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There is an element of lobbying you might think in Ford announcing draconian action other than in the results season.

Free electric vehicle (EV) charging points have been made available in London for residents and businesses participating in trials to understand the impact of EV use on the electricity network.

Robert Bosch is opening an randd center and factory in Changsha, southeastern China, to produce starter motors, generators, thermal systems and wipers.

Ford and Renault have joined Volkswagen's key stakeholder, Lower Saxony, in voicing concern about a French government rescue deal for PSA/Peugeot-Citroen.

Continental will begin production of an automatic-braking and pedestrian-detection system for Mercedes early next year.

Renault's product offensive in India has grown to five cars in the last 18 months as the automaker looks for ways to compensate for falling sales in Europe.

Mercedes expects demand for four-door luxury cars with coupe styling will grow in the coming years and the brand is aiming for a larger share of the niche with the introduction of the CLS Shooting Brake.

Despite slowing demand in China's automotive market, Jochem Heizmann, the new chief of Volkswagen China, expects industry sales to grow 7 to 8 percent annually.

Citroen is offering a new variation of car-sharing that it hopes will improve the brand's recognition among younger buyers and boost new-car sales. The French company's Multicity program enables Citroen owners to rent their vehicles to other people.

From GMM

Sergio Perez and Lewis Hamilton appear to be in the process of falling out of favour within their respective teams.

Lewis Hamilton is moving from McLaren to Mercedes for 2013, to be replaced at the famous British by Sauber's Perez.

Mexican Perez was sidelined in morning practice in India early on Friday, ostensibly due to a heavy cold. He was replaced by Esteban Gutierrez, who is tipped to move into Perez's race seat full-time next year.

Sergio Perez has told Argentine Fox television, however, that he was well enough to drive.

Esteban Gutierrez and Sergio Perez, Sauber. (Photo: WRi2)

"I am pleased that they are so worried about me," Perez said ironically. "It's obvious that I'm not 100 per cent, but I've driven in worse shape. There was no reason for me not to drive. I was ready."

Sergio Perez said his countryman Gutierrez "did a good job" in the practice session, but insisted: "I would prefer to have done the laps in the car. So we've lost a session. Now it's more difficult to set up the car for the race."

Briton Hamilton also looks to be out of favour at McLaren, with the team's sporting director Sam Michael openly telling reporters that the 2008 world champion's car was on Friday fitted with some experimental parts for 2013.

But when asked about the new parts after Friday's track action, Hamilton furrowed his brow and answered: "No, we don't have anything new."

Tire companies are currently taking the media by storm in an effort to sway winter tire shoppers across Canada.

As mentioned in our previous article 2012 winter tires: choosing the right tire, you must first determine the type of roads you drive on, the mileage you put your winter tires through, and the number of years you plan to keep your vehicle.

Following your analysis, the team at PMCtire.com provides you with reviews of most winter tire models available in Canada, allowing you to make an educated selection based on 11 different criteria. A total of 151 tire models from five main categories have been evaluated and ranked.

Methodology
As in years past, our rankings are based on several information sources, including personal and professional road tests, feedback from customers, articles by renowned auto journalists, and a number of consumer reviews from various North American websites and message boards. Obviously, the rating system may differ from one tester to the next since everyone has their own personal expectations and driving habits.

Here are our 2012 winter tire rankings:

• Top 5 winter tires for cars
• Top 5 performance winter tires for cars
• Top 5 winter tires for trucks/SUVs
• Top 5 performance winter tires for trucks/SUVs
• Top 5 winter tires for commercial vehicles

_{*You'll notice that the gap between models is often small. That's mainly because the technology used by tire companies in the design and manufacturing process is similar.}

Audi and Toyota dominated the first practice sessions ahead of the 6 Hours of Shanghai, 8th and final round of the 2012 FIA World Endurance Championship.

Alan McNish set the best time during the first session with a 1m52.219 in his Audi R18 e-tron that he shares with Tom Kristensen.

