Auto News 5

Chrysler will pay workers represented by the United Auto Workers (UAW) the second half of the US$3,500 ratification bonus on 21 December, waiving a condition outlined in the collective bargaining agreement signed last year requiring payment in the first quarter of 2013.

A former GM engineer and her husband were found guilty of conspiring to steal the automaker's trade secrets for hybrid and electric vehicles.

As Mazda and Fiat work to finalize their deal to make roadsters together, the companies are looking at other possible joint projects, Mazda's CEO said.

Porsche will add at least four new vehicles by 2018, including the Macan mid-sized crossover and 918 Spyder hybrid sports car due next year.

The French car market is on course for its worst performance in 15 years in 2012, the CCFA industry association said as it reported a 19.2 percent drop in November new-car registrations.

The World Rotax Challenge finals were presented this week end in Portimao, Portugal.

South African driver Cristiano Morgado takes win in DD2 Master, ahead of Scott Campbell, from Canada. Luc Sauriol, from Quebec, secured 8th place overall. In DD2, british driver Ben Cooper, who lives in Canada, won the race ahead of Konstantins Calko, from Lituania. Canadian drivers Zacharie Richard-Robichon and Nicholas Latifi take 8th and 11th position, respectively.

Harry Webb, from Great-Britain, dominated 125 Junior class ahead of Dutch driver Janneau Esmeijer and Canadian driver Parker Thompson. It was a 1-2-3 victory for Great Britain with Charlie Eastwood's win ahead of fellow countrymen Edward Brand and Oliver Hodgson.

Micro Max win went to young belgian driver Ayrton Simmons ahead of Juan Carlos Resoagli, from Spain.

From GMM

Sebastian Vettel has revealed he hopes Red Bull can celebrate a "home grand prix" in Austria.

Austrian billionaire Dietrich Mateschitz, who co-founded the highly popular energy drink, not only owns Red Bull Racing and Toro Rosso, but also the former Austrian grand prix venue A1-Ring.

After a complete refurbishment, the circuit in Spielberg - which last hosted formula one in 2003 - is now called the Red Bull Ring.

Illustration: Red Bull Ring

Red Bull's triple consecutive world champion Vettel said: "I was at the inauguration and had the chance to drive there.

"The track is completely formula one-compatible," the German is quoted by Austria's laola1.at.

"I don't know why we (F1) don't go there. For us (Red Bull) it would be great for it to be our home grand prix," he said at an event in Graz, Austria.

Adapted from GMM

Dr Helmut Marko has hit back at Fernando Alonso, after the Spaniard recently said his real championship rival is Red Bull designer Adrian Newey.

"Our Spanish adversary does not seem quite up to date with his knowledge of the quality of Herr Vettel," Dr Helmut Marko, a leading figure at the reigning champion team, said at a celebratory event in Graz, Austria. "Yes, Vettel races in a Newey car, but he (Alonso) seems to have missed that we put two of them (Newey cars) at the start, and at the end it is always Vettel who wins."

Speaking after the FIA rejected Ferrari's challenge to Sebastian Vettel's title over a disputed yellow flag pass at the 2012 Brazil finale, the leading Red Bull Racing official : "He seems to have problems if he doesn't win. When he (Alonso) doesn't win, then he develops incredible political skills."

It was rumoured that the Alonso camp got fully behind the campaign to disseminate the video evidence of Vettel's allegedly illegal overtaking throughout the internet.

The German Grand Prix, this Summer, has been the last victory of Alonso and Ferrari in 2012. (Photo: WRi2)

As for next year, Helmut Marko has no problem admitting that Red Bull will be a favourite, "We assume that we will have a competitive car. Why should things change so much? We have the same team."

Also essentially the same in 2013 will be the regulations, leaving Marko to point out that the one changing element will be Pirelli's significantly different tires. And he thinks Ferrari will continue to be the main enemy.

"McLaren has been weakened significantly by the departure of Hamilton," said the Austrian. "Despite what Niki Lauda says, I don't see the possibility that he (Hamilton) will be racing for the championship (at Mercedes). That leaves only Ferrari. It will surely be a tough fight with them again."

Currently on display at the Los Angeles Auto Show, the 2013 Honda Civic offers even more standard features for roughly the same price as the outgoing model.

