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News 30 Oct, 2012

Jaguar has unveiled the Concept Speedboat at the launch for the new XF Sportbrake estate

Pictures 30 Oct, 2012

Keeping up with some of Volkswagen China's products is a bit like keeping up with all the models Nissan has named Sentra, Almera and Pulsar - you need to know your cars and perhaps call on some professional help like the goldmine that is our very own Product Life Database (PLDB for short). You sure need it after you go there and encounter a Mark 2 Jetta with a different nose to the one you remember, or a Mark IV Golf with the same generation Jetta's front end...

US component manufacturer body, OESA (Original Equipment Suppliers Association), says the current shortage of skilled engineers is not sustainable as the American automotive industry enjoys prolonged recovery.

Audi aims to match last year's operating profit of 5.35 billion euros ($6.92 billion) in 2012 despite falling profit in the third quarter.

Malaysia's Proton and Japan's Honda Motor have agreed to explore opportunities to collaborate on the development of new products and technologies.

Chrysler Group's third-quarter net profit rose 80 percent to $381 million on strong sales of cars and light trucks in North America.

Honda may share car platforms and production facilities with Malaysian carmaker Proton Holdings, owner of the British sports car maker Lotus Group International Ltd, according to a statement from Proton's parent, DRB-Hicom.

Reynolds and Reynolds, a leading provider of business management software for auto dealers in North America and Europe, is exploring a sale to private equity that could fetch around $5 billion, sources familiar with the matter told Reuters.

All Hallow's Eve arrives tomorrow night, and in light of the scariest night of the year (besides the fateful spring day Matt St-Pierre breaks out his shorts for the warmer season), I got to thinking about the creepiest cars currently on the road.

Creepiness on the road is all about fear-inducing presence, either with a horror-movie scream from the exhaust or a demon-like look that can't be ignored (or forgotten). The Daimler Double Six comes to mind when I think satanic, scary rides. Sure, Christine was scary and Knight Rider may have been for the bad guys, but I'm talking production cars here: these are goosebump-inducing rides that weren't bred for the big screen, they were built to sit in your driveway (and scare your neighbour's kids).

They definitely don't make 'em like they used to. The likes of the Rolls-Royce Phantom Jonckheere are long since gone, but there are a few modern models that send shivers up my spine whenever I see them cruising down the street - and I know children are screaming somewhere in complete terror.

Nissan Quest

Photo: Sébastien D'Amour

I'm shocked that something so monstrous was allowed to leave Nissan's production plant. It's as if they either didn't look at the sketches at all, or purposefully agreed that making the ugliest, most offensive-looking minivan was a goal. And it's not just ugly, it's creepy. Minivans usually bring to mind families and weekend getaways, but the Quest makes me think of dark alleys, forboding music and dense fog on a dark night. Not cool.

Acura ZDX

Photo: Philippe Champoux

Perhaps it's the Acura's pointy, evil little face that gets my hair to stand on end, but there's definitely something about this vehicle that gets under my skin. In black paint, the ZDX looks ready to latch on and never let go, and not in a nice way. Narrowed headlights give the ZDX a serpentine facade that undoubtedly makes some jittery. No wonder there aren't many on the road...

Dodge Charger SRT8

Photo: Dodge

Perhaps this car is extra scary for me because they are the ride of choice for our men in blue. Tricked out with black push bars, the cop's Dodge Chargers aren't just intimidating, they're downright scary when spotted in your rearview (even if the lights aren't on). While our law enforcers do not have SRT8 models, when one such model stalks the roads, other motorists cower in fear as the 6.4L 8-cylinder howels. Like a murderer stalking its next victim, the Dodge Charger is the stuff of nightmares.

Ford Mustang GT500

Photo: Sébastien D'amour

It's not so much about this Mustang's looks that'll have you quaking in your boots, but more about the sheer aural presence it garners on the road. When we had the pleasure of cowering in its wake here at Auto123, the moment it roared to life a collective shiver was felt amongst all in its viscinity. There's something inherently scary about piloting a car that's trying to harness in 631 horses all trying to break free from the rear wheels at the same time. The 5.8L V8 makes such a tremendous sound when it barks to life, it brings to mind thoughts of sawed-off shotguns and Deliverance-type scenarios.

