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Caterham F1 Team has confirmed Thursday that Cyril Abiteboul has been promoted to the role of Team Principal with immediate effect.

Abiteboul will combine that role with his current responsibilities as CEO, a position he took up in September 2012.

“Having launched our partnership with Renault in Paris on Monday the plan Kamarudin and I formed over three years ago for our automotive interests has come to fruition,” said Tony Fernandes, Caterham Group Chairman.

Photo: Caterham F1 Team

“The strategy for the establishment and growth of Caterham Group has now reached the stage where we can step back from the day to day running of the F1 team in favour of Cyril who will be able to dedicate himself full time to the role and work closely with Riad to help take our automotive interests into the next stage of their growth.

“Cyril is going to be an excellent Team Principal. He has extensive experience in F1, he is extremely well respected and he shares our vision for what we want our team to achieve. He takes over during a season when we have not yet fulfilled our potential, but at a time when we have everything in place to help us do so. One day we will earn our seat at the top table of Formula 1 and he is the right person to take us there. This decision allows Kamarudin and I to focus on AirAsia and gives Riad the structure he needs to allow the various Caterham Group businesses to flourish under his leadership,” Fernandes added.

From GMM

If Sauber's biggest sponsor has its way, Esteban Gutierrez will next year line up on the grid alongside confirmed 2013 driver Nico Hulkenberg.

Gutierrez's fellow Mexican Sergio Perez, who is heading to McLaren, was until now the cream of Sauber backer Telmex's F1 programme for the last two years.

But waiting in the wings all the time has been the one-year-younger Mexican reserve driver Gutierrez, who is this week testing Sauber's C31 in Abu Dhabi, as is another 2013 candidate, the highly-rated Robin Frijns.

Esteban Gutierrez at Abu Dhabi. (Photo: Sauber F1 Team)

Telmex chief and Mexican billionaire Carlos Slim, however, could have a substantial influence on the final decision.

"We are talking with Sauber for next season," he told the Mexican newspaper Reforma, "and we intend to continue together.

"Obviously that will be with the participation of a Mexican driver, which is Esteban Gutierrez," Slim Domit insisted.

Esteban Gutierrez, 21, got his first taste of official F1 action recently in India, when Perez was suffering from a heavy cold and sat out a practice session.

"It would not be that the team gives him a practice event in formula one if they have no long-term plan for him," Slim continued. "And for us, we would not have our participation in formula one without a Mexican driver, so I think it is quite sure that for the first time next year, we will have two Mexican drivers in formula one for a full season."

Adapted from GMM

The seemingly never-ending saga about bendy formula one cars is back in the media spotlight, and as ever championship leader Red Bull is right in the middle.

Multiple videos depicting the front nose of the world champions' 2012 RB8 car have emerged in the wake of last weekend's Abu Dhabi grand prix, showing the extreme tip of the front nose section to be apparently made of some sort of 'rubbery' material.

"Is this legal?" wondered a report by Italian magazine Autosprint, with Tuttosport adding: "Should it (the nose) not be a rigid part?"

Red Bull RB8's nose of Sebastian Vettel at Abu Dhabi. (Caption: FOM)

Germany's Auto Motor und Sport journalist Tobias Gruner, however, thinks the controversy is a "false alarm", because the front 150mm of the nose extremities are "always made a little softer" for the purposes of the FIA's mandatory crash tests.

But Gruner also acknowledged that engineers from rival teams are similarly analysing the images, with "at least one team" thought to have already contacted the governing body.

As ever, right at the heart of the latest technical controversy is Red Bull's designer Adrian Newey, who was recently labelled a "genius" by McLaren driver Lewis Hamilton.

"His cars are veritable works of art," agreed British broadcaster Damon Hill, who in 1996 won the championship at the wheel of a Newey-penned Williams.

"I don't want to go too far, but he is the Michelangelo of formula one," he added.

From GMM

Red Bull has distanced itself from the blame, following Sebastian Vettel's disastrous qualifying session in Abu Dhabi last weekend.

Disqualified from the session after scrutineers could not extract the necessary litre of fuel for sampling, the championship leader had been asked to stop the car urgently following advice from engine supplier Renault.

Renault asked to stop the RB8. (Photo: WRi2)

It emerges that Renault feared damage to the engine and other systems if Vettel's RB8 had been left to run completely out of fuel.

"We saw some numbers going down," said Vettel, "and in order to save the engine, save the pumps in between et caetera, we decided to stop the car, convinced that we had enough fuel in the car to provide a sample."

So why wasn't enough fuel put in the car for the decisive qualifying session?

