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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.

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

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.

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

While the upheaval of agencies and marketing by GM's Joel Ewanick, who is fond of grand gestures, provide plenty of speculative fodder for the reasoning behind his departure, the bottom line may instead be something simpler: GM's market share...

GM has dismissed global marketing chief Joel Ewanick two years after hiring him. "He failed to meet the expectations the company has of an employee," a spokesman said. Alan Batey, GM's vice president of U.S.

Hyundai is recalling more than 200,000 units of the Santa Fe and Sonata in the United States due to problems with their airbags, a federal safety agency said.

News 29 Jul, 2012

Lewis Hamilton takes his second victory of the season, having driven from pole to win the Hungarian Grand Prix

Winning the pole for the Brickyard 400 may just be the right stuff for Denny Hamlin to kick start his title drive.

Although Hamlin has two wins and nine top-five finishes in 19 races, he has three finishes of 25 or worse in that same stretch, still a lot to prove after losing the title to Jimmie Johnson in 2010.

“We knew that this is the turning point of the season,” said Hamlin who drives the Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota. We feel like from Indy to Richmond (last race before the Chase) is when you're going to start to see who's going to fight for a championship.

“Everyone has got their Chase cars prepared, bringing them to the racetrack, starting to tune on them, and that's when you want to start running good.”

Carl Edwards, who qualified second in a Roush Fenway Ford, was just trying to make the Chase after losing the title to Tony Stewart in a tie-breaker last year.

Roush Fenway had replaced Edward's long-time crew chief, Bob Osborne, with Chad Norris in an attempt to get their driver into the Chase from 11th place with no wins (thus not eligible for a “wild card”).

Speaking of his qualifying effort “everybody has worked really hard for the last 12 days or however long that it takes to make this happen and it's just one lap,” Edwards said.

“But this is the first step towards our comeback to make the Chase, and I think everybody did a good job,” Edwards added.

Joey Logano, Hamlin's teammate and in the last year of his contract with Joe Gibbs Racing, was third in another Toyota.

Eric Almirola was a bit of a surprise in fourth in another Ford.

Five-time Champ, Jimmie Johnson had the fastest Chevrolet.

Reed Sorenson and Joe Nemechek failed to make the field. Michael McDowell's qualifying was disallowed after a NASCAR inspection found too much nitrogen in a shock absorber.

Adapted from GMM

Jenson Button thinks staying at McLaren would be the "right thing" for Lewis Hamilton.

"I'd like to see him stay," teammate Button, who is already under contract for 2013, said in Hungary.

"I'd love someone really slow as a teammate, but this place is like home to Lewis, he has been here since the start of his career."

Jenson Button wants his teammate Lewis Hamilton to stay at McLaren (Photo: WRi2)

McLaren chairman Dennis this week sounded unlikely to meet all of Hamilton's new contract demands, insisting "It's a question of whether we employ him, not the other way around".

1996 world champion Damon Hill had a word of caution for McLaren.

"His (Hamilton's) value is just going to keep going up and up if he carries on driving like that," the Sky pundit said after Hamilton netted a dominant pole and victory at the Hungaroring.

In the meantime, Button himself didn't do anything to stop the rumours that are sending him out of McLaren - to Ferrari. The 32-year-old Briton is firmly under contract to McLaren for 2013 however. But Autosprint quoted him as adding in Hungary: "Never say never".

Hamilton might be leaving McLaren, but teammate Button might do so too (Photo: WRi2)

All of which prompted Livio Oricchio, the Brazilian correspondent for O Estado de S.Paulo newspaper who "arrived in Budapest thinking the chances of a renewal for Massa were good" to change his mind.

Rumours of the Brazilian leaving the Italian outfit are growing - almost as fast at the list of potential replacements is expanding, which reportedly includes Sergio Perez, Nico Hulkenberg, Paul di Resta, Heikki Kovalainen and even Kamui Kobayashi

The latest development has Kimi Raikkonen shooting straight to the top of the list.

