Auto News 5

GM CEO Dan Akerson is planning a reorganization of the automaker that would move it away from long-entrenched regional authority toward a structure built on global functions, said two people familiar with the planning.

GM CEO Dan Akerson is planning a reorganization of the automaker that would move it away from long-entrenched regional authority toward a structure built on global functions, said two people familiar with the planning.

Hella is further expanding its presence in China with a new electronics facility whose operations will supply the local and regional vehicle manufacturing sector.

Germany has been seen as a bright spot in an otherwise bleak European car market this year. But the situation isn't as good as it looks.

Since July 2010, GM, Ford and Japan's Big 2 have lost a combined 4.6 points of U.S. market share. Most of that lost share was snapped up by VW, Chrysler, Hyundai-Kia and Nissan. And nobody is growing faster than VW.

For the third year in a row, Avanzar Interior Technologies earned a top spot in the J.D. Power and Associates 2012 Seat Supplier Quality Rankings.

GM CEO Dan Akerson plans to auction off his 1958 Chevrolet Corvette to raise money for charity. Akerson plans to donate proceeds of the auction to Habitat for Humanity Detroit.

Germany's main industry group said on Thursday it did not believe plans to temporarily reduce working hours at Opel would spell the same fate for workers elsewhere as the mood in Europe's largest economy was mostly upbeat.

Tesla CEO Elon Musk was granted an option to buy 5.27 million shares in the maker of luxury electric cars as part of a long-term compensation plan to keep him at the company.

We would like to invite you to see the sixth issue of the Automotive News Europe Global Monthly. This month's cover story focuses on Volkswagen Group's seemingly unstoppable growth, especially in Europe.

Lithium-ion battery maker A123 Systems said it expects to receive the first $25 million investment from Chinese supplier Wanxiang Group Corp. this week as it moves to finalize their relationship.

Maruti Suzuki India, the country's biggest carmaker by volume, will reopen a factory more than a month after a deadly riot forced the company to halt production of its two best-selling models.

GM CEO Dan Akerson plans to auction off his 1958 Chevrolet Corvette to raise money for charity. Akerson plans to donate proceeds of the auction to Habitat for Humanity Detroit.

Maruti Suzuki India, the country's biggest carmaker by volume, will reopen a factory more than a month after a deadly riot forced the company to halt production of its two best-selling models.

The digital readout in the Acura ILX I drove today validated my sense that it was exceptionally hot outside with its reading of 29C. That may not be considered oppressively hot in other regions of this vast land, but in Vancouver it certainly was.

As the air conditioner in the ILX blew strong, keeping the cabin cool and refreshed, it got me thinking about the days when air conditioning in a car was a rarity, not the norm that it is today. Given that I owned many cars in my younger days without air-con (or power windows!), I have vivid memories of coping with commutes and long road trips without the benefits of AC.

Rolling down all four windows on a hot day was standard operating procedure that required a lot of twisting and contorting to accomplish from the driver's seat. Opening the front vent windows and strategically aiming them to direct air up sleeves to cool perspiring pores was the closest to air conditioning one could get, and it only worked when on the move. Red lights and slow traffic meant the loss of airflow vital to survival.

Then there were accoutrements. Bus drivers, taxi drivers and anyone else relegated to sticky vinyl used a variety of seat liners to create a buffer between flesh and faux leather. Beaded liners and coiled metal liners allowed some degree of air to permeate between body and bench, but again motion was integral to the effectiveness of these no-tech applications.

Back then, the thought that modern automobiles would be equipped with multizone climate control and ventilated seats was more fantasy than fact.

Fortunately, some “cool” fantasies really do (and did) come true.

In order to reduce costs, the IZOD IndyCar Series is looking at ways to attain this objective and it is finalizing a testing plan for 2013 with a reduce number of testing days.

Series' officials now believe that after having had an impressive number of testing days in 2012 in order to develop and learn more about the new DW12 and its different engines, it is now time to reduce the number of testing days, each day costing more than $50,000 to a medium size team.

In addition to reducing the number of test days permitted for each entry, which could be in the range of 50% less, the series is also looking at ways to save money by deciding the best time to hold those testing sessions.

Photo: LAT for IndyCar

IndyCar is considering using the same formulae as the American Le Mans Series or, even MotoGP, where testing is held at the same venue the day before or after the race week-end.

Under the new testing framework, teams would eliminate three of those four cross country treks in 2013, saving a significant amount of travel- and car-related costs as a result of rolling a one-day test into the race weekend.

For the time being, only road courses are considered to be part of the new scheme but the scenario of using a racetrack that has both type of circuit road/oval and used both in the span of two or three days is also a possibility.

If allowed, teams could do a road course testing and, then, the next day, test on its oval without having to go anywhere else.

From GMM

Pastor Maldonado has revealed he wants to stay at Williams for "at least" another year.

