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Chinese electric car maker BYD - in which legendary US investor Warren Buffett has a stake - and greentomatocars have signed a memorandum of understanding to create London's first fleet of all-electric minicabs.

PSA and General Motors have announced an expansion of their alliance. The partners now say they will share four platforms and expand the reach of their joint purchasing arrangement.

Like many Americans, carmakers are on a continuing quest to lose weight. Less weight, which equals better fuel economy without a loss in performance, is a key selling point in dealerships.

Informed sources in Belgium have told just-auto Ford is to completely shutter its Genk plant in 2014.

Ford said it will end production at its car plant in Genk, Belgium, by the end of 2014, pending the outcome of a consultation process with employee representatives.

Ford said it will end production at its car plant in Genk, Belgium, by the end of 2014, pending the outcome of a consultation process with employee representatives.

General Motors and PSA/Peugeot-Citroen will co-develop four vehicle projects as part of their alliance, the companies said in a statement today.

General Motors and PSA/Peugeot-Citroen will co-develop four vehicle projects as part of their alliance, the companies said in a statement today.

Jaguar Land Rover will follow premium rivals by opening design studios outside its UK home market, Jaguar's design chief Ian Callum said.

The gloomy European market outlook and a worsening price war were the dominant topics of discussion at last month's Paris auto show, but the Mondial de l'Automobile also delivered a number of significant new products.

From GMM

Former motor racing chief Andrew Craig has tipped F1's owners to "sit tight" rather than float the sport while Bernie Ecclestone is embroiled in the Gerhard Gribkowsky bribery scandal.

While German prosecutors are currently considering whether to charge F1's long-time chief executive with corruption, owner CVC has delayed the stock market floatation of its sport, ostensibly due to adverse market conditions.

But Craig, who was CEO of the now-defunct US open wheeler series CART throughout the category's premier success until 2000, has told leading F1 business journalist Christian Sylt that he sees a link between the stalled floatation and Ecclestone's legal troubles.

"CVC's best option," he told Sylt, "may be to sit tight until after the criminal case is resolved."

And that, according to widespread sources and even Ecclestone himself, could take a long time.

Bernie Ecclestone told Sylt and Eurosport: "I don't see how it (the case) can come to an end really."

Sylt quoted someone close to CVC as saying: "It's hard to know (if the prosecutors are going to press charges against Ecclestone). Bernie is pretty blase about it. It's hard to know to be honest."

It was reported in the German press earlier in October that one solution could be Mercedes recruiting other influential players in F1 to push for Ecclestone's removal as chief executive.

"We would not wait for a months-long process, but (we) would act," a Mercedes source told the Suddeutsche Zeitung newspaper.

From GMM

Red Bull has the standout budget among F1's UK-based teams, according to Germany's Auto Motor und Sport.

Citing British companies data, the magazine said Red Bull Technology - the Red Bull Racing parent - had a budget of EUR 245 million in 2011 as Sebastian Vettel sped to his back-to-back drivers' world championship.

Auto Motor und Sport said Red Bull's budget last year was EUR 42 million higher than in 2010.

Red Bull celebrating Sebastian Vettel's second championship in Japan. (Photo: WRi2)

Brackley based Mercedes, meanwhile, reportedly spent just EUR 145 million in 2011 -- a full EUR 100 million less than Red Bull.

Lotus' 2011 budget was a reported EUR 155m, compared to Williams' 111m.

McLaren's figures are pending.

But the news about Red Bull coincides with a fresh wave of speculation in the paddock about the energy drink-owned team's defiance in the face of the teams-governed Resource Restriction Agreement (RRA).

McLaren's Martin Whitmarsh, however, fell short of accusing Red Bull of cheating.

"If they are ahead of us, it's because they've done the better job," he said.

From GMM

Niki Lauda revealed Mercedes AMG is working on a "completely new car" for the 2013 season.

The F1 legend and triple world champion, Niki Lauda, is Mercedes' brand new non-executive chairman -- the main link between the Stuttgart carmaker and the Ross Brawn-led, UK-based team.

With this year's W03, Nico Rosberg won in Shanghai and Michael Schumacher lapped the quickest in qualifying at Monaco, but otherwise the silver machine has often been a disappointment.

Photo: Mercedes AMG F1 Team

With the regulations staying essentially stable next year, ahead of the radical changes for 2014, most teams are working on evolutions of their current cars for next season.

