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German transmission manufacturer Getrag will establish a joint venture in China with Dongfeng Motor Corp. to supply the state-owned Chinese automaker.

There is an element of lobbying you might think in Ford announcing draconian action other than in the results season.

Free electric vehicle (EV) charging points have been made available in London for residents and businesses participating in trials to understand the impact of EV use on the electricity network.

Robert Bosch is opening an randd center and factory in Changsha, southeastern China, to produce starter motors, generators, thermal systems and wipers.

Ford and Renault have joined Volkswagen's key stakeholder, Lower Saxony, in voicing concern about a French government rescue deal for PSA/Peugeot-Citroen.

Citroen is offering a new variation of car-sharing that it hopes will improve the brand's recognition among younger buyers and boost new-car sales. The French company's Multicity program enables Citroen owners to rent their vehicles to other people.

Continental will begin production of an automatic-braking and pedestrian-detection system for Mercedes early next year.

Despite slowing demand in China's automotive market, Jochem Heizmann, the new chief of Volkswagen China, expects industry sales to grow 7 to 8 percent annually.

Renault's product offensive in India has grown to five cars in the last 18 months as the automaker looks for ways to compensate for falling sales in Europe.

Mercedes expects demand for four-door luxury cars with coupe styling will grow in the coming years and the brand is aiming for a larger share of the niche with the introduction of the CLS Shooting Brake.

The Automobile Journalists Association of Canada (AJAC) held its annual TestFest at Niagara-on-the-Lake this week.

Ford leads the way with four of the best new vehicles for 2013, followed by Porsche and Hyundai with two apiece.

Here are the results:

• CITY CAR: Ford Focus EV
• BEST NEW SMALL CAR (under $21k): Mazda3 Skyactiv
• BEST NEW SMALL CAR (over $21k): Hyundai Elantra GT
• BEST NEW FAMILY CAR (under $30k): Honda Accord Sedan
• BEST NEW FAMILY CAR (over $30k): Ford Fusion Hybrid
• BEST NEW LUXURY CAR: Cadillac ATS
• BEST NEW PRESTIGE AND PERFORMANCE CAR (over $75k): Porsche 911 Carrera S
• BEST NEW SPORTS/PERFORMANCE CAR (under $50k): Ford Focus ST
• BEST NEW SPORTS/PERFORMANCE CAR (over $50k): Porsche Boxster
• BEST NEW SUV/CUV (under $35k): Ford Escape 1.6 L EcoBoost
• BEST NEW SUV/CUV ($35k-$60k): Hyundai Santa Fe Sport 2.0T

All these vehicles will compete for the 2013 Canadian Car of the Year and 2013 Canadian Utility Vehicle of the Year awards.

Photo: Matthieu Lambert

Formula 1 teams will be able to sample the new year's generation of Pirelli tires during the weekend of the Grand Prix of Brazil, the last race of the 2012 season.

British motorsport magazine Autosport has learned that Pirelli is planning to introduce a new generation of tires, with a new stiffer construction set to offer teams a more predictable platform than they had this year.

Team will be given two sets of tires for each car in Friday's free practice session in Interlagos, November 23.

Mercedes AMG team boss Ross Brawn told Autosport that the numbers Pirelli provided them show that the tires will be quite different with a stiffer construction although the compounds will be quite similar.

Photo: Pirelli

Despite the fact that the actual shape of the tires will be identical to this year, the stiffer construction means that it will behave very differently under load - so it is vital teams get an early indicator of what impact that will have on car performance and aerodynamics.

Friday in India, McLaren sporting director Sam Michael said he tinks that the test will be 'critical' for teams in their planning for next year.

“The test is very important because that is the only opportunity before February [to test them]. If it changes something fundamentally on the car that you suddenly need to change designs for, then that is what is critical when they change tire casings,” Michael explained.

A 1986 BMW 635 CSi customized by pop art pioneer Robert Rauschenberg will be on display at Art Toronto 2012, which takes place from October 26th to 29th at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre.

