Auto News 5

From GMM

With one short sentence, Fernando Alonso defended the great Michael Schumacher, criticised Mercedes' performance, praised Sauber's 2012 car, and slated the Swiss team's current driver lineup.

"I am sure Michael would have won three races this year for Sauber," the Ferrari driver is quoted by the German-language T-Online website.

Instead, 43-year-old Schumacher is all but resigned to bowing out of the sport at the end of the season on a low, his return to F1 since 2010 almost certainly to be remembered as a failure in his otherwise all-conquering career.

The Mercedes driver is quoted as admitting saying goodbye in Brazil with a good result would "be nice".

"But I don't expect it," he is quoted by Abendblatt. "So in this regard I will not be sentimental."

Michael Schumacher, Mercedes AMG. (Photo: WRi2)

Michael Schumacher said the most he can hope for is that the fruits of his contribution to the Mercedes project will be reaped by next year's drivers, Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg.

"It is natural that we are still working together as a team right now as though I will still be there next year. The team is also interested in my opinion and experience," he said.

Team boss Ross Brawn confirmed that Schumacher's hand will be obvious when Mercedes succeeds.

"I hope people think of Michael on the day that we achieve our goals, because he will wear a proportion of that success," said the Briton.

From GMM

Although committing to Lotus for another season, Kimi Raikkonen is not ruling out a return to his former teams McLaren or Ferrari in the future.

The 2007 world champion has been praised for his highly competitive return to F1 this season, but until now he has failed to add to his career tally of 18 wins.

He won all of those races for McLaren (2002-2006) and Ferrari (2007-2009), until he headed to world rallying in 2010 after being replaced at the Italian team by Fernando Alonso.

"I think the last year has been, overall, good for the team but of course you want to win races and challenge for championships," Raikkonen told the Telegraph, after Lotus announced that the 33-year-old has been signed up for 2013.

"I'm not 100 per cent happy," he admitted. "If I'm here I want to win and be successful."

Kimi Raikkonen does not, therefore, rule out a return at some point to Ferrari or McLaren, insisting that although his relationships with those teams did not end perfectly, the doors could still be open.

Kimi Raikkonen, 2007 world champion with Ferrari. (Photo: Ferrari)

"Ferrari could have ended in a slightly nicer way but the people I worked with who are still there, I had a very good relationship with them and go and talk to them still," he explained.

"You never know," he said. "I don't know how long I will be driving for. Maybe I don't drive for many more years."

Raikkonen said McLaren is another possibility, even though it is reported his relationship with team supremo Ron Dennis was not great.

"For sure you have a different view of many things but we still talk to each other," he said. "I have never had a fight with him. People just try to make sh*t stories. I have no issues with anybody."

A day at the track is probably one of my favourite types of days at the "office." A day like this is usually significantly enhanced by some over-the-top fun vehicles to drive, and the company of my colleagues.

The vehicles available at a recent event I attended at the Driver Development Track (DDT) at Mosport just happened to be MINI Cooper John Cooper Works (JCW) cars. And they are a hoot to be behind the wheel of.

Photo: Brian Makse

There are currently 5 JCW MINI models on the market. There's the original hatchback, the Clubman (with three doors), the convertible, and the recently launched coupe and roadster. Each of these JCW models has 208 horsepower under the hood and a 6-speed manual transmission. They feel like little go-karts taking on the turns, with the added benefit of airbags and traction control.

All of that is definitely a recipe for a good time.

I don't think I could ever tire of being on a closed circuit with professional instructors. Why? Because there is always something to learn. Regardless of how many -- or few -- times I get to go around, there are techniques to be built upon and skills to hone. Think about any kind of racing: Drivers never feel like they've taken enough laps or feel they could have done even better if they just had some more time or set up the corner a little more efficiently.

That's the beauty of the track: It's a closed course, and a controlled environment. If you screw up (knock on wood), you'll usually be in far less trouble than out on the open road. There's no oncoming traffic, nor are there pedestrians. While I know some women are apprehensive to participate in a track day, I assure you it's not as scary as you think.

There can be a slight intimidation factor, especially if you're a first-timer, but keep in mind that everyone is there to learn. Furthermore, a good track day with a good instructor will give you lots of guidance and help you feel at ease -- or at least you should try to feel at ease! Speeds generally increase throughout the day, not because instructors want to push and push, but because you will feel more comfortable and willing to take a little more risk as the day progresses.

Trust me, it's an amazing feeling when you have a great lap and say to yourself: "Wow! I just did that? That's pretty awesome."

Another component to track days, other than great cars, is the company.

A good friend of mine, Brian Makse, is a championship-winning racer. He's also an auto journalist and we like to pair up when we're on these kinds of events. When I'm not concentrating on the proper line I'm supposed to take, we're laughing our heads off or making silly jokes. On press events, we are always partnered up; that's why there are two people in a car. Safety in numbers, right?!

