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Tesla Motors is creating a network of 100 solar-powered charging stations for its electric vehicles nationwide by the end of 2015.

2013 Volkswagen CC Lux

The Volkswagen CC was quite a dramatic looking car when it debuted in 2008, aping the sultry "four-door coupe" look that had debuted on the Mercedes-Benz CLS-class a few years earlier.

The Volkswagen CC was quite a dramatic looking car when it debuted in 2008, aping the sultry "four-door coupe" look that had debuted on the Mercedes-Benz CLS-class a few years earlier. Now, though, nearly every mid-size sedan has adopted the eye-pleasing and aerodynamically sound profile, including the Hyundai Sonata and the 2013 Ford Fusion. Fortunately, a face-lift for 2013, which includes very smart LED taillights, means the Volkswagen CC still looks sharp four years after its introduction.

Photo Gallery: 2013 Volkswagen CC Lux - Editors' Notebook - Automobile Magazine

Photo Gallery: 2013 Volkswagen CC Lux - Editors' Notebook - Automobile Magazine

2013 Volkswagen CC Lux | Digg It | Add to del.icio.us

As anti-Japan demonstrations in China continue affecting sales there, Toyota will scale back production of Lexus vehicles for that market as early as this month, a media report said.

PSA Peugeot Citroen has confirmed it was no longer collaborating with BMW on a joint venture to develop hybrid vehicle technology.

Fiat's factory in Tychy - which builds the 500 and the Lancia/Chrysler Yypsilon and Ford's Ka which share the platform and some parts - suspended production last Friday and will not assemble cars this week, the Polish News Bulletin reported, citing the ekonomia24.pl news service.

Spanish supplier CIE Automotive says its Autometal subsidiary will take a 50 percent stake in Nanjing Automotive Forging to produce crankshafts in China.

Fiat is looking at adding output of US-bound cars at its Italian factories as a way of boosting exports, possibly with government help, a media report said. Meanwhile, CEO Sergio Marchionne again has dismissed talk of selling Alfa Romeo to Volkswagen.

News 26 Sep, 2012

Bentley has unveiled the Continental GT3 concept, previewing a return to motorsport competition

Pictures 26 Sep, 2012

Toyota GB will launch the redesigned, British-built Auris with four new trim/equipment grades - Active, Icon, Sport and Excel - replacing the Edition, Colour Collection, SR and TR nameplates used for the last of the previous generation along with a clever new self-park system that also guides the car out of a parking space as well as into it.

Pictures 25 Sep, 2012

Daimler engineers have found that under certain conditions, the new internationally recognised R1234yf refrigerant can be flammable.

German automakers including Daimler, BMW and VW have spent much of the past decade fine-tuning their diesel and gasoline engines, letting Toyota race ahead in hybrid technology and more recently, allowing GM and the Renault-Nissan alliance take the...

German parts supplier Schaeffler is selling shares of partner Continental currently worth about 1.69 billion euros ($2.18 billion) to reduce its stake to 49.9 percent and cut its debt in the process.

Smart will debut an electric-powered concept car at the Paris auto show this week that previews the styling of the Daimler subsidiary's future models.

Volkswagen's minimalist styling is the look of the future because the fad for flamboyant "overdesign" is finished, says Walter de' Silva, VW's global design chief.

From GMM

Romain Grosjean said Mark Webber was "not very fair" at the start of Sunday's Singapore grand prix.

But after his successful return to F1 following a one-race ban, rookie Frenchman Grosjean also praised his Australian rival.

"Webber was not very fair as he completely cut the first corner," he is quoted by RMC Sport. "But I have to say that at Monza he was the first to come and see me to say it (the ban) was a little harsh. I get on well with him."

The Lotus driver revealed that he has made some tweaks to his race preparation, so that he is now "better" prepared for the start of the races.

"There are six races left and I want to go on the podium," said Romain Grosjean.

Kurt Busch, the former Sprint Cup champion, has been signed to race in NASCAR's Sprint Cup series for Furniture Row in 2013.

Busch, currently driving for James Finch's Phoenix racing, replaces Regan Smith who has driving for the Denver, Colorado based team since 2009.

“Though we have made strides as a resourceful single-car Sprint Cup team, we are not where we want to be, which led us to the difficult decision of making a driver change as we move forward,” said Furniture Row Racing's general manager Joe Garone. “Kurt's exceptional driving talent has the capacity to take a team to another level. We look forward to having Kurt join our Denver-based organization and feel his racing experience will play an important role as we plan ahead to 2013.” 

Regan Smith's Furniture Row Sprint Cup car. (Photo: NASCAR)

Garone added, “As our team driver the past four years, Regan has represented Furniture Row Racing with both class and competitiveness. His win at Darlington in 2011 - the first for Furniture Row Racing - will be a memory forever etched in our organization's history. He is a friend, and will always be a friend of Furniture Row Racing. We wish him all the best.”

Busch, a 34 year-old native of Las Vegas, has been a full time driver in the Sprint Cup Series since 2001. He has 427 Cup starts and has scored 24 wins, 89 top-fives, 171 top-10s and 15 poles. He has qualified for the Chase six times in the past nine years and won the 2004 inaugural Chase season championship in only his third full season in the NASCAR Sprint Cup series.

“Furniture Row Racing has the commitment, talent and resources to compete at a high level in the Sprint Cup Series,” said Busch. "I have watched with admiration on how this team has grown over the years and that is why I am excited about the opportunity as I eagerly look forward to a new chapter in my racing career."