As I hand out candy to the kiddies on tomorrow's spookiest of nights (well, second spookiest), I wonder if I'm actually glad cars like the Buick GNX, Alfa Romeo Montreal and Buick Roadmaster Station Wagon don't exist anymore. Sure, serial killers and vampires have fewer cars to choose from nowadays, but does that just mean we've gone soft as a nation of consumers? Or are creepy cars on the rise again with the likes of the above currently on the roads today?

Jean-Francois Caubet, a long-time Renault contributor, will step down from his position as managing director following this weekend's Grand Prix of Abu Dhabi.

Caubet arrived at Renault in the '70s and became the director of communication and marketing for the make's Formula 1 team under the orders of Flavio Briatore.

Jean-François Caubet. (Photo: Renault Sport)

In 2009, Caubet became the general manager of [link artid="149196"]Renault Sport F1[/link]. Caubet, who will turn 64 on November 5th, will retire on Sunday night.

Current Renault Sport F1 president, Jean-Michel Jalinier, will take over Caubet's responsibilites.

Caubet is the second boss for Renault Sport F1 to leave the company in just a month. September 21st it was announced that assistant director, Cyril Abiteboul, was leaving Renault to become the CEO of the Caterham F1 Team (which uses Renault engines).

From press release

Canadian race car driver Maryeve Dufault will be one of the three judges on the second season of the reality competition series GT Academy 2012.

Premiering on Spike TV on Thursday, November 1st at 11:30pm EST/ 8:30pm PST, this six-week series will follow the top 16 virtual racer finalists who emerged from a pool of over 400,000 racing hopefuls.

Dufault, along with Danny Sullivan and Boris Said will judge the 16 virtual racers on various criteria as they compete in a week long boot camp for the chance to become a part of a professional race car team.

Photo: Nissan GT Academy

Maryeve Dufault, known for making history as the first Canadian female to compete in a NASCAR Nationwide race, has competed in the ARCA stock car series in the U.S. For the past two seasons.

The GT Academy competition was to see if if video gamers have the skills to get into a real car and make it as a pro race car driver.

In July, after three months of online competition, the top 32 of 400,000 Gran Turismo 5 online gamers met in San Diego to determine the 16 finalists for GT Academy. Over two days of virtual racing competition on identical gaming sleds, the fastest 16 were invited to the legendary Silverstone Racing complex in England to begin an intense boot camp that combined physical and psychological challenges in addition to on track driving in a variety of performance vehicles.



The six-week GT Academy television series will capture every challenge and all of the human drama of a very intense week.

At the end of each episode, competitors' performances are evaluated and critiqued by pro racers Danny Sullivan, Maryeve Dufault and Boris Said. Those who don't make the cut go home. One winner emerges and remains in the U.K to undergo intensive professional racing training that will qualify them to earn their international competition license.

Making its sixth appearance at the SEMA Show in Las Vegas, Lexus unleashed six monsters led by the LF-CC Concept, which made its American debut.

Visitors can also marvel at the LS 460 F Sport by Five Axis, the GS 350 F Sport Supercharged by VIP Auto Salon, and the 416-horsepower IS F CCS-R.

Last but not least is the LFA supercar, both in standard trim and with the Nürburgring performance package.

Lexus IS F CCS-R (Photo: Lexus)

VIP Autos Lexus GS 350 F Sport (Photo: Lexus)

Lexus LS 460 F Sport by the Five Axis design studio (Photo: Lexus)

Lexus LF-CC (Photo: Lexus)

Lexus LFA (Photo: Lexus)

The Formula 1 engine regulation will change dramatically from 2014. Gone will be the normally aspirated, 2.4-litre V8s in favor of turbocharged, 1.6-litre V6 motors.

With this decision, the FIA hopes to close the gap that exists between the technology of the modern road going cars and the F1 cars.

For a number of years, there have been hybrid street cars available on the market. In a very good technical features written by Wayne Ward and published in Race Engine Technology magazine, the authord explains why road car technology must now find a way in race cars.

