design is heavily influenced by it. It is modern, stylish and functional. In short, the 2013 Aston Martin Vanquish looks to be an ideal place to spend lots of time in. Unlike its multi-million dollar sibling, the Vanquish can be specified either as a two-seater or a 2+2.

Canadian pricing for this new Vanquish is currently unavailable, but don't expect any change from your $300,000. The car is expected to go on sale in the first quarter of 2013, but you can order one with your specifications starting now.

From GMM

Fernando Alonso was happy and yet concerned after Sunday's Hungarian grand prix.

A week after winning at Hockenheim, the Spaniard actually extended his 34 point lead in the championship to 40 points in Hungary, despite finishing just fifth.

Fernando Alonso won last week at Hockenheim. (Photo: WRi2)

But the Ferrari driver confided to Spain's AS newspaper: "Actually we should have finished seventh."

He was obviously referring to McLaren's Jenson Button - sixth in Hungary a week after finishing second in Germany - and also his closest points rival Mark Webber, who had a bad weekend and finished a poor eighth on Sunday.

"We know that Red Bull, McLaren and Lotus have faster cars," Alonso is quoted by the Italian agency AGI. "We have changes to make ahead of the next races. I think we have to stay focused, not worried. We must go on holiday knowing that our lead is not enough to win the championship."

Starworks Motorsport's Sébastien Bourdais and Alex Popow claimed victory at the inaugural Indianapolis Motor Speedway Brickyard Grand Prix.

The pair drove their No. 2 Soloson Ford/Riley to the top of the standings in the race, but in the championship as well, claiming the first Daytona Prototype division North American Endurance Championsip (NAEC) - a three-race series within the Grand-Am season.

Scott Pruett and Memo Rojas limped home the battered No. 01 TELMEX BMW/Riley of Chip Ganassi Racing to second place. Max Angelelli and Ricky Taylor claimed third aboard their No. 10 SunTrust Racing Corvette DP.

Except after the checkered flag dropped, everyone was talking about Juan Pablo Montoya's questionable moves. The Columbian, standing in for Chip Ganassi Racing in the team's second entry, shoved both Joao Barbosa and Ryan Dalziel out of the way.

In GT, the day belonged to Andy Lally and John Potter, who won both the race and the GT division NAEC title in their No. 44 Magnus Racing Porsche GT3.

Sylvain Tremblay and Jonathan Bomarito earned second place in their No. 70 Mazda RX-8, while Andrew Davis and Leh Keen, aboard Brumos Racing's No. 59 Porsche GT3, claimed the final spot on the podium.



Race results* - Grand-Am (Indianapolis)

1 - Bourdais-Popow (Riley-Ford) - Starworks - 91 laps
2 - Pruett-Rojas (Riley-BMW) - Ganassi - 91
3 - Angelelli-Taylor (Corvette DP) - SunTrust - 91
4 - Dixon-McMurray-Montoya (Riley-BMW) - Ganassi - 91
5 - Lally-Potter (Porsche 997) - Magnus - 91

6 - Bomarito-Tremblay (Mazda RX8) - Speedsource - 91

7 - Davis-Keen (Porsche 997) - Brumos - 91
8 - Auberlen-Della Lana-Johnson (BMW M3) - Turner - 91
9 - Assentato-Segal (Ferrari458) - AIM - 91

10 - Burtin-Ragginger (Porsche 997) - Burtin - 91
11 - Curran-Said (Corvette) - Marsh - 91
12 - Cameron-Nonnamaker-Nonnamaker (Mazda RX8) - Sahlen - 91

13 - Espenlaub-Putman (Mazda RX8) - Dempsey - 91

14 - Taylor-Lester (Chevy Camaro) - Autohaus - 91

15 - Barbosa-Law (Corvette DP) - ActionExpress - 90
16 - Tracy-Lowe (Dallara-Ford) - Doran - 90

17 - Dalziel-Potolicchio (Riley-Ford) - Starworks - 90

18 - Bergmeister-Keating (Porsche 997) - TRG - 90
19 - Donohue-Borcheller (Corvette DP) - ActionExpress - 88

20 - White-O'Connell (Ford Mustang) - Rick Ware - 85

*Unofficial

2013 Audi Q5 First Impressions

2012 Honda Insight LX Review

2012 Jaguar XJL Portfolio Review

Other very interesting topics:

• 2013 Audi A4 allroad preview
• Techno test: Scosche backSTAGE pro II headrest mount for iPad
• GM to revew 70% of its model line-up before the end of 2013
• Canadians, champs of the long-term car loan
• 2013 Mazda3 preview

Following Discount Car Rentals' own involvement last week, Place des Arts has now joined The Electric Circuit as well. Starting next September, the cultural activities complex will be offering visitors four charging stations for electric vehicles in its underground parking lot.