Learning is supposed to be fun, and it is. That further adds to the dynamic of a track day.

This blog was originally published on Auto-Venus.com.

From Dubai Autodrome

McLaren Formula 1 driver Jenson Button was in action at Dubai Autodrome early Tuesday morning as he slipped into his running shoes to tackle the challenges of the race circuit on foot.

Button and personal trainer Mike Collier and race driver Richard Williams set off early this morning to tackle six laps of the circuit in the Dubai sunshine.

Photo: DubaiAutodrome.com

For Button the 35km run was part of his acclimatisation process ahead of this weekend's Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, while at the same time part of his training programme ahead of his first full marathon he is planning to run in Hawaii, in early December.

After two hours Button completed his six laps of the Dubai Autodrome Grand Prix circuit layout, but looked reasonably fresh and not out of breath for someone who had completed a long run in temperatures approaching 30 degrees, under a hot sun.

“At around 30 km I hit what they call ‘the wall', which also happened to be the start of a hill and started to feel the pain, but got through it,” Button revealed.

Photo: DubaiAutodrome.com

Collier, who oversees Button's training regime and accompanied the drive for the first 21km of the run, commented afterwards, “It was hot out there, but this is perfect conditions for Jenson to prepare for the race. From now onwards he will take it easy and we will work on getting him into peak condition for the start of the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix weekend, where he gets back into the car on Friday for the first practice sessions.”

Over the years Dubai Autodrome has evolved from a preferred venue not only for motor racing and track days, but also a safe haven and popular training arena with regular sessions, on Wednesday evenings, for runners, cyclists and skaters with several 5km and 10km running races on the annual calendar, along with cycling races.

From Toso Rosso

Scuderia Toro Rosso Wednesday confirmed that it will continue with its current driver line-up of Daniel Ricciardo and Jean-Eric Vergne for the 2013 Formula 1 season. It will be the second year with the team for both of them.

“Both drivers have done a good job this season. Daniel joined us with a few Grands Prix under his belt and so his feedback and experience was particularly useful while Jean-Eric got up to speed, often having to deal with tracks he had never seen before,” said team boss Franz Tost.

“Since the summer break, both drivers have scored more points and everyone in the team has been impressed with their maturity in terms of working with the engineers and their racecraft on track. We will be doing our best in the next few months, to produce a 2013 car which will allow them to demonstrate their talent,” he added.

Daniel Ricciardo: “I am really pumped to know that I am continuing with Scuderia Toro Rosso for another season and want to thank the team and Red Bull. There are big expectations for next year and I'm ready and willing to fulfil them. I feel I have been growing and developing as a driver and my approach to the technical side of the sport has also progressed this year, so I am sure that will serve me well in my second season with Toro Rosso. We have had quite a tough season, but despite that, I have always enjoyed a good relationship with all the guys and I am delighted at the idea of working with them for another year.”

Jean-Eric Vergne: “I am really happy about this great news. Thank you Toro Rosso and thank you Red Bull, who have backed me since the early days of my career. It has been a difficult season and, as a rookie, I have learned a lot, thanks to the support I got and the excellent relationship I have enjoyed with all the guys. I feel much stronger now and I know I have become a better driver over the course of the season. I really believe in this team and with all the experience I have gained, combined with the team's ambitious plans for next year, I think we can look forward to great things in 2013, attacking all the way.”

Former CART series' champion Alex Zanardi will have the opportunity to test a modified BMW M3 DTM November 8 on the Nürburgring circuit.

(Photo: BMW)

The Italian driver, who lost both his legs in a ChampCar crash back in 2001, was expected to get this test in a BMW DTM car, and the German car constructor officially announced the day and the place of the event.

Auto123.com mentioned about this test October 25 after we met with Zanardi at Hockenheim.

“We are delighted to offer Alessandro Zanardi this outing in the BMW M3 DTM,” said BMW Motorsport Director Jens Marquardt.

“He has been a member of the BMW Motorsport family for many years, so we are very keen to offer him this chance to drive the BMW M3 DTM. We will obviously have to make a few modifications to the car. A DTM car is considerably more complex than the BMW 320si WTCC, with which Alex won on four occasions for us in the FIA World Touring Car Championship. However, our engineers happily accepted this challenge.”

(Photo: BMW)

From GMM

Early contenders for Felipe Massa's 2013 Ferrari seat may have been ruled out because they are too tall, the German magazine Auto Motor und Sport reports.

Ultimately, Mark Webber is staying at Red Bull next year, while German Nico Hulkenberg has signed to switch from Force India to the Ferrari-powered Sauber team.

But earlier, rumours linked them with Ferrari, who in the end decided to re-sign the resurgent Brazilian Massa for 2013.