The rumour was given life by team boss Stefano Domenicali, when to Finnish broadcaster MTV3 he said Ferrari's number one Fernando Alonso and the team's departed 2007 world champion share "a lot of similarities".

A team 'insider' had earlier been quoted by the Sunday Times newspaper as saying Ferrari sees Finn, 32, as a better alternative than some of the others on the list to replace Massa.

Is Kimi Raikkonen headed back to Ferrari? (Photo: Lotus F1 Team)

"Fast, experienced, unpolitical and out of contract at the end of the year. Fernando would have no problem having Kimi as his teammate," he said

But there could be an obstacle, according to British columnist Mark Hughes.

Ferrari president Luca di Montezemolo.

The fabled marque's all-powerful Montezemolo and Raikkonen are said to have fallen out badly when the Finn was dropped at the end of 2009, pushing him into world rallying.

Montezemolo is reportedly "resistant to the idea" of Raikkonen coming back, where as the 2007 world champion is said to have "vowed never to work with Montezemolo again", Hughes said.

While Brad Keselowski was wheeling his Dodge to victory lane in the inaugural Nationwide Series race at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Elliott Sadler was furious.

When Keselowski spun his wheels, and slowed, on a late race restart Sadler, leaped ahead which NASCAR officials ruled as an illegal start black flagging the series' points leader.

The victory was the first NASCAR series win for Penske Racing which has a record 15 Indy 500 wins at the legendary 2.5 mile Brickyard. And it was Penske's 100th NASCAR win.

"I've been watching races here for a long time as a kid from Michigan," Keselowski said. "Everyone knows how special Indy is. To win the first Nationwide Series race is special here. This is for Roger. It's special for me to deliver it to him."

Sam Hornish, Jr., Keselowski's Penske teammate, finished second followed by Ty Dillon.

Hornish said he was pushing his teammate at the restart with about 18 laps remaining in the 100-lap race.

The issue was the exact time and place of the restart.

"You tell me what the protocol is if the leader beats me to the restart line — which he did and it's on video just as clear as day — and then he spins his tires," Sadler who drove a Chevrolet explained.

"It's just like missing a shift. Do I stop and wait for him to get his shift right or do I stop and let him get his tires? Oh, yeah, by the way, I'm getting pushed by the 3 (Austin Dillon - his teammate) car, who's also getting pushed by the 43 car."

"They just want it to be close and fair," Keselowski said. "It was obvious that (Sadler) beat us by more than that (at the restart). That's NASCAR's call."

Denny Hamlin, who won the pole for Sunday's Brickyard 400, was fourth in Toyota followed by Austin Dillon, Ty's older brother, in a Chevrolet.

Michael Annet, who finished sixth in a Richard Petty Motorsports Ford, took home a $100,000 bonus in the series Dash4Cash award.

Sadler, who ended up 15th, continues to lead the series by one point over Austin Dillon and 13 over Ricky Stenhouse Jr. who finished ninth. Hornish remains in fourth place 28-points in arrears.

As a minority shareholder, Daimler AG is investing in the largest ridesharing network in the world, GmbH's carpooling.com, which transports over one million people a month across Europe. In fact, they are already working on their ‘moovel' mobility platform as a pilot project.

At carpooling.com, drivers and passengers link up together online, planning special trips or their daily commutes. Daimler also provides a car sharing service of its own, car2go - with over 130,000 customers and growing ever more successfully.

"As a leading automotive player, Daimler will serve as a strong partner in further establishing the role of modern carpooling in Europe and overseas. We will be utilizing the new investment to further improve our offerings, broaden our customer service and make carpooling available to even more users worldwide," says Markus Barniikel, carpooling.com CEO.

Max Chilton took his first GP2 victory at the Hungaroring in Budapest this weekend, after starting from pole position.

The English driver maintained his lead after the start ahead of Davide Valsecchi and championship leader Luiz Razia, who started from fifth position on the grid.

The positions remained unchanged until the first pit stops, when Chilton, Valsecchi, Razia and Calado were back on track behind Julian Leal, who delayed his own stop.

