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Audi's first half operating profit rose 13.2% to EUR2.9bn (US$3.6bn) compared to the same period last year as it registered sales of EUR25bn, up 16.2%.

Brembo has unveiled first half net profit up 44% to EUR35.6m (US$43.9m) and although revenue increased 11% to EUR702.6m, the company is keenly eyeing the economic crisis in southern Europe.

News 1 Aug, 2012

Auto Express reader spies the all-new Range Rover parked up in the Lake District

The 1980s might not have a been a golden age of motoring, but they certainly were a paragon of joy for those of us who revel in the glory of the homologation special. The Ferrari 288 GTO. The

BMW has offered to increase its domestic work force of full-time staff by a net 3,200 jobs by the end of next year to settle a long-running dispute with its German unions over its widespread use of temporary workers, two sources told Reuters.

Fiat CEO Sergio Marchionne can't stop the financial bleeding in Europe, so he's shifting the automaker's growth and profit focus to Chrysler Group in the United States.

Fiat CEO Sergio Marchionne can't stop the financial bleeding in Europe, so he's shifting the automaker's growth and profit focus to Chrysler Group in the United States.

BMW reported its first drop in quarterly profit in almost three years on increased spending on new models and pricing pressure. Second-quarter EBIT declined 19 percent to 2.27 billion euros.

Delphi reported a boost in second-quarter earnings on the strength of improving pre-tax margins. The supplier said it posted second-quarter net income of $330 million compared with earnings of $298 million during the same quarter least year.

German chipmaker Infineon on Tuesday painted a gloomy picture of the near future.

Brake maker Brembo said its net profit rose 7.6 percent to 14.5 million euros in the second quarter from a year before, bolstered by strong sales in its main market, Germany.

Mazda reported a narrower fiscal first-quarter loss on demand for more fuel-efficient models in its home market. The net loss was 6.5 billion yen ($83 million) in the three months ended June 30, compared with a loss of 25.

AJ Allmendinger's short tenure at Penske Racing has come to an end following the driver's drug test failure.

Penske Racing issued a statement which followed a meeting, this week, between the driver and team owner, Roger Penske.

"Penske Racing fully supports NASCAR's substance abuse policy and we are disappointed with AJ's positive drug test results," said Roger Penske.

"AJ is a terrific driver, a good person and it is very unfortunate that we have to separate at this time. We have invested greatly in AJ and we were confident in his success with our team.

The decision to dismiss him is consistent with how we would treat any other Penske Racing team member under similar circumstances. As AJ begins NASCAR's ‘Road to Recovery' program, we wish him the best and look forward to seeing him compete again in NASCAR."

As a result Sam Hornish Jr. who is driving full-time in the Nationwide series will get another shot at the Cup level in “the No. 22 Dodge at Pocono this weekend and for the foreseeable future.”

But the team would not go so far as to nominate the former IndyCar driver for the drive next hear. “Penske Racing will evaluate its options for a driver of the No. 22 car for the 2013 NASCAR Sprint Cup season,” it said.

In a very contrite statement Allmendinger said “I wish to thank Mr. Penske, Penske Racing, their sponsors, and especially all the of the No. 22 team for the opportunity they provided me and for their support in this difficult time. I also, again, would like to thank all the fans that really have been awesome through this.”

“I apologize for the distraction, embarrassment,  and difficulties that my current suspension from NASCAR has provided. As I stated last week, I have begun NASCAR's Road to Recovery program and look forward to using those resources and its completion to compete again in NASCAR in the near future.”

Penske Racing President, Tim Cindric, tweeted “AJ fans: I respect ur passion/disappointment n decision.I also want 2 c AJ succeed.We must now put our energy twd supporting his next steps.”

Shea Holbrook, first female driver to win an event in the Pirelli World Challenge, demonstrates how a typical, everyday car like the Civic Si can give race cars a run for their money on the track, even with the exact same body and engine!

From press release

Canadian racecar driver Maryeve Dufault Wednesday announced her return to ARCA competition driving car No. 40 M5 Sports Entertainment/Descendo Fine Art/Dodge for CM2 Motorsports this weekend at Pocono Raceway in the Pennsylvania ARCA 125.

