Auto News 5

General Motors reaffirmed its commitment to Opel/Vauxhall, rejecting an Italian newspaper report that Fiat is ready to buy Opel if GM's alliance with PSA/Peugeot Citroen dissolves.

Chrysler's new Dodge Dart sedan, which replaced the Caliber hatchback earlier this year after a Detroit show debut, has been named a 2012 Top Safety Pick by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS).

Meritor has completed an expansion of its aftermarket distribution centre in Edmonton, Alberta, which will improve service and delivery time to its western Canada OE dealer and warehouse distributor customers. The 35,000 square-foot centre now stocks a full line of Meritor and Euclid drivetrain and undercarriage products.

Speaking to just-auto's Glenn Brooks at the Paris motor show, Didier Leroy, the president of Toyota Motor Europe says he remains "optimistic" about the combined 56 markets for which he is responsible.

News 5 Oct, 2012

Politicians are looking for new ways to raise money from motorists, as petrol and diesel sales plummet

Renault declined to comment on union claims that Turkey will become the main production site for its new Clio subcompact car in a move to cut costs.

News 5 Oct, 2012

An electric version of the Kia Soul will join the line-up from mid-2014, Auto Express has learned

Animation icon John Lasseter and media impresario Adam Carolla were honored last night for their collective car enthusiasm with awards at the

Bentley Motors has announced a 25% increase in global sales with 5,969 cars delivered to customers at the end of September 2012 (up from 4,759 in 2011).

Volkswagen has cut its internal 2012 sales target for western Europe by up to 140,000 vehicles, a German daily said, citing the group's works council head.

Volkswagen halted production in Germany of its Passat cars this week as part of a wider move to cut its group output target for the year by about 300,000 vehicles because of the European market slump, company sources said.

BMW Group's new-car sales in China surged last month, helping to ease concerns that the world's biggest automotive market is cooling too quickly.

The convertible version of the Volkswagen Beetle will get its debut at the Los Angeles auto show in late November, shortly before the car goes on sale.

The 2013 Mercedes-Benz SL 65 AMG is now arriving at dealerships across the country with a 630-horsepower, 6.0L twin-turbo V12 engine and a price of $229,900, according to the brand's Canadian website.

New this year, customers can take delivery of their 2013 Mercedes-Benz SL 65 AMG directly from the AMG Customer Center in Affalterbach, Germany. This also includes a visit to the AMG Performance Studio and a meeting with the engineers who built the V12 engine used in their SL 65 AMG.

A special "45th ANNIVERSARY" edition, limited to just 45 vehicles and sold at €272,034, will be available. A Mercedes-Benz Canada spokesman confirmed to Auto123.com that a certain number of units will find their way here, although Canadian pricing has yet to be determined.

Photo: Mercedes-Benz

Technology keeps finding new ways to amaze us. Scientists at the University of Keio, in Japan, have developed an ''optical camouflage'' system that makes the rear seats of a Toyota Prius invisible when reverse is engaged, offering the driver a much better view when backing into a parking spot or out of the driveway.

No doubt the see-through Prius will be popular among fans of Harry Potter and his cloak of invisibility!

Source: Cnet

Custom cars, hot rods and other special vehicles rule the annual SEMA Show in Las Vegas. For this year, Hyundai has partnered with Re: Mix Lab to present three customized models.

One of those will be an Elantra GT hatchback finished in matte military green and sporting 24-carat gold coloured wheels. It also features a roof rack, ski compartment and Nintendo Wii!

The event runs from October 25 to November 2, 2012, with public access starting on October 28.

Photo: Hyundai

Photo: Hyundai

Photo: Hyundai

From GMM

Pirelli has offered Michael Schumacher a job as F1 tire tester.

After losing his Mercedes seat to Lewis Hamilton, the seven time world champion announced on Thursday that he is returning to retirement in 2013.

The news has piqued Pirelli chief Paul Hembery's interest, with the Briton describing the 43-year-old as the sport's "most experienced tyre tester".

"If he gets bored in the Swiss mountains, then we will find a job for him," he laughed, according to Germany's motorsport-total.com.

"We can't offer him 20 million, so he would have to do it for the love," grinned Hembery.

Pirelli conducts private F1 tyre testing with a 2010-specification Renault R30.

Lucas di Grassi driving the Pirelli R30 Renault at Barcelona. (Photo: Pirelli)

A car this outrageous must be hard to get approval for within the halls of a manufacturer's headquarters, especially when the decision makers aren't necessarily sports-car nuts. An extreme supercar that will cost millions to develop and end up selling in very low quantities doesn't make a business case when all you're looking at is the profit column.