Audi R18 e-tron quattro. (Photo: Audi Motorsport)

In the second session, the best performance went to Alexander Wurz's Toyota TS030 Hybrid, with a lap in 1m50.573.

Toyota TS030 Hybrid. (Photo: Toyota Racing)

The fastest LMP2 car was the Lola-Lotus driven by Weeda, Rossiter and Charouz, while best GT car was the works Aston Martin driven by Stefan Mucke and Darren Turner.

The various passenger car tires in this review are all designed to provide adequate grip on snow, ice, or a combination of both. As such, all of them meet winter driving requirements. With the mountain/snowflake logo, they also meet Law 42 of the Quebec Highway Safety Code. They fit most passenger car models available on the market.

Check the table below to see how winter tires stack up against each other.

Spaniard Daniel Juncadella secured the Formula 3 Euroseries title as well as FIA European Trophy after the three last rounds of the season held last week at the Hockenheimring.

(Photo: Formula 3 Euro Series / Thomas Suer)

Juncadella was leading the standings with a strong margin, but he lost ground when he finished Race 1 down in 13th place and when he retired from Race 2 with mechanical problems.

He was then under pressure from Raffaele Marciello before Race 3, but his fourth place in that heat was good enough for him to clinch the title, one year after his fellow countryman Roberto Mehri took the title.

Juncadella will be rewarded with a Ferrari F1 test in Vallelunga on November 9.

(Photo: Formula 3 Euro Series / Thomas Suer)

The various performance tires in this review are all designed to provide superior grip, especially on ice. They are more suited for highway driving, which also means that they could lack traction in deep snow, although you won't feel it as much when driving AWD-equipped vehicles. Sporting the mountain/snowflake logo, these tires also meet Law 42 of the Quebec Highway Safety Code. They fit most luxury car models available on the market.

Check the table below to see how performance winter tires stack up against each other.

The iconic Mustang's future is in doubt? Not exactly, but I think that for perhaps only the second time in the Mustang's near 50-year history, its relevance is being called into question.

It is becoming increasingly clear that today's teens and 20-somethings are not especially turned on by cars. Many manufacturers are catering to this crowd and Ford is doing just that with the likes of the Fiesta and Focus, but it's the Mustang that will require some severe tweaking if Ford wants to keep selling the car beyond 2025.

By then, the average Baby Boomer will be nearly 75. The current Mustang was (and still is) built for them, but by then most will have lost their driver's licenses or have bought a Buick Lacrosse.

In 10-15 years, the 40-year-olds will be the ones buying the Mustangs. These people who are in their mid-20s today were brought up admiring tuned Honda Civics and Volkswagen Golfs, not Mustangs. Therefore, most have little or no interest in today's Mustang, nor are they likely to in 15 years from now.

If Ford wants to keep selling their fabled Pony car, they need to do something about it now. Rumours are circulating about a 4-cylinder turbocharged ‘Stang which makes loads of sense. Manufacturers like Ford are touting the worth of a smaller boosted engine as the green alternative, and that's just fine and dandy. However, I don't think that this is the largest issue facing the Ford Mustang.

The styling has to change. A 27-year-old today will more often than not opt for the Hyundai Genesis Coupe or, if they have more dinero, grab a Nissan 370Z. I can scarcely imagine a young, reasonably affluent urbanite adult ever springing for a Mustang. That is, unless it's a Boss 302...

Ford has a big job on its hands. If the clan from Dearborn wants to ensure the continuity of its most storied and revered nameplate, they will need to face the music and bring forth serious changes.

BTW, it hurts me to think this way: I love the 2013 Ford Mustang!

As a final note, this entire blog also applies to the Chevrolet Camaro.

Photo: Ford

The various truck tires in this review are all designed to provide adequate grip on snow, ice, or a combination of both. As such, all of them meet winter driving requirements. With the mountain/snowflake logo, they also meet Law 42 of the Quebec Highway Safety Code. They fit most light-duty trucks and SUVs available on the market.