Starting at $15,440 (sedan), the 2013 Honda Civic boasts completely revised front and rear exterior styling, more upscale interior fit and finish, heated front seats, Bluetooth HandsFreeLink, a text messaging feature, and steering wheel audio controls, among other items.

Honda also unveiled its 2013 CR-Z hybrid sports coupe in Los Angeles; the model will arrive in Canadian showrooms next summer. As for the all-new Accord Hybrid, it will go on sale in the fall of 2013, followed by the Accord Plug-in Hybrid shortly after.

Brazil's Miguel Paludo and Turner Motorsports announced that the driver will return in 2013 in NASCAR's Camping World Truck Series.

Crew chief, Jeff Hensley, will also be back to lead the No 32. Silverado team from atop the pit box.

Paludo also made history in the 2012 season-opener at Daytona International Speedway by becoming the first Brazilian driver to win a pole in one of NASCAR's top-three series. Paludo concluded the 2012 season 10th in the NCWTS point standings, his best points finish in two full-time seasons of Truck Series competition.

Miguel Paludo. (Photo: Turner Motorsports)

"I am very happy to announce that I will be returning to Turner Motorsports in 2013," said Paludo. "I joined Turner Motorsports because I believed that it was an organization where I could race competitively, and I am very excited to have the opportunity to continue to compete for what was, without a doubt, the most successful team in our series in 2012.

The fact that we closed out the last season with a championship trophy and all three of our full-time trucks in the top-10 in points says a lot for what our organization is capable of. I am excited to continue working with [crew chief] Jeff Hensley and my same group of guys, and I think it's very possible that it will be the No. 32 team sitting at the head table at the banquet next year."

Turner Motorsports captured its first NASCAR championship in 2012 when James Buescher took the NCWTS title on the strength of four wins. In only its third season of full-time NCWTS competition, Turner Motorsports totaled seven Truck Series wins, in addition to three victories in the NASCAR Nationwide Series. The organization announced in November that Jeb Burton would be competing full-time in the NCWTS in 2013, with additional driver lineup and program details forthcoming.

The Italian automaker unveiled its new 2013 Fiat 500e electric car and 2014 Fiat 500L four-door variant to the Los Angeles Auto Show crowd. The former will go on sale in the second quarter of 2013, and the latter will follow a couple of months later.

The ''city-friendly, environmentally responsible and fun-to-drive'' 2013 Fiat 500e boasts an all-new battery-electric powertrain that produces 111 horsepower (83 kW), charges in less than four hours with its Level 2 (240V) on-board charging module, and delivers an estimated range of more than 125 kilometres.

Meanwhile, the 2014 Fiat 500L offers 42% more room with seating for five. Its 1.4L turbocharged MultiAir engine produces 160 horsepower. A Trekking package adds a two-tone interior, distinctive styling, and 17'' wheels.

Photo: Fiat

The 2014 Kia Forte replaces the successful second-generation Forte (2010-2013) and will be available in two trim levels, including LX and EX. The 1.8L and 2.0L engines specified for the Korean automaker's flagship compact car will produce 148 and 173 horsepower, respectively.

Look for premium options such as large-diameter alloy wheels, keyless entry with remote trunk release (standard in EX trim), a back-up camera, dual-zone climate control with rear seat ventilation, HID headlights, and a multimode Flex Steer system.

The 2014 Kia Forte will go on sale in the first quarter of 2013. Check back in the meantime for detailed pricing.

Photo: KIA

The iconic Batmobile from the 1960s TV series Batman will be auctioned on January 19th, 2013 in Scottsdale, Arizona.

Inspired from the 1955 Lincoln Futura concept, the car was shaped into a crime-fighting machine by famous customizer George Barris, instantly becoming a classic for the ages.

Over the years, various Batmobile replicas have fetched around $250,000, and while the auction house won't say how much it hopes to get for the original, some believe the bids will reach a few million dollars.

Source: Lapresse

Photo: Barris.com

Intercontinental Rally Challenge's champion Juho Hanninen left Team Skoda to join Ford M-Sport to contest two events of the 2013 World Rally Championship.

The Finn, who also secured the European Rally Championship title this season, wil, compete at the top level of world rallying as he will drive a Ford Fiesta WRC next season.

For the moment, there are only two rallies planned for Hanninen : Monte Carlo and Sweden, the opening rounds of the 2013 season. However, the IRC champion aims to contest the entire season alongside his new co-driver Tomi Tuoninen.

