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Thirteen mid-sized cars have earned high marks on the insurance industry's newest frontal-crash test, but a pair of Toyota models tested fared worse than the rest.

Sebastien Loeb and his racing team had their first contact with their new McLaren MP4-12Cs in Navarra, Spain.

McLaren MP4-12C. (Photo: Loeb Racing)

Sebastien Loeb, the nine-time rally champion will contest selected rounds of the FIA World Rally Championship in 2013 in order to focus on the GT Sprint championship, the revamped GT1 world championship.

Loeb and his team enjoyed two days of testing in order to start working on the set-up of the MP4-12Cs.

Loeb Racing will also run the Spa 24 Hours, and possibly the Blancpain Endurances Series.

The team will also take part to the European Le Mans Series with an Oreca LMP2 prototype, and also in French Porsche Carrera Cup.

Brace yourselves, it's here: The end of the world is knocking at our doors -- or is it already too late?

Either way, we hope you've prepared for the worst. Should it not be too late, have a go at the following list of vehicles that we think will be very useful if and when the Mayan calendar's predictions come to pass.

The vehicles listed below are in no particular order of preference. Just make sure you have one when all hell breaks loose. 

10. Bowler EXR S

Photo: Bowler

Continue reading Wheels for the Apocalypse

Introduced at the Los Angeles Auto Show at the end of last month, the all-new 2013 Toyota RAV4 will go on sale across Canada this winter starting at $23,790, or nearly $1,000 lower than the outgoing model.

''With the 2013 RAV4, Toyota reinvents the compact SUV - the category that the original RAV4 helped create,'' noted Tony Wearing, Senior Managing Director at Toyota Canada, Inc. ''This all-new model boosts interior space and comfort, offers class-leading safety systems, and delivers fun-to-drive performance with impressive driving dynamics and fuel efficiency.''

The 2013 Toyota RAV4 is available in five models:

• RAV4 FWD LE (Starting MSRP: $23,790)
• RAV4 FWD XLE (Starting MSRP: $27,000)
• RAV4 AWD LE (Starting MSRP: $25,990)
• RAV4 AWD XLE (Starting MSRP: $29,200)
• RAV4 AWD Limited (Starting MSRP: $31,700)

Photo: Toyota

General Motors announced that the Chevrolet Camaro will move from Oshawa, Ontario, to Lansing Grand River, Michigan, when the current model reaches the end of its cycle.

The decision is based on a comprehensive business case, GM says. Lower capital investment was a key factor, along with improved production efficiencies.

Right now, the Camaro is the only rear-wheel drive (RWD) vehicle built in Oshawa. The next-generation model will join other RWD cars at Lansing Grand River including the Cadillac CTS and ATS.

Camaro production will continue in Oshawa for a few short years alongside the Buick Regal. Also, GM recently invested $185 million to support the launch of two new products on the flex line: the all-new Cadillac XTS and the future Chevrolet Impala. The latter even prompted the automaker to announce the addition of a third shift.

Moreover, the consolidated line at the Oshawa plant will keep producing the current-generation Chevrolet Impala and Equinox until June 2014.

Photo: Sébastien D'Amour

Led by Martin Whitmarsh, the McLaren team enjoyed a relatively good season; but the Mercedes-powered MP4-27 car proved to be quite unreliable as the season progressed.

Drivers, Lewis Hamilton and Jenson Button (two former World Champions), scored seven wins and a total of 378 points to give McLaren third place in the Constructor's championship.

The British team based in Woking had a rollercoaster form during the first half of the season, despite winning the opening round in Australia. Jenson Button, in particular, appreared to be struggling to get the best from the Pirelli tires.

Photo: McLaren F1

Mid-season updates put MP4-27 back on pace; however, despite victories for Hamilton and Button, reliability problems derailed a title bid. Hamilton retired five times this season, and Button had two DNFs.

