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Global driver assistance systems (DAS) revenues are expected to grow from US$22.7bn in 2012 to US$460.8bn in 2017, according to according to researchers at ABI.

The millionth vehicle to be shipped to an export market has just been announced by Toyota Australia. The division sends its Melbourne-built models to New Zealand as well as various markets in the South Pacific and the Middle East.

Audi ranks highest for the third consecutive year in J.D. Power's 2012 China Sales Satisfaction Index Study.

The writing was on the wall when the US importer axed the CX-7 in early 2012. Mazda has now stopped building this crossover after fewer than six years of production.

Skoda said its deliveries in July rose 6 percent to 72,600 cars from a year ago. Skoda has been one of the fewer mass-market automakers to grow in Europe during the current slump.

Jaguar is hoping that by adding a four-cylinder engine to the slow-selling XF sedan, it can begin to revive its fortunes in the USA. In July, the brand's sales totalled just 1,011 units.

Daimler is mulling building compact Mercedes-Benz passenger cars with alliance partner Renault-Nissan, a German business daily reported today.

Daimler is mulling building compact Mercedes-Benz passenger cars with its partners Renault-Nissan, a German business daily reported today.

The latest-generation Porsche 911 offers ZF Friedrichshafen AG's fast-shifting dual-clutch transmission as an option. The system helps improve the sport car's acceleration by enabling smooth gear changes with no power flow interruption.

GM's Opel/Vauxhall said it will cut workers' hours at two of its four German plants in response to a drop in demand for cars in Europe.

The government said on Wednesday it plans to complete rules "soon" that significantly boost automobile efficiency, despite calls from some Republicans for further evaluation of the regulations.

Renault believes its image and brand value will get a boost from a new program that aims to help people living below the poverty line in France to gain access to cars and other mobility options.

Rumours indicate that IndyCar CEO Randy Bernard has initiated talks about double-header race weekends on street/road courses for the upcoming 2013 season.

The idea is to increase the number of races on the calendar next season, without having the costs escalating. In the event of a double-header, teams, sponsors and fans would all get more bang for their buck because they would all be already on site for the second race.

Promoters could offer better packages too, without having to invest more money and TV broadcasters could increase their viewership.

So, practices and qualifying could be held on Friday; one race could be presented on Saturday afternoon and another one on Sunday.

At the moment, only street and road courses are considered since crash damage for a road race isn't nearly as bad as on an oval, so a wreck on Saturday shouldn't put a team out of play for Sunday.

From GMM

Felipe Massa has admitted his future remains unclear, despite talks with Ferrari about the 2013 season having begun "a long time ago".

The Brazilian, who is 13 places and 139 points behind his teammate Fernando Alonso in the drivers' championship, is at risk of seeing his Ferrari career end after seven seasons.

Team boss Stefano Domenicali said last week that Massa, 31, "knows what he has to do" to secure a new deal.

"I'll need to stay prepared and finish the races well to try to have better results in the second half of the year," the driver said at an event in his native Sao Paulo on Wednesday.

"The discussions began a long time ago, but until there is a deal finalised, nothing changes."

Massa said his own form is now on an upswing, after Ferrari improved the performance of the F2012 car.

But he denied that because Alonso is pushing for the championship, he faces an even tougher time to prove to Ferrari that he should stay in 2013.

"It won't hurt me," said Massa.

"If I'm near Alonso or in front of him I'll do what I can to help him win the championship, that's obvious."

Massa is quoted by Brazil's Globo as saying he has always been under pressure in F1.

"At Sauber I was fired after my first year, and being test driver I had to have good results to get another chance. Then in my first year at Ferrari, Kimi Raikkonen was already signed and no one knew if Michael Schumacher would stop or not.

"Then we can speak about Valentino Rossi ... actually, in my career, I have been through more difficult times," he insisted.

"I am confident. I have a chance to continue with Ferrari. What we need to do is keep working on the car, because (in F1) nobody does anything alone.

"Yes the next races are super-important for my future, but it was also the same at the beginning of the championship.

"I'm 100 per cent focused on my results, and I believe so much in what I am capable of doing, which is what I've done many times."

Spa Grand Prix President Étienne Davignon has locked the Belgian Grand Prix down for the next three years, Belgium's Lalibre.be reported on Tuesday.

Davignon confirmed the new deal between the Walloon Region, Spa Grand Prix and Formula 1 executives in a press conference. A deal that will allow Spa-Francorchamps' Belgian Grand Prix on the World championship calendar until 2015.

Organizers also announced that the 5,600 persons who purchased a ticket online via The Ticket Enterprise will be able to attend the race after all.

All 5,600 of them were left in the dark when the Dutch company went bust.

Event organizers promised that, upon proof of purchase, a ticket would be granted to them. But to be allowed in, they will also have to turn their rights to Spa Grand Prix, in order for the organizing committee to get the money back from The Ticket Enterprise.

From GMM

Lewis Hamilton "has told" his boss he wants to stay with McLaren in 2013.

The team's managing director Jonathan Neale said last week the 2008 world champion is "close" to agreeing a new contract.

And boss Martin Whitmarsh has now been quoted as saying Hamilton, 27, "has told me" he wants to stay at the Woking based team.

"If Lewis wants to stay in the team, which he has told me he does, then he should do," Whitmarsh is quoted by the BBC and the Independent newspaper.

"Lewis and I have spoken two or three times at length. I think we are closer than we have ever been," he added.

From press release

Budweiser racing and NASCAR driver Kevin Harvick go into high gear as they team up with Blippar, an innovative new augmented reality technology out of London, for their U.S. launch.

Launched in the UK in the summer of 2011, Blippar is the first image-recognition phone app aimed at bringing the real world into a world of exciting augmented reality experience, instantaneous content and digital discovery.



