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From GMM

Timo Glock has counted himself out of this year's driver 'silly season'.

Theoretically, there are 2013 race seats up for grabs at teams including grandees Ferrari, McLaren and Mercedes.

But Timo Glock, whose career has floundered at the back of the grid since Toyota pulled out of the sport three years ago, suggested to German website motorsport-total.com that he remains committed to Marussia.

When asked if he is watching the 2013 driver market very carefully, the 30-year-old answered in the negative, because "I know how my future looks".

Asked specifically if that means he is already under contract to his current team for a fourth consecutive season in 2013, Glock answered: "Yes, correct."

As for whether he would answer his phone if the boss of another team tried to call him, he admitted: "No matter who it is, I always politely answer the phone!"

Timo Glock. (Photo: Marussia F1 Team)

The German might however be forgiven for regretting his decision to turn down an offer from the then Renault team at the end of 2009.

Although the Enstone based squad - now Lotus - is fielding one of the very best cars in 2012, the team's future was very clouded three years ago.

So Glock instead signed with Virgin, now Marussia.

"No. In the same situation, I would do the same now," he insisted when asked about his Renault snub.

But has he ever wondered how his career might have panned out differently, had he taken a punt and signed with Renault/Lotus?

"No, never. If I make a decision, and I know why I made the decision, then there's no point whining or wondering 'what if' afterwards. Only I know the situation as it was then, no one else (does). So what I decided was absolutely correct," insisted Glock.

For an auto critic, reviewing $100,000 cars is quite a challenge. Actually, it's probably easier for some of us, but on a personal note there are only a few cars boasting an over-one-hundred grand price tag that I would consider selling the house for. The redesigned BMW 6 Series Coupé isn't one of them.


Oh, it's not because the 2012 650i xDrive isn't any good; in fact, it's damn near perfect. It's got everything a luxury car owner desires, including a melodious V8 engine, a lavishly finished cockpit, tons of techno gadgets and all-wheel drive. And that's the problem: It's too good. Yet, I must find things to complain about, so here goes:

Four hundred horsepower through all four wheels
The 650i Coupé is equipped with BMW's 4.4L V8, force-fed by two turbochargers which develops 400 broncos as well as 450 lb-ft of torque. An 8-speed automatic with paddle shifters is standard, and since xDrive is also standard, no manual transmission is available. If you want to row it yourself, you must choose a rear-wheel drive 650i Cabriolet. Aha! I found a shortcoming.

With the Sport Plus mode activated, the big two-door rips to 100 km/h in 5 seconds and, when equipped with the optional M Sport package (as is our test car) it keeps accelerating until it reaches an electronically controlled terminal velocity of 250 km/h.

Yet, in Comfort mode, the engine is also quite capable of snoozing silently at legal highway speeds, providing reasonable fuel economy at the same time. Alas, our mix of city and spirited driving resulted in an average of 14.9L/100km.

The 6 Series Coupé is only available in Canada with a 400-hp V8, an 8-speed automatic and all-wheel drive. (Photo: BMW)

It's a GT
Sure, this car can tackle any winding road, and the Sport and Sport Plus modes stiffen up the suspension and steering so the driver can benefit from feeling just how the 650i behaves.

On the other hand, the 6 Series Coupé is more of a Grand Touring car than a raw, no-holds-barred sports coupe such as the Porsche 911 Carrera S or the Nissan GT-R. It doesn't have their razor-sharp reflexes, but that's OK; the compromise is a more isolated and less punishing ride.

The xDrive system is great for the winter. It's a rear-wheel biased setup that sends power to the front wheels when slippage occurs, and it reacts quickly and effectively.

This car can tackle any winding road. (Photo: BMW)

Buttons, buttons, buttons
The steering wheel is loaded with ‘em. The centre stack has a bunch of them. You'll find plenty of buttons on the left of the wheel. And on the centre console, you get to play with more buttons and switches, as well as a rotary knob.

