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From GMM

Luiz Razia, the 2012 GP2 runner-up, is reportedly in talks over a 2013 race seat with Sahara Force India, Caterham and Marussia.

"I am negotiating with all three," the Brazilian told Agencia Estado. "Before, it was all the teams, now only these three."

The 23-year-old admitted his preference is Sahara Force India.

Luis Razia driving the Sahara Force India VJM05. (Photo: WRi2)

"There is still a chance to close (a deal) with them," said Razia, referring to the vacancy alongside Paul di Resta for 2013, even though Adrian Sutil is regarded as the favourite.

"But I can't afford to be choosy. I'm still not a F1 driver, just a wannabe," he admitted.

Luiz Razia said he is confident his talks will bear fruit.

"Fortunately, I have good relationships," he said. "Here (F1), it's not so much about what you deserve, but what you can get. I'd like to have something by early December, so I can relax more for Christmas. Maybe next week we will have something."

Introduced at the Geneva Auto Show earlier this year, the 2014 Ford Fiesta ST will finally cross the Atlantic and land on North American shores, powered by a new, high-output variant of the 1.6L EcoBoost four-cylinder engine.

''This is a rewarding car to rev,'' says Mark Roberts, Fiesta calibration supervisor. ''With 177 lb-ft of torque available from just 1,600 rpm and 214 lb-ft at 3,500 rpm, Fiesta ST gives the performance and feel of an engine twice its size. There's no waiting at all for the power to just push you back in your seat.''

Available exclusively as a five-door hatchback and with a six-speed manual transmission, the 2014 Ford Fiesta ST also delivers 197 horsepower compared to 181 for the MINI Cooper S and a mere 138 for the Chevrolet Sonic RS. At the same time, Ford is announcing an estimated 34 mpg.

The 2014 Ford Fiesta ST further stands out with 17'' wheels, dual tailpipes, and three-mode electronic stability control (standard, sport or off).

Stay tuned for Canadian specifications.

Photo: Ford

Subaru of America, Inc. recently sold its six millionth vehicle on U.S. soil in Georgetown, Texas. It happened to be a 2013 Subaru XV Crosstrek.

"Subaru has a rich heritage in the U.S. and we are excited to celebrate the six million vehicle milestone," said Thomas J. Doll, executive vice president and COO, Subaru of America, Inc. "Not only have we sold six million vehicles in the U.S., but we are selling them at a faster rate than ever. It took us 16 years to reach our first million, but at our current sales rate we will hit our next million in under three years."

Incidentally, Subaru of America is the only automaker to increase its sales five years in a row, from 2008 to 2012.

Photo: Sébastien D'Amour

As part of GM's efforts to rejuvenate the Buick brand, executives are reportedly considering a new logo according to the Detroit Free Press.

The famous tri-shield emblem features three side-by-side shields enclosed in a circle -- all in chrome.

GM North America President Mark Reuss hinted at a possible upgrade, with new colours and maybe less chrome for a more modern and understated look. Spokesmen for Buick declined to confirm or dispute his comments, however.

Redesigning a corporate logo is always a tricky thing, but with Buick successfully positioning itself as an attractive choice for younger, affluent consumers in recent years, such a change makes sense.

Source: Detroit Free Press

Whether you call him the 2012 Sprint Cup Champion or NASCAR's king of Twitter, 28-year old Brad Keselowski, has gone through a complete makeover in his relatively short career.

To put a label on this metamorphosis part one can be called the “Bad Brad” years and his current phase can be called the Penske years.

Brad Keselowski comes from a Detroit suburb-based family of racers. His father Robert “Bob” Keselowski (61) was the ARCA champion in 1989 and had raced in NASCAR's Truck Series with one victory in at Richmond International Raceway. His brother, Brian, 31, has raced in the Nationwide and Sprint Cup Series. Uncle Ron Keselowski also ran in 65 Sprint Cup races from 1970 to 1974.

Bad Brad years -

• In 2004 Keselowski made his debut in the NASCAR Truck Series for his father's K Automotive team. For the following two years raced for other small teams.

