Auto News 5

Mikko Hirvonen finally takes his first season victory, but also his first win under Citroën's colors, in rally Italy Sardinia.

Photo: WRC

Hirvonen was the only works driver remaining on Friday evening, after Loeb, Latvala and Solberg went off. The Finn maintained his lead the following days, to take his first win of the season.

Hirvonen concluded the event ahead of three young promising Ford drivers. Evgeny Novikov managed to take a good second place ahead of Ott Tanak, from Estonia, who takes his first WRC podium finish. Mads Ostberg was fourth, after he suffered technical issue on Friday, and lost a possible second place.

Photo: WRC

Sebastien Ogier wins Super 2000 class, and takes fifth overall aboard his Skoda Fabia S2000.

Final classification:
1. Hirvonen-Lehtinen (Citroen DS3 Wrc) in 3.23'54”9
2. Novikov-Minor (Ford Fiesta RS Wrc) + 1'20"6

3. Tanak-Sikk (Ford Fiesta RS Wrc) + 2'21”1

4. Ostberg-Andersson (Ford Fiesta RS Wrc) + 3'42”9

5. Ogier-Ingrassia (Skoda Fabia S2000) + 4'27”5
6. Atkinson-Prevot (Mini Cooper Wrc) + 5'22”2

7. Mikkelsen-Floene (Skoda Fabia S2000) + 6'12"5

8. Prokop-Hruza (Ford Fiesta RS Wrc) + 9'29”3

9. P. Solberg-Patterson (Ford Fiesta Wrc) + 9'52"3
10. Pedersoli-Romano (Citroen DS3 Wrc) + 20'35"6
Etc.

There are countless car companies out there that offer driver training and performance driving schools and I've been privileged enough to take part in many of them. I can therefore vouch for their worth and necessity, especially if you own a sports coupe or sedan (or wagon, for that matter).

Photo: Audi

What most of these schools have in common is a very structured programme dedicated to teaching and introducing driving skills and techniques. The presentation promotes a good driving position, explains the role and limitations of the car's tires and, in this case, the advantages of Audi's renowned Quattro AWD system.

The principal difference with Audi's Driving Experience (ADE) is how the half- or full-day sessions unfold. Audi's approach puts the emphasis on "fun." The laid-back atmosphere puts all the participants immediately at ease thanks, in part, to the impressive setup complete with gourmet hospitality and a driver's lounge.

The team of instructors is in large part responsible for the comfortable and pleasant ambiance at an Audi Driving Experience event. All those charged with the partakers' education and safety are seasoned pros who all have experience as racers with international and national championship titles -- multiples in some cases. Plus, they're all a bunch of really nice guys who love what they do.



My day with the Audi Driving Experience was a condensed, full-day curriculum. Condensed because the peeps from Audi Canada brought with them a not-so-small surprise in the form of the great Frank Sprongl, a five-time Canadian and three-time North American Rally Champion, as well as his monumentally make-me-weak-in-the-knees, super hot and loud UR Quattro Rally Car.

The bulk of the day was spent exploring the revised 2013 Audi S4's abilities and pitting them against my own. We began by covering the 1/8th mile drag strip, then moved on to a slalom, some understeer exercises, and emergency avoidance manoeuvres.

After lunch, we pulled out as a group on the rain-soaked shorter course of the ICAR circuit with the 2013 Audi S4s. Unfortunately, we couldn't nail it, but the exercise was nonetheless fun, as it was meant to be.

The real party took place when I was given a first set of hot laps in the UR by Frank. The standing water on the track made for tricky conditions -- there was too much traction to be found on the cement for maximum slideways action! Despite that, the builder-fabricator-racer and owner-operator of Four Star Motorsports still showed me a great time without even having to buy me dinner.

In fact, so good was the time spent onboard the Audi that I went back for a second run. This time, Mr Sprongl served me my favourite dish: A big, fat plate of doughnuts!

Although the champ doesn't bring his sweet car to regular events, he's still one of the regulars on the Audi Driving Experience panel of decorated instructors.

