Auto News 5

Mugen, Honda's tuning partner, has come up with several concepts of a faster CR-Z over the years. This is the production model that will soon go on sale in Japan exclusively.

The Honda CR-Z RZ boasts a modified version of the IMA hybrid powerplant. With the help of a supercharger, the 1.5L i-VTEC engine now generates 154 hp (and 136 lb-ft of torque). The electric motor supplies an extra 20 hp.

Performance figures have yet to be made official, but the concept sprinted from 0 to 100 km/h in 6.1 seconds, or 3 seconds faster than the standard CR-Z.

Only 300 units will be built and sold by Mugen starting November 26th. Prices will be announced closer to launch.

Source: CarScoop

Photo: Mugen

Photo: Mugen

News 7 Oct, 2012

Sebastian Vettel wins the Japanese GP, after title contender Fernando Alonso crashes out

Scale-model builders can't help but sweat the small stuff. Hobbyists spend hoursand#8212;days evenand#8212;sanding, gluing, painting and polishing bits and pieces of plastic to create miniature facsimiles of their dream vehicles.

Honda will recall about 489,000 CR-Vs in Europe and the United States after finding rain water may enter the vehicles' power window switch on the driver's door, which could ultimately cause the switch to overheat and catch fire.

Honda will recall about 489,000 CR-Vs in the United States and Europe after finding rain water may enter the vehicles' power window switch on the driver's door, which could ultimately cause the switch to overheat and catch fire.

The housing market is still on shaky ground. Unemployment languished above 8 percent until September. The one flank of the U.S. economy that's marching steadily back is the sector that once seemed the weakest: Automotive.

Ferrari says it will launch its most powerful road car ever at the Detroit auto show in January: a gasoline-electric hybrid that replaces the limited-edition Enzo.

From GMM

Giedo van der Garde has admitted he is hoping to make his formula one debut with Caterham in 2013.

The Dutchman, who practiced in Heikki Kovalainen's green and gold car at Suzuka on Friday, is now regarded as a favourite to replace the sponsor-depleted Vitaly Petrov in 2013.

With his GP2 campaign for this season now over, it is believed van der Garde - whose manager as well as his father have links to his Dutch fashion brand and sponsor McGregor - will also return to the Caterham to practice in Korea and beyond.

"I'm ready for formula one, physically and mentally," he told ad.nl.

"I have another option, but Caterham is the best one," van der Garde, 27, admitted.

"We are busy with that. Hopefully we can sort it out quickly and then start preparing for next year.

"I definitely feel like I have a chance with Caterham. Here (in Japan) the team was very happy with how I did everything in the practice. Everything I had to do, I did.

"The rookie team in Abu Dhabi is very important for my future," he added.

From GMM

Pirelli will decide next June whether or not to stay in formula one.

The Italian marque's three-year contract to be the sport's sole tyre supplier expires at the end of next season.

Motor sport boss Paul Hembery has said it is likely Pirelli will seek to stay.

He is quoted by Brazi's O Estado de S.Paulo: "The decision to renew the contract will be taken in June (2013).

"In principle we will proceed with the project, because we have achieved the goals we set technically and in terms of marketing, and I think for the public too.

"But we do need to understand better the formula one (regulations) of 2014," Hembery admitted.

Asked if Pirelli would still be interested in F1 if the FIA opens up the rules to another tyre maker, he answered: "Why not, as it may be good for formula one.

"But first we would need to know the details of the regulations."

F1 chief executive Bernie Ecclestone indicated he is happy if Pirelli stays on.

"It (the tyres) is a very important variable.  And they are doing a good job -- don't you think the races are exciting?" he said.

From GMM

There are signs Lewis Hamilton's relationship with McLaren is now breaking down.

The Independent newspaper has already claimed that the 2008 world champion is taking a "newfound interest" in the technical details of his current car.