"It's difficult," team boss Christian Horner is quoted by Germany's RTL, "because Renault was sure there was enough fuel in the car."

"What happens is the engineers for the engine side calculate the amount of fuel to be put into the car. As a team, we (Red Bull) are not involved in it," he insisted.

Sometimes I think we've got it all wrong here in North America. While we focus on larger vehicles that are more fuel efficient with EcoBoosts, PZEVs and hybrid engines, Europe is lapping up all the microminis and clean diesels. I think our priorities are a bit skewed.


Here's the thing: Saving the planet is all fine and dandy, but what everyone really cares about is saving dollars in their pockets. And when it comes to saving dollars, nothing beats diesel for long hauls and highway drives. Even city drivers will see the benefits of diesel. So, why aren't there more around? I wish I knew the answer. Granted, diesels aren't for everyone, nor are they suitable for every model of vehicle, yet I still believe we should have more on offer on this side of the pond.

Thankfully though, companies like Porsche understand the allure of diesel, and so they have released their 2013 Cayenne Diesel in North America -- rejoice!

More than a tractor
Ask anyone what they think about diesel and most will say things like; stinky, loud, dirty. However, those were the old diesel days. Today's diesels are much cleaner and much quieter. While you'll still hear the occasional clanking of the engine and you might be a bit embarrassed idling next to EVs and regular engines in traffic, but you'll quickly feel better once you push your foot on the throttle.

That's the thing about diesels -- all diesels, not just Porsche diesels - is that they have fabulous amounts of torque.

The 2013 Porsche Cayenne Diesel does not disappoint in the area of torque with 406 lb-ft available, coupled with 240 hp. You might be thinking: "Yeah, but in a vehicle that large and heavy it must still feel like a slug on the road." Well, you'd be mistaken. This chunky Porsche SUV (which some people still have a hard time accepting), makes it to 100km/h in just under 8 seconds. That's mighty fast for a beefy, all-wheel drive family hauler.

And I'd say that has a great deal to do with the amount of torque (read: lift off) available as low as 2,000 rpm.

The Porsche Cayenne Diesel's turbocharged 3.0L V6 not only performs well on the road, going from a smooth highway cruiser to a sporty SUV round the bends (and my tester did not have the fancy and expensive air suspension option), but it keeps your gas mileage low and your kilometre range high.

The 2013 Porsche Cayenne Diesel does not disappoint in the area of torque with 406 lb-ft available, coupled with 240 hp.(Photo: Philippe Champoux)

It can go the distance
Let's get all the mileage numbers out of the way while we're ahead. Here's one of the reasons I covet the diesel: tank range.

You've all heard the commercials: "Drive 1,000km on one tank!" And surely you've all thought: "Yeah, OK, sure. And my cat can speak Greek." While you kitty might not have grasped the phonetics of the ancient Latin language just yet, diesels truly can go the distance they claim. And that's what makes them so good.

I drove the 2013 Porsche Cayenne Diesel as I would any other car. I made no effort to conserve gas, or drive carefully. In fact, I had a little fun behind the wheel on more than one occassion, popping the Cayenne into sport and using the Tiptronic S automatic transmission to its full extent with manual-mode button shifters on the steering wheel. And yet, after a week of driving I managed to avoid the pumps.

I drove over 700km without having to fill up, and the onboard computer (PCM) system informed me I could have done nearly 300km more with the 1/3 tank that was left. I averaged about 10.3L/100km throughout the week, as well. My best reading was after a leisurely country drive in which I managed to score a 9.5L/100km reading. In a Porsche. Cayenne. SUV. You all understand what this means, right?

The 2013 Porsche Cayenne Diesel is more fuel efficient than my 2004 Subaru WRX.

Granted, it cost me over $100 to fill up the 2/3 I used throughout the week. But when I consider the fact that it generally costs me in the $80 range to fill my Subaru, again it's rather impressive for the Cayenne.

I had a little fun behind the wheel on more than one occassion, popping the Cayenne into sport and using the Tiptronic S automatic transmission(Photo: Philippe Champoux)

It's a Porsche SUV, get over it
Since it appeared nearly 10 years ago, the Cayenne has had naysayers and haters. Well, it's time we all got over it and accepted the Cayenne for the gloriously practical Porsche that it is.

Compared to most SUVs on the road, the Porsche Cayenne is leaps and bounds ahead in the looks department. With Porsche breeding and lines that could just as easily be found on the 911, the Cayenne Diesel is fantastic to look at, from any angle.