There's still some time left to sign up for the event. Check out all the necessary details on the ADE's website.

Photo: Mathieu St-Pierre

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From GMM

Karun Chandhok insists he has no regrets despite having to look back on a short formula one career.

With F1 returning to his native India this weekend, thee 28-year-old insists he is not disappointed that his new foray is sports car racing.

Chandhok raced part of the season for HRT in 2010 until he switched to Caterham (then Lotus) as reserve driver, even standing in for Jarno Trulli in Germany mid last season.

He now races full-time in the FIA's endurance sports car championship.

Karun Chandhok. (Photo: JRM)

"I have no regrets because I did everything possible to make things happen in F1," Chandhok told the Times of India. "When you feel you wasted an opportunity, then you feel disappointed. (But) if you can't get the sponsorship, if you can't get the money you need ... that's life and you just need to get on with it."

From GMM

Arab state Qatar is pushing to become F1's next new host.

The Losail circuit, built in 2004 and located just outside the capital Doha, already stages a night race for MotoGP.

Losail international circuit. (Photo: MotoGP)

And the president of Qatar's motor racing federation, Nasser bin Khalifa Al Attiyah, has revealed that Losail is bidding "to get the license which would allow us to host F1 teams for pre-season testing and other activities.

"F1 race director Charlie Whiting was here to inspect the Losail circuit," he said. "He was impressed with what he saw."

The AFP news agency quoted Al Attiyah as saying pre-season testing for the 2013 season, and 'eventually a grand prix', is Qatar's goal.

On my way home last night, I was about to head downhill on a busy boulevard that leads to my town. In oncoming traffic a Honda Odyssey is frantically flashing its headlights, and five cars behind it there's an old Chevy Blazer doing the same thing.

It can only mean one thing: There's a cop waiting for speeders at the bottom of the hill.


No worries; I don't drive over the speed limit on city streets, and in my neck of the woods I know exactly where the local men and women in blue hide, and what their unmarked police cars look like. A dark blue Chevy Impala with tinted windows can be quite stealthy when you're driving with your brain on autopilot.

Anyway, as I rolled past the police cruiser, smiling and waving, I started wondering if the two drivers who flashed their headlights were doing the right thing. Sure, they're just trying to be helpful and prevent someone from getting a speeding ticket.

On the other hand, why should we be so nice to speeders? I'm sure they'll learn their lesson quicker after paying a few tickets rather than having fellow motorists warn them about an upcoming speed trap.

I especially don't want anyone flashing a speeder on my street; a 30 km/h limit may seem slow, but not in a residential area with kids playing in their front yards. While driving 20 km/h over the limit on the highway may seem harmless, it can be deadly on neighbourhood streets.

So please stop flashing your headlights at me; if I'm driving over the speed limit and get nailed by the cops, I deserve to pay the price of the ticket.

On Sunday evening, Gary Paffett (Mercedes) expressed his disapointment after he has been beaten by Bruno Spengler (BMW) in the title chase.

The Brit led the championship for the whole season after he took win in the opening round in Hockenheim, but he missed the title despite his second position in the final round in Hockenheim behind Bruno Spengler (BMW) who finally clinched championship for four points.

Gary Paffett, Mercedes, in Hockenheim. (Photo: René Fagnan)

"My team has done brilliantly well this season in terms of performance and it is very unfortunate that we missed winning the championship title in the last race by four points, said Paffett after the race. So in the immediate aftermath of the race, disappointment sits deep, of course, because from my point of view we deserved to win the championship title just as much as Bruno Spengler and BMW."

"Congratulations to Bruno on his first DTM title!", he added. "We will go on the attack again next year to take the championship"

From GMM

McLaren is reportedly seeking a new engine partner for its famous formula one team.

The Woking based team has been powered by Mercedes engines since 1995, but the German carmaker now has its own, entirely separate works team.

Indeed, McLaren's current Mercedes relationship will soon end, leaving the Martin Whitmarsh-led team having to become a normal engine 'customer' like Sahara Force India.

