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The Scuderia Toro Rosso Formula 1 team has Wednesday announced its two drivers for the Young Driver Test in Abu Dhabi in the week following the 18th Grand Prix of the season.

Toro Rosso will run Luiz Razia and Johnny Cecotto Junior.

Razia will have two days at the wheel of the Ferrari-powered STR7 on Tuesday and Thursday.

Luiz Razia. (Photo: Team Lotus F1)

The 23-year-old Brazilian finished second in this year's GP2 series, having come up through the ranks of the usual junior formulae.

His previous experience in a Formula 1 car consists of a young driver test for Virgin Racing in 2010 and in 2011 he drove for Lotus in FP1 at the Chinese Grand Prix, as well as taking part in that year's young driver test.

Johnny Cecotto will drive on the Wednesday. The 23-year-old Venezuelan shares his name with his father, a former racer and motorcycle world champion.

Johnny Cecotto Jr. winner at Monaco. (Photo: GP2 Series)

Cecotto Junior has raced in GP2 since 2009. He finished ninth overall in this year's championship, his best result to date. Highlights of the season include a pole position and win in Monaco and another victory in Hockenheim.

Am I strange to get all excited every chance I get to drive a Sprinter? Could it be that I harbour a deep hidden desire to work for UPS or Purolator? Possibly, but I think it has more to do with the fact that it's so far off my radar of typical test cars that it's a vacation from the usual...

The Mercedes (which was Dodge in another time) Sprinter is, to put it into perspective, the German Chevrolet Express or Ford Econoline. You might expect this coming from me, but you only have to glance over at any delivery company's fleet to see that, the Sprinter is much more awesome than any American-built van.

Want further proof? Ford will shortly cut the Econoline -- after only 283 years on the road -- and replace it with the big Transit, one size up from the current Transit Connect. This European-designed van is the best selling commercial vehicle on the other side of the pond.


Mercedes knows vans
The 2012 Mercedes Sprinter is actually the largest passenger/commercial van offered by Mercedes. In other parts of the world, they have the Viano and Vito. There are others, but the Sprinter is the star of this show. All I'm trying to say is that Mercedes knows a thing, or 19, about vans.

My tester for the week was a 2012 Mercedes Sprinter 2500 High Roof with the 170” wheelbase. It was a cargo van and it was white. It was perfect. The first thing I did with a few office chums, including the Miranda, was do a few laps in the rear. Ok, pointless, but it was fun and I know you want to do the same...

Seriously, it's no small wonder why the Sprinter makes for an excellent conversion camper vehicle! The rear's square footage is superior to my basement! The possibilities are endless for all walks of professionals as well.

The Sprinter is actually the largest passenger/commercial van offered by Mercedes. (Photo: Sébastien D'Amour)

Diesel; there is no other way
All 2012 Mercedes Sprinters are powered by a BlueTEC turbo-diesel 3.0L V6 engine. This potent powerplant puts out a proper yet paltry 188 hp and prominent 325 lb-ft of torque. Between it and the rear-drive wheels is a 5-speed autobox that features a manual mode.

Let's move on to the drive: The 2012 Mercedes Sprinter looks like a bus and, well, drives like a bus if only because turning a corner requires not only a wider angle, but the steering needs to go around a few more times than a typical car.

Otherwise, the Sprinter really is simple to navigate. The brakes are immensely powerful and pedal feel is confidence-inspiring. The ride is a little jittery, but only because most of the time in the course of my week-long test, I was alone in the van. This Sprinter is designed to handle up to a total of 6,146 kg (13,550 lbs) and the suspension settles under the weight.

What blew my mind was my final fuel economy numbers at the end of the week. I rode the 2012 Mercedes Sprinter as I would have any other press car, and Miranda even managed to load it up with some renovation material. So, we did put it to work and it still managed a notable 13L per 100 km.

The turbo-diesel V6 is full of vim, and always willing to dish out the power. The 5-speed box is quick to participate, and altogether this big Sprinter can easily keep up with traffic. When loaded, the situation changes, obviously.