• Mid-season in 2007 he got his first break driving for Dale Earnhardt Jr.'s JR Motorsports racing team (which is currently co-owned by Rick Hendrick and Earnhardt's sister) in the Nationwide Series. He was also visually distinctive for his facial hair, a hipster-style chin beard.

• He was rehired as a full-time Nationwide Series driver in 2008 grabbing his first win in June at Nashville. His second victory came along at Bristol in August and he finished third in the series points.

Photo: U.S. Navy

By this time the Earnhardt Jr. and Hendrick connection put Keselowski in position to be a standby driver in the Sprint Cup Series for Hendrick Motorsports.

• In 2009 came the big breakthrough. His first Sprint Cup win at one of NASCAR's most prestigious, if not dangerous, tracks Talladega. Driving for James Finch's one-car Phoenix Racing (with Hendrick-supplied equipment); the young driver dueled with veteran Carl Edwards near the checkered flag.

They made contact sending Edwards spinning then airborne and onto Ryan Newman's car's hood rebounding and into a catch fence. Eight spectators were injured. Ironically Keselowski's only lap led was his first lap led at the Sprint Cup level and that resulted in that unexpected win at an unexpected track.

That incident was also the beginning of some dispute with Edwards which would later boil over.

Carl Edwards (99) and Ryan Newman (39) involved in the crash at Talladega in 2009. (Photo: NASCAR)

In the meantime incidents with Denny Hamlin, in the Nationwide Series were bubbling over. It started in May 2008 when Hamlin and the future Sprint Cup champion had an incident at the Nationwide race at Charlotte Motor Speedway. Their crews emptied into a short brawl in the pits after the race.

One year later, in September 09 at Dover, Keselowski spun and wrecked Hamlin - running fourth - while attempting a pass. There was a brief confrontation in the pits.

“He has no idea how to race,” Hamlin said told a television interviewer. Adding “he'll get a ride. He'll hang around a couple of years and people will realize he's not that good.”

That was, obviously, not prophetic. Later in the interview, Hamlin acknowledged that Keselowski had potential.

After Dover Hamlin said he'd get even. And he did at the season closer at Homestead when he turned Keselowski. And Hamlin was blacked flagged for aggressive driving.

Brad Keselowski out, after causing a big crash at Talladega. (Photo: NASCAR)

Over in Sprint Cup some of the polish of that Talladega victory was dulled when Keselowski caused 15-car wreck after bumping his future Penske teammate, Kurt Busch.

By then the "Bad Brad" reputation had been established.

Tomorrow will be part II the Penske Years.

Toyota Motor Corporation has developed a Pre-collision System (PCS) with collision avoidance assist that is effective in more than 90% of speed ranges in rear-end collisions.

The PCS uses a millimetre-wave radar to detect the risk of a rear-end collision with a preceding vehicle, warning the driver via sound and display alerts to prompt braking when such a risk is detected.

When the driver applies the brakes, PCS enables a reduction in speed of up to 60 km/h. If the brakes are not applied for some reason, it can automatically reduce speed by 15-30 km/h.

The new PCS was developed to be used in a wide variety of vehicles. Look for it in soon-to-be-launched models like the brand new 2013 Toyota RAV4.

Photo: Toyota

From GMM

McLaren will allow Lewis Hamilton to speak to engineers at his new team Mercedes even before his 2012 contract expires.

It is believed Hamilton's deal with McLaren actually runs until December 31.

But British newspapers including the Sun and Express say the 27-year-old will actually talk with Mercedes engineers before the new year begins.

"I won't be doing much technical work with them but Martin (Whitmarsh) says I'm allowed to talk to people," Hamilton confirmed. "I'm expecting to see a great group of people who are determined as anything to win because they've not been winning."

Photo: McLaren

Lewis Hamilton insisted he has "a lot of work to do" before actually arriving in Melbourne to race next March, but one reporter suggested a driver's actual role is really confined to the cockpit.

"I guarantee you that is not the case," he said. "I don't need to blow smoke up my own arse. I know what I am capable of, although it won't take a major effect until halfway through next season, although more so with the car for 2014."

Lewis Hamilton admitted, however, that he will immediately enjoy the contractual terms of his new Mercedes deal.