Honda, the Japanese carmaker who in the past enjoyed a successful F1 partnership with McLaren, has been mentioned as a possible alternative, particularly with the sport's rules switching from V8 to turbo V6s in 2014.

Ayrton Senna and Alain Prost, McLaren-Honda, in Suzuka, 1989.

Honda pulled out of F1 after the 2008 season.

"I follow the rules, certainly, and if they present an opportunity then it would be nice to go back (to F1)," Honda's head of research and development Yoshiharu Yamamoto admitted this month.

The Sun newspaper said McLaren is indeed "looking to ditch Mercedes and reunite with Honda".

"There is no way McLaren will stay as a customer for Mercedes engines," a source is quoted as saying.

From press release

Red Bull Racing has confirmed Antonio Felix da Costa and Robin Frinjs for the Youg Driver tests at Abu Dhabi in november.

Antonio Felix da Costa will be at the wheel for the first two days of the Abu Dhabi test before handing over to Dutch driver Robin Frijns.

Portuguese driver Felix da Costa is a member of the Red Bull Junior team and recently finished third in the GP3 Championship. He also competed in six of the nine rounds of the 2012 Formula Renault 3.5 series, taking four wins and finishing fourth-place overall. The 21-year-old recently drove a Red Bull Racing RB7 at a Show Car event in Seoul, Korea.

Antonio Felix da Costa. (Photo: Red Bull Racing)

Robin Frijns has just been crowned the Formula Renault 3.5 series Champion. Thanks to our partnership with the World Series by Renault, Robin's success has earned him a day's testing in the RB8 at the Yas Marina Circuit. At the start of the series, Red Bull Racing announced it would award a testing day to the winner.

Robin Frijns. (Photo: Renault)

General Motors and PSA/Peugeot-Citroen are making headway with their alliance and will announce their joint purchasing agreement soon, GM CEO Dan Akerson said.

On Friday we talked about the small cars that Chevrolet is bringing to the SEMA show in Las Vegas. The company will also section off some its display for its do-it-yourself-inspired Shop Talk presentation.

Sales figures for the European car market released by JATO show that the VW Golf retained its position as the top selling model in the third quarter despite a 17% decline in sales versus last year.

Ford's world car strategy is the key to the One Ford global organization that Alan Mulally put in place after he was named CEO in 2007.

Leading by almost a minute and a half before the last special stages in Rally Italia Sardinia, Mikko Hirvonen is close from his maiden win with Citroën.

On Friday, the Finn ended up alone with the lead, after Loeb and Neuville's Citroën, but also Latvala and Solberg's Ford, went off and were forced to retire. Only the Ford drivers were able to get back in the competition thanks to rally 2 regulation on Saturday.

Hirvonen ended day two with a lead of 1.28 minutes over Russian Evgeny Novikov and Estonian Ott Tanak (Ford), who is on his way to his first WRC podium finish. Mads Ostberg was fourth aboard his Ford Fiesta. The Norwegian bounced back from steering problems on Friday with four special stages wins later on.

Sébastien Ogier, who set a shock special stage win on Friday aboard his Skoda Fabia S2000 ahead of the WRC cars, was fifth overall.

There are two special stages left - about 16 kilometres - for Hirvonen to take his first season win, which will be also his first victory under Citroën's colours.

Classification after Saturday  :
1. Hirvonen-Lehtinen (Citroen DS3 Wrc) in 3.10'51”7

2. Novikov-Minor (Ford Fiesta RS Wrc) + 1'28"2

3. Tanak-Sikk (Ford Fiesta RS Wrc) + 2'20”6
4. Ostberg-Andersson (Ford Fiesta RS Wrc) + 3'48”3

5. Ogier-Ingrassia (Skoda Fabia S2000) + 4'30”5
6. Atkinson-Prevot (Mini Cooper Wrc) + 4'34”4

7. Mikkelsen-Floene (Skoda Fabia S2000) + 6'06"2
8. Prokop-Hruza (Ford Fiesta RS Wrc) + 9'18”9

9. Solberg-Patterson (Ford Fiesta Wrc) + 10'15"0

10. Kruuda-Jarveoja (Ford Fiesta S2000) + 10'56"6
Etc.

Ricky Stenhouse fought back from a two-lap deficit to win the NASCAR Nationwide Series race at Kansas Speedway.