Boss Martin Whitmarsh played down his fears Hamilton is collating McLaren secrets to take to Mercedes, but teammate Jenson Button revealed that his departing teammate is now being locked out of "meetings" about the 2013 project.

Button insisted: "What Lewis has seen (already) is not a concern.

"This year we will share everything about the car but if there's a chat about next year's car, then no."

And McLaren is also sticking to the letter of Hamilton's expiring contract, refusing the driver permission to visit the Mercedes factory.

"I won't be going to the Mercedes factory at Brackley.  I am contractually bound," Hamilton confirmed.

"I don't come out of contract here until the end of December.  It's a little bit late but that is how it is."

Hamilton has been walking around the Suzuka paddock this weekend with a black armband around his bicep.

He is not mourning a loved one, but instead covering a new tattoo -- presumably at McLaren's behest.

And his relationship with teammate Button may also be failing, as it emerged the 32-year-old has 'un-followed' Hamilton on Twitter, with Button signing up instead to follow his 2013 teammate Sergio Perez.

Button also made clear that if he moves aside for Hamilton in the last races of 2013, it is only to help "the team" win the titles.

"I said that I'd do anything to help the team win the championship," said the Briton, emphasising the word 'team'.

Sébastien Loeb (Citroen) leads after two days of Rallye de France Alsace, thirty seconds ahead of Jari-Matti Latvala's Ford.

The Frenchman, who had a 13-second advantage on Friday evening, pulled an even greater lead when Jari-Matti Latvala lost about ten seconds going off-road in ESS10. The Finn was 29.7 seconds behind the Frenchman, but ahead of the second works Citroën car driven by Mikko Hirvonen.

Behind, Mads Ostberg (Ford) was standing in fourth position ahead of Dani Sordo (Mini) and Thierry Neuville (Citroen). The Belgian driver lost time in the morning's loop because of a penalty for checking in too late.

The ESS10 was cancelled following Nasser Al-Attiyah's accident. The Citroen driver went off road, which injured two spectators (one suffers a broken leg, the other a broken arm). Petter Solberg (Ford) had a very spectacular accident too, when he crossed the wine yards in the middle of the crowd, and hit an electrical pylon, which hit the floor afterward. Miraculously, nobody was hurt in the accident.



Classification after day 2 :
1. Loeb-Elena (Citroen DS3 Wrc) in 2.54'33"4

2. Latvala-Anttila (Ford Fiesta RS Wrc) + 29"7

3. Hirvonen-Lehtinen (Citroen DS3 Wrc) + 54"0
4. Ostberg-Andersson (Ford Fiesta RS Wrc) + 1'46"4
5. Sordo-Del Barrio (Mini Cooper Wrc) + 1'50"5

6. Neuville-Gilsoul (Citroen DS3 Wrc) + 1'54"4

7. Tanak-Sikk (Ford Fiesta RS Wrc) + 2'32"0
8. Novikov-Minor (Ford Fiesta RS Wrc) + 2'46"2
9. Atkinson-Prevot (Mini Cooper Wrc) + 6'14"9

10. Prokop-Hruza (Ford Fiesta RS Wrc) + 7'46"7
Etc.

From GMM

Lewis Hamilton has admitted he is not expecting to win next year's world championship.

"Absolutely not," he told British reporters in Japan, six races before he leaves McLaren in order to join Mercedes for 2013 and beyond.

"And I don't even expect to win races," the 2008 world champion said, referring to his impending first season in a new shade of silver.

Hamilton insists he has already accepted that winning with Mercedes is a long-term project that will mean he might not see the top step of the podium for some time.

"That was one of the things I had to get my head around very early on when I was considering whether to join Mercedes," he said.

"I'm looking at the long term.  It's 2014-15 when I anticipate we will have most success."

Hamilton said 'setting the bar' at a low point initially will mean the pressure on him is also lower.

"It (the pressure) is not going to be high on me, that's for sure," said the 27-year-old.

A common interpretation in the F1 paddock at present is that Hamilton sees Mercedes as a good bet for the future due to the radical engine rules change for 2014.

