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The fourth generation Range Rover will be seen for the first time at the Paris motor show in September. Land Rover says the new model will be over 400kg lighter thanks to its aluminium platform.

Pictures 15 Aug, 2012

Within hours of an announcement to close a PSA plant near Paris, the first car factory closure in France in 20 years, the automaker's unions went on the attack, with one union likening themselves to a ''political bomb'' ready to detonate.

Robert Bosch has targeted North America as a high-growth market. The German supplier is spending $350 million this year to expand production in North America, and it is buying more components there, too.

The 204,000 euro Ferrari 458 Italia has never been a particularly common sight, even on the autostrade of its native Italy. Today, it's becoming even rarer as austerity measures drive Ferrari owners to export their supercars by the truckload.

Faurecia has opened a plant in suburban Detroit to produce a variety of interior parts for the Cadillac ATS.

General Motors has made a bid for Ally Financial's international operations, about two months after CEO Dan Akerson said he'd like to buy the business.

The main topic of discussion in the pits prior to the start of the 2012 Pikes Peak International Hill Climb was, of course, the surface of the road to the top of the mountain.

A misrouted transfer tube inside the fuel tank of the 2013 JX35 is the subject of a recall by Infiniti.

On some of the 1,116 vehicles being affected, the fuel gauge may read higher than the actual level in the fuel tank. This could cause the vehicle to run out of fuel without notice, leading the engine to break down.

Infiniti dealers will inspect the fuel transfer tube and reroute if necessary.

Source: Transports Canada

2013 Infiniti JX35 (Photo: Infiniti)

From GMM

Rubens Barrichello has admitted that driving an IndyCar after an almost two-decade formula one career was a rude awakening.

And not just the speed difference.

Asked by Germany's Auto Motor und Sport if his new mount felt slow even after Williams' uncompetitive 2011 car, the Brazilian said: "Yes, at first. But when you come to Indianapolis, you think differently about the speed."

The biggest difference, he explained, is the driving style he now needs to deploy.

"I am driving a car that is 200 kilograms heavier, so my precise and smooth style that I had over 19 years in formula one is not needed here. I have to be aggressive, against my instinct," said Rubens Barrichello.

Rubens Barrichello at Indianapolis. (Photo: LAT for IndyCar)

Another major difference, said the winner of 11 grands prix, are the circuits.

"As the former president of the GPDA, I have to say that we would not allow these circuits in F1. No formula one drivers would go there," said Barrichello.

"They are very bumpy, there is no run-off. You have to get used to it after being spoiled in formula one. If we would take the IndyCar to the European tracks, I would look better," he insisted.

Rubens Barrichello said that it is for that reason that - perhaps strangely - he is performing better this year on the ovals compared to the bumpy road and street circuits.

"I'll tell you why. It's because a precise and smooth driving style works best on the ovals. I can drive there (on ovals) according to my instincts," he explained.

Another rude awakening, said Barrichello, has been the technology shift.

"In formula one of course, there are many electronic toys that do not exist here. Even in the car setup of the IndyCar there are not too many adjustments you can make; just the classical dampers, springs, anti-roll bars. There is nothing wrong with that, there is simply less money available. Here, you can put together a car for five million dollars. In formula one you need more like 50 million," said Barrichello.

It's not just about making faster, more powerful cars these days. Companies like Nissan have families in mind too, especially when it comes to cars like their brand new 2013 Pathfinder.

Vehicles with seating for seven often face a serious flaw: How does one get in the back row without A) Looking like a fool; and B) Crushing the occupants in the second row? Well, Nissan have come up with a solution and it's called the LATCH AND GLIDE.

With the flick of a latch on the side of the seat, the right-side second-row seat tilts and glides forward giving ample room for passengers to scoot into the third row. An added bonus to the system? You can still use it when a child car seat is installed on the second-row seat (just make sure your kid isn't in the seat when you LATCH AND GLIDE), no need to remove it or try and clamber over to get to the back.

The 2013 Nissan Pathfinder will also feature a Tri-zone entertainment system that will allow for three separate entertainment functions to happen at once throughout the car (music/movie/video game, etc.).