The colombian driver slowed the field down behind him, on a circuit where the overtaking are very difficult. When Leal did stop, Chilton was back in the lead but had to defend his position ahead of Valsecchi, who put the pressure on him until the finish line.

Chilton eventually took his first GP2 win ahead of Valsecchi and Razia.

Esteban Gutierrez took eighth position, which means he will start race 2 from pole position.



Race 1:
1 - Max Chilton - Carlin - 37 laps in 59'02"965
2 - Davide Valsecchi - Dams + 0"628
3 - Luiz Razia - Arden + 1"538

4 - James Calado - Lotus + 4"090

5 - Giedo Van der Garde - Caterham + 8"070
6 - Jolyon Palmer - iSport + 10"805
7 - Nathanael Berthon - Racing Engineering + 16"235
8 - Esteban Gutierrez - Lotus + 16"826
Etc.

From GMM

Adrian Sutil recently visited Ferrari's headquarters at Maranello.

But the former Force India driver's manager denied that German Sutil, 29, is therefore a hot contender to replace Felipe Massa in 2013.

Indeed, the Cologne newspaper Express said Sutil was only at Ferrari's private test circuit Fiorano for a day of road car driving with friends and a factory tour.

"It's true," the out-of-work former Spyker and Midland driver's manager Manfred Zimmermann said.

"Adrian was at Ferrari and also at the test track.

"But he was in a road Ferrari. He was not in the simulator or getting a seat fitted," Zimmermann insisted.

As for the likelihood this might have been Sutil's first step towards a Ferrari future, he admitted: "We definitely would not be opposed, but currently there are no negotiations.

"We are however confident that Adrian will be back (in F1) next year," added Zimmermann.

Lewis Hamilton (McLaren) started from pole and led most the Hungarian Grand Prix on his way to a second win this season, but had a lot of work to do to keep both Lotus drivers Kimi Raikkonen and Romain Grosjean behind.

First, it was Romain Grojean who, putting his front row start to good use, pressured Hamilton. The pair fled from Jenson Button (McLaren) and Sebastian (Vettel), who where were fighting together for the third spot.

At the time, Raikkonen was only sixth, sitting behind championship leader Fernando Alonso (Ferrari). As the laps went by, he proceeded to climb back the order and emerged as Hamilton's biggest threat in the final stint.

Even though the Finn seemed faster, he failed to find a way by Hamilton around the tricky and tight Hungaroring.

Behind the two, Grosjean brought home to Lotus another good but slightly disappointing result, finishing third where the team had surely hoped for a win.

Vettel, who had lost a spot to Button at the start, eventually managed to get rid of the Brit but couldn't climb any higher than fourth. In fact, Button fell down to sixth because of a bad three-stop call.

Alonso squeezed between the two, therefore ending a discrete but good race in fifth. As Webber only finished eighth, the Spaniard stretched his lead in the championship to 40 points. It was Bruno Senna (Williams) who, in one of his strongest performance, denied Webber a better result by finishing seventh.

Felipe Massa (Ferrari) fell back from his honourable starting position to ninth at the finish, while Nico Rosberg (Mercedes) made his way from 13th up to 10th and therefore grabbed the last point available.

His teammate Michael Schumacher endured probably one of his worst race weekend ever. The seven-time world champion first crashed in Friday's free practice, then qualified a lowly 17th, which ultimately didn't matter because he stalled on the grid and had to start from the pit lane.

And it kept on coming.

Pitting for an early tire change, Schumacher picked up a drive-through penalty for speeding in the pit lane. In the end, he didn't even get to see the flag, as he retired only a handful of laps from the finish.