And, he had a little luck when the late race dominant driver, Kyle Busch ran out of fuel on the final lap of a race extended by six laps in a green-white-checkered finish. Austin Dillon finished second followed by Joey Logano.

"That's our year, man. Nothing else to it than that," said Busch, who finished sixth. "What a frustrating defeat."

Stenhouse's problems began early in the scheduled 300-miler. First there was overheating then a collision with polesitter, Logano.

"We had a lot of debris on the grill, and we were 300 (degrees) on water and oil, and I thought we would have to pit to come get that off before we blew up," Stenhouse said. "I was trying to get behind him to get the debris off and he checked up at the last second and I turned and just drove right into the side of him.

"There wasn't much he could do about it, and I thought it ruined our day, but we were able to bounce back from it."

"I just got put in the fence," said Logano.

"What are you going to do? That's a racing thing. It's just a little early in the race for fencing each other and I know he's behind me trying to clean his grill off, so I didn't know what he's trying to do and then he got underneath me and started running me up the race track and then we ran out of real estate and he just 'smushed' us in the fence.

"To come back and finish third after that -- I'm proud of my guys."

"I thought the race was over for us. I thought I had killed it for us," Stenhouse added. "I knew we would try to salvage as many points as we could. To be honest I was thinking top-15 and to try to get back one lap down and it was one thing at a time and we were able to do that."

It took Stenhouse 60 laps to return to the lead lap. Ironically, being out of sequence put him in a favourite fuel condition to take advantage of the extended race.

With points leader, Elliott Sadler, finishing fourth Stenhouse closed to within six points of the lead. Dillon remains third 26 points back.

Muscle Milk Pickett Racing lost out on the overall win at Petit Le Mans - Rebellion Racing came through to pick up the spoils -, but still went home with the drivers' and team P1 championships.

Lucas Luhr, aboard Muscle Milk' HPD ARX-03a was leading when he collided with a slower GT car. The team lost 65 minutes in the pits repairing the damages, meaning Luhr, Graf and Dumas, never had a chance thereafter to win.

Still, by coming in third - behind championship rivals Chris Dyson and Guy Smith's No. 16 Lola-Mazda - they picked up enough points to secure the big prize. Andrea Belicchi, Nicolas Prost and Neel Jani never looked back after being granted the lead from Luhr.

Their Lola-Toyota coupe crossed the line with a three-lap priority.

In GT, Extreme Speed Motorsports picked up the win after earning pole the day before, thanks to Toni Vilander, Johannes van Overbeek and Scott Sharp, who were driving the No. 01 Ferrari F458. The trio managed to fend off offensives from both Corvette and BMW.

Toni Garcia, Jan Magnussen and Jordan Taylor, in the No. 3 Corvette C6 ZR1, came in second, followed by Jörg Müller, Bill Auberlen and Jonathan Summerton in BMW Team RLL's No. 55 BMW M3.

Level 5 Motorsports' Scott Tucker, Christophe Bouchut and Luis Diaz topped off Bouchut and Tucker's drivers' crown with the win in P2.

CORE autosport took its eighth PC win of the season thanks to Alex Popow, Ryan Dalziel and Mark Wilkins, while, in GTC, the honours went to Henrique Cisneros, Mario Farnbacher and Jakub Giermaziak (No. 30 Porsche 911 GT3 Cup). Giermaziak made the most of late mistake by rival Leh Keen in the closing stages of the contest.

Many will also remember the DeltaWing's great performance. Racing as unclassified, Gunnar Jeannette and Lucas Ordonnez completed 388 laps, on their way to sixth position overall, after having started dead last.

It was the prototype's first North American competion.

The 2013 ALMS schedule features nine returning venues, including the traditional season-opener in Sebring and a visit north of the border at the Canadian Tire Motorsports Park.

New for next season will be a shared weekend with the Grand-Am series, which is set to merge with the ALMS in 2014, and a trip to the opening Circuit of the Americas.