From GMM

Winning the 2012 world championship is going to be a much tougher task for reigning back to back title winner Sebastian Vettel.

That is the view of F1's legendary triple world champion Niki Lauda, who nonetheless told the Osterreich (Austria) newspaper that the 25-year-old German cannot be written off.

With half the 2012 championship now behind him, Vettel has one win compared to leader Fernando Alonso's three, and he also trails his Red Bull teammate Mark Webber.

Told that Vettel appears less happy in 2012, Niki Lauda said: "That's logical. Last year he had a huge advantage with his car. Now, in every race, he is having to fight like a donkey in order to stay in touch. And the stress level is higher."

Sebastian Vettel, Red Bull, at the German Grand Prix. (Photo: WRi2)

And Austrian legend Lauda, 63, said Webber and Ferrari's Alonso are not Vettel's only problems.

"All the top teams are closer together, as we saw in Budapest last time. I expect it to stay like that and I hope that Red Bull and McLaren can exploit their full potential."

As for how Vettel shapes up against 2012 favourite Alonso, Lauda said the Spaniard is "superior to everyone in difficult situations".

Niki Lauda was also asked about reports London could soon join the F1 calendar.

"I watched the Olympics from the opening to the closing ceremony," he said, "and loved it. An Olympic Games could not have gone better."

As for what he thinks about the idea of a London street grand prix, Lauda answered: "Not a lot."

From GMM

Lewis Hamilton and McLaren are apparently now "closer" than ever to agreeing a new deal beyond the 2008 world champion's current contract.

With the 27-year-old Briton's current deal expiring this year, he has been linked with sensational moves to Lotus or Mercedes.

Rumours have said the McLaren impasse is essentially over money, although Hamilton said recently the fact he is currently not allowed to keep his original trophies or helmets is a "push point" in the negotiations.

"In a lot of other teams, the drivers get their original trophies," he is quoted by the Guardian. "So whatever contract I'm having next, that is going to be a push point."

Jonathan Neale, McLaren. (Photo: WRi2)

McLaren's managing director Jonathan Neale suggested this week that Hamilton is now close to signing on for 2013.

"We are closer and of course we (are) in dialogue," he is quoted as saying by the Sun. "We are working hard to find common ground."

Asked if both McLaren and Hamilton want to keep working together in the future, Neale insisted: "Very much so."

Six World Rally Championship titles and 75 victories at WRC rounds: this is the impressive tally of the four rally stars that will be competing in the Legends classification of the Volkswagen Scirocco R-Cup round at the Nürburgring this weekend.

The drift aces Markku Alén, Juha Kankkunen, Carlos Sainz and Sébastien Ogier are pitted against the 21 regular drivers of the German one-make cup just one week before the ADAC Rallye Deutschland in the Eifel region.

But the title fight of the Scirocco R-Cup delivers suspense as well. Particularly the runner-up in the standings, Adam Gładysz, after having clinched three second places in the near-285-horsepower Cup Scirocco powered by a bio natural gas engine, is shooting for his first victory of the season in order to maintain his chances of winning the championship against leader of the standings Ola Nilsson.

Photo: VW Motorsport

Here are the rally legends:

• The Finn Markku Alén (61) in 1978 won the FIA Cup, the predecessor of the World Rally Championship and scored victories at a total of 19 WRC rallies.

• Alén's compatriot Juha Kankkunen (53), with four titles (in 1986, 1987, 1991 and 1993), 23 rally wins and 821 WRC points, was the WRC record holder for a long time.

• Spaniard Carlos Sainz (50) was ranking among the absolute top of the crop in rallying for nearly two decades. "El Matador” won 24 of his 180 WRC events and in 1990 and 1992 clinched the WRC titles as well.

• At the age of 28, Sébastien Ogier is the youngster among the Legends entrants at the Eifel circuit. The Frenchman is the first racer to have been signed by Volkswagen for the WRC commitment with the Polo R WRC that commences in 2013. With his race experience limited to a pair of outings in the French F4 single-seater of the Auto Sport Academy last year, Ogier is looking forward to the challenge.

