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From GMM

McLaren also considered Paul di Resta and Nico Hulkenberg for the departing Lewis Hamilton's 2013 seat, team boss Martin Whitmarsh admitted on Friday.

He told British broadcaster Sky at Suzuka that, before signing Mexican Sergio Perez, the great British team looked closely at Force India's current lineup.

"Well I think (McLaren considered) Paul Di Resta, Nico Hulkenberg -- there are no real surprises there," Whitmarsh told former McLaren driver turned commentator Martin Brundle.

"They are both under contract, but both are undoubtedly available to us and I think they both are very good drivers."

Nico Hulkenberg and Paul di Resta. (Photo: Sahara Force India)

He said it was a "very close decision" to sign Perez over Scot di Resta and German Hulkenberg, who are both still linked with Felipe Massa's Ferrari seat.

"I think what we have with Sergio is someone who is perhaps less developed but has masses of talent, who doesn't make mistakes and is a very good racer," Whitmarsh explained. "We were looking at potential and I think what we were trying to do was pick someone who was going to progress beyond where they are now. We think he will, but we don't know."

Technology keeps finding new ways to amaze us. Scientists at the University of Keio, in Japan, have developed an ''optical camouflage'' system that makes the rear seats of a Toyota Prius invisible when reverse is engaged, offering the driver a much better view when backing into a parking spot or out of the driveway.

No doubt the see-through Prius will be popular among fans of Harry Potter and his cloak of invisibility!

Source: Cnet

The cancellation of the Montreal NAPA 200 NASCAR Nationwide race triggered some interesting rumours, one of them is calling for a DTM race to be held on the Gilles Villeneuve circuit next year.

The DTM is facing difficulties to attract spectators at certains rounds such as Zandvoort, Brands Hatch and Valencia. ITR, the governing body of DTM is fully aware that the German series needs to expand and reach new markets.

Three car manufacturers are involved in DTM: BMW, Mercedes-Benz and Audi. For all three, North America is a major market.

“We have been approached by the DTM officials not long ago,” said Francois Dumontier, boss of Octane Management.

“And as the organisers of the Grand Prix of Canada, we enjoy a very good relationship with Mercedes-Benz. One official of ITR will come here soon to visit the facilites and the circuit. So I'd say it is possible that we'll see the DTM here in Montreal, but not in 2013. That's too short. And certainly not before 2014,” Dumontier added.

Canada is currently represented by two drivers: Quebecer Bruno Spengler (BMW) and Toronto's Robert Wickens (Mercedes-Benz).

Citroen driver Sebastien Loeb enjoyed a 15-second lead after seven special stages held Friday at the Rallye de France Alsace.

Ford Fiesta driver Jari-Matti Latvala showed great speed early in the day but Loeb, who is on the verge of clinching a 9th World Rally Championship title, pushed hard his Citroen DS3 to take the lead.

Latvala complained that his Ford was not fast enough on the dirty portions of the road.

So after SS7, Loeb led Latvala by 15.6 seconds.

Sebastien Loeb, Citroen DS3. (Photo: Citroen Racing)

Loeb's teammate Mikko Hirvonen was third, already 33 seconds down the leader.

Ford's Petter Solberg (who complained about the mud on the road) was fourth ahead of the MINI of Dani Sordo who is suffering from some brake problems.

One more stage, SS8 in Nulhouse, had to be run later Friday night.

Adapted from GMM

At Suzuka, Kimi Raikkonen kept rumours circulating about his plans for 2013 by insisting that he has no agreement yet signed with Lotus.

Team Lotus bosses Eric Boullier and Gerard Lopez have recently said the 2007 world champion is definitely staying in 2013, due to a contract 'option'.

Kimi Räikkönen, Lotus E20. (Photo: WRi2)

At the same time, there have been signs that Lotus is an active player in the 2013 'silly season'.

And Raikkonen is now quoted by Turun Sanomat newspaper in Japan: "I don't have any agreement for next season yet."

Maldonado' case
Once believed secure at Williams with his Barcelona win and Venezuelan dollars, Pastor Maldonado vows that nothing is signed for now for 2013.

"We shall see, we shall see," Pastor Maldonado is quoted by Brazil's Totalrace. "I don't want to talk about it now because the team is still deciding its drivers for next year and I'd rather not answer. Of course I hope to be in the best possible position I can be."

