Auto News 5

Alex Zanardi won two gold and one silver medals at the 2012 London paralympic games in a hand bike that has been produced by race car manufacturer Dallara.

Photo: Dallara Automobili

Dallara published a press release to explain the manufacturing process. Interestingly, the hand bike chassis has been created in Varano with the same methods and processes used for developing a race car.

The process of development closely mirrored that of a race car: once both he and his bike were scanned to produce a 3D model, there followed an in-depth study of aerodynamics using advanced CFD (Computational Fluid Dynamics), aimed at the development the final form of the bike.

Photo: Dallara Automobili

With this stage completed, structural analysis using FEM methods (Finite Element Methods) are applied, as well as many laboratory tests.

A prototype mannequin was constructed during the development process to help determine the best driving position with the final design and first prototype ready in July, followed by the definitive hand bike.

Alex accomplished only one test of his new Dallara, on August 1st. Then he was off to London where he win three medals.

Photo: Dallara Automobili

Long-time V8 Supercar team Stone Brothers Racing will merge with Erebus Motorsport to run three AMG E Class V8 Supercars in the V8 Supercars Championship from 2013.

The agreement, which has been almost a year in the making since its initial concept in early 2011, is a reality with the newly formed team operating under a Customer Sports Program of AMG.

The announcement was made in Melbourne today by Stone Brothers Racing owner Ross Stone, Erebus Motorsport owner Betty Klimenko, Erebus Motorsport CEO Ryan Maddison and V8 Supercar Chairman Tony Cochrane.

Betty Klimenko and Ross Stone. (Photo: Australian V8 Supercar series)

Erebus Motorsport has been dominant in the Australian GT category with Mercedes-AMG's SLS AMG GT3 racecar.

Stone Brothers Racing this morning announced it will be ending its partnership with Ford after a relationship that began when the team was first formed in 1998 and won three V8 Supercar Championships with Marcos Ambrose and Russell Ingall.

The Erebus Motorsport-SBR alliance was made possible under the Car of the Future program. The new 2013 cars will run 5-litre engines with their own bodywork over the COTF spec chassis.

Carpooling is an increasingly popular way of commuting. In fact, a number of companies are offering this service to their employees. Commuters in Montreal and Quebec City will also be happy to learn that a new multimodal ride sharing platform is currently being launched. Called Netlift, it's the only one in the world that allows people to link a carpooling route with a public transit route.

How does it work? First, Netlift members request a route through the website or mobile app. A driver agrees to pick them up using the same website or app. Passengers then confirm their departure and later their arrival by clicking on the corresponding button - or they can specify ''transfer'' when they choose to use public transit to extend their commute. Surprisingly, they're the ones suggesting a reasonable charge for the requested trip, with 70% going to the driver and the other 30% to Netlift.

Photo: Netlift

But wait, it gets even more interesting: Multi-time passengers (10+ commutes per month) collect CO2 credits that increase their driver's share from 70% to 85%!

''Both passengers and drivers can positively and significantly reduce CO2 emissions from transportation, one of the leading causes of global warming,'' says Netlift founder and president Marc-Antoine Ducas.

You can do a quick search on Facebook to find out if some of your friends are Netlift members. It's also possible to rate users based on their punctuality, courtesy, reply time and other such criteria. This helps develop a sense of trust and dependability on both sides.

Some of the companies and institutions that are part of Netlift include Montreal University, HEC Montreal, Polytechnique Montreal, Dale Parizeau Morris Mackenzie as well as the Quebec Metro High Tech Park. Others are currently in talks to join Netlift and help attract a total of 600,000 users in the first year including 2,000 regular users. The plan is to double the network within two years.

Netlift	Auto solo	Public Transport	Train (5 AMT zone)
$0,06 to $0,10 per km	$0,10 to $0,45 Per km +parking + toll	$121 per month ($6,00 per day)	$142 per month (TRAM)
$2,75 per ride $5,50 per day	$4,00 $ to $18,00 per day	$7,00 per ride (unitary)	$3,50 per ride $7,00 per day

''Netlift banks on social commuting by offering a dynamic multimodal platform to reduce vacancy on the road, maximize the use of reserved traffic lanes and fight global warming,'' explains Ducas. ''Netlift stands as the most intuitive and user-friendly carpooling app on the market.''

With sustainable mobility becoming more important than ever, here's hoping that this initiative will expand into the rest of Canada and beyond.

Source: Netlift

The Porsche 918 Spyder official brochure has been accidentally leaked and Teamspeed has just posted pictures of it through German Car Scene.