And the sumptuousness that Porsche is known for continues on the inside too. With large, comfortable seats for all passengers and driver, as well as a traditional Porsche interior (functional, aesthetically pleasing, full of gadgets), no matter where you're sitting you'll enjoy the ride.

And another great thing about the Porsche SUV is that despite its size, the price tag is rather small. With a starting price of just under $65,000, my 2013 Porsche Cayenne Diesel came in at just under $75,000 which, in all honesty, is a bloody good deal for an SUV of its calibre.

This 2013 Porsche Cayenne Diesel review was originally published on Auto-Venus.com.

From GMM

Kimi Raikkonen has admitted it was a "relief" when his lucrative deal with Ferrari ended in 2009.

The premature termination of the Finn's contract, making room for the arrival of Fernando Alonso and major sponsor Santander, pushed Raikkonen out of F1 completely and off to a two-year foray in world rallying and Nascar.

But the now 33-year-old returned to the grid this year with Lotus, performing impressively to now sit a comfortable third in the drivers' standings, and having notched up his 19th career grand prix last weekend in Abu Dhabi.

He is also signed up for 2013.

Asked by the Spanish sports newspaper Marca to recall his memories of racing for F1's most famous team Ferrari, Raikkonen answered: "Neither good nor bad."

Kimi Raikkonen, Ferrari F2007. (Photo: Ferrari)

"I won a title with them and had some good times. I am satisfied with the three years I spent there. I don't miss anyone," he admitted. "To me, leaving there was a relief."

"The situation could have been better, but it's the past and what is done cannot be reversed," said Raikkonen. "Things don't last long if you're working somewhere and the relations are not good."

He explained that, in contrast, he enjoys working with Lotus.

"I felt good from the start," said Kimi Raikkonen. "People work hard and calmly, but they want to win and the sport and the technical sides come before the politics."

Hyundai and Kia have been hit with a second civil suit seeking class-action status after the companies admitted to making bogus fuel-economy claims. The latest was Tuesday in federal Central District Court in Los Angeles on behalf of 23 plaintiffs.

American Suzuki won interim court approval to borrow as much as $45 million as it shuts auto dealerships and revamps motorcycle and boat sales under bankruptcy protection. Suzuki hopes to avoid long court battles with 216 U.S.

First Drive: 2013 Buick Enclave

About time it got with the times.

It's been a long time coming for the Buick Enclave's first facelift. With a recess for bankruptcy along the way, three years to the typical mid-cycle refresh has become five years. Fortunately for GM, the Enclave and its Lambda-platform siblings -- the Chevrolet Traverse and GMC Acadia -- were assets, not liabilities, when the cash dried up. The sensible family haulers were well positioned to weather a financial drought as the rebuttal to a criticism that GM couldn't build a car that people actually wanted. For Buick, the efficient, stylish, upscale crossover had single-handedly resuscitated a brand that previously looked as healthy as Oldsmobile.

Photo Gallery: First Drive: 2013 Buick Enclave

Photo Gallery: First Drive: 2013 Buick Enclave

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Federal prosecutors say a Michigan man accused of unauthorized possession of General Motors' trade secrets lied to his employer about a side company he and his wife operated.

Ferrari has tapped a high-ranking

Tuner Hamann Motorsport is going after BMW's art car with its new creation.

Ferrari offers the option of

Also in this episode: Honda predicts a surge in demand for the Fit, and Superstorm Sandy

AutoNation's senior vice president of sales, Dave Koehler, has moved to a general manager position at a Florida Toyota store owned by the company.

Pictures 7 Nov, 2012

News 7 Nov, 2012

Spy pics prove Aston Martin is working on a soft-top version of the Vanquish

2013 Acura ILX - A Gearbox Fit for a Demi-God

In the early '90s, we had a long-term 1991 Acura Integra GS two-door.

In the early '90s, we had a long-term 1991 Acura Integra GS two-door. A couple of criticisms, like uncomfortable seats and lack of interior space, kept the staff from falling in love with the car, but there was unanimous adoration for two things: the engine and drivetrain. "The Integra really came alive on deserted Huron River Drive, and I made it home in nine minutes," said now deputy editor, then editorial assistant, Joe DeMatio. "It usually takes fifteen."

Photo Gallery: 2013 Acura ILX - Fours Seasons Update - October 2012 - Automobile Magazine

Photo Gallery: 2013 Acura ILX - Fours Seasons Update - October 2012 - Automobile Magazine

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The ever-expanding range of officially licensed reproduction car bodies has grown to include everything from the 1967 Camaro to the

Renault's CFDT union is raising the issue of job security for its members following a meeting last night with the French automaker and several other major labour bodies.