Despite its size and capabilities, the Sprinter still managed a notable 13L per 100 km. (Photo: Sébastien D'Amour)

Uh, really, really big
What looks like content that would fit in a woman's purse (well, Miranda's at least) is actually a dozen sheets of plywood, a few interior doors and a crap-load of 2x4s and 72 rubber floor tiles, four-square-feet each. The contents look small because the Sprinter's rear quarters are that ginormous. What surprised me was the total absence of rattles from the bare walls.

Up front in the 2012 Mercedes Sprinter, the seats are very firm and reasonably comfortable. There are tonnes of storage spaces and possibly the only complaint I could make relates to the cup-holders: they are not deep or plentiful enough.

The gauges and other controls are simple and straightforward. Oh, and the cruise control stalk is the same as in most of Mercedes' cars. Many don't like the way the stalk functions, but it's only a matter of habit.

The contents look small because the Sprinter's rear quarters are that ginormous. (Photo: Collin Styker)

Endless possibilities
The most basic cargo 2012 Mercedes Sprinter has a base price of $42,900. As tested, my 2500 High Roof with 170” wheelbase retails for $50,100. The most expensive base 3500 Super High Roof 170" with extended wheelbase has a sticker price of $55,500. Passenger versions vary from $48k to $54k. Mercedes also offers Cab-chassis and even minibuses.

I recall going to the launch of the then-Dodge Sprinter where it was explained that, given the large number of body styles, colors and configurations, it would be possible to line up 500 different Sprinters side by side and they'd be all unique.

Either way I look at it, and even if the 2012 Mercedes Sprinter is pricier than the average Econoline, Express or Savana, it's by far the better choice.

It would be possible to line up 500 different Sprinters side by side and they'd be all unique. (Photo: Sébastien D'Amour)

From GMM

Niki Lauda revealed Mercedes AMG is working on a "completely new car" for the 2013 season.

The F1 legend and triple world champion, Niki Lauda, is Mercedes' brand new non-executive chairman -- the main link between the Stuttgart carmaker and the Ross Brawn-led, UK-based team.

With this year's W03, Nico Rosberg won in Shanghai and Michael Schumacher lapped the quickest in qualifying at Monaco, but otherwise the silver machine has often been a disappointment.

Photo: Mercedes AMG F1 Team

With the regulations staying essentially stable next year, ahead of the radical changes for 2014, most teams are working on evolutions of their current cars for next season.

But with Lewis Hamilton arriving from McLaren for 2013, simply evolving the W03 is not going to be Mercedes' approach, Austrian Lauda suggested to the broadcaster RTL.

"We are working on a concept for a completely new car. The current one is simply not fast enough," he said.

A recent trip to Europe landed me behind the wheel of three different diesel press vehicles. This was no accident. I know how much gas costs per litre and it hovers around the $2.00/L mark in Budapest, Hungary -- sometimes even more.

While diesel fuel is slightly higher in price (around $2.20/L), I know from experience that I can get almost double the mileage from one tank. And with all the driving I was doing, every last drop counted.

Round 1: The Mazda CX-5 Diesel

Photo: Alexandra Straub

The Mazda CX-5 is the Japanese automaker's latest crossover vehicle. It came to Canada earlier this year, but this was the first time I'd had the chance to take it for a spin. I'd heard positive comments and read rave reviews from other journalists on it and couldn't wait to try it.

Was I disappointed my first go with it? Absolutely not. In fact, it was a complete pleasure to drive. The interior is really nicely finished, it has a comfortable ride and seats five. And I needed all the space I could get since most of the time there were four passengers on board.

Making it even better was the inclusion of a 2.2L, 4-cylinder diesel engine linked to a 6-speed automatic transmission. I drove about 1,300 km, if not more, and only filled up one and a half times. Fabulous.

Round 2: The Nissan Qashqai Diesel

Photo: Alexandra Straub

Nissan's compact crossover, which is unfortunately not available in Canada, came with a 6-speed manual transmission. You don't see that very often. Although my frequent battle with city traffic made me wish I'd had an automatic transmission, I wasn't complaining.

A trait that carries over into most Nissan vehicles is its ease of use. It's not an uber fancy vehicle on the inside, but it gets the job done. This vehicle also seats five with room to spare in the trunk. It made a great companion for a weekday overnight outing with my mom and grandparents to Lake Balaton.