Pastor Maldonado, Williams FW31. (Photo: WRi2)

Often fast this season, Maldonado has also been criticised for being involved in too many incidents this season.

He insisted: "It is too early to talk about Williams, because they always wait until the end of the season. It's not just about having won a race. I have gone very well, showing speed and particularly with the car that we have, which is not the best but getting better. It's been a very good championship. You only see the results but in terms of speed and performance, we're fine."

Mark Webber put Red Bull to the top of the timesheets after the second practice session in Suzuka on Friday afternoon, lapping his RB8 in 1m32.493 to head McLaren's Lewis Hamilton by 0.214s after the 2008 champion recorded 1m32.707.

Lewis Hamilton, McLaren. (Photo: WRi2)

An action-packed session was halted for six minutes early on when Paul di Resta lost his Force India on the entry to the Spoon Curve after getting the right-rear wheel in the dirt. The Scot was not hurt.

Mercedes AMG's triple DRS. (Photo: WRi2)

Later Michael Schumacher had exactly the same accident there in his Mercedes AMG. The German was not injured.

Ferrari using flow-viz pain in the front wings. (Photo: WRi2)

There were also incidents for Caterham's Heikki Kovalainen, Sauber teammates Kamui Kobayashi and Sergio Perez, Marussia's Timo Glock, Williams' Pastor Maldonado, HRT's Narain Karthikeyan, Ferrari's Felipe Massa and Lotus's Kimi Raikkonen, while Vitaly Petrov spun in the first corner in the closing minutes after his Caterham shed its rear wing.

A rack of Pitot tubes installed on the diffuser of the Mclaren. (Photo: WRi2)

Female mechanic at work at HRT. (Photo: WRi2)

Well they are, otherwise, we'd have a serious mess of stalled cars on roads everywhere... OK, this makes no sense, but what I'm trying to say is that not all tires are measured equally. Will I please get to the point? Sure.
Have you ever noticed that your car, with its replacement tires (the set you buy to replace the original equipment rubbers), although of the same make, model and size, have never performed or handled as well as the originals?

Have you ever heard of the fact that the tires you get with your car are not the same ones that you can buy off the shelf?

Both of these anecdotes have some truth to them, and both relate to the same key important fact: Tires, for car manufacturers, are measured for conicity. Tires sold to you and I are not.

What is conicity? It is a mild manufacturing anomaly where a tire's tread is cured in a slightly conical shape rather than in a uniform, cylindrical shape. Actually, most (if not all) tires have some degree of conicity in them.

The difference is that new car manufacturers want conicity to be measured and used in their favour. Conicity is indicated by a “-” or a “+“ which indicates whether a tire “pulls” to the left (-) or the right (+). As an example, a car builder may want two of each on each side in order to improve a car's overall handling abilities. How's that for cheating?

It isn't really cheating, but the fact that you and I, as regular consumers, cannot get this type of information when buying new tires, is somewhat unfortunate.

This leads me to add that if you want to maintain or improve on your car's current handling abilities, the only real way is to purchase far better -- and therefore more expensive -- tires. A lateral move or even selecting a slightly higher performing tire may not generate the desired results.

Photo: Matthieu Lambert

The 2013 Mercedes-Benz SL 65 AMG is now arriving at dealerships across the country with a 630-horsepower, 6.0L twin-turbo V12 engine and a price of $229,900, according to the brand's Canadian website.

New this year, customers can take delivery of their 2013 Mercedes-Benz SL 65 AMG directly from the AMG Customer Center in Affalterbach, Germany. This also includes a visit to the AMG Performance Studio and a meeting with the engineers who built the V12 engine used in their SL 65 AMG.

A special "45th ANNIVERSARY" edition, limited to just 45 vehicles and sold at €272,034, will be available. A Mercedes-Benz Canada spokesman confirmed to Auto123.com that a certain number of units will find their way here, although Canadian pricing has yet to be determined.

Photo: Mercedes-Benz

From GMM

Pirelli has offered Michael Schumacher a job as F1 tire tester.

After losing his Mercedes seat to Lewis Hamilton, the seven time world champion announced on Thursday that he is returning to retirement in 2013.

The news has piqued Pirelli chief Paul Hembery's interest, with the Briton describing the 43-year-old as the sport's "most experienced tyre tester".