According to Marc Blondeau, CEO, Société de la Place des Arts de Montréal, Place des Arts “...plays a major role in Quebec's cultural development and intends to play an important role in sustainable development. Its commitment translates into actions such as the installation of charging stations to improve the quality of life of Quebec citizens and show consideration for both present and future generations.”

From GMM

Half a season into 2012, Jaime Alguersuari has aimed fire at his former team Toro Rosso.

The Red Bull-owned squad controversially dumped its established race drivers Alguersuari and Sebastien Buemi at the end of last year.

They opted instead for the energy drink outfit's latest hotshot rookies Daniel Ricciardo and Jean-Eric Vergne, but at the mid-point of the current season, Toro Rosso has just 6 points on the board.

The Faenza based outfit is also believed to have split with its veteran technical chief Giorgio Ascanelli, over a disagreement about the direction of the team.

Photo: WRi2

Asked for his two cents, Spaniard Alguersuari told AS newspaper: "Honestly, for me it's in the past and I am only looking forward.

"All I will say is that we had many problems there with the way things were done, but it's not my problem any more. Now I need to keep looking to find a project for the future, which is something they didn't give me," the 22-year-old added.

Nevertheless, the feeling is the paddock is that Toro Rosso and Red Bull will definitely give Ricciardo and Vergne at least another full season in 2013.

"So far Daniel is doing a good job," team boss Franz Tost said last month. "He is a highly skilled driver.

"Jean-Eric Vergne is new, so of course all the tracks are new for him," Austrian Tost added. "But also he is a highly skilled driver. I rate him very high. He is doing a good job and improving from race to race and if we provide the drivers with a good car they show a good performance."

From GMM

Eric Boullier has responded to growing rumours that Lotus could be set to lose Kimi Raikkonen to Ferrari.

After a weekend of speculation that he could be Ferrari's best option to replace the struggling Felipe Massa, Finn Raikkonen on Sunday hinted that his spat with Luca di Montezemolo might not be too big an obstacle.

"Things probably could have gone a nicer way in the end but life goes on and you never know what happens in the future," said the team's 2007 title winner.

Until now, it was thought Raikkonen was on a two-year contract at Lotus.

Team boss Boullier is quoted by the Finnish broadcaster MTV3: "There are always a lot of rumours. We have a two-year contract with Kimi, but as in every agreement, there are always options.

"I believe Kimi is happy here," said the Frenchman, "and I do not believe that his experience with Ferrari was the best one."

Kimi Raikkonen, Lotus E20, in Hungary. (Photo: Lotus F1 Team)

Eric Boullier thinks Raikkonen would be wiser to stay at Lotus in 2013.

"Being with (Romain) Grosjean is certainly easier than Alonso. I can't see why Kimi would want to be the second driver at Ferrari when he has the chance to be the number one here."

What the Hungaroring rumours have proved is that Brazilian Massa's position at Ferrari is definitely in doubt.

"Felipe knows very well that these are some important races for him," boss Stefano Domenicali said after Sunday's Hungarian grand prix.

As for Raikkonen, Domenicali said he has "always had the opinion" that the Finn is a "very special driver".

Felipe Massa was asked by Brazil's Globo if the new rumours are a worry.

"For sure the first part of the season was not very positive for me, but I feel better today than then," he answered. "The situation with my contract is not clear and I have nothing to say."

McLaren's Martin Whitmarsh, meanwhile, utterly rubbished rumours Jenson Button might be yet another name on Ferrari's shortlist.

"Total bollocks," he insisted.

McLaren-Mercedes driver, Briton Lewis Hamilton claimed a dominant victory at the Hungarian Grand Prix in Budapest, having gone quickest during free practice and qualifying as well.

Hamilton used a two-stop strategy to win by one second heading into the mid-season break, with nine races remaining.

Ferrari driver Fernando Alonso, who finished fifth after qualifying sixth, increases his lead of the drivers' championship to 40 points.

Lotus drivers Kimi Raikkonen and Romain Grosjean drove strong races, finishing second and third, respectively.

