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From GMM

Former Red Bull test driver Brendon Hartley has re-emerged in the Mercedes camp.

The now 22-year-old was dumped by the energy drink company after serving in 2010 as joint F1 reserve driver with Daniel Ricciardo.

He was replaced by Ricciardo's now Toro Rosso teammate Jean-Eric Vergne.

It was a huge setback for New Zealander Hartley, but this week for the young driver test at Magny Cours, he is wearing silver colours in the Mercedes garage.

Brendon Hartley and the W03 Mercedes at Magny-Cours. (Photo: Brendon Hartley)

The Brackley based team said Hartley has actually been a team simulator driver since 2011.

And a statement on Hartley's official website said that "provided everything runs to plan during the first two days of the (Magny Cours) test, (he) will drive the W03 on Thursday".

“Two years ago it was difficult to believe I would have another chance to drive for a top Formula 1 team, I have worked hard behind the scenes with Mercedes AMG and have stayed motivated and focused. I feel much more prepared in comparison to my first Formula 1 test in 2008 when I was just 18 and fresh out of Formula 3. Since then I have learnt a lot about, both myself and the business of racing, and I will do my best to make the most of this opportunity!”

On Tuesday and Wednesday, Mercedes' main test driver Sam Bird is conducting important development testing of the team's 'triple DRS' system as well as a new 'Coanda'-effect exhaust.

Several Ford dealers on Tuesday welcomed news that the Ford Motor board of directors may be preparing a succession plan to move the company forward after CEO Alan Mulally retires.

At many of GM's 1,200 smallest dealerships, a factory rep hasn't walked through the door in 25 years.

Porsche has confirmed long-running rumors it will add a Cayenne S diesel variant to boost sales and performance potential in the face of increased luxury SUV competition.

2012 Land Rover Range Rover Supercharged

Every time we climb into a Range Rover, we're surprised to look back and see that we did so without a ladder.

Every time I climb into a Range Rover, I'm surprised to look back and see that I did so without a ladder. It's not that getting in is especially difficult, but once you're in the driver's seat, you have a sense that you're riding on 70-inch monster truck tires. The seating position, the ride height, and the low dash give an absolutely commanding view of the road in front of you.

Photo Gallery: 2012 Land Rover Range Rover Supercharged - Automobile Magazine

Photo Gallery: 2012 Land Rover Range Rover Supercharged - Automobile Magazine

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GM has tapped a new advertising director for Chevrolet ahead of a slew of product launches over the next 18 months. Molly Peck, who had been head of advertising for Cadillac, last week was named Chevrolet's director of U.S.

Ford directors are preparing to promote Mark Fields to COO from president of the Americas, a move that anoints him as probable successor to CEO Alan Mulally, a person familiar with the plan told Bloomberg.

Also in this episode: Honda releases detailed information on the redesigned Accord, and Chrysler Group brands plan for

The Toyota brand is changing its advertising tag line to 'Let's Go Places,' replacing 'Moving Forward,' its slogan since 2004.

There are probably 1,000 reasons why a motorcycle design that uses a pair of rubberized spheres instead of wheels cannot and will not work. But don't tell the engineering students at San Jose State University that.

Patrick Pelata, former chief operating officer of Renault, has joined US software firm Salesforce.com.

News 11 Sep, 2012

A third of new cars registered may be pre-registered, according to data from valuation expert CAP

A few weeks ago, we showed you photos of a camouflaged Jaguar F-Type testing in Colorado.

Collectible Classic: 1954 Kaiser Darrin

The Shipbuilder's Corvette.

The decades following World War II are remembered as a golden age for America's automakers. And for three of them, they were. For everyone else -- the Packards, Nashes, and Hudsons of the world -- these were years of brutal attrition. That's not to say that the little guys didn't have their moments of glory, however. One of the most beautiful and least known of those moments is the Kaiser Darrin.

Photo Gallery: Collectible Classic: 1954 Kaiser Darrin - Automobile Magazine

Photo Gallery: Collectible Classic: 1954 Kaiser Darrin - Automobile Magazine

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We love bench racing at Autoweek almost as much as we love real racing. It's definitely cheaper and unlike most other forms of racing, it's still feasible during the six months out of the year when it snows in Michigan.

Republican vice presidential nominee Paul Ryan pressed the Department of Energy in 2008 to write rules for electric-car loans that could have risked almost as much federal money as was lost when Solyndra LLC went bankrupt.

Labor groups in the United States early this year began a campaign to persuade President Barack Obama to clamp down on imports of auto parts from China, which they said are unfairly subsidized and threatened 1.6 million jobs in all 50 states.

The SMMT has welcomed a policy initiative by the UK government today that stresses the need for an active industrial policy and sets up a government backed business bank to lend money to UK companies.

BMW's Rolls-Royce unit has announced the oepning of more retail presence in Japan and reported strong sales of its Phantom Series II in the country.

First Drive: 2014 Volkswagen GTD

That's D, for diesel.

Our office lacks a giant water bottle and an exercise wheel, but it's clear that Volkswagen views us as guinea pigs -- at least when it comes to the green GTI it left in our parking lot. Actually, it's not a GTI: It's a European-spec GTD. And Rainer Michel, vice president of marketing and strategy for Volkswagen of America, is imploring his bosses in Wolfsburg to bring the next iteration here after VW begins importing the seventh-generation Golf in 2013.

Photo Gallery: First Drive: 2014 Volkswagen GTD - Automobile Magazine

Photo Gallery: First Drive: 2014 Volkswagen GTD - Automobile Magazine

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