Heat Motor Generator Unit (Photo: Magneti Marelli)

Ward explained that basic principle of a ‘normal' hybrid system, such as that in a Honda or Toyota hybrid, is that the kinetic energy which would normally be converted to heat during braking, is stored and then re-used at an appropriate time.

This is called regenerative braking, and is a laudable aim with real environmental benefits. Efficiency is increased, and less fuel should be used.

He points out that the irony is that hybrid systems on roadcars would give the greatest improvement on those that are driven aggressively.

The trucking business relies on what is called turbo-compounding -- a system where excess energy is extracted from an exhaust gas turbine and transferred back to the driveline, increasing torque.

Ward indicates that F1 will embrace a new concept in 2014, when the new engine rules take effect. The F1 rules are published in draft form on the FIA website, and define the energy recovery system (ERS) as “a system that is designed to recover energy from the car, store that energy and make it available to propel the car”, and as part of this it specifies that a “Heat Motor Generator Unit is the electrical machine linked to the exhaust turbine of a pressure charging system as part of the ERS”.

The Race Engine Technology article states that the system will be able to store recovered energy rather than having to deploy or waste any energy available to it. The ERS will combine recovery of heat from the exhaust flow and from braking. Note that the heat recovery is linked to the use of a turbocharger.

Unlike regenerative braking hybrids, this is not a piece of equipment that can be adapted to an existing, normally aspirated engine for an instant performance increase.

Ward concludes by writing “For once, motorsport will be a worthwhile development arena for relevant technologies for passenger and haulage vehicles. The FIA ought to be warmly applauded for bringing in such a brave set of rules. Unfortunately, at this early stage, involvement appears to be limited to wealthy automotive manufacturers. The costs of developing a new energy recovery system alongside a new F1 engine to compete against the likes of Renault, Mercedes and Ferrari are immense”.

Meet Leena Gade, race engineer who became last June the first female engineer to win the legendary 24 Hours of Le Mans which earned Audi a 10th victory in the French sportscar endurance classic.

Auto123.com spent some time with Gade during the running of the Petit Le Mans at Road Atlanta last weekend.

Gade, aged 35, from South Harrow near London, masterminded the outstanding victory of the diesel-engined Audi R18 TDI driven by Benoit Treluyer, Marcel Fassler and Andre Lotterer at Le Mans, covering over 3,000 miles in 24 hours.

Gade was born in the United Kingdom, but spent a part of her childhood in India. When her family moved back to England she started to watched Formula 1 Grands Prix on television at the age of 13 with her sister. "Nigel Mansell was a big star. That's how we both got interested," she pointed.

"I've always been interested in engineering. As a kid I would take things apart and put them back together from a mechanical point of view," she added.

Photo: Audi Motorsport

She studied automotive and aerospace engineering, took a job at Jaguar and then started her motorsport career as a part time mechanic and data analyst. She joined Audi's race team in 2007 and then was promoted to race engineer.

Her job is to monitor every aspect of the race, including the pit stop strategy, the tire pressure, the fuel consumption, the various temperatures and pressures, the weather and track conditions as well as the set-up of the R18.

"I am responsible for the entire crew, mechanics, background engineers, assistant engineer. I'm in charge of that," Gade said.

"Then you've got the drivers, the set-up of the car and the strategy side of things. I'm responsible for the final decisions on the race car. If a part on the car moves, changes temperature or changes pressure, I'm logging it. The collected information is then used by me to give instructions over a radio to the driver to help him maintain tires or maximise the engine performance for example. I'm the main contact to the driver. The driver-engineer psychology has to be strong and trust plays a vital part in gaining performance," she added

Gade insists that working in such a male-dominated world has never been a problem.

"If it's something you really want to do in life, you really need to push yourself," the former University of Manchester student said.

"My sister and I really wanted to work in motorsport engineering. We never gave up. This is what we always wanted to do in life. And every time someone said 'You can't do this' or 'You haven't got the experience for that', well that's what we did. We went off and got that experience," she continued.

The victory at Le Mans did not change her.

"Two weeks after the Le Mans race, the sheer number of people who contacted me was amazing," Gade said. "For them, it was a really big deal, but I was just doing my job," she concluded.

This article was originally published on Auto-Venus.com.