Ah, the iDrive. From zero to hero, BMW's infotainment system is my favourite among luxury brands, especially compared to Mercedes-Benz and Audi. BMW's iDrive is now simple to use while driving, and the system's features are well sorted out on the LCD screen.

Since our 2012 BMW 650i xDrive Coupé is loaded with virtually every option, a lot of said buttons are there to turn on and off the various electronic safety devices baked in, such as the camera system, lane-departure warning, blind-spot detection and Night Vision.

With those magnificent front seats, you can also get butt massagers, ventilated seatbacks and cushions, as well as a multitude of adjustments to get comfy for long rides. The back seat will fit small children, although adults can squeeze in if someone helps them out. You might expect more space in such a big car; I know I did.

No $100,000 luxury car would be complete without a cockpit dressed in the finest leathers, plastics and aluminum trim, and the 650i doesn't disappoint in said area. The stitched cowhide on the centre console that rises and expands over the glove box looks good, and makes you forget about the dull, ‘80s-style rows of stereo and climate control buttons.

The 1,200-watt, 16-speaker Bang & Olufsen surround sound system deserves a round of applause. Its phenomenal sound quality is accentuated by the dash-mounted centre speaker that rises and lowers when you turn the system on and off. However, this brilliant stereo is a $5,900 option, or roughly half the price of a new Nissan Versa. If you can afford a $100,000 automobile, I'll assume you won't mind paying an extra six grand for this.

The cockpit is an orgy of leather, metal and high-grade plastics, and the optional Bang & Olufsen stereo is brilliant. (Photo: BMW)

Did I mention it costs $100,000?
The 2012 650i xDrive Coupé carries a base price of $101,500. A Mercedes-Benz CLS 550 4MATIC is more powerful and about 15 grand cheaper, by the way.

With the Executive package, the M Sport package, the Technology package, the Premium Seating package, the BMW Apps package, LED headlights as well as the aforementioned stereo and Night Vision system, this test car costs $132,400. Ouch.

For that price, you get one helluva car. A car that flirts with perfection. And that's its biggest shortcoming. You see, a perfect car is rarely one that has character, and what makes a car special and memorable. The 650i lacks this magic.

If you like obsessive perfection, the BMW 6 Series might be for you. But there are nastier, more temperamental choices out there for the same price.

The other day on our Facebook page, I asked you which racing legend - past or present - you would like to share a dinner with. I want to thank everyone who took the time to write their selection.

I have been covering the auto racing world for a few decades now, and I have come across several champions on and off the track. I have also done a lot of research for newspapers, magazines and TV shows.

Here are five race car drivers who have made a lasting impression on me and with whom I would definitely like to spend a couple of hours one on one.

JIM CLARK
The Scottish champ was a true virtuoso behind the wheel. Going fast seemed so easy for him. How surprising from a man who used to breed sheep as a young boy. Clark excelled in numerous racing series and made it look almost effortless. In fact, he couldn't explain why and how he was so fast on the track. This diamond in the rough disappeared in 1968 during a Formula 2 race in Hockenheim.

Jim Clark, Lotus-Ford of Formula 1 (Photo: Ford)

AJ FOYT
The feisty Texan often lost his cool, but that's just part of the nature of this great competitor, who never went down without a fight. Foyt was hard to beat on oval speedways, whether in IndyCar or stock car races. His four victories at the Indy 500 are certainly no fluke. Throughout his stellar racing career that stretched over five decades, Foyt impressed legions of fans not only as a driver but also as a mechanic and race strategist.

RICHARD PETTY
The King needs no further introduction. The 7-time NASCAR Cup champion and 7-time Daytona 500 champion has won 200 races in NASCAR and is the quintessential American driver. Sporting his signature hat and sunglasses, Petty is a remarkable human being who left me nearly speechless the one time I got to meet him. A simple, honest man off the track, and a fearsome opponent on the track.

TAZIO NUVOLARI
The famous Italian started on two wheels and then made the switch to auto racing in the 1930s. He drove monstrous Bugattis, Alfa Romeos, Maseratis and Auto Unions at a time when safety didn't exist and death was part of the show. He competed in Formula 1, at Le Mans, in the Mille Miglia and many other races held on makeshift tracks with trees, houses and ravines on each side. Nuvolari was smart and fearless. He never let down those who believed in him.