Users can "blipp" real world items - such as newspapers, magazines, products, posters, online images - to bring them to virtual life with overlaid digital information, videos, games or interactive experiences.

For the 2012 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series season, when fans view the Budweiser logo through the Blippar app on a mobile device, a vivid new world appears giving fans the chance to take their picture with NASCAR driver Kevin Harvick and enjoy interactive material and behind-the-scenes video content of Kevin Harvick.



Fans will be able to interact with the Budweiser logo on beer cans, packaging, posters and images on the internet.

To begin the fun, simply download the free Blippar app to your mobile device (Android, Iphone or Ipad) and begin viewing the Budweiser logo through your screen to watch it magically come alive!

A new book, titled Performance Thinking, written by Jacques Dallaire, Ph.D., has been released recently and it explains how to develop mental skills for the competitive world, sports (including motorsport) and for life.

Dr. Jacques Dallaire

Interestingly, Dr. Dallaire was one of my teachers at McGill University in the '80s. In fact, I introduced Jacques to the world of motorsport, and from that interest he and other researchers created the “McGill Motorsport Research Group” destined to help race car drivers with their physical and mental preparation -- a unique feat back then.

Over the years, Dr. Dallaire has worked closely with several famous and successful race car drivers, such as Indy 500 winners Rick Mears, Emerson Fittipaldi and Helio Castroneves, as well as Formula 1 World Champions Ayrton Senna and Nigel Mansell.

Dr Dallaire started helping Nigel Mansell when he began his F1 career at Lotus. (Photo: WRI2)

In his book, Dr. Dallaire explains how our way of thinking has a direct influence on our performance -- in sports, in real life and at work. Throughout the 238 pages, Dr. Dallaire provides clear, simple examples to illustrates his theories. However, I strongly suggest that you read just a chapter at a time, then sleep on it, as there's a lot of crucial information to absorb.

The main objective of the book is to try to answer a fundamental and universal question: How do I mentally sabotage my own performance, and how can I learn not to?

So, Dr. Dallaire explain that individuals have first to learn the difference between their performance and the final outcome of the competition. The concept is to focus on our own performance without worrying about things we have absolutely no control over.


Since the mind can only actively process one thought at a time, it's better make it a positive one. In the case of a race car driver, that would be to think about the correct racing line through a corner rather that what's going to happen if I crash the car there?

OK, so how do I change my way of thinking?

In the last section of his book, Dr. Dallaire explains his A.C.T. model process (A game, Compare, Transfrom) that represents three key steps that are used in mental reconditioning.

An excellent book not only meant for motorsport champions, but for anyone who wants to perform better and more efficiently in their everyday lives.

Edited by Dallaire Consulting.
www.performanceprime.com

From press release

Formula 1 will return to Circuit de Nevers Magny-Cours from September 11 to 13 when Ferrari, Mercedes AMG and Sahara Force India conduct their annual Young Driver Tests at the French venue.

Circuit de Magny-Cours, France (Photos: Circuit de Magny-Cours)

The 17-turn, 4.4km track will provide the teams' aspiring grand prix stars with a suitably demanding challenge as they tackle a combination of flowing, high-speed corners and slower technical sections. These characteristics also represent an ideal layout on which to hone car set-ups ahead of the season's crucial final seven rounds.

Circuit de Nevers Magny-Cours is no stranger to the roar of Formula 1 engines having played host to the French Grand Prix a total of 18 times between 1991 and 2008.

The venue has continued to stage numerous top-line racing events ever since, including international single-seater, touring car, GT and motorcycle championships.

During this period extensive upgrades have also been made to the circuit and its facilities, while the opening of a new motorway linking the track with Paris has significantly cut journey times and improved access.

Set-up for the test begins at the circuit on Sunday, September 9 before cars take to the track on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday of the following week.

From BMW press release

For the second time this season in DTM, two races are taking place within a week of each other. The teams must move house from Nurburgring to Zandvoort in record time. For BMW Motorsport, more than 350 tons of material must be transported from the Eifel Mountains to the Dutch North Sea coast, where it must then be assembled and made ready for the race weekend.

BMW Motorsport and its three teams are travelling with plenty of luggage. More than 30 trucks are making their way on the 360-kilometre journey to Zandvoort, carrying with them the cars, equipment and the BMW Motorsport Team and Media Hospitality.

Photo: BMW Motorsport

The schedule is a tight one. Long before the drivers climb into their BMW M3 DTMs for the first time at the “Circuit Park Zandvoort”, everything from the cars to the final paper serviettes must have been delivered and the garages and hospitality buildings completely set up by Thursday.

In Germany, teams first dismantled their garages and packed their equipment into special transport cases, before the first parts could be loaded onto the trucks three hours after the end of the race. The tire store and offices for the engineers were also sent on their way to Zandvoort, only to be reassembled there in record speed.

Photo: BMW Motorsport

The BMW Motorsport Team and Media Hospitality underwent the same process. As the Nurburgring race was on, those responsible for erecting the structures on the North Sea coast were already hard at work installing a second ground plate. Then, the hospitality building is taken apart. Step-by-step the front of the top floor was removed, followed by the roof panels and the steel framework.

Photo: BMW Motorsport

The team then loaded the container modules onto special trucks, using a 100-ton crane, before the false ceiling was removed and the ground floor dismantled and prepared for shipping in the same way.

The BMW Motorsport Team and Media Hospitality is far from a simple tent. Nowadays it is more of a modern multi-functional building - with kitchen and medical rooms - covering an area of 1,200m². It can be dismantled and reassembled again in just three days and nights!

Photo: BMW Motorsport