Visitors at the Essen Auto Show in Germany (December 1-9, 2012) will get to see the many accessories from the John Cooper Works (JCW) and MINI RAY collections.

The former will be on display on a MINI Cooper S, both inside and out. They also improve the suspension and driving dynamics of the car. A spectacular multimedia show featuring 3D effects will present all the technical details.

Meanwhile, MINI RAY products add flair to various MINI vehicles, not to mention a dash of bright colour to the dark pavement. The components are made of high-quality materials and are offered in six exclusive colours such as Alien Green, Vitamin Orange and Energy Pink, to name a few.

Both the JCW accessories and MINI RAY products reflect BMW's high standards in terms of design, quality and safety. Sales and installation are taken care of by MINI dealers and service partners. There is no impact whatsoever on the car's warranty.

Photo: MINI

Brazil's Autódromo Internacional Nelson Piquet, also known as Jacarepaguá, after the neighbourhood of Rio de Janeiro in which it was located will soon be demolished.

The road course welcomed the Grand Prix of Brazil 10 times between 1978 and 1990, as well as the MotoGP Brazilian Grand Prix.

It will be demolished to allow the construction of structures for the 2016 summer Olympic Games. So far, the plan for the site it to become an Olympic Training Centre.

Jacarepaguá was the scene of Michelin's first win in Formula 1 en 1978 when Carlos Reutemann won the Grand Prix of Brazil, driving a Ferrari 312T2.

The circuit was also the scene of the first victory for a semi-automatic gearbox in F1 when Nigel Mansell won the 1989 Grand Prix behind the wheel of his Ferrari 640.

From press release

Jack Daniel's Racing's black and white livery will feature on the Nissan Altima V8 Supercars of Todd and Rick Kelly next year's Australian V8 Supercars series.

V8 Supercars Nissan Ultima. (Photo: Nissan Motorsport)

Nissan Australia Managing Director and CEO William F Peffer Jr joined team co-owners and Bathurst-winning drivers Todd and Rick Kelly to unveil the spectacular Altima V8 Supercar.

The Nissan Altima V8 Supercar has been designed and built to the category's new ‘Car of The Future' regulations, which include 18-inch wheels, transaxle gearbox and independent rear suspension.

V8 Supercars Nissan Ultima. (Photo: Nissan Motorsport)

“The look of the Altima and sound of the VK56DE engine are second-to-none. Once V8 Supercars has homologated the aerodynamic package on the Altima, we will begin our testing to ensure it drives as fast as it looks and sounds,” said Todd Kelly, 2005 Bathurst 1000 winner and Kelly team Racing Director.

To date over 23,000 man-hours have gone into the design and building of the Nissan Altima V8 Supercar.

V8 Supercars Nissan Ultima. (Photo: Nissan Motorsport)

From GMM

Niki Lauda has now started his new job at Mercedes, insisting his presence does not endanger the Brackley based team's current boss, Ross Brawn.

Officially, the Austrian great's role is to ensure a better link between the racing team in the UK, and the German carmaker's headquarters in Stuttgart.

"The job has already begun," Lauda told Bild newspaper. "I have a lot of contact with Ross Brawn. I want to learn what the problems are."

Ross Brawn, Mercedes AMG. (Photo: WRi2)

The 63-year-old revealed he has already been to Mercedes' Brackley factory three times, giving fuel to speculation he might soon replace Brawn, three years after the Michael Schumacher project is acknowledged to have failed.

But Lauda insists he has a "great relationship" with Briton Brawn.

Asked if Brawn's job has ever been in doubt, Lauda answered: "Never. It's not even been discussed. Ross has not been in danger and he never will be. He's the boss."

"I'm just the head of the supervisory board. I just have to look at everything and ask 'What are the strengths, what are the weaknesses?'" added Niki Lauda.

You can only do so much with big, heavy, super-powerful luxury SUVs. Even though Land Rover produces some of the toughest, roughest and lavishly equipped trucks for the well-heeled, trying to gain a broader (read: younger) clientele is quite a challenge.


Decisions had to be made. Some people occupying corner offices in Land Rover's headquarters probably resisted the idea to create a smaller, more environmentally friendly model, but it was all in vain. Some hardcore LR fans were probably insulted when Landr Rover introduced the LRX Concept on the auto show circuit.