But with Lewis Hamilton arriving from McLaren for 2013, simply evolving the W03 is not going to be Mercedes' approach, Austrian Lauda suggested to the broadcaster RTL.

"We are working on a concept for a completely new car. The current one is simply not fast enough," he said.

From press release

David Coulthard has become the latest motor sport great to sign up for the Race Of Champions at Bangkok's Rajamangala Stadium on December 14-16, 2012. 


The Scotsman enjoyed a glittering Formula 1 career, taking 13 grand prix wins and finishing in the world championship top three no less than five times in over a decade at the top. He has since spent three years in Germany's DTM championship but last weekend he announced his retirement from full-time competition to focus on his other interests including his F1 commentary for BBC television.

Photo: Race of Champions

Coulthard said: “This will be my eighth ROC appearance and it's a pleasure to take part. The main draw is the camaraderie between the drivers and all the social events outside the cars but the racing is always exciting. In the ROC Nations Cup you never want to let your team-mate down, then you have the individual event. Looking at how I got on at Wembley, it seems I do better after I've just retired from something. That time I made the final so maybe this year in Bangkok I can finish the job...”

Race organiser Fredrik Johnsson added: “David has been a fantastic supporter of the Race Of Champions down the years and we're delighted that he is back in 2012. He is a real character who is always a big hit with the crowds in the stadium. Now we are thrilled to offer race fans in Bangkok one more chance to see both DC and Michael Schumacher in action.”

The end-of-season contest, which is being staged for the 25th consecutive year in 2012, brings together the world's greatest drivers from motor sport's main disciplines - including Formula 1, world rally, touring cars, Le Mans, MotoGP, Indycar and the X-Games - and sets them free to battle head-to-head in identical machinery.

Drivers pair up for the ROC Nations Cup, this year scheduled for Saturday 15 December, before the individual Race Of Champions on Sunday 16 December. 



Drivers confirmed for the 2012 Race Of Champions so far:
• Michael SCHUMACHER, seven-time Formula 1 World Champion
• Sebastian VETTEL, Formula 1 World Champion 2011, 2010
• Ryan HUNTER-REAY, IndyCar Series Champion 2012
• Jamie WHINCUP, V8 Supercar Champion 2011, 2009, 2008
• Mick DOOHAN, five-time 500cc MotoGP World Champion
• David COULTHARD, 13-time Formula 1 grand prix winner

Tesla Motors is facing quite a storm this month. The legitimacy of its factory outlets (mostly in shopping malls) came into question, and now dealer associations in Massachusetts and New York are suing the electric car manufacturer for operating illegal stores.

According to the National Automobile Dealers Association, 48 states prohibit or restrict factory ownership of dealerships. Tesla argues that its locations serve only as showrooms and that shoppers must still go to its website to purchase a car.

Dealer associations don't agree, claiming that Tesla is bypassing the dealer system to save money and sell vehicles at a lower price.

"They claim they're operating under the guise of a non-sales showroom, and we call that out as an outright scam," said Robert O'Koniewski, executive vice president of the Massachusetts association.

He believes that the Massachusetts store, which opened on September 28th, violates the state's licensing, consumer protection and franchise laws. In his opinion, Tesla's business model could leave consumers unprotected by the state's lemon law, which forces automakers to buy back or replace a vehicle that can't be repaired.

We'll keep you updated as new developments arise.

Source: Automotive News

Photo: Sébastien D'Amour

The Scuderia Toro Rosso Formula 1 team has Wednesday announced its two drivers for the Young Driver Test in Abu Dhabi in the week following the 18th Grand Prix of the season.

Toro Rosso will run Luiz Razia and Johnny Cecotto Junior.

Razia will have two days at the wheel of the Ferrari-powered STR7 on Tuesday and Thursday.

Luiz Razia. (Photo: Team Lotus F1)

The 23-year-old Brazilian finished second in this year's GP2 series, having come up through the ranks of the usual junior formulae.

His previous experience in a Formula 1 car consists of a young driver test for Virgin Racing in 2010 and in 2011 he drove for Lotus in FP1 at the Chinese Grand Prix, as well as taking part in that year's young driver test.

Johnny Cecotto will drive on the Wednesday. The 23-year-old Venezuelan shares his name with his father, a former racer and motorcycle world champion.