Race results* - Hungarian Grand Prix (Hungaroring, Budapest)
1 - Lewis Hamilton (McLaren MP4/27-Mercedes) - 69  laps 1.41'05"503
2 - Kimi Raikkonen (Lotus E20-Renault) - 1"032

3 - Romain Grosjean (Lotus E20-Renault) - 10"518

4 - Sebastian Vettel (Red Bull RB8-Renault) - 11"614

5 - Fernando Alonso (Ferrari F2012) - 26"653

6 - Jenson Button (McLaren MP4/27-Mercedes) - 30"243
7 - Bruno Senna (Williams FW34-Renault) - 33"899
8 - Mark Webber (Red Bull RB8-Renault) - 34"458

9 - Felipe Massa (Ferrari F2012) - 38"3

10 - Nico Rosberg (Mercedes MGP W03) - 51"2

11 - Nico Hulkenberg (Force India VJM05-Mercedes) - 57"2

12 - Paul Di Resta (Force India VJM05-Mercedes) - 1'02"8
13 - Pastor Maldonado (Williams FW34-Renault) - 1'03"6

14 - Sergio Perez (Sauber C31-Ferrari) - 1'04"4

15 - Daniel Ricciardo (Toro Rosso STR7-Ferrari) - 1  lap

16 - Jean-Eric Vergne (Toro Rosso STR7-Ferrari) - 1  lap
17 - Heikki Kovalainen (Caterham CT01-Renault) - 1  lap
18 - Kamui Kobayashi (Sauber C31-Ferrari) - 2  laps
19 - Vitaly Petrov (Caterham CT01-Renault) - 2  laps
20 - Charles Pic (Marussia MR01-Cosworth) - 2  laps

21 - Timo Glock (Marussia MR01-Cosworth) - 3  laps
22 - Pedro De La Rosa (HRT F112-Cosworth) - 3  laps



Fastest lap by Sebastian Vettel (Red Bull) 1'24"136



Retirements

Michael Schumacher (lap 61)

Narain Karthikeyan (lap 63)



Drivers' championship

1.Alonso 164; 2.Webber 124; 3.Vettel 122; 4.Hamilton 117; 5.Raikkonen 116; 6.Rosberg 77; 7.Grosjean, Button 76; 9.Perez 47; 10.Kobayashi 33; 11.Maldonado, Schumacher 29; 13.Di Resta 27; 14.Massa 25; 15.Senna 24; 16.Hulkenberg 19; 17.Vergne 4; 18.Ricciardo 2.



Constructors' championship

1.Red Bull-Renault 246; 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.Toro Rosso-Ferrari 8.

*Unofficial

We've seen it before. After years of living together, couples break up because one of the two looks in the mirror and realizes that something must be done to fight aging.


To feel young again, you can spend thousands in plastic surgery with questionable results. Or, you can rejuvenate your entourage. This is exactly what's happening to the Mazda CX-7.

Oh, there's nothing wrong with Mazda's compact crossover. It was actually pretty unique when it was launched back in 2006, with a turbo four-pot engine instead of a V6. But inevitably, a new model has just been introduced, the 2013 Mazda CX-5, and it's better in just about every way than the venerable CX-7, which will be retired after the 2012 model year.

As the CX-7 slowly fades from Mazda dealer lots, there might be a chance for the car shopper to cash in on a good deal. After all, and despite its younger, sexier and more efficient little sister, the CX-7 still has a lot to offer.

The Mazda CX-7 will be retired after the 2012 model year. (Photo: Sébastien D'Amour)

To turbo or not to turbo?
The 244-hp CX-7, powered by a 2.3L turbocharged inline-4 is a quick and versatile machine; yet, I never thought Mazda's turbo MZR DISI engine sounded or felt quite right under the hood of the CX-7.

A couple of years ago, Mazda added a base GX trim with a normally aspirated 2.5L four, producing 161 hp and 161 lb-ft of torque, managed by a 5-speed automatic. I immediately grew fond of this slower yet thriftier version of the CX-7. The only downside is that all-wheel drive isn't offered.

Smooth and refined, the GX model helped Mazda raise CX-7 sales exponentially, increasing from 2,869 units in 2009 to 6,710 in 2011. So far this year, however, the CX-5 has been clobbering its older sister on showroom floors. It's sad, but from a business standpoint, retiring the current CX-7 is an inevitable decision.