Four matte colours and six metallic colours will be available in addition to two special body paints that will each carry a premium of €50,000 (approx. $63,500). Of course that won't stop the lucky few who have nearly one million dollars to spend on a supercar like this. What's more, Porsche will offer two racing packages including the famous Martini Race.

The 570-horsepower V8 under the hood teams up with a pair of electric motors to boost total output to 770 horsepower - good for 0-100km/h in 3.0 seconds and a top speed of 325 km/h. Yet, the Porsche 918 Spyder achieves a ridiculous 3.0L/100km!

Inside, alcantara and carbon trim pieces exquisitely blend together. There are no armrests, door bins, climate control unit and stereo. As a result, the car is 35 kg lighter at 1,160 kg.



Source: German Car Scene

The highly anticipated, completely redesigned 2013 Ford Fusion will arrive at Canadian dealerships later this fall with attractive pricing for the various models, the automaker announced.

Photo: Ford

2013 Ford Fusion MSRP

Fusion S FWD (2.5L iVCT engine)	$22,499
Fusion SE FWD (2.5L iVCT engine)	$24,499
Fusion SE AWD (2.0L EcoBoost engine)	$28,799
Fusion Titanium AWD (2.0L EcoBoost engine)	$33,999
Fusion Hybrid (2.0L I4 Atkinson engine)	$29,999
Destination and Delivery	$1,550

Consommation d'essence

	Transmission	City L/100 km	Highway L/100 km
Fusion FWD 2.5L iVCT	6-Speed Auto	9.2	5.8
Fusion FWD 1.6L - I4 GTDI	6-Speed Man	8.0	5.3
Fusion FWD 1.6L - I4 GTDI	6-Speed Auto	8.7	5.5
Fusion FWD 2.0L - I4 GTDI	6-Speed Auto	9.2	5.9
Fusion AWD 2.0L - I4 GTDI	6-Speed Auto	9.5	6.3
Fusion Hybrid 2.0L - I4	CVT	4.0	4.1

China said it has been made a victim of U.S. electoral politics after Washington launched an international trade case alleging that Beijing has been unfairly subsidizing automobile and auto parts exports.

Ford priced the redesigned 2013 Ford Fusion mid-sized sedan starting at $22,495, including shipping.

India's Mahindra and Mahindra today opened a technical center in suburban Detroit, the conglomerate's first in North America.

Also in this episode: The new Lexus LF-CC concept is set to make its first appearance at the

The 2013 Aston Martin DB9 is getting a power boost thanks to parts and pieces from under the hood of the upcoming Vanquish.

Lexus will introduce the LF-CC hybrid coupe concept at the 2012 Paris auto show this month as the luxury marque's product overhaul continues.

Concours d'elegance events offer enthusiasts an opportunity to celebrate classic automotive design and culture, but they are often missing one crucial element: motion.

Johnson Controls opened an automotive battery recycling plant in South Carolina with an investment of about $150 million, creating 250 new jobs.

Ford CEO Alan Mulally said today he has no plans to retire from the second-biggest U.S. automaker. "Please don't write me off," Mulally, 67, told reporters in New York. "I love serving Ford."

2012 Volvo C30 R-Design

When the C30 made its debut back in 2006, it was essentially a stylish hatchback version of the S40 sedan and V50 wagon -- the three cars (and the C70 convertible) all shared the same platform, powertrains, front clip, and interior.

When the C30 made its debut back in 2006, it was essentially a stylish hatchback version of the S40 sedan and V50 wagon -- the three cars (and the C70 convertible) all shared the same platform, powertrains, front clip, and interior. In the past six years, Volvo has managed to keep the C30 reasonably fresh thanks to a face-lifted front end in 2010; however, there have been no age-reducing efforts on once-innovative interior.

Photo Gallery: 2012 Volvo C30 R-Design - Editors' Notebook - Automobile Magazine

Photo Gallery: 2012 Volvo C30 R-Design - Editors' Notebook - Automobile Magazine

2012 Volvo C30 R-Design | Digg It | Add to del.icio.us

Fiat chief Sergio Marchionne reaffirmed his commitment to Italy despite union warnings that the company is set to shed jobs.

News 19 Sep, 2012

First pictures and details of the revised Aston Martin DB9 Coupe and Volante have been released

Ford's India strategy is on the right track despite a slowing economy, said country chief Michael Boneham, who added that transparency in policy and positive consumer sentiment will go a long way in boosting the industry.

Pictures 19 Sep, 2012

Belgian unions say the impact of any potential closure by Ford of its Genk plant could be up to six times greater than when General Motors shuttered its Antwerp site, given the number of suppliers close to the factory.