Auto Motor und Sport said Webber and Hulkenberg's height might have been the problem.

The pair are both 184 centimetres, or just over 6 foot.

Massa and Alonso, on the other hand, are considerably smaller; Alonso is 13cm shorter than Webber and Hulkenberg, while Massa is a diminutive 1.66m, or 5 foot 5.

Fernando Alonso and Felipe Massa perfectly fit within the Ferrari. (Photo: Ferrari)

The German magazine said Webber confirmed in India that he would not have fit at the wheel of this year's Ferrari.

And with the 2013 regulations staying essentially the same as this year's, most teams will not be making fundamental changes to their chassis layouts for next season, due to the radical changes set to debut just a year later in 2014.

Hulkenberg did not comment on whether he would fit in this year's Ferrari, but Auto Motor und Sport said the German admitted that his height is an issue.

He is quoted as saying designers "need to make compromises in the chassis" to accomodate tall drivers, like himself or his 2012 Force India teammate Paul di Resta, who like Webber and Hulkenberg also stands at over 6 feet.

Hurricane Sandy submerged over a dozen Fisker Karma hybrid sedans that were stationed in Port Newark, New Jersey. As Jalopnik reports, they later caught fire and exploded.

This isn't the first case of spontaneous combustion for the Karma, which has experienced similar problems since coming to market.

Fisker Automotive acknowledged the incident, adding that ''there were no injuries and none of the cars were being charged at the time.'' The company will issue a further statement once the root cause has been determined.

Source: Jalopnik

Photo: Fisker Automotive

What is it?

2013 Mazda CX-5 Grand Touring - Changing Gears

We're seeing sixth gear more than we'd like.

It didn't take very long for us to fall in love with the CX-5' spry handling characteristics, but one part of the driving experience is a sore spot - the transmission.

Photo Gallery: 2013 Mazda CX-5 Grand Touring - Four Seasons Update - October 2012 - Automobile Magazine

Photo Gallery: 2013 Mazda CX-5 Grand Touring - Four Seasons Update - October 2012 - Automobile Magazine

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News 31 Oct, 2012

Our reader is offered just £10 of the £250 he paid to insure his Volkswagen Golf, after cancelling his policy early

2013 Subaru BRZ - Automobile of the Year Testing

Our Four Seasons BRZ hopes to bring home an AOY trophy.

The 2013 Subaru BRZ's late fall introduction last year meant it narrowly missed being a part of our 2012 Automobile of the Year testing, yet we knew a car of this pedigree warranted a year-long examination even before we'd had a chance to hand it any awards. When it came time for our 2013 AOY testing, we'd already spent four months with our long-term car and the BRZ was a staff favorite heading into the weeklong event. While it's unusual to use a Four Seasons car for AOY evaluation, it's not easy finding an idle BRZ or Scion FR-S and so our Subaru made the trip to South Haven, Michigan, for a week in early October.

Photo Gallery: 2013 Subaru BRZ - Fours Seasons Update - November 2012 - Automobile Magazine

Photo Gallery: 2013 Subaru BRZ - Fours Seasons Update - November 2012 - Automobile Magazine

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General Motors said production at its Oshawa, Ontario, assembly plant returned to normal today after a two-day strike at a Lear parts plant in Ontario ended and Lear's supply of car seats to GM was restored.

Pictures 30 Oct, 2012

News 30 Oct, 2012

Renault has announced prices and specs for its all-electric Zoe

First Drive: 2013 Toyota Avalon and Avalon Hybrid

Forgetting how to float.

Since its introduction in 1995, the Toyota Avalon has always brought to mind Walter Mitty, the fictional character created by James Thurber. Like Walter Mitty, the Avalon meekly floated through life, taking a few insults here and there while dreaming it might become fun to drive and genuinely luxurious -- anything besides being the grim ticket for large-appliance buyers.

Photo Gallery: First Drive: 2013 Toyota Avalon and Avalon Hybrid - Automobile Magazine

Photo Gallery: First Drive: 2013 Toyota Avalon and Avalon Hybrid - Automobile Magazine

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Fiat CEO Sergio Marchionne approached PSA Peugeot Citroen and GM earlier this month about a pan-European combination that would leapfrog Volkswagen AG as the region's largest automaker, three people familiar with the matter said.

Fiat CEO Sergio Marchionne approached PSA and GM earlier this month about a pan-European combination that would leapfrog Volkswagen as the region's largest automaker, three people familiar with the matter said.

TRW Automotive reported a higher quarterly profit, helped by rising demand for its safety products and improved vehicle production volumes in North America.

Maruti Suzuki has reported a 5.4% fall in quarterly profit, its fifth straight such dip, after it was hit by production losses due to the recent deadly labour unrest.