Photos: WRi2

Drivers' World Championship*:
1 Fernando Alonso Ferrari  164 points
2 Mark Webber Red Bull Racing-Renault  124
3 Sebastian Vettel Red Bull Racing-Renault   122
4 Lewis Hamilton McLaren-Mercedes   117
5 Kimi Räikkönen Lotus-Renault  116
6 Nico Rosberg Mercedes   77
7 Jenson Button McLaren-Mercedes   76
8 Romain Grosjean Lotus-Renault  76
9 Sergio Perez Sauber-Ferrari  47
10 Kamui Kobayashi Sauber-Ferrari   33
11 Pastor Maldonado Williams-Renault  29
12 Michael Schumacher Mercedes  29
13 Paul di Resta Force India-Mercedes  27
14 Felipe Massa Ferrari  25
15 Bruno Senna Williams-Renault   24
16 Nico Hulkenberg Force India-Mercedes  19
17 Jean-Eric Vergne STR-Ferrari   4
18 Daniel Ricciardo STR-Ferrari  2

Constructors' World Championship*:
1 Red Bull Racing-Renault  246 points
2 McLaren-Mercedes  193
3 Lotus-Renault   192
4 Ferrari  189
5 Mercedes  106
6 Sauber-Ferrari  80
7 Williams-Renault  53
8 Force India-Mercedes   46
9 STR-Ferrari  6

* Unofficial standings

From GMM

Reuters news agency described Michael Schumacher's Hungarian grand prix as a "comedy of errors".

And two of the errors were committed by the 43-year-old even before the race started.

It has emerged in Germany's Auto Motor und Sport that, after the formation lap, Schumacher parked his silver Mercedes in the wrong grid slot, which is what caused Charlie Whiting to abort the start.

"I radioed the pits to say that he was in my place," Caterham's Heikki Kovalainen, who qualified 19th - two places behind Schumacher - said.

HRT's Pedro de la Rosa, second-to-last on the grid, also sensed something was wrong.

"I didn't know who was to blame, I just knew that I was in the wrong position," the Spaniard said.

Michael Schumacher aboard the W03 Mercedes at Hungaroring. (Photo: WRi2)

Then, when Schumacher saw that Whiting had aborted the start, the great German - whose contract runs out later this year - killed the engine.

The rest of the field simply geared up for another formation lap, which left Schumacher stranded on the grid and needing a push from the marshals to the pitlane.

Asked why he turned off the engine, Schumacher said: "It used to always be like that."

Not exactly: even by 2006 - the last season of Schumacher's ultra-successful first career - the old five-minute delayed restart had been scrapped.

He then sped out of the pits too fast, incurring a drive-through penalty.

"Today was obviously one of those races that you will not look back at for very long," said the seven time world champion.

While I was off on maternity leave, I spent a lot of time visiting malls and stores (much to my husband's dismay), to keep myself occupied and my son in air conditioning on those hot, humid days. This meant I spent a great deal of time in large parking lots, and I noticed certain trends over the many months.

Photo: Mathieu St-Pierre

You can tell a lot about a car owner by how and where they park. Let's take a closer look at the most common parkers:

The New Mom: I, obviously, fell into this category. We scramble for parking as close to the entrance as possible in the colder months and curse those who park in our “Mommy Only” spots because it's not illegal to do so without a child in the back. We also favour spots close to carriage stands for easy and fast insertion of said offspring into the cart for grocery outings and such. We also favour the driver's side when parking to leave more room on the passenger side in order to extract our children from the back.

The New Car/Modified Car Owner: These drivers park as far away from any and all cars as they can. Whether it's a new Nissan Versa, an M5 or a modified Civic, these drivers want nothing to do with door dings, potential bumper scratches and other such parking-lot hazards. They are most easily spotted early in the day, before the lots fill up, scattered across parking spots like confetti.

The Luxury Car Owner: These are the easiest to spot, if only for the make and model of the car. These owners have no respect for parking lot rules and regulations. They park where they want to, when they want to because they feel they are privileged like that. Yellow lines? Whatever. Handicap spot? Bah. Anything goes when you've paid upwards of $80k for your ride.

The New Driver/Elderly Driver: These are harder to spot, and take some practice to identify. They can easily be mistaken for Corolla Owners (which I'll get to in a moment) or even Luxury Car Owners. These drivers are still learning their car's dimensions and limitations. It's not uncommon to see a New Driver vehicle's rear end sticking out into the aisle, or their nose stretching out over the cement barrier. If you ever watch a New Driver park, they usually take a good 10-15 minutes to perfect the park, as well.