"I look forward to having, like, a third of the PR events that I have here (at McLaren)," he said. "Maybe even a quarter. (I'm looking forward) to having a bit more time in my life to be able to train and prepare."

A huge part of earning your driver's license has to do with learning to read and respect signage on the road. From stop signs to construction warnings and speed limit signs, if you don't know and understand road signage, you're not going to get your license. And I know this, because my then-boyfriend-now-husband failed the signage portion of his driver's exam and had to redo the entire thing before he got his license (he'll be so happy I told that story).

And it's about more than looking at the sign ahead, it's about looking ahead, period. I'm reminded on a daily basis of the lack of driving skills we North Americans actually have compared to other countries. I think of my time driving in Germany and how well-behaved and controlled their drivers were. Traffic flowed smoothly in the city, in the country and on the open Autobahn (where brake lights were rarely seen and everyone had the utmost respect for everyone else, no matter how fast they were going).

I feel like we have a serious lack of driver education here. We're absentminded drivers - and I'm not just talking about cell phones and text messages and music. We don't pay attention. We don't anticipate. We don't look ahead. We drive in a 2ft bubble around our cars. That's it. And it's a problem.

Case in point: My drive in to work one recent morning proved the uselessness of signage on today's roads when I came across an accident where a driver had failed to see the hundreds of orange striped cones and large digital arrow telling her to turn the wheel slightly instead of going straight. Instead, said driver chose to keep a straight line, plow through some cones and hit the large, digital lit-up arrow sign telling her to deviate slightly to the right.

Clearly not looking ahead.

And I've seen it time and time again, signs either mean nothing or are misread and an accident and/or traffic jam is caused because of it. From arrows to speed limits to U-turns, signs mean nothing to drivers. We just do what we want, when we want.

And that's just not right. We need to not only respect other drivers on the road, but we need to respect signs, markings on the road and we need to look further than our bumpers to assess what's on the road with us and how to handle it.

Had the driver who hit the arrowed sign this morning taken a moment to look ahead, she would have realized that the lane was simply inching to the right slowly, not ending (as most seem to think it is when they see the arrow, slamming on their brakes immediately).

How do we solve this signage issue? Well, for starters we need to beef up our driver schooling programs. In my opinion, North American testing standards are too relaxed. Sure, we don't have limitless stretches of roads like they do in Germany, but that shouldn't matter. We have extreme weather conditions (read: winter) and that alone should mean more attentive drivers with better skills than most.

Most of us think we're stellar drivers and it's everyone else that's the problem. I'm sorry to say, but there's more to safe driving than understanding that red means stop, green means go and yellow means speed up.

Yeah, I thought so.

Photo: Sébastien D'Amour

From GMM

F1 team Red Bull will pay a 10,000 British pound (US $16,000) bonus to every staff member, after winning the drivers' and constructors' championships for a third consecutive time in 2012, the Telegraph reports.

The gesture will cost the energy drink-owned squad millions, but not as much as the financial windfall of winning the title as spelled out in the Concorde Agreement.

Indeed, failing to leapfrog Ferrari for second place in the constructors' standings in Brazil has cost McLaren about $12 million, Telegraph journalist Tom Cary claimed.

Adrian Newey, Sebastian Vettel and Christian Horner, triple F1 world champions. (Photo: WRi2)

From GMM

Felipe Massa has revealed that amid his tumultuous 2012 season, he thought about quitting.

When the Brazilian mounted the podium in his native Brazil on Sunday, he openly cried.

Following a dire start to his 2012 campaign, and indeed a fallow few seasons since his almost fatal injuries of 2009, the 31-year-old has managed to recover his form more recently.

Podium of the 2012 Brazilian Grand Prix. (Photo: WRi2)

Former F1 driver Marc Surer told Speed Week: "I think the reason (for the turnaround) is twofold."

"First, even a rock like Alonso is not endlessly resilient. The title fight against Vettel, usually with a slower car, has exhausted him. I also believe that a number of improvements to the Ferrari have matched Massa's style of driving more than Alonso's," he added.

Whatever the reasons, the fact Massa pulled his career from the brink to secure a new deal for 2013 culminated in his tears on the Interlagos podium.