Presented in Canada for the first time ever, this car is one of the 17 rolling sculptures that make up the BMW Art Car Collection.

Since 1975, artists from around the world have transformed BMW automobiles into artwork representing a moment in time. Rauschenberg was the first to incorporate other artists' imagination by projecting their artwork onto the 635 CSi.

Photo: BMW

Audi and Toyota dominated the first practice sessions ahead of the 6 Hours of Shanghai, 8th and final round of the 2012 FIA World Endurance Championship.

Alan McNish set the best time during the first session with a 1m52.219 in his Audi R18 e-tron that he shares with Tom Kristensen.

Audi R18 e-tron quattro. (Photo: Audi Motorsport)

In the second session, the best performance went to Alexander Wurz's Toyota TS030 Hybrid, with a lap in 1m50.573.

Toyota TS030 Hybrid. (Photo: Toyota Racing)

The fastest LMP2 car was the Lola-Lotus driven by Weeda, Rossiter and Charouz, while best GT car was the works Aston Martin driven by Stefan Mucke and Darren Turner.

This is not a joke: Britain's Air Fuel Synthesis has developed a fairly simple method to produce fuel. Using electrolysis and a sodium hydroxide solution, scientists are able to extract air from carbon dioxide (CO2) and hydrogen gas (H2) molecules. Then, they combine the basic elements through a series of chemical operations to create the desired fuel.

So far, Air Fuel Synthesis has produced five litres of fuel that perfectly meets auto industry standards. However, according to the company, the technology will require at least 15 years to reach mass production.

Source: cnetfrance

The various winter tires in this review are all designed for trucks that require heavy-duty tires with a high payload capacity, as well as maximum off-road traction when driving on construction sites, recreational areas, and in deep snow. With their aggressive tread design, they also provide exceptional grip in mud. However, they are not as effective on ice as most winter tires for passenger cars and SUVs.

These tires sport the mountain/snowflake logo, and some of them can even receive studs to increase traction on ice.

Check the table below to see how these commercial vehicle winter tires stack up against each other.

Robin Frijns, who clinched the Formula Renault 3.5 series' title in controversial circumstances last weekend may reach a long-term agreement with the Sauber F1 Team.

Frijns collided with title rival Jules Bianchi during the last and decisive round of the FR3.5 series in Barcelona last Sunday. After the contact, Bianchi's car ended up in the gravel trap where he retired, giving Frijns the title.

The Dutchman is scheduled to drive the Ferrari-powered Sauber F1 car for one day at the Young Driver test in Abu Dhabi early next month.

Photo: RobinFrijns.com

British magazine Autosport understands that Frijns is set for a long-term role with Sauber, provided his run in the test proves a success.


Autosport adds that they have been impresed with his performance over the past three years during which the 21-year-old has won the Formula BMW Europe, Formula Renault Eurocup and Formula Renault 3.5 title.

Frijns apparently admitted that his performance in the Abu Dhabi test could be key to the future of his career.

First reported by Car & Driver magazine, and later confirmed by an Audi exec to Wired magazine, the Audi R8 e-tron's low demand and high battery cost, as well as the changing priorities of Audi's new head of R&D have doomed the project. As a result, the all-electric supercar won't enter production.

However, Audi will continue to test the R8 e-tron internally to help the development of future electrically driven vehicles.

Introduced at the 2009 Frankfurt Auto Show, the Audi R8 e-tron was supposed to be built within the next four years. It made fans drool by posting a lap time of 8:09 minutes on the Nürburgring circuit in Germany. Too bad we won't see it on the road.

Audi prefers to focus on plug-in hybrids and electric versions of the A1, A3, A4, A6 and Q7 that can charge through a household outlet.

Source: Wired

Photo: Mathieu St-Pierre

It's that time of year again! Pretty soon, the multicoloured foliage will give way to a cold blanket of white snow, and drivers must seriously start thinking about winter tires.