From GMM

Gerhard Berger wants to make it simpler for young drivers to progress through the junior ranks to formula one.

The former ten-time grand prix winner, BMW motor sport director and Toro Rosso co-owner is now the president of the governing FIA's single seater commission.

Jean Todt, Berger's former Ferrari boss and now FIA president, told the latest edition of the federation's own Inmotion magazine that he is looking into "how we can best create a logical path for aspiring drivers from karting all the way to F1".

The problem has arisen in recent years, with the path now cluttered with junior series including GP2, GP3, Renault World Series, F2, Formula Renault, Formula BMW, Formula Ford, F3, Auto GP and others.

Robert Wickens, Formula Renault 3.5 Champion 2011. (Photo: World Series by Renault)

It was much easier in 52-year-old Berger's day, when he moved from Formula Ford and rose through the German and European F3 ranks and was spotted by the F1 team ATS.

"The commission," Berger said, "looks at everything between karting and formula one and I find that the pyramid at the moment is very loose. There are too many championships out there and attention between them is split too much. People are complaining that the best drivers are now all spread out and so you cannot look at the British Formula 3 championship, for example, and say that he is certain to get to formula one. These days, the best drivers are all over the place. The system no longer does what it is supposed to do, which is to give a highly talented driver a CV he can use to progress to formula one."

Edoardo Mortara, Formula 3 Euroseries Champion 2010. (Photo: F3 Euroseries)

Gerhard Berger said he is "sure" he can help to "sort out" the system "because of the contacts" and skills he has.

He has started by championing European F3, and the next step - according to Berger - could be an all-new "Formula 4".

"We are working on this," Gerhard Berger admitted.

After making it two-in-a-row at Watkins Glen, Marcos Ambrose thinks he can make it back-to-back victories in 2012.

Last Sunday's thrilling battle with Brad Keselowski for the win has the amiable Australian thinking that by winning in Michigan this weekend he would also qualify for the NASCAR's Chase Wild Card.

He has some good reasons for his optimism.

“We have put ourselves within earshot of making the Chase,” said Ambrose during NASCAR's weekly teleconference. “If we can win one more race we are pretty much locked into the Chase format. After winning at Watkins Glen our only other option right now is to keep winning. We are going to Michigan after being on the pole there in the first race and running top five most of the day, we feel we have a great chance to win that race and lock ourselves in the Chase and that is really our only focus right now.”

While his RPM team is basking in the glory of Sunday's win the twice champion of the Super V-8 cars knows that the work has just begun. He's not getting ahead of himself.

“We have to be careful because we just are coming off a road race and for me that is what is expected at a road race,” said Ambrose. “I thought we had a good run at Pocono with a top-10 there and we have momentum, there is no doubt about that. We have to keep that going. Our team has had a lot of really great runs this year and we have had a lot of speed. We have had trouble converting that speed into results. We have had small issues and mechanical problems and driver error and wrong strategy. You name it, we have had it. We have to get our mind off all that and keep our focus.”

Marcos Ambrose. (Photo: NASCAR)

That said Ambrose is looking for a way to convert his road course process into checkered flags on ovals.

“The question that keeps coming back to my mind again and again is just like I did this time last year, I can be so commanding and in control on a road course race, competitive all weekend and we knew going into the weekend we had a chance to win and pulled it off.

How do we get that same mindset, feeling and result on ovals? How do we do it straightaway?

Part of my chit-chat with the team - I had lunch with them today and breakfast as well - It is the Spring package when you win a race they give you breakfast which is awesome. I had a chance to chat with them and look at the car we used and talked about the changes we will make going back.

Really most of our talking has been about how we are going to make the Chase and what we need to do as a team to get there. That is what I am focused on and I am excited about it. Every week in NASCAR things are changing and teams are moving. Just because we won a race last week doesn't change anything we are doing. We have to apply ourselves and hopefully get it right at Michigan to take the pressure off the last three races.”

And who knows? Ambrose just might become the first Aussie to make it into NASCAR's playoffs.

From GMM

No longer in a Renault shirt, Fabrice Lom has revealed he is still "very busy" in the world of formula one.