Ford Fiesta WRC, M-Sport. (Photo: WRC)

Juho Hanninen will compete as a private entry, and not under the official Qatar M-Sport colours alongside Mads Ostberg. The Norwegian driver may be joined by Russian driver Evgeny Novikov, which would let veteran Petter Solberg without a drive for next season.

The holidays are upon us, as is highly reflective ice and snow, as well as bright sunlight, reduced daylight, and reduced colour. All of these spice up winter's recipe for ocular annihilation and can leave driver's retinas looking like sun-baked sidewalk earthworms.

Got a driver on your Christmas list? Want to treat them to a useful gift that'll make a positive difference whenever they travel? A set of driving glasses are in order - and not the sort you get for $9 at your local hardware store.

Ahead of the holiday- and winter-driving season, I've assembled and tested several pairs of quality sunglasses from two leaders in driving eyewear: Oakley and Maui Jim.

Both brands offer unique and cutting-edge lens technologies. Most of the pairs mentioned feature a polarized lens, too. This does for your eyes what a spam-filter does for your email: blocks the harmful, unwanted stuff. With your email, its viruses and Viagra ads; with your eyes, it's nasty reflections and glare that cause damaging strain and fatigue.

The difference in vision quality with any of the eyewear listed below is remarkable for various reasons, and any set will make a great Christmas gift.

Photo: Justin Pritchard

Maui Jim Waterways ($219): Maui Jim's slightly grey “PolarizedPlus2” lens fine-tunes light transmission, rather than darkening heavily or altering color. Everything looks very natural, but crisper and free of glare and haze. This backs the brand's ideology of maximum protection with minimal distortion.

Drivers will feel their eyes literally relax when wearing these. “Maui Gradient” lenses are tinted more lightly at the bottom enabling, for instance, a clearer view of your instrument cluster.

Oakley Deviation ($170): Unique design touches combined with a “red iridium” lens that generates more colour depth and contrast. The scenery really pops with these lenses, and strain-causing glare is knocked back significantly.

For drivers, the big draw here is the large lens size which fully covers the field of vision. Additionally, the thin arms don't impede peripheral vision during shoulder checks. These are a stylish, high-design pair of shades that will get compliments everywhere. Opt for the available polarized lenses for additional glare reduction.

Oakley Jupiter Squared ($220): This set showed off Oakley's optional “HDPolarized” lens, which is tinted brown and coated with a special glare-reducing film. This lens tint and coating both block hazy colours like blue and grey, while making reds, yellows and oranges stand out.

Drivers will note more contrast between objects and their backgrounds, and more detail farther up the road. The overall effect is a more stimulated, vivid and high-definition vision -- a very remarkable lens.

Maui Jim Hideaways ($319): These are extremely lightweight glasses with a remarkably thin frame and arms. Those arms are mounted high, so they don't block peripheral vision while driving. The “Neutral Grey” lens color is very natural, with no color distortion or negligible darkening.

“PolarizedPlus2” lenses, again, help eyes feel more at ease the instant they're worn. With their extremely light weight, thin arms and excellent, natural-looking lenses, Hideaways felt the most as if I weren't wearing glasses out of the entire bunch.

Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing has announced that it had hired veteran engineer Eddie Jones, who has worked in the past for drivers like Michael Andretti (2001-03), Dan Wheldon (2003-05), Marco Andretti (2006-08, 2012), Danica Patrick (2009-10) and Rubens Barrichello (2012).

According to what we can only guess, that move was made in preparation for the coming of a second entry for the 2013 season.

Foyt to have a team in Indy Lights starting in 2014
AJ Foyt Racing has officially revealed that it will enter the 2014 Firestone Indy Lights series with driver Timothy Paul who has run competitively in the F2000 Championship Series in 2012.

The 27-year-old will spend 2013 competing in both F2000 and USF2000 in a CellMark Paper-sponsored entry in order to prepare for the 2014 season when Indy Lights will introduce its new car/engine regulations.

Andretti hires Zach Veach
Andretti Autosport has signed 17-year-old Zach Veach to compete in Firestone Indy Lights alongside 20-year-old Carlos Muñoz.