If you don't need all-wheel drive, the 2.5L engine is more fuel efficient than the turbo 2.3L unit. (Photo: Sébastien D'Amour)

Anyway, the 161-hp GX gets to 100 km/h in 9.5 seconds, which isn't particularly fast, but a good reaction to throttle inputs make it feel quicker than it really is. My fuel economy average of 9.9L/100km isn't too shabby, either; despite some glorious NRCan fuel economy ratings, compact crossovers and SUVs rarely dip below the 10L/100km mark in my hands, and my right foot isn't filled with lead.

In addition, the CX-7 is still one of the best-handling compact crossovers out there. It may be old, but it hasn't lost any of its moves.

The CX-7 GX is also very quiet, more so than the turbo GS and GT versions with their moaning turbo I4. At 100 km/h on the highway, the GX hums along at 2,000 rpm. The 2.5L engine and 5-speed auto are well suited to each other. Unless you really, really need AWD, skip the less efficient turbo engine.

Great-looking cockpit
While the CX-7's outer shell hasn't changed much in six years, the steeply raked windshield and rising beltline gives it a sporty edge that doesn't make it look outdated. Clearly, it's not being dumped for a younger model because it's got wrinkles or a beer gut.

Same deal inside. The trim on the dash, door panels and seats look like it was pulled out of a much pricier vehicle. Assembly quality and ergonomics are top-notch, while the seats are both comfy and supportive. The only flaws are the high door sills, which complicate entry and especially exit, and the lack of a USB port for the sound system, although you do get Bluetooth streaming audio.

Cargo space with the rear seat in place is pretty good, rated at 848 litres; fold the 60/40-split seatback down, and you get 1,658 litres of volume, about the same as in a Nissan Rogue and a little better than in the Hyundai Tucson and the Kia Sportage. You know what? The new CX-5 is roomier inside than all of them.

The CX-7's cockpit looks pulled out of a more expensive vehicle. (Photo: Sébastien DA'mour)

Happy retirement
The 2012 Mazda CX-7 GX with the Luxury Package, as tested, lists for $29,740. That's a good deal for a well-crafted and spacious crossover that includes features such as leather upholstery, heated and power-adjustable front seats, Bluetooth, power sunroof, climate control, 17” alloy wheels and a slew of safety features.

Again, the CX-5 outshines its older sister; for only a few hundred dollars more, you get about the same equipment in addition to all-wheel drive.

The Mazda CX-7 is on its way out, but that doesn't mean it should be overlooked. With age comes experience and maturity; at least, that's what I say to myself when I count the candles on my birthday cake. Zero percent financing is also a good incentive.

It may be cliché to dismiss it because of its age, but the CX-5 and other new compact crossovers such as the 2013 Ford Escape are mighty tempting. Sorry, CX-7, but I'm leaving you for someone new.

News 28 Jul, 2012

Lewis Hamilton will start the Hungarian Grand Prix from pole, having qualified ahead of Romain Grosjean and Sebastian Vettel

Chrysler's biggest investment in the United States in the year following its June 2009 bankruptcy exit is about to show up under more of its hoods: transmissions with additional gears to improve performance and boost fuel economy.

Lewis Hamilton (McLaren) earned McLaren's 150th pole position by beating everyone in Q3 of the Hungarian Grand Prix qualifying session.

Hamilton had the upper hand over Romain Grosjean (Lotus), whose ultimate effort across the line was insufficient to beat the Briton's. Even reigning world championship Sebastian Vettel (Red Bull) could do nothing to reach the McLaren driver.

Hamilton teammate's Jenson Button lines up fourth, beside Vettel. Kimi Raikkonen (Lotus) posted the fifth fastest lap.

Meanwhile the third row is filled by with Ferrari drivers; Fernando Alonso (6th) and Felipe Massa (7th), thanks to an honourable performance by the Brazilian who seems to have definitely put his struggles behind him.