A high ranking engineer at Renault throughout the Williams, Benetton and Fernando Alonso eras, the Frenchman's last team role was in 2011, liaising between the engine supplier and its most prominent partner, Red Bull.

But a role at the FIA opened up late last year, with the governing body's engine boss Gilles Simon having accepted a job to design a V6 for Craig Pollock's new 2014 venture Pure.

Lom is the FIA's new head of powertrain.

"The FIA contacted me and proposed a job," he revealed.

"I was quite happy at Renault but it sounded like a very interesting opportunity for me and so I decided to take it. It is a very busy role," Lom admitted.

He is in charge of the powertrain for F1, world rally, world endurance, world touring cars and F3.

One of Lom's tasks, he revealed, is "discussing the details of the 2014 F1 rules with the manufacturers".

For most, the McLaren MP4 12C was already track-ready enough but if you know McLaren, their history and strive for perfection and performance, it was only a matter of time before they were to introduce a racing version of the 12C.

The McLaren 12C CAN-AM Edition Racing Concept is all go and all show. It's most striking feature is its unique aerodynamic package that increases downforce by 30%.

As with all race cars, weight and power are addressed as one increases while the other decreases. Weight is down to 1,200 kg from 1,301 (2,640 from 2,862 lb). Horsepower from the twin-turbocharged 3.8L V8 climbs to 630 from 592.

The cabin is all business with a full race-specification rollcage and two racing seats with six-point harnesses.

The McLaren 12C CAN-AM Edition Racing Concept will be unveiled at the Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance this up-coming weekend.

McLaren 12C CAN-AM Racing Concept (Photo: McLaren)

General Motors of Canada has issued a recall on 100,739 small cars from the 2004 to 2007 model years including the Chevrolet Aveo, Epica and Optra as well as the Pontiac G3 Wave.

In some cases, the daytime running light (DRL) module may fail, causing one or more of the following conditions: the DRLs may flicker but remain illuminated; the DRL indicator in the instrument panel may flash; the DRLs may remain illuminated after the vehicle is turned OFF; the DRLs may cease to function and the DRL indicator in the instrument panel will turn OFF. This can make the vehicle less visible to other motorists and pedestrians during daylight hours, which could result in a crash.

Owners are advised to take their car to a GM dealer to have the DRL module replaced, if the above condition exists, for a period of up to 10 years or 240,000 km from first vehicle registration.

Source: Transports Canada

2004 Chevrolet Aveo (Photo: General Motors)

2004 Chevrolet Optra (Photo: General Motors)

2004 Chevrolet Epica (Photo: General Motors)

2007 Pontiac G3 Wave (Photo: Amyot Bachand)

Canadian race car drivers Paul Tracy and Alex Tagliani will contest the Montreal 200, the Canadian round of the Grand-Am Rolex series held at circuit Gilles Villeneuve this weekend.

Both will be co-driving Daytona Prototype cars on the Montreal road course.

Action Express Racing will enter a Corvette DP for 2003 ChampCar series' Champion Paul Tracy and veteran driver David Donohue.

"I'm thrilled to have the opportunity to join Action Express Racing in Montreal,” Said Tracy in a press release.

“When I got the call from Bob Johnson asking me if I'd be interested in joining the team for the race I was very excited about the chance to drive the new Corvette Daytona Prototype. I've known David for a number of years and think that our styles fit well together, and will be very competitive at Circuit Gilles Villeneuve. Of course, this track holds some fond memories for me, having raced there from 2002 - 2006 in the CART/Champ Car days...finishing 2nd in '06. Racing in front of the Canadian fans always holds a special place for me and I can't wait to get back to Montreal!" Paul Tracy added.

Alex Tagliani will co-drive the No. 2 Ford/Riley with Indianapolis Grand-Am Rolex race winner Alex Popow. This will be Tagliani's first race in a Daytona Prototype, although he competed in five GT races in 2006 for Blackforest Motorsports.

Tagliani will also race in Saturday's NASCAR Nationwide Series NAPA Auto Parts 200 presented by Dodge in the No. 30 Chevrolet for Turner Motorsports.