He is reportedly hoping that the fact Mercedes is producing its own turbo V6 will be an advantage when, in 2014, McLaren will only receive the engine as a customer.

"We have a one team policy, a one team principle," Mercedes' Ross Brawn admitted at Suzuka.

"Our staff at Brixworth (engine) and Brackley (car) work together as one entity and that does bring them closer than can be achieved with a customer, but McLaren are an extremely professional customer," he said.

"Our ambition is to have the best engine in 2014 and McLaren will have that engine as well."

From GMM

Mark Webber was furious with Romain Grosjean on Sunday at Suzuka.

The Australian referred to his French rival as "the first lap nutcase Grosjean", after yet another first-corner crash.

After a spate of incidents this year, Grosjean was banned at Monza for the Spa first-corner crash.

Stewards gave him a ten-second stop and go penalty for Sunday's Webber crash.

"Maybe he needs another holiday (ban)," Webber told the British broadcaster Sky.

"How many times can you make the same error?"

Mercedes' Nico Rosberg was also affected, telling reporters the cause was "Grosjean again".

"Romain, Romain, what are you doing?" BBC commentator David Coulthard said.  "So many first-corner incidents."

Another former F1 driver, Johnny Herbert, called on Lotus to sack the reigning GP2 champion.

"I don't see what he's adding to the team," he said on Sky television.

McLaren team boss Martin Whitmarsh said Sunday's incident was "classic Grosjean".

Grosjean admitted to Sky that Sunday's was a "stupid crash" and said he had yet to speak to his Lotus bosses about their reaction.

After winning his first Talladega pole Kasey Kahne says he's in the best restrictor plate equipment of his career.

Kahne, now driving for Hendrick Motor Sports said “they just put a big emphasis on these types of tracks and this type of racing.  I have never been anywhere before where they do that.  As far as the engine goes, the body of the car, everything that they can work on they do.  So that makes all of our cars qualify well and look really good when it comes to qualifying.

“I have qualified dead last here before and close to it probably the majority of the times I have been here my first three or four years in the Cup series.  That is just all the effort and emphasis that they put on this track.  It feels good to drive that car.”

Winning his third pole of the year and 25th in his career; Kahne averaged 191.455 mph. He will be joined on the front row by Ryan Newman whose Stewart Haas Racing equipment is purchased from HMS.

Newman sounded a little miffed at missing the pole with a speed of 191.145mph.

“It is what it is. It was a good run. The guys did a great job with the car but we came up a little bit short with the U.S. Army Chevrolet. We only ran five laps yesterday in practice.

“We come here with the impression that we're bringing the best car with all the things that we know that are fastest, so trying things in practice is just trying things. We had the confidence to know that we were competitive and we were and we'll see how it shakes out in the race versus qualifying.”

Chase points leader Brad Keselowski said he's not too worried about his 22nd starting spot considering he won the May race at the 2.66mph superspeedway.

I think we've proven that the only lap that matters is the last one," said Keselowski, who won the May 6 race at Talladega. We have a good [car]. You have to stay out of trouble, be solid on pit road and put yourself in position to make a run at the end. We'll see how it plays out."

Jimmie Johnson, who is second in the points, will start 17th.

Only 43 cars were entered for Sunday's 500 miler, no one will be sent home.

Sometimes I wonder why certain vehicles are redesigned every five or six years. There comes a time when a car or a truck is so good, so well conceived, and so competent at everything it does that the company could sell it for 20 years and still be competitive.


After being on the market since 2005 (as a 2006), Toyota's RAV4 will soon get a total makeover. However, seeing how it performed in our recent compact SUV and crossover comparison test, a full redesign is not required.

Yes, there are some things about the 2012 Toyota RAV4 that are starting to show their age. However, I dare you to spend more than 5 minutes on the road without spotting a RAV4; they're everywhere, and please so many people that it's hard to find any true deficiencies in this vehicle.

