Auto News 5

Fisker Automotive, the luxury EV maker based in California, has surprised observers with the appointment of Tony Posawatz, the former head of the Volt programme at General Motors, as its new chief executive officer.

Mercedes-Benz South Africa is looking for an additional 600 employees in preparation for the start of production of the new C-Class, which it will build in East London from 2014.

News 15 Aug, 2012

Auto Express survey reveals cyclists are much more badly behaved

News 15 Aug, 2012

Ford's Dagenham factory in Essex celebrates hitting new milestone

Hyundai is planning a diesel variant for its i10 compact hatchback to boost sales of the car in India where it is currently available only with a petrol engine.

Pictures 15 Aug, 2012

News 15 Aug, 2012

Ford Fiesta owners complain their alloys are too weak for UK roads. But what does Ford say?

The message to take away here is simply this: There's adventure out there, people! Adventure! Just waiting for you! Get into that soccer-ball-haulin' 4x4 and go find it!

News 15 Aug, 2012

Our spy photographers have spotted the new Hyundai i10 testing, ahead of its 2013 reveal

The fourth generation Range Rover will be seen for the first time at the Paris motor show in September. Land Rover says the new model will be over 400kg lighter thanks to its aluminium platform.

Pictures 15 Aug, 2012

Within hours of an announcement to close a PSA plant near Paris, the first car factory closure in France in 20 years, the automaker's unions went on the attack, with one union likening themselves to a ''political bomb'' ready to detonate.

Faurecia has opened a plant in suburban Detroit to produce a variety of interior parts for the Cadillac ATS.

Robert Bosch has targeted North America as a high-growth market. The German supplier is spending $350 million this year to expand production in North America, and it is buying more components there, too.

The 204,000 euro Ferrari 458 Italia has never been a particularly common sight, even on the autostrade of its native Italy. Today, it's becoming even rarer as austerity measures drive Ferrari owners to export their supercars by the truckload.

General Motors has made a bid for Ally Financial's international operations, about two months after CEO Dan Akerson said he'd like to buy the business.

The main topic of discussion in the pits prior to the start of the 2012 Pikes Peak International Hill Climb was, of course, the surface of the road to the top of the mountain.

It's not just about making faster, more powerful cars these days. Companies like Nissan have families in mind too, especially when it comes to cars like their brand new 2013 Pathfinder.

Vehicles with seating for seven often face a serious flaw: How does one get in the back row without A) Looking like a fool; and B) Crushing the occupants in the second row? Well, Nissan have come up with a solution and it's called the LATCH AND GLIDE.

With the flick of a latch on the side of the seat, the right-side second-row seat tilts and glides forward giving ample room for passengers to scoot into the third row. An added bonus to the system? You can still use it when a child car seat is installed on the second-row seat (just make sure your kid isn't in the seat when you LATCH AND GLIDE), no need to remove it or try and clamber over to get to the back.

The 2013 Nissan Pathfinder will also feature a Tri-zone entertainment system that will allow for three separate entertainment functions to happen at once throughout the car (music/movie/video game, etc.).

General Motors of Canada has issued a recall on 100,739 small cars from the 2004 to 2007 model years including the Chevrolet Aveo, Epica and Optra as well as the Pontiac G3 Wave.

In some cases, the daytime running light (DRL) module may fail, causing one or more of the following conditions: the DRLs may flicker but remain illuminated; the DRL indicator in the instrument panel may flash; the DRLs may remain illuminated after the vehicle is turned OFF; the DRLs may cease to function and the DRL indicator in the instrument panel will turn OFF. This can make the vehicle less visible to other motorists and pedestrians during daylight hours, which could result in a crash.

Owners are advised to take their car to a GM dealer to have the DRL module replaced, if the above condition exists, for a period of up to 10 years or 240,000 km from first vehicle registration.

Source: Transports Canada

2004 Chevrolet Aveo (Photo: General Motors)

2004 Chevrolet Optra (Photo: General Motors)

2004 Chevrolet Epica (Photo: General Motors)

2007 Pontiac G3 Wave (Photo: Amyot Bachand)

From GMM

Rubens Barrichello has admitted that driving an IndyCar after an almost two-decade formula one career was a rude awakening.

And not just the speed difference.

Asked by Germany's Auto Motor und Sport if his new mount felt slow even after Williams' uncompetitive 2011 car, the Brazilian said: "Yes, at first. But when you come to Indianapolis, you think differently about the speed."

The biggest difference, he explained, is the driving style he now needs to deploy.

"I am driving a car that is 200 kilograms heavier, so my precise and smooth style that I had over 19 years in formula one is not needed here. I have to be aggressive, against my instinct," said Rubens Barrichello.

Rubens Barrichello at Indianapolis. (Photo: LAT for IndyCar)

Another major difference, said the winner of 11 grands prix, are the circuits.

"As the former president of the GPDA, I have to say that we would not allow these circuits in F1. No formula one drivers would go there," said Barrichello.

"They are very bumpy, there is no run-off. You have to get used to it after being spoiled in formula one. If we would take the IndyCar to the European tracks, I would look better," he insisted.

Rubens Barrichello said that it is for that reason that - perhaps strangely - he is performing better this year on the ovals compared to the bumpy road and street circuits.

"I'll tell you why. It's because a precise and smooth driving style works best on the ovals. I can drive there (on ovals) according to my instincts," he explained.

Another rude awakening, said Barrichello, has been the technology shift.

"In formula one of course, there are many electronic toys that do not exist here. Even in the car setup of the IndyCar there are not too many adjustments you can make; just the classical dampers, springs, anti-roll bars. There is nothing wrong with that, there is simply less money available. Here, you can put together a car for five million dollars. In formula one you need more like 50 million," said Barrichello.