The Mid-Ohio event had to be dropped because of a lack of television visiblity.

“Our 2013 schedule reflects many of the traditional, world-class venues that have delivered so many great ALMS races over the years,” ALMS President and CEO Scott Atherton said.

“We welcome the opportunity to join GRAND-AM with what will be a stellar sports car racing weekend at Road America, and we also look forward to visiting the stunning new CoTA track in Texas.”



2013 ALMS Schedule:

March 16 - Sebring International Speedway
Aptril 20 - Long Beach Grand Prix Circuit*
May 18 - Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca
July 6 - Lime Rock Park
July 21 - Canadian Tire Motorsports Park
August 11 - Road America**
August 31 - Grand Prix of Baltimore
September 21 - Circuit of the Americas***
October 5 - VIRginia International Raceway
Oct 19 - Road Altanta

*Shared weekend with the IZOD IndyCar Series
**Shared weekend with Grand-Am
***Shared weekend with the FIA World Endurance Championship

The 2012 ARCA Racing Series season has come to an end at Kansas Speedway with Alex Bowman winning his second career start, Chris Buescher wrapping up the championship and Canadian Maryeve Dufault finishing an honorable 19th.

For Bowman, the win - the sixth of his career - tied him with Buescher at a series-high four each in 2012. By beating Brennan Poole he won the Team Messina Rookie Challenge.

Buescher became the 30th different champion in ARCA Racing Series history, and the second youngest at 19 years, 356 days.

Bowman won the Menards Pole Award with a qualifying lap of 29.259 seconds (184.559 mph), easily topping the 2008 track record set by Ken Butler III.

The new pavement not only increased the practice and qualifying speeds, but also made drivers slightly cautious going into the race.

As for Dufault, after qualifying a distant 31st with a car set-up for short ovals, she did a very fine job of gaining momentum all through the race to be able to climb to the 19th spot in the C2M No.4 Dodge Charger

As we ourselves are fans of compact crossover vehicles (and in some cases even own one), we had no choice but to expand on our top winter tire choices.

This list of top tire choices is all about trendy crossovers and small SUVs, as well as the less popular (but still pertinent) minivan segments.

For this exercise, I've selected the very common P235/65R17 size as the yardstick.

Once again, the ratings could not be simpler: They range from inexpensive to moderate to best, regardless of price. And, once more, I've consulted with my friends at Talon Tire: the store that eats tires for breakfast.
Here are the picks:

Best inexpensive tire: $150-$200
Dunlop Grandtrek SJ6 or Goodyear Ultra Grip winter

Most tires in this price range are studdable, the exception being the Dunlops. They provide good snow and slush traction, and for maximum ice traction studs do help, at the expense of increased road noise.

Dunlop Grandtrek SJ6 or Goodyear Ultra Grip winter (Photo: Dunlop and Goodyear)

Best moderately priced tire: $200-$250
Toyo GSi-5 or Yokohama IG51v

These tires offer the ideal compromise for optimal performance whether the conditions feature ice, snow or other wintery situations. Their compound technology also works well in dry or wet circumstances.

Toyo GSi-5 or Yokohama IG51v (Photo: Toyo and Yokohama)

Best tire: $250 +
Bridgestone Blizzak DM-V1 or Nokian Hakkapeliitta R SUV

This pair of studless winter tires provide maximum grip in all conditions. The rubber compounds and tread patterns are engineered to remain flexible and work hard to tackle the worst winter has to offer.

Bridgestone Blizzak DM-V1 or Nokian Hakkapeliitta R SUV (Photo: Bridgestone and Nokian)

There are days when I envy rich people. They get to buy what they want, when they want. They get to feel what it's like to be financially powerful, to make things happen with a simple finger snap. The old proverb, “money can't buy happiness” was definitely created by a poor man.

Then again, being rich does have its issues, the biggest one being that you no longer have goals, challenges and dreams. And you can't be satisfied with anything less than a step above the best. Let's update that proverb: Money can buy short-term happiness.