Busch explained “Commitment and the whole program, tied in with RCR (Richard Childress Racing), we're getting Childress motors, engineering support, Chevrolet is backing the program out there with the aerodynamic side of it. I didn't want to talk about it much today, I wanted to create the tailspin, and we'll see how the next few weeks go.”

Two years after introducing the four-passenger Neoma microcar concept at the Paris Auto Show, French automaker Lumeneo is set to present the roadster variant.

Information about the cute little city car remains scarce, but we do know that the two-seat model (whose shape reminds us of a Kinder Surprise egg) is built on the same platform while riding on 17'' wheels and a sport-tuned suspension. It's powered by a 46 hp electric motor that draws energy from a 14.2 kWh battery.

Lumeneo announces a range of 140 kilometres and a top speed of 110 km/h with a full charge, which takes four hours.

Will the Neoma Roadster ever enter production? Time will tell. The company's website mentions that the four-seat Neoma will begin deliveries right after the Paris Auto Show.

Source: Lumeneo

Photo: Lumeneo

That grin on the Mazda MX-5's face is there probably because it's largely regarded as the most successful sports car of all time.


A tremendous level of simplicity has long helped this celebrated Japanese drop-top earn that title over the years. Simple is a good thing if you're trying to build a car that's light, fuel-efficient, fun and reliable.

In fact, the MX-5's uncomplicated roof-off motoring experience effectively captures the spirit of cool, old British roadsters without the leaks and catching fire in your driveway. It's a simplicity that's been honed and tweaked since the model debuted back in 1989.

Simple Looks and Cabin
The looks back this up. The 2012 Mazda MX-5 is free of gawdy add-ons and flashiness. The MX-5 wears its skin tightly, wastes no space and looks lightweight, agile and entertaining -- largely because it is. Dual exhausts and a wide, planted stance are noticed first, along with the roll-bars that signal the car's top-off intentions.

Inside the Mazda MX-5, look for four cupholders, a bit of storage, two seats, a slick instrument cluster, and little else. The up-level tester offered up heated leather and Bose Audio for a touch more sophistication and long-haul comfort.

The MX-5 wears its skin tightly, wastes no space and looks lightweight, agile and entertaining -- largely because it is. (Photo: Justin Pritchard)

Under the Skin
And though at a glance it looks scarcely more menacing than a pink frosted raspberry cupcake, the 2012 Mazda MX-5 packs a wicked punch under its sheet metal via a sophisticated, track-validated, multilink suspension that anchors it all to the road. Billstien shocks and thick stabilizer bars work to generate direct, rewarding responses to every input.

A 2L 4-cylinder with 167 horsepower drives the rear wheels through a quick-shifting, 6-speed stick. It's a modest power figure that, without a lot of mass to move, proves plenty for whisking the 2012 Mazda MX-5 up to speed in a hurry.

The MZR-series powerplant is peppy and loves to rev, and the transmission's fairly short gears allow for pleasing, full-throttle romps through first, second and third while staying out of demerit-point territory.

The shift action in the 2012 Mazda MX-5 is about the best you'll find anywhere, and pedal placement allows for easy heel-and-toe shifting, and changing gears is most rewarding when done spiritedly.

The 2012 Mazda MX-5 packs a wicked punch under its sheet metal via a sophisticated, track-validated, multilink suspension that anchors it all to the road. (Photo: Justin Pritchard)

Track It
To take in some spirited driving, I did what many MX-5 owners do on weekends: took it to the track. While I was there, I learned that this is a hell of a machine to drive the living bejezus out of.

Since the 2012 Mazda MX-5's got far more grip than power output, it's un-intimidating and forgiving to drive at its limit. Pushing too hard results in a little rear-end squirm, rather than a surprise trip backwards into the rhubarb. The MX-5 sticks all day long, goes like heck and attacks corners in a way a heavier car can't. The virtually perfect front-to-rear weight balance helps here, too.

The stability control system is tuned perfectly allowing you to feel the Mazda MX-5's every move, while only intervening for the nastiest slip-ups to keep you on the tarmac.

Expect instant, direct responses to steering, braking and throttle inputs. Once you get the hang of this car, it'll leave you absolutely grinning all day long. Shame it doesn't look more menacing because the 2012 Mazda MX-5 is an obedient little weapon for racetrack driving.

Brake fade is very minimal, and the modest weight means drivers can lap it hard all day long without excessive brake wear, or leaving the tires chunked-up and worn out.

Plus, with the roof off, there's headroom aplenty with a helmet on and a great peripheral view around the car -- key to confidently placing the 2012 Mazda MX-5 within its surroundings.

Even novice lappers will feel like race-car drivers, and skill levels increase, the car is right there with you. And since the roof doesn't store in the trunk, there's room for a pair of helmets, a bag and a cooler full of track-day drinks and sandwiches.

Sensible
Best of all, you'll drive to and from the track in comfort, getting great mileage, and lap it all day long on about 35 litres of gas.

Other notes? The powerful heater and aerodynamics work to help keep heat in the cabin with the top down, and the 2012 Mazda MX-5 can be enjoyed down to nearly the freezing mark with little more than a light jacket. Also, it rides better on public roads than its track-going performance suggests.

You'll drive to and from the track in comfort, getting great mileage, and lap it all day long on about 35 litres of gas. (Photo: Justin Pritchard)

Complaints? Bigger guys like me will feel like they're wearing the MX-5, and with all that grip and balance, you'll likely want to empty your bank account on performance-enhancing parts before long. It is on the noisy side at speed, too.

At the end of the day, as a weekend getaway machine, a cost-effective weekend racer or an entertaining and fuel-efficient commuter, this smiley little Mazda MX-5 hits the mark.