In order to help you make the best choice for your vehicle, the team at PMCtire.com brings you a series of articles on winter tires with lots of useful advice and pointers.

Here are the four main questions that you need to answer to make an educated decision:

1. What type of roads do you drive on?
2. How many winters will you use your vehicle for?
3. How many kilometres do you travel during winter?
4. How much are you willing to spend on winter tires?

Choosing a winter tire based on the type of roads you drive on
You must consider the climate you live in since road maintenance, temperature and precipitation levels substantially vary from one region to another.


City driving
Driving in the city usually involves a mix of snow and ice. Further up north, it's more snow than ice. The wise thing to do is to choose a versatile tire (snow and ice), or a winter tire that provides superior grip in the snow, in order to ensure good performance in slush and deep snow. Versatile winter tires feature thin blades and sipes as well as properly spaced tread blocks allowing adequate traction in the snow.

Highway driving
Highways are usually clear of snow, and many people drive on them. However, icy conditions frequently occur. In this case, you should look for a winter tire that's mainly designed to tackle ice. This type of tire will provide good grip in tight, ice-covered corners whereas a snow tire would give you the impression of skating on a rink.

Byroad driving
Byroads and country roads are more regularly covered in snow than highways and major boulevards. At the same time, conditions vary significantly. Therefore, if you spend most of your time on small byroads, opt for a versatile tire that offers solid traction both in the snow and on ice. You may also want to consider a studded tire for more extreme and diversified conditions, or a snow tire if your local roads are more often covered in white powder than frozen water.

Choosing a winter tire based on your vehicle's longevity, the distance travelled during winter, and your budget
In general, entry-level winter tires are less expensive, but also less durable and therefore more likely to need a replacement after a short period. If you plan to keep your vehicle for only a year or two, don't travel a whole lot, or have a limited amount to spend, these tires probably represent a smarter choice. On the other hand, if you've recently purchased a brand new car and plan to keep it for at least three years, or drive more than 10,000 kilometres during the cold season, a higher-end winter tire with superior durability proves to be a profitable investment. It will prevent you from switching from one cheap tire set to another during that time.

The iconic Mustang's future is in doubt? Not exactly, but I think that for perhaps only the second time in the Mustang's near 50-year history, its relevance is being called into question.

It is becoming increasingly clear that today's teens and 20-somethings are not especially turned on by cars. Many manufacturers are catering to this crowd and Ford is doing just that with the likes of the Fiesta and Focus, but it's the Mustang that will require some severe tweaking if Ford wants to keep selling the car beyond 2025.

By then, the average Baby Boomer will be nearly 75. The current Mustang was (and still is) built for them, but by then most will have lost their driver's licenses or have bought a Buick Lacrosse.

In 10-15 years, the 40-year-olds will be the ones buying the Mustangs. These people who are in their mid-20s today were brought up admiring tuned Honda Civics and Volkswagen Golfs, not Mustangs. Therefore, most have little or no interest in today's Mustang, nor are they likely to in 15 years from now.

If Ford wants to keep selling their fabled Pony car, they need to do something about it now. Rumours are circulating about a 4-cylinder turbocharged ‘Stang which makes loads of sense. Manufacturers like Ford are touting the worth of a smaller boosted engine as the green alternative, and that's just fine and dandy. However, I don't think that this is the largest issue facing the Ford Mustang.

The styling has to change. A 27-year-old today will more often than not opt for the Hyundai Genesis Coupe or, if they have more dinero, grab a Nissan 370Z. I can scarcely imagine a young, reasonably affluent urbanite adult ever springing for a Mustang. That is, unless it's a Boss 302...

Ford has a big job on its hands. If the clan from Dearborn wants to ensure the continuity of its most storied and revered nameplate, they will need to face the music and bring forth serious changes.

BTW, it hurts me to think this way: I love the 2013 Ford Mustang!

As a final note, this entire blog also applies to the Chevrolet Camaro.

Photo: Ford