"First of all I was on the podium, which is a great emotion," Massa told Sportv's Bem Amigos programme.

"But I think I was crying more because of the difficulties than the joys," he admitted. "I have taken a lot of punches, and even thought for a moment 'do I want to do this?' I had started to think above my head, which had gone into space. From there I started to think the way I had always thought again. Behind the podium, I was normal -- I was congratulating Vettel, enjoying the moment. But the minute I looked at all the stands screaming my name, my wife, my family, my friends, all my mechanics, my team ... then I fell (into crying)."

Unless you spot the quad exhausts, fender vents and massive blue brake calipers hovering over cross-drilled rotors the size of trash-can lids, you mightn't give the new 2012 BMW M5 a second glance. The enormous wheels and front bumper with more air intakes and heat exchangers than a commercial air conditioner are discreet, too.


The result of a group of calculator-wielding German engineers hell-bent on performance superiority, the 2012 BMW M5 (with a $116k price tag, as tested) is a clean and tidy super-sedan.

On one hand, the 2012 BMW M5 is a peaceful, tranquil thing to drive. On the other, there's no need whatsoever for this level of performance in a sedan. And that's exactly why BMW's going to sell a lot of them.

Luxury-car cabin
Inside, this family-ready rocket-thruster is strangely quiet, comfortable and lovely, too. The red leather, chrome, metal, suede and stitching all say “cross-continental comfort” more than “melt-your-face-off acceleration.” There's an adult-friendly backseat, heaps of room and world-class build quality.

For something developed to be absolutely track ready, you'd hardly know it from a mere glance.

The 2012 BMW M5 slips down the road without making a fuss. It's quiet in traffic. It's not scary, not attention-grabbing, and the fire-up noise doesn't send nearby creatures scurrying for cover. You can, however, spot clues inside. The speedometer reaches over the 300 km/hr mark. There are shift paddles behind the steering wheel and BMW's colourful little M-badge is applied throughout, too.

There are numerous performance gizmos in the 2012 BMW M5, as well. Buttons change things like sequential gear-shift speed, shock stiffness, steering feel and overall system response. You can alter these settings in the central computer, assign them to the “M” buttons on the steering wheel and call up maximum, totally customized performance at the touch of a button.

Inside, this family-ready rocket-thruster is strangely quiet, comfortable and lovely, too. (Photo: Justin Pritchard)

Twin turbo: two personalities
With the M button off in the 2012 BMW M5, it's all calm, quiet and long-haul tranquility. This is a car capable of decimating a track, then whisking its lucky owner home in the lap of luxury.

And that's remarkable, since the 2012 BMW M5 can do 0-100 clicks in 4.4 seconds and run a sub 8-minute lap of the Nurburgring. That's faster than some Ferraris. It'll get past an 18-wheeler almost as fast as you can roll your foot to the floor, too.

A new 4.4L V8 powers it all up. Twin turbochargers mounted between the cylinder banks cram up to 22 pounds of boost into the cylinders, helping generate 560 horsepower. That's nearly as much as two Mitsubishi Evolutions.

The new, boosted V8 lacks the pure, high-RPM snarl generated by the screamer V10 that powered the last-generation M5, and fans will miss the highly mechanical noise.

However, the new 2012 BMW M5 is faster and easier on fuel, which is just what M5 owners signing the cheques want. And it still growls up a storm while squeezing eyeballs flat at full throttle.

Even a slight press on the rightmost pedal causes the M5 to gush ahead with no downshift. Punch it, and you'd best be holding the heck on -- sort of like driving your own bullet train.

Speed piles on dangerously fast in the 2012 BMW M5 if you're on a road with a speed limit. Thanks to the giant brakes, it disappears quickly, too.

The 2012 BMW M5 can do 0-100 clicks in 4.4 seconds and run a sub 8-minute lap of the Nurburgring. (Photo: Justin Pritchard)

Putting on a show
Driven hard, the 2012 BMW M5 is tight and responsive with an underlying feeling of mass and weight that's perfect for making drivers appreciate both its size and capabilities. Steering is stiff and heavy, and direct in any mode.