Veach will drive the No. 12 K12 entry for the 2013 season, which includes the Freedom 100 held annually at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

Last year, while testing an Indy Light car for the first time, Veach topped the speed charts and set an unofficial new track record at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

Hitachi with Helio Castroneves
Hitachi will serve as the primary sponsor for nine races on the No. 3 Team Penske Dallara/Chevrolet driven by three-time Indianapolis 500 winner Helio Castroneves in the 2013 IZOD IndyCar Series.

Hitachi will have its logos on the Brazilian No. 3 DW-12 at races in St. Petersburg, Sao Paulo, Detroit (two races), Iowa, Pocono, Toronto (two races) and Sonoma.

Like many Canadians, I store my sports car away in a "garage" for winter. That's "garage" with "bunny ears" because its not actually a garage.

I don't have a real garage. I have a portable shelter. And since I can't tuck my little MR2 into a snuggly warm bed for the winter, that's where he gets to spend it.

Said shelter isn't my first attempt at giving my beloved ride a comfy place to sleep. His first shelter looked like a good deal, until the weight of a winter's worth of snow stressed and ripped the crappy, cheap seams apart. Less than a year later, a wind storm ripped the cover from all but three of the straps that held it to the shelter's frame, leaving it flapping in the wind.

The replacement shelter is still in tip-top shape, 3 years later. Turns out, theres a right and a wrong way to buy a shelter. So, learn from my mistakes and consider a few common sense tips when shopping for a place for your car to stay with these winter storage solutions:

Photo: Tempo

Winter Storage Solution No.1: Observe
Look at the cover.

Usually, its made of a polyethelene “tarp.” Is it double or triple stitched together around the edges? What about where implements like windows, doors and straps are attached? Are the seams substantial? Is there a gaurantee against ripping and tearing?

The cover is the only thing separating your ride from the elements, so be sure its up for the job. Retailers like Canadian Tire even offer shelters with “welded” seams that do away with stitching altogether.

Winter Storage Solution No. 2: Count your grommets
Grommets are passages through the cover that allow it to be attached to the frame by screws, bungee cords or other means. These attachment points take a lot of wear when the cover is exposed to wind and snow. Generally, more grommets holding the cover in place give it less room to move over the frame, which results in less ripping, tearing and stress. Less flapping equals a longer cover life.

Winter Storage Solution No. 3: Keep the vicinity clear
Don't underestimate the damage that tree branches, possibly weighted down with snow, can do to your shelter's cover. Trim branches away so they can't come in contact with your storage solution, and remember that a sharp branch in a windstorm can wear significantly on your investment.

Winter Storage Solution No. 4: Anchors away
After finding a location for your car's winter refuge and checking with local bylaws that everything is hunky-dory, consider how you'll anchor the shelter to the ground. Unlike a garage, your shelter has no foundation which is why numerous anchoring options are possible. Shop knowing your surface so you can choose the best anchornig system for the job. Measure your car to ensure it will fit into your shelter (even with its doors open).

Winter Storage Solution No. 5: Domed is the way to go
A domed roof will help prevent the build-up of heavy snow, keeping weight off your shelter's cover and reducing wear. If you don't opt for a domed-roof model, occasional clearing of heavy snow is a good idea.

Winter Storage Solution No. 6: You get what you pay for
Remember that your shelter is likely similarly priced to a few years of paying to store your car elsewhere. With that in mind, spend a few extra bucks to get a top-quality unit, rather than opting to save a few dollars at the expense of quality.

The 2012/2013 season of the Andros Trophy ice racing series held in France will kick off this weekend at Val Thorens. Here is the entry list of the two mains categories : the Silhouette (powered by thermal engines) and the Androscar electric.

It is interesting to note that two of last year's bigger teams -- Skoda France and Dacia -- are not back this season. This means that some big stars of the Trophy, such as Alain Prost, Jacques Villeneuve, Franck Lagorce, Nicolas Prost and others will not be competing this year.

The Andros Trophy will likely feature smaller, private teams that have access to limited financial and technical ressources, which is a very good thing for the sport.

