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.
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.
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.
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.
NASCAR officials announced that Slugger Labbe, crew chief of Paul Menard's #27 Chevrolet has been fined $100,000 and suspended from competition until October 3rd following a post-race inspection conducted in Concord, N.C.
In a statement "the No. 27 team was found to be in violation of Sections 12-1 (actions detrimental to stock car racing); 12-4K (race equipment that has been previously certified or previously approved by NASCAR for use in an event, pursuant to sub-section 8-12, has been altered, modified, repaired or changed in any manner. Intentionally modifying frame rails for the purpose of deceiving NASCAR's inspection gauges) of the 2012 NASCAR Rule Book.
"As a result, crew chief Slugger Labbe has been fined $100,000, suspended from NASCAR until Oct. 3 and placed on probation until Dec. 31. Car chief Craig Smokstad has been suspended from NASCAR until Oct. 3 and placed on probation until Dec. 31, while crew member Grant Hutchens also has been suspended from NASCAR until Oct. 3 and placed on probation until Dec. 31.
"Driver Paul Menard and owner Richard Childress have been penalized with the loss of 25 championship drivers' and owners' points, respectively."
Two years ago Richard Childress Racing's crew chief, Shane Wilson, was also fined $100,000 when Clint Bowyer's New Hampshire winning car was found out of spec at NASCAR's technology headquarters in Concord.
At the time under a different points system the team was penalized the equivalent of 38 points in today's rules.
Jeff Hammond, formerly a Cup crew chief and now a SpeedTV analyst explained "when NASCAR developed this new car, certain certifications were mandatory and were to be adhered to. When a chassis is certified, it is not to be altered from that point forward. I'm a little surprised the monetary fine wasn't greater and the suspensions don't extend through the end of the year.
"With that in mind, this penalty is more than fair. When NASCAR sets certain rules, they mean for them to be followed, and hopefully the message has been sent loud and clear that this car is not to be tampered with. There are certain areas they say teams can work in but this clearly is one of the areas that is off limits.
"I hope the message has resonated that NASCAR does not want this car altered or developed any further or any less. Just leave it alone. I was a hardheaded crew chief, but even I understood there are certain rules you don't break. Unfortunately, as well as this team had done in climbing through the points, this penalty essentially strips them of any opportunity to make the Chase, even if they win three or four races. That's the worst part of this."
The penalty may not be the end of this.
"We're going to appeal it," team owner Richard Childress told FOXSports.com "That's all I'm going to say right now."
Rubens Barrichello has once again refused to rule out returning to formula one.
The Brazilian, who with almost 330 grand prix weekends in his pocket is the sport's longest serving driver of all time, told a German magazine last week he can still imagine "a way back" to the grid.
Barrichello, who at 40 is three years younger than Michael Schumacher, switched to the US-based Indycar series for 2012.
"My problems have been with the tracks than are much bumpier than the ones in Europe," he is quoted as saying in Taubate, Brazil, where he gave a motivational speech.
"I am not criticising, but saying that the problem is just part of my adaption. The car is also totally different to the 19 that I drove in my life in formula one."
Barrichello said racing remains his chosen method of "expression".
"Formula one ended too early for me. I am the driver with the most experience, but I thought that it would last longer.
"Some people have tried to bury me, but actually it's not my time yet," he insisted.
For Barrichello, the excitement and competitiveness of F1's 2012 season has made his forced retirement even tougher.
He said he would "love" to still be there.
"My whole life has been an open book," he revealed. "As much as I am focused on Indy, if there is an invitation from formula one, I will think about it.
"You have got to take your offers, select the best three and make a decision," said Barrichello.
Finally, Barrichello moved to settle the argument about who is the greatest F1 driver of all time.
"I have no doubts about that: Ayrton Senna," he said, before smiling: "Or maybe you were hoping I would say Schumacher?"
As a professional auto racing journalist, I am often asked: ''So, you must be spending a lot of time with the drivers, right?''
Honestly, I don't know how to answer. Yes, it's part of the job, but I can assure you that it has become more of a hide-and-seek game in recent years.
Most Formula 1, IndyCar and NASCAR drivers do not particularly enjoy life in the paddocks. They feel too vulnerable to autograph seekers, fans, groupies, photographers, and the media.
Photo: WRI2
Take NASCAR for example: Drivers usually make a beeline for their team's garage and motor home, preferably in a golf cart so as to move faster than people chasing them on foot.
In order to meet a driver and get an interview, one must normally go through their PR staff. However, in NASCAR, there's a whole sea of them -- one for the team, one for the sponsor, another for the driver himself, etc. That's a lot of folks, and oftentimes they don't communicate with each other. You can be granted a request, only to have it denied moments later by someone else. It happened to me back in April during a DTM race.
Last summer, I knew that Andrew Ranger was competing in the NAPA 200 in Montreal, but I never even saw him. And just try to talk to Jacques Villeneuve when he's in the paddocks; it's like ''Where's Waldo?''
Formula 1 has smaller quarters for drivers to ''hide'' in, so it's easier to stumble upon them. If they're not in too much of a hurry, they will agree to share a few words with you.
Of course, those pesky PR guys and gals quickly step in, like the control freaks that they are. Anytime you interview a member of a racing team, they stand nearby and record the whole conversation. Why? To prevent misquotes and out-of-context statements. It's impossible to get some one-on-one time.
More often than not, racing journalists will catch a driver... on television, like regular people!
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!
"M" may have once been the most powerful letter in the alphabet, according to BMW, but that's all about to change thanks to brand new 2013 BMW Alpina B7.
Looks aside, the most important part about the brand new Alpina B7 is the engine which features two new Garrett turbochargers (bespoke to Alpina) that boost the 4.4L V8 to 540 hp and 538 lb-ft (20 of each horsepower and torque since 2012). Top speed jumps to 194 mph. Just in case the outgoing model wasn't fast enough for you.
Sitting on new 21" wheels, the 2013 Alpina B7 will be offered in rear-wheel sDrive or all-wheel xDrive platforms. And the old 6-speed gearbox has been replaced with an 8-speed number.
The 2013 BMW Alpina B7 will be available to order in the fall with prices starting at $128,495. Get your cheque books out.
Volkswagen has played down reports it is making plans to enter formula one in 2015.
The German weekly Sport Bild said the Wolfsburg based carmaker giant was planning to enter F1 with Sauber, or even considering getting involved in chassis design at its state of the art Porsche Motorsport Centre in Weissach.
The report said the FIA was aware of VW's plans.
But the marque's marketing and communications boss Stefan Moser said: "Nothing has changed since our last statement.
"We are continuing to focus on the WRC. Entering formula one is not an issue for us right now," he told Germany's motorsport-magazin.com.
If you've recently spent $100,000 on the Fisker Karma hybrid, you're about to have it recalled thanks to a faulty cooling fan that can, apparently, catch fire.
Following a flaming Karma incident in Woodside, CA at the beginning of the month, Karma has decided a recall is the best course of action to replace the cooling fan (not the lithium ion battery which they say had nothing to do with the fire).
If you own a Fisker Karma (you lucky son of a ...), your cooling fan will be replaced and an additional fuse will be added for more protection. Your dealer will contact you for further details, or you can contact your dealer if you haven't heard from them already.
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