Translation? You exert some effort when driving the 2012 BMW M5 hard, and that pulls you further into its experience. No part of the M5's performance overwhelms any other, meaning you can take advantage of its engaging, race-sedan personality with confidence.

Paddle-activated gearchanges from the dual-clutch box are remarkably fast and perfectly rev matched in both directions. In its hardest shift setting (three are available), drivers enjoy a feeling of connectedness to, and control over, the drivetrain.

The BMW M5 might be refined and smooth, and perhaps even disappointingly quiet inside, but the unleashed M5's powertrain is extremely obedient and makes you very aware of what it's up to.

Complaints? I wished for a louder and more exciting sound from under the hood. There are a few too many safety beepers, and if you drive it hard, the M5's fuel tank will quickly wind up emptier than Lance Armstrong's trophy rack. I averaged 15L/100km overall, which is respectable.

Luxurious excessiveness
At the end of the day, an unmatched balance between power and luxury have sold countless copies of the M5, generated millions of loyal fans, and made it one of the most lusted after four-door machines on the road.

The partnership between team M-Sport and Qatar has been announced on Monday, as Mads Ostberg has been named as number one driver in the British team, which will run three Ford Fiesta WRC next season.

As expected, Nasser Al-Attiyah and Qatar will back Malcolm Wilson's team, which had to deal with Ford's departure at the end of this season.

Mads Ostberg, Ford, winner of Rally Portugal in 2012. (Photo: WRC)

Three Ford Fiesta that will run under Qatar's colours will be ran by team M-Sport in 2013. Rally Portugal winner Mads Ostberg has been promoted as number one driver with a full program next year. Al-Attiyah will take part to seven events, starting in rally Sweden, second round of the 2013 season.

Mads Ostberg's team mate has not been announced yet. Petter Solberg, who drove a work Ford Fiesta this year, said he was ready to drive for free next season. The 2003 world champion had the disadvantage to be Norwegian like Mads Ostberg, which is not a good thing for searching sponsors. Petter Solberg is prepared to retire from rallying, though.

That could left room to several young guns: Evgueny Novikov, from Russia, Ott Tanak, from Estonia, and British driver Craig Breen are the favorite to get a full program with M-Sport next year.

Fisker Automotive has hired ousted General Motors' global marketing boss Joel Ewanick to be interim chief of global sales and marketing for the maker of luxury plug-in hybrids.

2012 Honda Civic Natural Gas

Though the 2012 Honda Civic is a decent car overall, we don't think the natural gas version is a worthwhile purchase because it forces too many compromises.

Though the 2012 Honda Civic is a decent car overall, I don't think the natural gas version is a worthwhile purchase because it forces too many compromises. For one, the gas tank uses up nearly all the trunk space -- just six cubic feet of space remain, compared to 12.5 cubic feet in a regular Civic sedan. In addition, the Civic Natural Gas is very slow because it weighs between 53 and 247 pounds more than other Civic sedans, yet the 1.8-liter engine produces only 110 hp, compared to 140 hp in gasoline-fed models.

Photo Gallery: 2012 Honda Civic Natural Gas - Editors' Notebook - Automobile Magazine

Photo Gallery: 2012 Honda Civic Natural Gas - Editors' Notebook - Automobile Magazine

2012 Honda Civic Natural Gas | Digg It | Add to del.icio.us

Also in this episode: Bernie Ecclestone wants a bigger Formula One presence in the United States, and Mopar fans can do some racing of their own with the

General Motors is partnering with researchers at the new National Tire Research Center in Virginia to improve fuel economy through the development of new tire technology.

The Hennessey Venom GT2 will debut in late 2013 from Texas tuner Hennessey Performance Engineering. The already-bonkers Corvette-powered Lotus will now house a twin-turbocharged 7.

German tuner Wheels and More has come up with a tuning package for the new Ferrari F12 Berlinetta. It squeezes out 45 more hp for a total of 785 Italo-German ponies.

Ford's new Fiesta subcompact, due in 2013, will introduce a smaller screen on the MyFord Touch infotainment system and Sync voice activation that's easier to use.

News 28 Nov, 2012

Private parking firm recorded our reader on CCTV, got his details from the DVLA and is now chasing him for money