As reigning GP2 champion, and with substantial backing from his native Venezuela, the now 27-year-old made his debut for the famous British team last year.

He then defied his 'pay driver'-labelling critics by winning in Barcelona earlier this season, but has also faced criticism for making too many mistakes.

Maldonado is quoted by the Spanish news agency EFE as saying he would like to stay at Williams in 2013.

"I would, without doubt, stay there for a while -- a year at least," he said.

"Before leaving Williams I would like to win the championship with them," Maldonado reportedly said in Maracaibo, Venezuela.

Pastor Maldonado, Williams. (Photo: WRi2)

But he admitted the first step is a new deal for 2013.

"In F1 you never know what is going to happen," Maldonado admitted.

Asked if he has any alternative plans, he said "there are enough teams on the grid" to give him a good chance of continuing to race.

But he called Williams a "legendary" and "historical" team, admitting it is too early to know for sure where he will be in 2013.

Williams, said Maldonado, is priority one.

"I would love the opportunity of winning a world championship with this great team who gave me the opportunity to come into F1," he insisted.

J.R. Fitzpatrick emerged quickest of the field during the qualifying session of the NASCAR Canadian Tire Series for the NAPA Autopro 100 at Circuit Gilles Villeneuve in Montreal.

In Thursday practice session, Andrew Ranger topped the charts with a time of 1m44.571 for an average speed of 93.261mph. That pace was better than his track record of 93.003 mph set last season.

Andrew Ranger (Photo: Sebastien D'Amour)

J.R. Fitzpatrick had the second-fastest car on the track at 1:45.211 (92.694 mph) followed by defending series champion Scott Steckly at 1:45.903 (92.008 mph). Points leader D.J. Kennington was fourth at 1:46.037 (91.972 mph) while Robin Buck was fifth at 1:46.213 (91.819 mph).

The qualifying session was held Saturday afternoon under dark skies. Andrew Ranger held the best time until he was beaten by J.R. Fitzpatrick in the second half of the session.

D.J. Kennington (Photo: Sebastien D'Amour)

Fitzpatrick will start the race in first place with a time of 1m44.681. Ranger will start alongside him on the front row with a time of 1m44.789. Louis-Philippe Dumoulin also had a strong run with a time of 1m45.544. He was third but was beaten in the last moments of the session by D.J. Kennington (1m45.371).

Scott Steckly qualified fifth (1m45.575) in front of the vastly experienced Robin Buck (1m45.884) and Kerry Micks (1m46.196).

The 23-lap race is scheduled for 9:30 am tomorrow morning.

From GMM

The German weekly Sport Bild is reporting that Volkswagen, the carmaker giant, is making plans to enter formula one in 2015.

Sauber team boss Peter Sauber confirmed recently that he met at the Geneva motor show with VW's chairman Martin Winterkorn.

The Swiss team's chief executive Monisha Kaltenborn denied there is any more to the story.

But Sport Bild said Volkswagen is planning to enter F1 with Sauber, the Hinwil based team who won a grand prix with BMW during the 2006-2009 collaboration.

The report said the FIA has been informed of the VW-Sauber plans, with Wolfsburg based VW reportedly keen to strengthen its presence in the key premier car markets in China, the US, Russia and Brazil.

Sport Bild also said Sauber might be just a "stepping stone" into F1 for VW, with the marque also keen to get involved in F1 chassis design at its state of the art Porsche Motorsport Centre in Weissach, Germany.

The two first free practice sessions of the NAPA Auto Parts NASCAR Nationwide race were held Friday morning on the Gilles Villeneuve circuit in Montreal.

Michael McDowell clinched the fastest time in the first practice session, setting a time of 1m41.122 in the No. 18 Toyota.

McDowell beat former Formula 1 World Champion, Canadian Jacques Villeneuve and his Penske Racing teammate, Sam Hornish Jr.

The session was halted by several red flags.

Australian Owen Kelly, driving the No. 54 Toyota of Kyle Busch (also racing in the Sprint Cup in Michigan this weekend) finished fourth overall ahead of former race winner, Canadian Ron Fellows, IndyCar regular Alex Tagliani and Billy Johnson who drives the No. 60 Ford of Carl Edwards.

GoDaddy girl Danica Patrick ranked eighth. Two-time NASCAR Canadian Tire series' champion Andrew Ranger, in the No. 27 Dodge finished in 10th place while Patrick Carpentier, in the No. 99 RAB Racing Toyota, was 12th.

After a short break, the Nationwide cars returned to the track. This time, Villeneuve set the fastest time in 1m40.653. His fellow countryman Alex Tagliani took second place, just 0.272 seconds behind.

Billy Johnson was third ahead of Danica Patrick, at ease on this road course. Michael McDowell ranked fifth, bating Ron Fellows, Sam Horish Jr., Patrick Carpentier and Brendan Gaughan. The top 6 drivers qualified within a second.