WALTER RÖHRL
Germany's Walter Röhrl was extremely fast no matter which car he drove and which conditions he faced. This rally master earned victories for Opel, Fiat, Lancia and Audi in the WRC. He won four times at Monte-Carlo... with four different cars! Röhrl also dominated on road courses, even when Mother Nature ruined the day. Nothing seemed to stop him.

What do you think of my selections?

2012 Ford Focus Titanium 5-door

The Focus is one of our favorites.

This is my first experience with Ford's revised MyFord Touch infotainment system and it worked just fine. It's not the best system on the market, but I can see how tech-savvy shoppers would be very impressed with this solution in a compact car. I'm not a huge fan of voice-activated controls in cars, but I found myself using Sync to change the satellite radio station when I wanted to jump more than four or five stations at a time. It's still easier to skip a single station in either direction by pushing a physical button.

Photo Gallery: 2012 Ford Focus Titanium 5-door - Editors' Notebook - Automobile Magazine

Photo Gallery: 2012 Ford Focus Titanium 5-door - Editors' Notebook - Automobile Magazine

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Telling a good car from a bad one is not as easy as it used to be. But that does not mean each one is necessarily as good as the rest.

Chrysler Group's head of interior design said the automaker's bankruptcy helped transform its autos' new interiors.

Honda America will take the lead in a growing list of global vehicle development projects to help the automaker fend off competitive challenges in North America and hedge against a strong yen.

What is it?

Also in this episode: Peter Brock and Bob Bondurant will visit with fans at the Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion, and

First Drive: 2013 Mini Paceman Cooper S All4 Prototype

These days, there are so many choices that you can almost buy a Mini on a custom-tailored basis, selecting from the original hatchback, the Clubman wagon, the convertible, the coupe, the roadster, and the five-door Countryman crossover.

Just how much Mini do you need? These days, there are so many choices that you can almost buy a Mini on a custom-tailored basis, selecting from the original hatchback, the Clubman wagon, the convertible, the coupe, the roadster, and the five-door Countryman crossover. Beginning next May, Mini will add a large three-door hatchback to the mix, the Paceman, which was previewed as a concept at the 2011 Detroit auto show and is, in effect, a smaller and more stylish Countryman.

Photo Gallery: First Drive: 2013 Mini Paceman Cooper S All4 Prototype - Automobile Magazine

Photo Gallery: First Drive: 2013 Mini Paceman Cooper S All4 Prototype - Automobile Magazine

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The industrywide drop in the number of commercially owned vehicles returning to the wholesale market created a 'challenging' second quarter for ADESA Auctions Inc., the CEO of its parent company said.

The Canadian government is expressing increasing frustration with politics on the American side of the Detroit River that are stalling plans to build a new bridge for auto trade between Canada and the United States.

The fourth-annual Classic Motorcycles at the Simeone opens Saturday, Aug. 11, and continues until Sept. 6.

Videos 8 Aug, 2012

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Before enthusiasts gaze at the vehicles displayed at the

NEWS EDITOR GREG MIGLIORE: This is certainly a handsome execution of the 2012 Audi A4, and the manual gearbox makes it come alive for enthusiast pursuits.

Scandinavian auto suppliers association, FKG, claims it is sure there has been unspecified "dirty business" surrounding Saab's slow dive into bankruptcy.

Nitro Circus is not Jackass. You may still see some personal pain and bodily injury, but we're pretty sure you won't see full-frontal male nudity. We hope.

Ford's light commercial vehicle joint venture in China will expand into heavy trucks through a major acquisition, with the two partners saying the move will give it "a strong foothold in the world's largest market for the segment".

Ford's Chinese commercial vehicle unit agreed to buy a heavy-truck maker for as much as 270 million yuan ($42 million), as the U.S. automaker expands beyond passenger cars in the world's largest auto market.