Dufault made her ARCA debut in 2011 when she earned one top-10 and six top-13 finishes in her first year of Stock Car racing. She improved from her starting position in eight of the 15 races she contested, earning two “Hard Charger” awards. This weekend's race at Pocono will be her first in 2012.

“I am so excited to be back in the car, and I am very grateful for this opportunity. I had a competitive rookie year last year, I had a lot of good races, and I just can't wait to get back on the racetrack. It will be special to make my return at Pocono, its one of my favorite tracks,” Maryeve said.

Maryeve Dufault (Photo: CM2 Motorsports)

She became the first Canadian female to compete in a NASCAR Nationwide Series race when she made her Nationwide Series debut at Circuit Gilles Villeneuve in Montreal for the NAPA Auto Parts 200.

Since her Nationwide debut, Maryeve moved to Mooresville, North Carolina to continue the development of her NASCAR career. She's also spent the last several months' fitness training with CrossFit Reebok, testing and filming performance driving videos for Fiat's ABARTH 500 brand.

She is also preparing for the SPIKE television program “GT ACADEMY,” which will air in November. Dufault and Indy 500 winner Danny Sullivan are part of an expert panel on the program who judge the competitors' (virtual racers) potential to become a professional racecar driver.

The punchy news posted yesterday by a European magazine stating that Citroën Racing was sold to Qatar caused turmoil in the rally world.

The news was based on the fact that French PSA Peugeot-Citroen has recently announced the slashing of 8000 employees. Facing tough economic times, Citroen wants to withdraw from the World Rally Championship and was ready to sold its cars and factory located in Versailles to Qatar.

The DS3 Citroen of Nasser Al Attiyah. (Photo: WRC)

Wednesday morning, Yves Matton, the director of Citroen Racing denied the whole thing.

“Qatar is one of our partners but it's never been question that Citroen Racing would be sold to Qatar or something of similar nature,” Matton said in an interview published by Citroen.

“I don't know where they got that supposed scoop, but it is totally false and completely untrue. Qatar is a business partner with whom we work with for several months and everything is fine. I have no idea wehere this story somes from,” Matton repeated in the interview.

From GMM

Timo Glock's nightmare form is back.

In June, we reported that the highly-rated German was at war with the team's 2012 car -- outpaced by rookie teammate Charles Pic and certain something was fundamentally wrong with his chassis.

Then, the mystery seemed to be solved when a flaw in the rear suspension wishbone mountings were fixed.

At Monaco, he looked back in the game, but more recently the bad form has crept back in.

Timo Glock, Marussia MR01. (Photo: Marussia F1 Team)

Marussia even decided to give him an entirely-new chassis for the Hungary weekend, but in Budapest he was outqualified and outraced by the sister car, complaining bitterly about the handling.

"At the moment it's undriveable," Glock is quoted by Germany's Auto Motor und Sport.

"We don't know what it is. I have oversteer all the time. And the wheels are locking constantly," he explained.

Timo Glock said the designers and engineers are at a loss.

"It's probably a problem at the rear of the car. But what exactly? We don't know."

He admitted that Marussia's technical collaboration with McLaren has not yet borne any fruit. "I had hoped that we would get closer, but right now it's not the case.

"But at the moment that's not the most important. What is (crucial) is why I'm losing almost a lap to my teammate," said Glock.

Honda, which will make its World Touring Car Championship debut at the end of the season, has started its test programme with the new 1.6 litre turbocharged Civic.

At Vallelunga, Gabriele Tarquini and Tiago Monteiro shared the whee of the Civic to collect a maximum of data on the new car. Team JAS Motorsport, who is in charge of the Honda's sporting programme with the Civic WTCC, focused on working on the engine for this first run.

The two Honda drivers, Gabriele Tarquini and Tiago Monteiro. (Photo: Honda)

Driver and co-driver of the BRAKIM Racing Team suffered a brief miscommunication last weekend during Special Stage 7 of Rally West Virginia, which was enough to put the team's heavily modified 1995 Neon G2 that runs in the National 2WD class down a quick embankment.

BRAKIM Racing competes on the national and regional level across the U.S.A. and Canada fighting for the North American Rally Championship title.

After the car came to a stop on the side of a vertical cliff, the co-driver decided to do his best to extricate himself from the Neon by climbing up and out of the passenger window. Ooops!