Johnny Cecotto Jr. winner at Monaco. (Photo: GP2 Series)

Cecotto Junior has raced in GP2 since 2009. He finished ninth overall in this year's championship, his best result to date. Highlights of the season include a pole position and win in Monaco and another victory in Hockenheim.

From GMM

Former Niki Lauda and Sauber sponsor Money Service Group's founder Michael Seidl has been sentenced to jail for nine years.

Last week, F1 legend Lauda testified against Seidl in a Liechtenstein court, after he lost EUR 500,000 in an investment, and was underpaid to the tune of EUR 800,000 after Money Service Group sponsored his famous cap in 2011.

Niki Lauda (Photo: René Fagnan/Auto123.com)

Seidl was tried for commercial fraud, and according to the major Volksblatt daily he was sentenced unconditionally to nine years in jail.

A court spokesman confirmed the verdict to the Austrian APA news agency, adding that Seidl has lodged an appeal.

As did Lauda, the Swiss team Sauber terminated its sponsorship deal with Money Service Group mid last year.

The days of the iconic black cabs in London may be numbered. Manganese Bronze, which builds these taxis for the city, is facing serious financial setbacks and even filed for court administration after failing to secure a bailout from minority shareholder Geely.

The black cabs have endured tough times in recent years due to increasingly strong competition and a production interruption following the recall of 400 cars with a faulty steering.

Manganese Bronze CEO John Russel remains confident that the company will emerge from the current crisis.

Source: leblogauto

Photo: London-taxis

Am I strange to get all excited every chance I get to drive a Sprinter? Could it be that I harbour a deep hidden desire to work for UPS or Purolator? Possibly, but I think it has more to do with the fact that it's so far off my radar of typical test cars that it's a vacation from the usual...

The Mercedes (which was Dodge in another time) Sprinter is, to put it into perspective, the German Chevrolet Express or Ford Econoline. You might expect this coming from me, but you only have to glance over at any delivery company's fleet to see that, the Sprinter is much more awesome than any American-built van.

Want further proof? Ford will shortly cut the Econoline -- after only 283 years on the road -- and replace it with the big Transit, one size up from the current Transit Connect. This European-designed van is the best selling commercial vehicle on the other side of the pond.


Mercedes knows vans
The 2012 Mercedes Sprinter is actually the largest passenger/commercial van offered by Mercedes. In other parts of the world, they have the Viano and Vito. There are others, but the Sprinter is the star of this show. All I'm trying to say is that Mercedes knows a thing, or 19, about vans.

My tester for the week was a 2012 Mercedes Sprinter 2500 High Roof with the 170” wheelbase. It was a cargo van and it was white. It was perfect. The first thing I did with a few office chums, including the Miranda, was do a few laps in the rear. Ok, pointless, but it was fun and I know you want to do the same...

Seriously, it's no small wonder why the Sprinter makes for an excellent conversion camper vehicle! The rear's square footage is superior to my basement! The possibilities are endless for all walks of professionals as well.

The Sprinter is actually the largest passenger/commercial van offered by Mercedes. (Photo: Sébastien D'Amour)

Diesel; there is no other way
All 2012 Mercedes Sprinters are powered by a BlueTEC turbo-diesel 3.0L V6 engine. This potent powerplant puts out a proper yet paltry 188 hp and prominent 325 lb-ft of torque. Between it and the rear-drive wheels is a 5-speed autobox that features a manual mode.

Let's move on to the drive: The 2012 Mercedes Sprinter looks like a bus and, well, drives like a bus if only because turning a corner requires not only a wider angle, but the steering needs to go around a few more times than a typical car.

Otherwise, the Sprinter really is simple to navigate. The brakes are immensely powerful and pedal feel is confidence-inspiring. The ride is a little jittery, but only because most of the time in the course of my week-long test, I was alone in the van. This Sprinter is designed to handle up to a total of 6,146 kg (13,550 lbs) and the suspension settles under the weight.

What blew my mind was my final fuel economy numbers at the end of the week. I rode the 2012 Mercedes Sprinter as I would have any other press car, and Miranda even managed to load it up with some renovation material. So, we did put it to work and it still managed a notable 13L per 100 km.

The turbo-diesel V6 is full of vim, and always willing to dish out the power. The 5-speed box is quick to participate, and altogether this big Sprinter can easily keep up with traffic. When loaded, the situation changes, obviously.