"If he gets bored in the Swiss mountains, then we will find a job for him," he laughed, according to Germany's motorsport-total.com.

"We can't offer him 20 million, so he would have to do it for the love," grinned Hembery.

Pirelli conducts private F1 tyre testing with a 2010-specification Renault R30.

Lucas di Grassi driving the Pirelli R30 Renault at Barcelona. (Photo: Pirelli)

A car this outrageous must be hard to get approval for within the halls of a manufacturer's headquarters, especially when the decision makers aren't necessarily sports-car nuts. An extreme supercar that will cost millions to develop and end up selling in very low quantities doesn't make a business case when all you're looking at is the profit column.


Luckily, the notion of a halo car hasn't disappeared at Chrysler. The mighty Viper will make a comeback for the 2013 model year, redesigned and packing something new: refinement. Fortunately, not too much of it.

First of all, as you may have noticed, the car has been taken out of Dodge's product lineup, and is now called the 2013 SRT Viper. Last year, Chrysler announced that SRT would become a separate performance brand, and The Snake is the first official standalone SRT model. The hand-built supercar will be offered in base and GTS trims.

The new 2013 Viper still relies on the massive 8.4L pushrod V10 engine, albeit with some modifications in order to reduce weight. All dressed up, the engine is now 25 pounds lighter. Output is estimated at 640 hp and 600 lb-ft. A reworked version of the Tremec TR6060 6-speed manual transmission will have the arduous task of managing all that power.

The 2013 Viper is equipped with traction control and electronic stability control systems, as well as a launch control system. (Photo: Dodge)

The 2013 SRT Viper's chassis is said to boast a 50% stiffer structure, while the use of aluminum components allows for weight savings of about 100 lbs. In addition to a reworked rear suspension on both trims, the GTS gets a new two-mode adjustable suspension (street and track) with Bilstein shocks.

For scrubbing off extra speed, four-piston Brembo calipers pinching 14" vented discs are fitted to each wheel. StopTech slotted two-piece rotors are also available on the 2013 Viper as part of an SRT Track Package.

For the first time ever, the 2013 Viper is equipped with traction control and electronic stability control systems, as well as a launch control system.

The 2013 SRT Viper's cockpit is all new and features higher-quality materials as well as more comfort and convenient amenities. Never before seen in a Viper are a stitched dash and door panel surfaces, skinned in leather in the GTS model.

The 2013 SRT Viper's cockpit is all new and features higher-quality materials as well as more comfort and convenient amenities. (Photo: Dodge)

Racing seats with Kevlar/fibre glass shells are included in both trims, now installed 20 mm lower and with an extra 90 mm of seat travel for added room and comfort. The height-adjustable seats are also power-controlled in the GTS.

Two Uconnect media centre systems are offered in the 2013 SRT Viper, which features an 8.4" touchscreen and wheel-mounted controls. An 18-speaker Harman/Kardon LOGIC7 sound system is also available in the GTS; and for the first time, the Viper gets cruise control.

Exterior highlights include the traditional double-bubble roof, bi-xenon headlights as well as LED daytime running lights, turn signals and taillights. Viper and Viper GTS get their own alloy wheel designs, wrapped around 295/30ZR18 front and P355/30ZR19 rear Pirelli P Zero tires.

The 2013 SRT Viper will arrive in Canada by the end of 2012 with a base MSRP of $99,995, while the Viper GTS will retail for $119,995.

Francois Dumontier of Octane Management Inc. announced Friday that there will be no NASCAR Nationwide race in Montreal next year.

“From day 1, our objective was to have a Sprint Cup series in Montreal,” Dumontier told the media in Montreal.

“We staged the Nationwide race for years with the objective of having the Sprint Cup one day. Unfortunately, NASCAR made it clear to us that it was not in their intention to have a Cup race in Montreal in the near or distant future. The Nationwide race alone is not profitable here. So we decided to not renew the contract,” Dumontier explained.

The boss of Octane Management also said that he asked NASCAR to change the date of the event and to have a Sunday race, which were turned down by NASCAR officials.

“I must admit that NASCAR's final answer is extremely disappointing. We were told so many times that the Montreal race was very important to NASCAR. However, we continue to have a good relationship with NASCAR and who knows what may happen in the future,” Dumontier said.