Lewis Hamilton
4th in the Driver's Championship with 190 points
Best place in qualifications: 1st (7 poles)
Best race result: 1st (4 wins)
Retired 5 times

Jenson Button
5th in the Driver's Championship with 188 points
Best place in qualifications: 1st (one pole, in Belgium)
Best race result: 1st (3 wins)
Retired twice

The overall performance of the McLaren was pretty inconsistent in the first part of the season, while the drivers and engineers struggled to understand the curious degradation of the tires. Contrary to many other F1 cars, such as the Lotus E20, the McLaren was quick in qualifying trim, but suffered a bit under race conditions.

Photo: McLaren F1

The McLaren may have been competitive, but poor luck meant that Hamilton had to wait until Canada to score his maiden win of the season. He followed it up with victories in Hungary, Italy and the USA.

Then, Hamilton retired at the start of the race in Belgium, retired while leading in Singapore, retired again while leading in Abu Dhabi, and was eliminated from the race in Brazil after a collision with Nico Hulkenberg. Hamilton has decided to move on to Mercedes AMG for the 2013 season.

Jenson Button's campaign started brilliantly with a win in Melbourne, then headed downhill as tire and set-up woes made serious points a rarity before a mid-season recovery began to stop the disaster.

Button captured second place in Germany, and followed that up with a brilliant win in Belgium and another victory at the season finale in Brazil. Despite the reliability problems, Button was able to score points in 14 of 20 races.

On certain 2004-2006 Nissan Titan King Cab pickup trucks, wires routed through the rear doors and into the body may break due to over bending when the door is opened and closed. These wires control the seatbelt pretensioners, front passenger seatbelt tension sensor and rear audio speakers.

If the wires for the seatbelt pretensioner and speaker break and make contact, a pretensioner may deploy, compromising the use of the seatbelt.

Likewise, if the wires for the seatbelt tension sensor break, the passenger side front airbag won't deploy as designed in a frontal crash.

Owners of vehicles with malfunctioning front outer seatbelt(s), malfunctioning rear audio speakers, or where the Supplemental Restraint System (SRS) indicator light is on are therefore advised to bring their vehicle to a dealer for inspection and a possible rear door wiring harness replacement.

Source: Transports Canada

Photo: Nissan

Canadian race car driver and former Formula 1 driver, Jacques Villeneuve will return to the Andros Trophy ice racing series this weekend as he will contest the third round of the 2012/2013 season in Alpe d'Huez, France.

During the past two winters, the 1997 F1 World Champion was a works driver for Skoda and finished twice on the podium. But following last season's controversy (when he collided with Alain Prost at the start of the last race) and Skoda's withdrawal from the series, Villeneuve decided not to return.

However, he has changed his mind and will contest Round 3 held this weekend at Alpe d'Huez, driving a Citroen DS3 for team SPEEDAVENTURE.com.

Citroen DS3. (Photo: Andros Trophy)

Auto123.com a called Jacques Villeneuve in Europe to discuss the matter.

“Team boss Christian Petit called me two days ago about doing this race,” Villeneuve told us.

“Since I was already in Europe, I gladly accepted his proposal. It is the same car, the same team and the same engineer I had two years ago. And I had a lot of fun that year. Last season, there were too much politics and contoversy. This weekend, I'll be driving my old car, without pressure, just for fun,” Villeneuve continued.

“I drove for nine hours in a snow storm to do a brief test in the car at Serre-Chevalier. Now, we're heading for Alpe d'Huez. I'll do this race, but if I have the titme to do the rest of the season aftyer Christmas, I'll be glad to do it,” Villeneuve concluded.

The new 2013 Nissan NV200 compact cargo van will make its Canadian debut at the Montreal International Auto Show in January. It's based on the same popular model that's already sold in more than 40 countries around the globe and has been chosen as the exclusive New York City ''Taxi of Tomorrow.''

The NV200 is Nissan Canada's third commercial vehicle following the full-size NV Cargo (March 2011) and NV Passenger Van (April 2012).

"There is an increasing need for a 'right-sized' van that optimizes cargo space while offering the best possible fuel economy and an affordable price - the exact sweet spots of the innovative new Nissan NV200," said Judy Wheeler, Director of Marketing at Nissan Canada Inc. "We're delighted to display it for the first time in Canada in one of Nissan's top Canadian markets - Montreal."