The Douchebag: Occasionally, my coworker Matt St-Pierre will display characteristics of this type of parker. The Douchebag will park his car (no matter what the make or model) angled across more than one spot, either to keep other cars away or to “display” his vehicle for the world to see (even if the world really doesn't want or need to see his car).

The Corolla Owner: These cars need to be avoided in parking lots at all costs. Never park beside a Corolla Owner if you wish to spare your car of door dings and potential scratches. Corolla Owners are often known to offset entire parking rows with one fouled park job (it just takes one bad angle to throw off an entire section). Don't fall victim to a Corolla park job.

Of course, there are others but these are the most easily recognizable and the most common. Some are funny, some annoying and others downright obnoxious. So, which parking space do you fit into?

From GMM

Norbert Haug has played down expectations Michael Schumacher's plans beyond the 2012 season will be discussed and decided during the month-long August break.

With the seven time world champion's three-year 'comeback' contract set to expire this year, it might be said the big gap between Sunday's Hungarian grand prix and F1's next outing at fabled Spa-Francorchamps in early September is an ideal opportunity for his crucial talks with Mercedes.

Michael Schumacher, Mercedes AMG. (Photo: WRi2)

News of a new deal would also be timely, given Schumacher's special connection with the Belgian grand prix, and the fact the 2012 event coincides with the triple-century milestone in the 43-year-old's epic grand prix career.

But Haug, carmaker Mercedes' motor racing chief, insisted the sport's fans and media should not be expecting that news at Spa.

"I doubt there will be an announcement at Spa. This is going to take a little bit longer," he is quoted by SID news agency.

Schumacher made his F1 debut at Spa-Francorchamps in 1991, winning his first of 91 career victories at the same Belgian circuit a year later.

He won five other Belgian grands prix (1995, 1996, 1997, 2001, 2002), which is an outright record.

Former Formula 1 driver, Frenchman Jean-Pierre Jarier talks about his F1 days with Gilles Villeneuve. Jarier was nicknamed “Godasse de plomb” by his peers, “Foot of lead” because of his tendency to squash the throttle.

Jean-Pierre Jarier, former F1 driver. (Photo: WRI2)

"Thinking of Gilles Villeneuve brings back two crucial memories," says Jarier.

"First, in Formula Atlantic at Trois-Rivières. I'm dominating the race when I come across a back-marker. Gilles swoops by and wins the race. Then, in 1978, at Montreal's Canadian Grand Prix, I'm leading again by over 40 seconds at the wheel of my Lotus when an oil leaks forces me to retire. Once again, Gilles gets away with my win!"

"Those two lost victories changed my career. It's not Gilles' fault, I must admit. I mean, those aren't the only two mishaps that costed me a win over the course of my career," he admits.

Jarier, Lotus 79, 1978 Canadian Grand Prix (Photo: WRI2)

Both men also shared a common interest for flying machines, such as planes and helicopters.

"When we were both in F1, Gilles used to ask me a lot about flying, for example 'Is it normal that I have a hard time when I get close to mountains?' Those were questions only he would ask, questions almost childish.

"It's normal to have a hard time flying close to mountains; of course! It's almost impossible!

"He also did stuff nobody else dared to try, like shutting off the engine while airborne, landing in parking lots, or not landing at all when fog would rise! He was incredibly bold, maybe because he didn't have any nerves! Gilles was an incredible, exceptional character, and very romantic too. Almost as if he was a medieval knight.

Jean-Pierre Jarier, Tyrrell-Ford, 1980 (Photo: WRI2)

"He took risks like no one else, and that seduced at lot of fans.

"But it was incredibly dangerous, there is no denying that. Then again, Gilles was like disconnected from the real world, living in his own bubble instead," the former F1 driver adds.

The Korean automaker has revealed the first official images of the popular Forte sedan, also known as the Cerato in some markets. The most sold Kia model in the world, the all-new Forte features a sleeker profile and adds more cabin space than its predecessor.

Longer, lower and wider, this next generation model benefits not only from a new bodyshell structure, but also from engine improvements which means it now offers the best fuel consumption rating for its category.

On sale in Korea by the end of 2012, the Kia Forte/Cerato will hit overseas markets during the first quarter of 2013.

Photo: Kia

Photo: Kia

Photo: Kia