ANDROS SILHOUETTES

N°   Team  Car  Drivers
01   SpeedAventure.com  Citroën DS3  Benjamin RIVIERE
02  Saintéloc Racing  MINI   Jean Philippe DAYRAUT
03  Tork Eurodatacar  Dacia Lodgy  Berenice DEMOUSTIER Olivier PANIS
04  DA Racing  Renault Cio III  Jean Baptiste DUBOURG - Andréa DUBOURG
05  SpeedAventure.com   Citroen DS3  Laurent BARBIERI
07  Sainteloc Racing  MINI  Bertrand BALAS - Gerald FONTANEL
08  SpeedAventure.com  Citroën DS3  Jean Pierre PERNAUT - Olivier PERNAUT
09  Sainteloc Racing   Ford Fiesta  Guy MOTTARD - Didier THORAL
10  Racing Devt PHYLAMY   Toyota Auris  Lionel DAZIANO - Serge LUBRANO
11  Sainteloc Racing  Ford Fiesta  Eddy BENEZET - Dominique CHIANALE
12  Knapick Compétition  BMW série 1  Anne Sophie LEMONNIER - Herve KNAPICK
14  Sodifuel Racing  Renault Cio III  Cyril CALMON - Guillaume MAILLARD
15  Saintéloc Racing Ford  Fiesta   Ludovic GHERARDI - Thierry JONCOUX

ANDROSCARS ELECTRIC

N°  Partner  Car   Drivers
01   PILOT   Andros Car 04  Adrien TAMBAY
02  STEF   Andros Car 04  Olivier PERNAUT
03  ANDROS  Andros Car 04   Franck LAGORCE
04  SAFT   Andros Car 04   Matthieu VAXIVIERE
05  MOTUL  Systems Andros Car 04  Stephane ORTELLI
06  METROPOLE NICE COTE D'AZUR  Andros Car 04  Christophe FERRIER
07  PICARD  Andros Car 04  Margot LAFFITE
08  ALD  Automotive Andros Car 04  Louis GERVOSON
09  La SUN   Andros Car 04   To be Announced
10  TROPHEE ANDROS  Andros Car 04  Charlotte BERTON

2012/2013 CALENDAR

December 8-9, 2012        Val Thorens
December 14-15, 2012    Androrra
December 21-22, 2012    Alpe D'Huez
January 11-12, 2013        Isola 2000
January 18-19, 2013        Lans en Vercors
January 26, 2013        Saint-Dié des Vosges
February2, 2013        Clermont Ferrand/Super Besse

Two more teams, AV Formula and DAMS, have confirmed their driver line-ups for the 2013 Formula Renault 3.5 series, a development series leading to Formula 1.

DAMS, headed by Jean-Paul Driot, has announced that Dane Kevin Magnussen, one of the major revelations of the year in Formula Renault 3.5 Series, will team up with French hope, Norman Nato.

Kevin Magnussen, born on October 5, 1992 in Roskilde, is the son of the famous endurance and ex-Formula 1 driver (McLaren and Stewart), Jan Magnussen. In 2006, he won the national kart championship, in 2008 he triumphed in Formula Ford and in 2009 he filled the runner-up spot in Formula Renault 2.0 Europe. Two years later he was also runner-up to Felipe Nasr in the British F3 Championship.

He has had a very promising first year in Formula Renault 3.5 finishing seventh overall with a victory and three pole positions.

Photo: Paolo Pellegrini

Meanwhile, Arthur Pic and Yann Cunha will fly the flag for AV Formula during their debut Formula Renault 3.5 season in 2013.

Arthurs Pic is the younger brother of F1 driver Charles Pic. Arthur stepped up to the Formula Renault 3.5 Series in 2011 and finished eighth this season after a breakthrough campaign that included a maiden win at Moscow Raceway as well as a further podium at Motorland Aragon and a brace of pole positions.

Brazilian Yann Cunha was runner-up in the 2010 South American Formula 3 championship before switching to the prestigious British category in 2011. This year saw him make his Formula Renault 3.5 debut.

After Rio de Janeiro, Rome has been confirmed on the calendar of the new Formula E championship, for electric single seaters, that will be launched in 2014.

The Italian capital is the first European city to appear on the Formula E calendar, a championship that has received the FIA label this year.

Two races in the United States should be announced soon. An Asian round will probably be announced in January 2013. Barcelona and Pau are set to be part of the calendar, the French city having already staged an electric Grand Prix in the past, featuring the electric cars of the Andros Trophy.



The Formula E cars are developed with McLaren and Spark Racing Technology, a company headed by GP2 team ART Grand Prix's boss Frederic Vasseur.

The first year of Formula E will feature ten rounds, and the organisers target a field of ten teams with two drivers each for the opening round.