Despite its size and capabilities, the Sprinter still managed a notable 13L per 100 km. (Photo: Sébastien D'Amour)

Uh, really, really big
What looks like content that would fit in a woman's purse (well, Miranda's at least) is actually a dozen sheets of plywood, a few interior doors and a crap-load of 2x4s and 72 rubber floor tiles, four-square-feet each. The contents look small because the Sprinter's rear quarters are that ginormous. What surprised me was the total absence of rattles from the bare walls.

Up front in the 2012 Mercedes Sprinter, the seats are very firm and reasonably comfortable. There are tonnes of storage spaces and possibly the only complaint I could make relates to the cup-holders: they are not deep or plentiful enough.

The gauges and other controls are simple and straightforward. Oh, and the cruise control stalk is the same as in most of Mercedes' cars. Many don't like the way the stalk functions, but it's only a matter of habit.

The contents look small because the Sprinter's rear quarters are that ginormous. (Photo: Collin Styker)

Endless possibilities
The most basic cargo 2012 Mercedes Sprinter has a base price of $42,900. As tested, my 2500 High Roof with 170” wheelbase retails for $50,100. The most expensive base 3500 Super High Roof 170" with extended wheelbase has a sticker price of $55,500. Passenger versions vary from $48k to $54k. Mercedes also offers Cab-chassis and even minibuses.

I recall going to the launch of the then-Dodge Sprinter where it was explained that, given the large number of body styles, colors and configurations, it would be possible to line up 500 different Sprinters side by side and they'd be all unique.

Either way I look at it, and even if the 2012 Mercedes Sprinter is pricier than the average Econoline, Express or Savana, it's by far the better choice.

It would be possible to line up 500 different Sprinters side by side and they'd be all unique. (Photo: Sébastien D'Amour)

A recent trip to Europe landed me behind the wheel of three different diesel press vehicles. This was no accident. I know how much gas costs per litre and it hovers around the $2.00/L mark in Budapest, Hungary -- sometimes even more.

While diesel fuel is slightly higher in price (around $2.20/L), I know from experience that I can get almost double the mileage from one tank. And with all the driving I was doing, every last drop counted.

Round 1: The Mazda CX-5 Diesel

Photo: Alexandra Straub

The Mazda CX-5 is the Japanese automaker's latest crossover vehicle. It came to Canada earlier this year, but this was the first time I'd had the chance to take it for a spin. I'd heard positive comments and read rave reviews from other journalists on it and couldn't wait to try it.

Was I disappointed my first go with it? Absolutely not. In fact, it was a complete pleasure to drive. The interior is really nicely finished, it has a comfortable ride and seats five. And I needed all the space I could get since most of the time there were four passengers on board.

Making it even better was the inclusion of a 2.2L, 4-cylinder diesel engine linked to a 6-speed automatic transmission. I drove about 1,300 km, if not more, and only filled up one and a half times. Fabulous.

Round 2: The Nissan Qashqai Diesel

Photo: Alexandra Straub

Nissan's compact crossover, which is unfortunately not available in Canada, came with a 6-speed manual transmission. You don't see that very often. Although my frequent battle with city traffic made me wish I'd had an automatic transmission, I wasn't complaining.

A trait that carries over into most Nissan vehicles is its ease of use. It's not an uber fancy vehicle on the inside, but it gets the job done. This vehicle also seats five with room to spare in the trunk. It made a great companion for a weekday overnight outing with my mom and grandparents to Lake Balaton.

As for its looks? It's a cutie. And its bright red exterior really made it pop.

Round 3: The BMW X6 xDriver40d

Photo: Alexandra Straub

With this Beemer, I was livin' large -- literally. However, I didn't feel that largeness in the wallet, especially when I filled it up.

Backtracking to when we first met, I couldn't believe my eyes when I saw that the digital range metre showed over 900 kilometres until empty. I thought I must be hallucinating. I wasn't. My lack of hallucinations were further solidified when I filled the tank up at the end of my test period and saw 976 kilometres until empty. Wow. And for a vehicle of its size, that is beyond impressive.

Why the Love?
I heart diesels because they're efficient. I heart them because they're not smelly and not loud. Yes, the older models used to have these traits, but not anymore. With emissions laws being as stringent as they are, there is no room for black clouds of smoke coming out these modern engines. I also heart them because they have range, baby. While you might pay a tad more to fill up a tank, you can get some crazy mileage out of it in the end.

We might not have the three specific diesel models I drove in Europe here in Canada, but we do have a few to choose from, and more are on the way. Woohoo!