As for its looks? It's a cutie. And its bright red exterior really made it pop.

Round 3: The BMW X6 xDriver40d

Photo: Alexandra Straub

With this Beemer, I was livin' large -- literally. However, I didn't feel that largeness in the wallet, especially when I filled it up.

Backtracking to when we first met, I couldn't believe my eyes when I saw that the digital range metre showed over 900 kilometres until empty. I thought I must be hallucinating. I wasn't. My lack of hallucinations were further solidified when I filled the tank up at the end of my test period and saw 976 kilometres until empty. Wow. And for a vehicle of its size, that is beyond impressive.

Why the Love?
I heart diesels because they're efficient. I heart them because they're not smelly and not loud. Yes, the older models used to have these traits, but not anymore. With emissions laws being as stringent as they are, there is no room for black clouds of smoke coming out these modern engines. I also heart them because they have range, baby. While you might pay a tad more to fill up a tank, you can get some crazy mileage out of it in the end.

We might not have the three specific diesel models I drove in Europe here in Canada, but we do have a few to choose from, and more are on the way. Woohoo!

The days of the iconic black cabs in London may be numbered. Manganese Bronze, which builds these taxis for the city, is facing serious financial setbacks and even filed for court administration after failing to secure a bailout from minority shareholder Geely.

The black cabs have endured tough times in recent years due to increasingly strong competition and a production interruption following the recall of 400 cars with a faulty steering.

Manganese Bronze CEO John Russel remains confident that the company will emerge from the current crisis.

Source: leblogauto

Photo: London-taxis

Tesla Motors is facing quite a storm this month. The legitimacy of its factory outlets (mostly in shopping malls) came into question, and now dealer associations in Massachusetts and New York are suing the electric car manufacturer for operating illegal stores.

According to the National Automobile Dealers Association, 48 states prohibit or restrict factory ownership of dealerships. Tesla argues that its locations serve only as showrooms and that shoppers must still go to its website to purchase a car.

Dealer associations don't agree, claiming that Tesla is bypassing the dealer system to save money and sell vehicles at a lower price.

"They claim they're operating under the guise of a non-sales showroom, and we call that out as an outright scam," said Robert O'Koniewski, executive vice president of the Massachusetts association.

He believes that the Massachusetts store, which opened on September 28th, violates the state's licensing, consumer protection and franchise laws. In his opinion, Tesla's business model could leave consumers unprotected by the state's lemon law, which forces automakers to buy back or replace a vehicle that can't be repaired.

We'll keep you updated as new developments arise.

Source: Automotive News

Photo: Sébastien D'Amour

Dale Earnhardt Jr. will be back in his #88 Chevrolet for this weekend's NASCAR Sprint Cup race according to his Hendrick Motorsports team.

The son of the late, seven-time, NASCAR champion suffered a concussion while testing the newly repaved track at Kansas City on August 29th.

At the time there was no medical restriction on racing so he continued to race. But, after a 25-car crash at Talladega when the symptoms of the concussion became more severe he went to see NASCAR's leading doctor, Jerry Punch.

Dale Earnhardt Jr.'s car after the crash at Talladega. (Photo: NASCAR)

After seeing the doctor Earnhardt, diagnosed with a serious concussion, missed the following two races, at Charlotte and Kansas Speedway. Regan Smith substituted for him.

According to his team “Earnhardt has participated in a rehabilitation program directed by Charlotte neurosurgeon Dr. Jerry Petty. Throughout the process, Petty consulted with Dr. Micky Collins, director of the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center Sports Medicine Concussion Program.”


“Dale Jr. has done everything asked of him,” Petty said. “He hasn't had a headache since Oct. 12, and we have not been able to provoke any symptoms since that time. I have informed NASCAR and Hendrick Motorsports that he is medically cleared for all NASCAR-related activity.”


“Earnhardt was evaluated by Collins on Oct. 16 in Pittsburgh. On Monday, Earnhardt ran 123 laps in a Sprint Cup car during a test session monitored by Petty at the half-mile Gresham Motorsports Park in Jefferson, Ga. Petty cleared the driver Tuesday morning following a final neuropsychological evaluation in Charlotte.”