Williams drivers' also met on the same row of the starting grid, since Pastor Maldonado posted the eighth best lap and Bruno Senna - who cracked the top 10 for the first time this season - the ninth.

Nico Hulkenberg (Force India) had once more the upper hand over his highly rated teammate. Thanks to his performance, he will start 10th.

Disappointments for Mark Webber (Red Bull) who, unlike Hulkenberg, failed to make it to Q3, and for the two Mercedes drivers. Michael Schumacher is a distant 17th on the grid and Nico Rosberg a sad 13th.



Qualifying results* - Hungarian Grand Prix (Budapest)

1. Lewis Hamilton (McLaren MP4/27-Mercedes) - 1'20”953 - Q3

2. Romain Grosjean (Lotus E20-Renault) - 1'21”366 - Q3

3. Sebastian Vettel (Red Bull RB8-Renault) - 1'21”416 - Q3
4. Jenson Button (McLaren MP4/27-Mercedes) - 1'21”583 - Q3

5. Kimi Raikkonen (Lotus E20-Renault) - 1'21”730 - Q3

6. Fernando Alonso (Ferrari F2012) - 1'21”844 - Q3

7. Felipe Massa (Ferrari F2012) - 1'21”900 - Q3
8. Pastor Maldonado (Williams FW34-Renault) - 1'21”939 - Q3
9. Bruno Senna (Williams FW34-Renault) - 1'22”343 - Q3
10. Nico Hulkenberg (Force India VJM05-Mercedes) - 1'22”847 - Q3
11. Mark Webber (Red Bull RB8-Renault) - 1'21”715 - Q2

12. Paul Di Resta (Force India VJM05-Mercedes) - 1'21”813 - Q2
13. Nico Rosberg (Mercedes MGP W03) - 1'21”895 - Q2
14. Sergio Perez (Sauber C31-Ferrari) - 1'21”895 - Q2
15. Kamui Kobayashi (Sauber C31-Ferrari) - 1'22”300 - Q2

16. Jean-Eric Vergne (Toro Rosso STR7-Ferrari) - 1'22”380 - Q2

17. Michael Schumacher (Mercedes MGP W03) - 1'22”723 - Q2

18. Daniel Ricciardo (Toro Rosso STR7-Ferrari) - 1'23”250 - Q1

19. Heikki Kovalainen (Caterham CT01-Renault) - 1'23”576 - Q1

20. Vitaly Petrov (Caterham CT01-Renault) - 1'24”167 - Q1

21. Charles Pic (Marussia MR01-Cosworth) - 1'25”244 - Q1
22. Timo Glock (Marussia MR01-Cosworth) - 1'25”476 - Q1

23. Pedro De La Rosa (HRT F112-Cosworth) - 1'25”916 - Q1
24. Narain Karthikeyan (HRT F112-Cosworth) - 1'26”178 - Q1

* Unofficial results

From GMM

The FIA's 'engine maps' clampdown has not cost Red Bull even a single tenth, according to the team's engine supplier Renault.

After crossing the finish line in second place just a week ago at Hockenheim - where the reigning champions were using the now-outlawed settings - Sebastian Vettel's practice best in Hungary on Friday was good enough only for eighth.

And teammate Mark Webber, in the sister RB8, was buried down the timesheets.

"We've got work to do," said the Australian. "I'm not super happy."

Engine supplier Renault's trackside operations chief Remi Taffin, however, played down suggestions Red Bull's struggle is the direct result of Vettel and Webber no longer enjoying the software 'gizmos' they had a week ago.

"It's very difficult to quantify," said the Frenchman, "but we're talking about hundredths (of seconds lost) and not at all about seconds or tenths."

German Vettel, too, was careful not to blame his Friday performance on a hobbled car, insisting a good result on Sunday is still possible.

"If you would know what is going on in the background then you would not be too interested in all the talking and stuff that has been printed in the last few days," he is quoted by the Independent.

"Fortunately tomorrow (Saturday) there is a new newspaper, and after tomorrow again, and especially on Monday, so we focus on the race here and then try to make some good news for Monday's paper."