Four or six cylinders, your choice
For a while, when Toyota had no sports cars to offer, I considered the RAV4 Sport V6 model to be the sportiest vehicle in the brand's lineup. Its 268 hp made for a pretty muscular little truck. Yet, for the everyday grind, the 2.5L inline-four's got more than enough guts to follow the pace on the highway while delivering very decent fuel economy.

With 179 horsepower on tap, the 2012 RAV4 Sport 4WD model reaches 100 km/h in 9.9 seconds, near the bottom of the field in our comparison test. The 4-speed automatic feels outdated compared to its rival's 5- and 6-speed gearboxes, but it nevertheless gets the job done and will satisfy all but the pickiest drivers (such as us).

Our average over the course of the test was 11.1L/100km with a mix of city and highway driving.

The RAV4's 2.5L 4-cylinder develops 179 hp and 172 lb-ft of torque, mated to a 4-speed automatic. (Photo: Olivier Croteau)

Class-leading cargo space... still
The 2012 Toyota RAV4 boasts above-average interior dimensions, including headroom and legroom in both front and back. Slim pillars provide great outward visibility; age does have its advantages, as all the new crossover designs include a small rear window and fatter pillars.

The dashboard design and switchgear layout are straightforward -- not very exciting to look at, but very user-friendly. All 2012 Toyota RAV4 trims now include Bluetooth connectivity and a USB port for the sound system, which is now the norm in this category.

Cargo space with the rear seatback in place is, again, among the best in its class. And when you fold the rear bench down, no compact SUV or crossover can match the 2012 RAV4's capacity of 2,074L; The Honda CR-V comes close, and so does the Suzuki Grand Vitara. The Toyota is among the last to offer a side-opening rear door, which personally doesn't bother me one bit.

Cargo space with the rear seatback in place is, again, among the best in its class. (Photo: Olivier Croteau)

Spill the beans
The 2012 Toyota RAV4 in base front-wheel-drive form starts at $24,865. That sounds expensive compared to a $21,499 2013 Ford Escape S or a $20,995 Dodge Journey CVP, but is actually pretty competitive with the rest of the compact SUV and crossover herd.

My personal choice would be exactly the model we tested, a $30,810 Sport 4WD trim with cloth seats. It also features A/C, cruise control, a trip computer, a tilt and telescopic steering column, 18” alloy wheels, a power sunroof and fog lamps. Granted, a slightly less expensive Kia Sportage EX AWD offers more features such as heated front seats, a backup camera, a power driver's seat and dual-zone climate control.

The RAV4 Sport 4WD, as tested, lists for $30,810 before taxes, freight and delivery charges. (Photo: Olivier Croteau)

The Toyota RAV4 is less than a year away from a redesign, and it isn't something we're necessarily anxious for. It may not be a bargain, but the current-generation model doesn't show its age, and still has a decent ride, great interior space and an everyday easy-to-live-with character that is so important in this type of vehicle. Throw in a reputation for reliability and enticing lease and finance incentives, and no wonder Toyota sells so many of these “old” models.

Sebastian Vettel made good use of championship leader Fernando Alonso's retirement, by taking the maximum number of points available: 25.

Vettel started from pole and was helped at the start by first corner incidents, once more involving hot-headed Romain Grosjean. The Frenchman took Australian Mark Webber out of contention.

Alonso was taken out by Kimi Raikkonen, the two banging wheels ultimately led to the Spaniard's second consecutive lap one retirement.

Felipe Massa, in the second Ferrari, came through from 10th on the grid to pick up his first podium since Korea 2010, partially helped by misfortunes to others. Nevertheless, he managed to beat both local hero Kamui Kobayashi and last year's winner Jenson Button.

Kobayashi crossed the line third to pick up his first career podium. Button hounded him until the finish line, which he crossed fourth.

Nico Rosberg was also another victim of the chain reaction triggered by Grosjean. For his action, the reigning GP2 champ was punished by a 10-second stop/go penalty.