On Monday Earnhardt's crew chief, Steve Letarte, tweeted "Back in Concord [N.C.] after a great day of testing with Dale Jr. Looks great and ran some awesome laps.''

Although the driver had made the Sprint Cup Chase; he was not in contention for the Championship by the end of Talledega.

We told you last week about Nissan's mysterious, genre-defining concept that was specifically designed for the Brazilian market. Today, the automaker released a couple of pictures along with a name -- Nissan Extrem.

With ultra-sporty looks and a unique Solar Cortex paint treatment, the Nissan Extrem aims to embody the vibrancy, colour and excitement of Brazil.

Available in FWD and AWD configurations, this 2+2 vehicle rides on 19'' six-spoke alloy wheels and exploits a 1.6L gasoline engine that shares its technology with the innovative Nissan DeltaWing Le Mans race car. Performance figures and other specifications remain unknown.

The Nissan Extrem will be officially introduced at the Sao Paulo Auto Show, which kicks off on Wednesday, October 24th.

Photo: Nissan

From GMM

Prodrive boss David Richards has admitted he is interested in buying F1 engine supplier Cosworth.

It emerged last week that HRT and Marussia supplier Cosworth, currently owned by well-known US racing names Gerry Forsythe and Kevin Kalkhoven, is for sale.

And former BAR and Benetton boss Richards, the majority owner of Prodrive, told the Daily Mail: "We've just started to take a look at Cosworth although I think they have rather over-priced themselves as I understand they don't own the brand and they will be out of the formula one business within 12 months.

"Nonetheless, worth a look," he added.

David Richards. (Photo: Prodrive)

Paddock rumours persist that Cosworth, having entered the aerospace and defense sectors after losing premier F1 customers Williams and Caterham, will bow out of F1 when the current V8 rules end next year.

Cosworth declined to comment on the Daily Mail report.

SiriusXM, which has equipped 50 million cars and light trucks with satellite radio service, said CEO Mel Karmazin is stepping down on February 1.

Lower supplies of BMWs pinched average new-vehicle gross profits for Sonic Automotive during the third quarter, but inventory levels are returning to normal.

Asbury Automotive Group is ready to pursue major store acquisitions with the expectation annual U.S. auto sales will recover to 16 million vehicles in 2015.

The chairman of the National Automobile Dealers Association today criticized manufacturers for "intrusion" into dealers' operations by requiring facility renovations and creating two tiers of pricing for retailers.

If youand#8217;ve ever wanted to get your hands on a World War II-era Daimler-Benz DB10 12-ton Prime mover, the Auctions America event on Dec. 8 may be your only chance.

Also in this episode: GM will roll out the new Chevy Silverado and GMC Sierra on Dec. 13, drag-racer Antron Bron

Hyundai and Kia plan to add more turbocharged gasoline engines and new transmissions to their powertrain lineups in the United States and elsewhere, Hyundai Motor Group said today.

Lotus is adding its Intelligent Precision Shift automatic transmission to the supercharged version of the Evora for the 2013 model year.

GM engineers and scientists believe they have made a big step toward the expanded use of magnesium in vehicles by heating the lightweight metal so it can be formed into precise, rigid shapes needed for auto parts.

More than half of consumers who use smartphones to research a vehicle before buying do so while at a dealership, J.D. Power's 2012 Automotive Mobile Site Study found.

Driven: 2013 Lincoln MKS

Better living through technology?

With the departure, finally, of the Town Car, the vehicle that has defined Lincoln for years, Ford's luxury brand is now in the process of building a new identity. It won't be that of a European-style luxury carmaker, as Ford won't devote the necessary resources to develop a rear-wheel-drive chassis. Instead, Lincoln will continue to adapt front-wheel-drive/all-wheel-drive Ford platforms. Other than styling -- which also is in flux, at least until the arrival of the new MKZ -- Lincoln is relying on technology to give it the premium imprimatur the brand too often has lacked.

Photo Gallery: Driven: 2013 Lincoln MKS - Automobile Magazine

Photo Gallery: Driven: 2013 Lincoln MKS - Automobile Magazine

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