Luckily, the notion of a halo car hasn't disappeared at Chrysler. The mighty Viper will make a comeback for the 2013 model year, redesigned and packing something new: refinement. Fortunately, not too much of it.

First of all, as you may have noticed, the car has been taken out of Dodge's product lineup, and is now called the 2013 SRT Viper. Last year, Chrysler announced that SRT would become a separate performance brand, and The Snake is the first official standalone SRT model. The hand-built supercar will be offered in base and GTS trims.

The new 2013 Viper still relies on the massive 8.4L pushrod V10 engine, albeit with some modifications in order to reduce weight. All dressed up, the engine is now 25 pounds lighter. Output is estimated at 640 hp and 600 lb-ft. A reworked version of the Tremec TR6060 6-speed manual transmission will have the arduous task of managing all that power.

The 2013 Viper is equipped with traction control and electronic stability control systems, as well as a launch control system. (Photo: Dodge)

The 2013 SRT Viper's chassis is said to boast a 50% stiffer structure, while the use of aluminum components allows for weight savings of about 100 lbs. In addition to a reworked rear suspension on both trims, the GTS gets a new two-mode adjustable suspension (street and track) with Bilstein shocks.

For scrubbing off extra speed, four-piston Brembo calipers pinching 14" vented discs are fitted to each wheel. StopTech slotted two-piece rotors are also available on the 2013 Viper as part of an SRT Track Package.

For the first time ever, the 2013 Viper is equipped with traction control and electronic stability control systems, as well as a launch control system.

The 2013 SRT Viper's cockpit is all new and features higher-quality materials as well as more comfort and convenient amenities. Never before seen in a Viper are a stitched dash and door panel surfaces, skinned in leather in the GTS model.

The 2013 SRT Viper's cockpit is all new and features higher-quality materials as well as more comfort and convenient amenities. (Photo: Dodge)

Racing seats with Kevlar/fibre glass shells are included in both trims, now installed 20 mm lower and with an extra 90 mm of seat travel for added room and comfort. The height-adjustable seats are also power-controlled in the GTS.

Two Uconnect media centre systems are offered in the 2013 SRT Viper, which features an 8.4" touchscreen and wheel-mounted controls. An 18-speaker Harman/Kardon LOGIC7 sound system is also available in the GTS; and for the first time, the Viper gets cruise control.

Exterior highlights include the traditional double-bubble roof, bi-xenon headlights as well as LED daytime running lights, turn signals and taillights. Viper and Viper GTS get their own alloy wheel designs, wrapped around 295/30ZR18 front and P355/30ZR19 rear Pirelli P Zero tires.

The 2013 SRT Viper will arrive in Canada by the end of 2012 with a base MSRP of $99,995, while the Viper GTS will retail for $119,995.

The cancellation of the Montreal NAPA 200 NASCAR Nationwide race triggered some interesting rumours, one of them is calling for a DTM race to be held on the Gilles Villeneuve circuit next year.

The DTM is facing difficulties to attract spectators at certains rounds such as Zandvoort, Brands Hatch and Valencia. ITR, the governing body of DTM is fully aware that the German series needs to expand and reach new markets.

Three car manufacturers are involved in DTM: BMW, Mercedes-Benz and Audi. For all three, North America is a major market.

“We have been approached by the DTM officials not long ago,” said Francois Dumontier, boss of Octane Management.

“And as the organisers of the Grand Prix of Canada, we enjoy a very good relationship with Mercedes-Benz. One official of ITR will come here soon to visit the facilites and the circuit. So I'd say it is possible that we'll see the DTM here in Montreal, but not in 2013. That's too short. And certainly not before 2014,” Dumontier added.

Canada is currently represented by two drivers: Quebecer Bruno Spengler (BMW) and Toronto's Robert Wickens (Mercedes-Benz).

Francois Dumontier of Octane Management Inc. announced Friday that there will be no NASCAR Nationwide race in Montreal next year.

“From day 1, our objective was to have a Sprint Cup series in Montreal,” Dumontier told the media in Montreal.

“We staged the Nationwide race for years with the objective of having the Sprint Cup one day. Unfortunately, NASCAR made it clear to us that it was not in their intention to have a Cup race in Montreal in the near or distant future. The Nationwide race alone is not profitable here. So we decided to not renew the contract,” Dumontier explained.

The boss of Octane Management also said that he asked NASCAR to change the date of the event and to have a Sunday race, which were turned down by NASCAR officials.

“I must admit that NASCAR's final answer is extremely disappointing. We were told so many times that the Montreal race was very important to NASCAR. However, we continue to have a good relationship with NASCAR and who knows what may happen in the future,” Dumontier said.