However, the press and the public's reaction was unanimous: Land Rover couldn't back out now. And so, the Evoque was born.

Drop-dead gorgeous
And what a design! The 2012 Land Rover Evoque is simply stunning -- a masterpiece on wheels -- and a vehicle that pulls your attention away from anything you're doing, whether you're walking down the street, sitting on a terrace or behind the wheel of your own vehicle, which you'll instantly deem ungainly.

We award extra brownie points to LR for producing the three-door version of the Evoque. Besides our test vehicle, I saw only two other Coupés on the road, but plenty of five-door Evoques. Still, it's great that the customer gets a choice of body styles.

The production Evoque Coupé looks virtually identical to the concept, including the “bumperless” rear end, the slim greenhouse and the evil front fascia. From any angle, this crossover is simply breathtaking.

Superb interior finish
The Range Rover Evoque's cockpit design isn't as adventurous as the sheet metal's. However, it boasts a quality craftsmanship you'd expect in the bigger Range Rover models.

The two-tone leather seats in our tester are magnificent, not to mention very comfortable and supportive. Climbing into the back seat of the 2012 Range Rover Evoque is smiliar to your average compact coupe, however, once seated you'll find adequate head and legroom. The panoramic sunroof fills the cabin with light, providing rear-seat occupants with an airier environment.

In general, the 2012 Evoque's ergonomics are well thought out, but there are a couple of aspects that bug me (without being dealbreakers): The engine start button is unnaturally too high; the climate control rotary dials aren't fat enough; and I can't imagine trying to use them with gloves on; the infotainment and navigation system's touchscreen display button layout isn't very intuitive; and the slim windows obviously limit outward rear visibility.

Despite the relative smallness of the 2012 Range Rover Evoque, you get 550 litres of cargo space with the rear seat in place, and up to 1,350 litres with the seatbacks folded down. That's for the Coupé; the five-door Evoque boasts 1,445 litres of max cargo volume, so you don't lose much by choosing the version with two fewer doors.

Once seated you'll find adequate head and legroom. (Photo: Land Rover)

Quick and efficient
Unlike the other Range Rover models who rely on big, old V8s, the Evoque gets a powertrain that represents the mindset of a younger consumer base who cares (somewhat) about fuel economy and the environment.

The 2012 Range Rover Evoque's turbocharged and direct-injected 2.0L 4-cylinder engine produces 240 hp as well as 251 lb-ft of torque that peaks at just 1,750 rpm. The only transmission offered is a 6-speed automatic with wheel-mounted paddle shifters. You don't get the earth-scorching rush of a 510-hp Range Rover Supercharged, but this sensible crossover is still pretty quick, with a 0-100 km/h time of 7.6 seconds.

Land Rover's Terrain Response four-wheel drive system allows the driver to choose between several driving modes with the simple touch of a button. Our tester also featured the $1,400 Adaptive Dynamics suspension for enhanced on-road handling. The Evoque is no rock-climber, though, which is out of step with the rest of the brand's product lineup. Who really goes off-roading in their luxury trucks,(http://www.auto123.com/en/news/off-roading-in-luxury-vehicles?artid=148478) anyway?

Fuel economy is something new for Land Rover, and in that regard the 2012 Evoque performs way better than its family members. Our average over the course of the week was 11.5L/100km which is not bad at all, although a little far away from the official ratings of 10.9/6.9L/100km city/highway.

The 2012 Range Rover Evoque is powered by a turbo 2.0L engine that produces 240 hp and 251 lb-ft of torque. (Photo: Matt St-Pierre)

An affordable Range Rover
The 2012 Range Rover Evoque is offered in three trim levels: Pure, Prestige and Dynamic. The base, five-door Evoque Pure starts out at $46,995 before tacking on options and trim upgrades. However, our Coupé Dynamic model carried an as-tested sticker of $66,400.

In the same price range, you can get yourself one of many luxury crossovers such as a Mercedes-Benz GLK or an Audi Q5; yet none are as exhilarating to look at as the Range Rover Evoque. As we see it right now, Land Rover has succeeded in its mission for recognition from a wider customer base.