Check the table below to see how winter tires stack up against each other.

It's that time of year again! Pretty soon, the multicoloured foliage will give way to a cold blanket of white snow, and drivers must seriously start thinking about winter tires.

In order to help you make the best choice for your vehicle, the team at PMCtire.com brings you a series of articles on winter tires with lots of useful advice and pointers.

Here are the four main questions that you need to answer to make an educated decision:

1. What type of roads do you drive on?
2. How many winters will you use your vehicle for?
3. How many kilometres do you travel during winter?
4. How much are you willing to spend on winter tires?

Choosing a winter tire based on the type of roads you drive on
You must consider the climate you live in since road maintenance, temperature and precipitation levels substantially vary from one region to another.


City driving
Driving in the city usually involves a mix of snow and ice. Further up north, it's more snow than ice. The wise thing to do is to choose a versatile tire (snow and ice), or a winter tire that provides superior grip in the snow, in order to ensure good performance in slush and deep snow. Versatile winter tires feature thin blades and sipes as well as properly spaced tread blocks allowing adequate traction in the snow.

Highway driving
Highways are usually clear of snow, and many people drive on them. However, icy conditions frequently occur. In this case, you should look for a winter tire that's mainly designed to tackle ice. This type of tire will provide good grip in tight, ice-covered corners whereas a snow tire would give you the impression of skating on a rink.

Byroad driving
Byroads and country roads are more regularly covered in snow than highways and major boulevards. At the same time, conditions vary significantly. Therefore, if you spend most of your time on small byroads, opt for a versatile tire that offers solid traction both in the snow and on ice. You may also want to consider a studded tire for more extreme and diversified conditions, or a snow tire if your local roads are more often covered in white powder than frozen water.

Choosing a winter tire based on your vehicle's longevity, the distance travelled during winter, and your budget
In general, entry-level winter tires are less expensive, but also less durable and therefore more likely to need a replacement after a short period. If you plan to keep your vehicle for only a year or two, don't travel a whole lot, or have a limited amount to spend, these tires probably represent a smarter choice. On the other hand, if you've recently purchased a brand new car and plan to keep it for at least three years, or drive more than 10,000 kilometres during the cold season, a higher-end winter tire with superior durability proves to be a profitable investment. It will prevent you from switching from one cheap tire set to another during that time.

The various performance winter tires in this review are all designed to provide superior grip, especially on ice. They are more suited for highway driving, which also means that they could lack traction in deep snow, although you won't feel it as much when driving AWD-equipped vehicles. Sporting the mountain/snowflake logo, these tires also meet Law 42 of the Quebec Highway Safety Code. They fit most luxury trucks and SUVs available on the market.

Check the table below to see how these performance winter tires stack up against each other.

Formula 1 teams will be able to sample the new year's generation of Pirelli tires during the weekend of the Grand Prix of Brazil, the last race of the 2012 season.

British motorsport magazine Autosport has learned that Pirelli is planning to introduce a new generation of tires, with a new stiffer construction set to offer teams a more predictable platform than they had this year.

Team will be given two sets of tires for each car in Friday's free practice session in Interlagos, November 23.

Mercedes AMG team boss Ross Brawn told Autosport that the numbers Pirelli provided them show that the tires will be quite different with a stiffer construction although the compounds will be quite similar.

Photo: Pirelli

Despite the fact that the actual shape of the tires will be identical to this year, the stiffer construction means that it will behave very differently under load - so it is vital teams get an early indicator of what impact that will have on car performance and aerodynamics.

Friday in India, McLaren sporting director Sam Michael said he tinks that the test will be 'critical' for teams in their planning for next year.

“The test is very important because that is the only opportunity before February [to test them]. If it changes something fundamentally on the car that you suddenly need to change designs for, then that is what is critical when they change tire casings,” Michael explained.