Lewis Hamilton's race, highlighted by a duel with his replacement at McLaren Sergio Perez, quietly ended in fifth, behind his teammate. Perez was his own victim as he spun trying to pass the Briton.

Despite a tormented start, Kimi Raikkonen brought his Lotus home sixth, ahead of Nico Hulkenberg, Pastor Maldonado and a recovering Mark Webber. Daniel Ricciardo made it two Australians in the top 10, denying Michael Schumacher, in 11th place, the last point available.

Alonso's lead in the championship standings is now down to just four points.



Race results* - Japanese Grand Prix (Suzuka)
1 - Sebastian Vettel (Red Bull RB8-Renault) - 53 laps 1.28'56"242
2 - Felipe Massa (Ferrari F2012) - 20"639
3 - Kamui Kobayashi (Sauber C31-Ferrari) - 24"538
4 - Jenson Button (McLaren MP4/27-Mercedes) - 25"098
5 - Lewis Hamilton (McLaren MP4/27-Mercedes) - 46"490
6 - Kimi Raikkonen (Lotus E20-Renault) - 50"424
7 - Nico Hulkenberg (Force India VJM05-Mercedes) - 51"159
8 - Pastor Maldonado (Williams FW34-Renault) - 52"364
9 - Mark Webber (Red Bull RB8-Renault) - 54"675
10 - Daniel Ricciardo (Toro Rosso STR7-Ferrari) - 1'06"919
11 - Michael Schumacher (Mercedes MGP W03) - 1'07"769
12 - Paul Di Resta (Force India VJM05-Mercedes) - 1'23"400
13 - Jean-Eric Vergne (Toro Rosso STR7-Ferrari) - 1'28"600
14 - Bruno Senna (Williams FW34-Renault) - 1'28"700
15 - Romain Grosjean (Lotus E20-Renault) - 1 lap
16 - Heikki Kovalainen (Caterham CT01-Renault) - 1 lap
17 - Timo Glock (Marussia MR01-Cosworth) - 1 lap
18 - Vitaly Petrov (Caterham CT01-Renault) - 1 lap
19 - Pedro De La Rosa (HRT F112-Cosworth) - 1 lap

Fastest lap of the race: Sebastian Vettel 1'35"774

Retirements
Lap 1 - Nico Rosberg
Lap 1 - Fernando Alonso
Lap 20 - Sergio Perez
Lap 35 - Narain Karthikeyan
Lap 40 - Charles Pic

Drivers' championship
1.Alonso 194; 2.Vettel 190; 3.Raikkonen 157; 4.Hamilton 152; 5.Webber 135; 6.Button 131; 7.Rosberg 93; 8.Grosjean 82; 9.Massa 69; 10.Perez 65; 11.Kobayashi 50; 12.Di Resta 44; 13.Schumacher 43; 14.Hulkenberg 37; 15.Maldonado 33; 16.Senna 25; 17.Vergne 8; 18.Ricciardo 7.

Construtors' championship
1.Red Bull-Renault 325; 2.McLaren-Mercedes 283; 3.Ferrari 263; 4.Lotus-Renault 239; 5.Mercedes 136; 6.Sauber-Ferrari 115; 7.Force India-Mercedes 81; 8.Williams-Renault 58; 9.Toro Rosso-Ferrari 15.

*Unofficial results

News 6 Oct, 2012

Sebastian Vettel will start the Japanese Grand Prix from pole position for the fourth year in a row

AvtoVAZ made an underlying net profit of $23 million in the first half, compared with a loss in the same period last year despite a fall in vehicle sales.

Used-vehicle prices are undergoing a 'healthy realignment' that will continue next year with some upticks along the way, Manheim's chief economist said Friday.

Canada may have trouble unloading its $3.5 billion stake in General Motors, as there won't be many "buying triggers" to spur a sale, according to documents from the agency that manages the shares.