Case in point: The 2012 Porsche Panamera Turbo S, a 550-hp, four-passenger, $200K missile. Oh, it can make you happy all right, and it made me really, really happy for a few days. Since I'm not rich, though, even an $88K base Panamera would do it for me.

The ultimate Porsche sedan
The excess begins with the marvel of a powerplant in the Turbo S. The twin-turbo 4.8L V8 develops 550 hp and up to 590 lb-ft of torque. A dual-clutch, 7-speed automated sequential gearbox, which Porsche dubs the PDK, smartly manages all that firepower.

Hang on tight and the 2012 Porsche Panamera Turbo S will rocket to 100 km/h in 3.8 seconds. Press the Sport Plus button, mash the throttle, and the all-wheel drivetrain will take care of distributing the massive amount of torque to the wheels, making for clean, uneventful launches. Actually, it feels like being shot out of a cannon, making your three passengers search for barf bags.

On the long, sloping centre console you'll find a button that provides extra-throaty engine sounds, great for impressing your snobbish Country Club buddies. Why such a feature on a car? Because when you're rich, more is good. Want to amaze them even more? Tell them to look out back of the 2012 Porsche Panamera Turbo S as you hit highway speeds (or use the console-mounted button), and they'll witness the rear spoiler in full glory, lifting from the car's rump and opening up like butterfly wings.

And before treehuggers start complaining about your 550-hp ride, know that our average of 13L/100km is quite impressive for such a supercar. Cruise at 90 km/h on the highway listening to Tchaikovsky's masterpieces, and you'll likely consume under 10L/100km. Around town, the car's automatic start/stop system will also help, although it doesn't turn on very often.

On the centre console you'll find a button that provides extra-throaty engine sounds to impress your snobbish Country Club buddies. (Photo: Sébastien D'Amour)

Split personality
The 2012 Porsche Pamamera Turbo S also handles well thanks to an adjustable suspension that hunkers down in Sport Plus mode, stiffening up the air shocks and reducing body roll to a faint trace. Punch the Comfort mode, and you'll enjoy a smooth and more relaxed ride. You really feel and appreciate the obvious difference between settings.

The car's split personality means you actually get two cars in one; a comfy, relaxing luxury cruiser and a vicious back-road brawler. Then again, if you're rich, you probably don't want just one car that can do it all. But the 2012 Porsche Panamera Turbo S can.

Sumptuous cockpit
What a wonderful place to spend time. The multi-adjustable front seats in the 2012 Porsche Panamera Turbo S feel fantastic, and even backseat occupants get their own bucket seats -- heated, no less. Ventilated seats are also available for everyone, but let's not get into detail about the car's endless options list. Let's just say that a $300K Turbo S is only a few checked option boxes away.

The endless array of buttons on the console may look complicated, but they're not; climate controls are on top, performance features are on the bottom left, and gadgets are on the bottom right.

Oh, and the Burmester audio system, a $4,790 option (bah, pocket change), which includes 16 speakers and over 1,000 watts of output, simply sounds phenomenal.

As a bonus, you even get a 432-litre trunk.

Even backseat occupants get their own bucket seats -- heated, no less. (Photo: Sébastien D'Amour)

An attention grabber?
So the 2012 Porsche Panamera Turbo S starts at $200,300. No sweat.

The thing is, the Average Joe won't be able to distinguish the Turbo S from a base, 300-hp Panamera, which costs about $110,000 less. Trunk badge, 5-mm wider rear track, and some minor trim upgrades: those are the only real differences.

For over 200 big ones, an Aston Martin Rapide would be more exclusive, although it's “only” got 470 hp. A Bentley Continental Flying Spur Speed boasts 600 hp, but lacks the dynamic driving characteristics of the Porsche. And the upcoming 520-hp, 2013 Audi S8 will be much less expensive -- not that money's a big concern at this point.

The 2012 Porsche Panamera Turbo S is arguably the best performing and best handling luxury sedan your Swiss bank account interest will buy. That's probably all you need to know. But since you're filthy rich, how long will you be happy with it before wanting more?