The 2013 Nissan NV200 will go on sale early next year. Full specs and pricing will be announced between now and then.

Photo: Nissan

Photo: Nissan

GM is switching creative advertising agencies for the 2014 Chevrolet Silverado ahead of the highly anticipated launch of the next-generation pickup next year.

Jeep kicked off the and#8220;Jeep X Games Avalanche Scrambleand#8221; sweepstakes on its Facebook page on Wednesday. Three contestants will win a trip to Aspen, Colo., for the 2013 ESPN X Games on Jan. 23-27.

Toyota Technical Center, a unit of Toyota Motor Engineering and Manufacturing North America Inc., has promoted Kristen Tabar to vice president of electrical systems engineering.

Also in this episode: The NHSTA wants to make automotive black boxes mandatory, and we owe Camilla Parker Bowles -- and Bernie Ecclestone -- an apology.

GM has temporarily idled the Michigan plant that makes the Chevrolet Sonic and Buick Verano, one of several factories where shifts have been canceled as the company works to reduce high inventories.

News 20 Dec, 2012

VW Beetle Fender has been created in conjunction with the guitar maker

News 20 Dec, 2012

Volkswagen has revealed the new special-edition Scirocco GTS, with prices starting from £27,945

Driven: 2013 Honda Pilot

Suburban ubiquity achieved.

I was sitting in the school parking lot in the Honda Pilot, and though I could clearly see my son standing outside the doorway, evidently he could not see me. When he finally climbed into the cabin several minutes later, he explained: "Sorry, I didn't see you. Despite its bright maroon paint and its huge size, this Pilot doesn't stand out, because there's so many of them." True enough. In the pick-up line at school, at soccer practice, at Cub Scouts, or wherever parents congregate, you'll find the Honda Pilot -- often several of them. The Pilot is as much a staple of suburban family life as travel sports, take-out pizza, and the vinyl-sided colonial.

Photo Gallery: Driven: 2013 Honda Pilot - Automobile Magazine

Photo Gallery: Driven: 2013 Honda Pilot - Automobile Magazine

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General Motors plans to move production of the next-generation Chevrolet Camaro to Michigan from Canada. The Camaro, currently made in Oshawa, Ontario, will be built at the Lansing Grand River Assembly Plant in Lansing, Mich.

2013 Porsche Cayman and 1966 906: The Latest And The Greatest

Mid-Engine Porsches, 47 years apart: the 1966 Carrera 6 meets the all-new Cayman S coupe.

Just as the Cayman, the Boxster, and the 911 share an increasingly flexible common DNA, the project 906 launched forty-seven years ago was closely related to the first-generation 911. The homologated racing car, also called the Carrera 6, featured an upgraded version of the production car's flat six mounted in front of the rear axle. Painted off-white and sporting the distinctive light yellow Perspex engine cover, our mint-condition example of the first-ever six-cylinder mid-engine Porsche pointed the way toward today's Boxster and Cayman. Its dramatic proportions are simply out of this world. At 39 inches tall, the gull-wing two-seater is lower than just about any current hardtop sports car. The 66-inch width is positively petite, but the length measures a self-conscious 162 inches, and the long-tail Le Mans version stretches an even more substantial 181 inches. Among the most eye-catching features are stacked headlights, turn indicators, and long-range driving lights covered by low-drag, flush-fitting lenses; a Kamm-back rear spoiler complemented by a brace of front splitters; a truly panoramic windshield; and two chrome, teardrop-shaped side mirrors.

Photo Gallery: 2013 Porsche Cayman and 1966 906: The Latest And The Greatest - Automobile Magazine

Photo Gallery: 2013 Porsche Cayman and 1966 906: The Latest And The Greatest - Automobile Magazine

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Canada has no immediate plans to sell its stake in General Motors, Finance Minister Jim Flaherty said on Wednesday following news the U.S. Treasury will sell its entire stake in GM over 15 months, but he said the stake will be sold eventually.