From GMM

Telmex will continue to sponsor Sauber, despite the Swiss team losing Mexican Sergio Perez to McLaren.

Perez made his debut with the Hinwil based team last year with Mexican billionaire Carlos Slim's backing, primarily through the telcom Telmex's branding.

So the 22-year-old's switch to McLaren for 2013 had triggered rumours the British team also wanted Telmex to replace its reportedly flagging title sponsor Vodafone.

But Telmex is staying with Sauber, chief executive Monisha Kaltenborn announced on Friday, sparking immediate rumours the brand might push for its other Mexican charge - 21-year-old Esteban Gutierrez - to replace Perez.

Photo: Sauber F1 Team

Referring to Perez's switch, Kaltenborn said at Suzuka: "We were informed by Telmex about this change and Telmex also told us that they have a long-term project with Sauber which will not be affected by Sergio leaving the team."

Sauber's other driver, Kamui Kobayashi, admitted on Thursday that his future is unclear at present.

"I have no idea," said the Japanese when asked about his future.


UPDATE

Monisha Kaltenborn on Friday did not categorically deny suggestions Sauber might replace Sergio Perez with another Mexican.

Telmex also backs Sauber's reserve driver, youngster Esteban Gutierrez.

"He's been with the team a long time," said Kaltenborn when asked about the Gutierrez rumours, "and whatever we do with him is something totally independent from Sergio's leaving and we don't really want to mix them together. We'll announce whatever we have to in due course."

Monisha Kaltenborn did admit, however, that Sauber might lose some Mexican sponsors as the result of Perez's departure.

"It's a natural link there, obviously, because they are from the same country, but it is not just that simple that because one driver leaves us all these sponsors will leave," she said.

Custom cars, hot rods and other special vehicles rule the annual SEMA Show in Las Vegas. For this year, Hyundai has partnered with Re: Mix Lab to present three customized models.

One of those will be an Elantra GT hatchback finished in matte military green and sporting 24-carat gold coloured wheels. It also features a roof rack, ski compartment and Nintendo Wii!

The event runs from October 25 to November 2, 2012, with public access starting on October 28.

Photo: Hyundai

Photo: Hyundai

Photo: Hyundai

From BMW

Days after the ninth DTM race in Valencia, BMW Motorsport completed two days of testing in preparation for the season finale in Hockenheim on October 21.

BMW Team RBM and BMW Team RMG both ran one BMW M3 DTM each in Aragón, Spain.

Joey Hand and test and development driver Marco Wittmann were joined at the 5.344-kilometre circuit by Fabio Leimer and Maxime Martin, who were making their debuts at the wheel of a DTM car.

Fabio Leimer. (Photo: BMW Motorsport)

According to a press release, the four drivers took advantage of the good conditions in Aragón to complete a comprehensive test programme.

In total, the two cars covered over 2,500 kilometres on Wednesday and Thursday. Wittmann drove 754 kilometres on the first test day alone - more than the BMW M3 DTM had ever completed before on one single test day.

Maxime Martin. (Photo: BMW Motorsport)

Vile Gossip: My Ultimate Fantasy Reality: JeanKnowsCars.com

For three decades, I have been living a fantasy so fantastical that I couldn't have imagined it.

For three decades, I have been living a fantasy so fantastical that I couldn't have imagined it. I've had a once-in-a-lifetime adventure about once a year, driven almost every car on my wish list, met heroes and heels, and had more fun than is advisable if you want to be invited back. It has been a riot, and I'm not going anywhere. But I am adding on.

Photo Gallery: Vile Gossip: My Ultimate Fantasy Reality: JeanKnowsCars.com - Automobile Magazine

Vile Gossip: My Ultimate Fantasy Reality: JeanKnowsCars.com | Digg It | Add to del.icio.us

Honda is expanding a recall launched in March to fix a headlight problem to include the

Also in this episode: Autoweek editors select the best of the Paris motor show, Chevrolet tests the

Japanese supplier Denso said it has developed a lithium ion battery pack to boost fuel efficiency of vehicles with stop-start systems.

Visteon will decide its strategy for each of its units by the end of 2013 and provide investors 'clarity,' the company's permanent CEO Tim Leuliette says.

High on many Subaruphiles' wish list is a new two-door WRX STI, and the Japanese manufacturer might just be working on such a model.