Auto News 5

Jake Moore, general manager of Country Chevrolet Inc. in Warrenton, Va., has learned that when it comes to used-car sales, the devil is in the detailing -- and reconditioning.

Ivelisse Rosa is the new face of car-buying.

As Dan Akerson nears his two-year mark as General Motors CEO on Sept. 1, executive upheaval has emerged as a hallmark of his tenure. And more may be coming.

The Automotive News guide to top executives in the United States automotive industry. A subscription to the Automotive News Data Center is required.

Ford Motor Co. and its captive finance arm will pilot a program to help dealers buy and finance Ford dealerships, a Ford executive said during a conference for minority auto dealers.

On the surface, the July sales story played out as expected: Japanese giants Toyota and Honda roared back from disastrous quake-shaken figures of 2011 and won back more of the U.S. market share they had lost to General Motors and Ford Motor Co.

In the first half of this year, the LS ran well behind its German rivals, the BMW 7 series and Mercedes S class. So getting the newest version of the LS right is crucial for Lexus.

From press release

During his holiday, Caterham's Formula 1 driver Vitaly Petrov visited Sunday the city of Rostov-on-Don in Russia.

Petrov's trip to “Southern capital” of Russia was a part on new program of Russian Helicopters Company. Vitaly started his day with visiting JSC Rostvertol, one of leaders in national helicopters industry. 

Petrov looked through all stages of flying machines production, met staff and key persons as well as took part in photo and autograph sessions.

Photo: Manuscript Agency

He also answered a lot of journalist's questions on media-call. His Caterham F1 car was also there, but looked very compact in comparison with Mil Mi-26T2 - the largest and most powerful helicopter in the world - next to it. 

From Rostvertol Vitaly went to Children's home №4, where he presented to young boys and girls a lot of gifts with two mini racing cars among them. Finally, on 4th and 5th of August Caterham F1 car was shown for all guests and inhabitants of Rostov at VertolCity expo center. 

During August break Vitaly will also visit the city of Ulan-Ude as a part of on new program of Russian Helicopters Company destined to promote motorsport.

Photo: Manuscript Agency

MONTREAL, Quebec - Subaru is toted as being one of the auto industry's “best kept secrets.” How so? Not as mainstream as some manufacturers, Subaru is often forgotten on potential buyers' lists of options, and that's a shame. Subaru is desperately trying to change this stereotype by designing and engineering cars that will be noticed by the masses (such as the BRZ).


Well, the 2013 Subaru Outback might not be about flash and pizzazz, but it's certainly going to grab some attention.

For starters, the 2013 Subaru Outback got a new smile. While not a complete facelift (something Subaru has been known to do in the past, and to drastic extents), the new Outback has taken on a much more stern look. With much more angular, hawk-eye headlights and a straighter chromed grille, the Outback's mean mug is definitely more masculine and more along the lines of an SUV than a wagon.

And as far as exterior changes go, that's about it. Spiffy new kicks in the form of new wheel designs help give the Outback a fresh look, but that's about it. And that's fine as the previous generation's design was quite pleasing to begin with. This is, after all, more of a utilitarian vehicle.

Inside, the changes are again, minimal. Wood trim accents replace previous-gen chrome bits, which is a nice change. However, might be aimed at an older crowd. The driver gauges have been updated to house Subaru's new EyeSight system and look quite modern and of-the-moment. The middle console also got revamped and looks much more up to date, though I'm still not sure about the big, blue plastic inserts above the volume and tuning knobs.

Inside, Wood trim accents replace previous-gen chrome bits, which is a nice change. (Photo: Subaru)

A few more horses in the stable
What the 2013 Subaru Outback does feature in the form on “new” is a 2.5L DOHC BOXER engine that produces 173 hp (up 3) and 174 lb-ft (up 4). While this might not seem like much, Subaru's main selling point on this new engine is that it has greater low-end torque.

Driving both the 2.5i and the 3.6R (which features the same 3.6L 6-cylinder BOXER engine with 256 hp), it's clear that Subaru has done its homework regarding the CVT transmission. Generally something I absolutely detest, Subaru's second-gen Lineartronic CVT is quieter, more responsive and helps return better gas mileage (approximately 1L/100km better than the previous generation for both city and highway). And that's not just PR jargon, it actually does all that. The system also, thankfully, “shifts” while you drive so you're not lulled into a stupor of crazy with the unchanging revs.

If CVT still isn't your cup of tea, the 2.5i Convenience can also be outfitted with a 6-speed manual transmission.

What the 2013 Subaru Outback does feature in the form on “new” is a 2.5L DOHC BOXER engine that produces 173 hp and 174 lb-ft. (Photo: Subaru)

As always, the 2013 Subaru Outback features Subaru's symmetrical AWD system to keep the car firmly planted on the ground no matter what the weather or terrain. With a 220 mm ground clearance, and a 40% reduction in body roll for the 2013 model, the Outback is a strong contender as the ideal off-roader/family car.

With five trim levels available in the Outback lineup (starting around the $28k mark and going all the way up to the near $40k range), there really is something for everyone. From EyeSight (Subaru's latest driver assistance system) to PZEV (Partial Zero Emissions Vehicle) and additions like Harman/Kardon sound systems, it's high time Subaru was on everyone's radar.

From GMM

Sauber has not decided if it will stay with Ferrari power in 2014.

The Swiss team has expressed grave doubts about the increased costs of renting engines for the radical new V-6 regulations in 2014.

Before and after Sauber's recent BMW era, the independent Hinwil based team was and is a longstanding Ferrari customer, but the current agreement runs only to the end of the V8 era.

"It is obvious that we will go first to our current engine partner, because we have a long shared history," chief executive Monisha Kaltenborn told the German website motorsport-total.com. "But it's all open, because I think they themselves (Ferrari) also do not know much more than us about certain conditions."

What engine for Sauber in 2014? (Photo: Sauber F1 Team)

With the apparent demise of Craig Pollock's 2014 venture Pure, and the likelihood that Cosworth will bow out of F1 prior to the V-6 era, Sauber's options appear limited to either Ferrari, Mercedes or Renault.

Kaltenborn continued: "We have made it clear that the financial aspect is very important for us. We do not want to go back to the days when you had to pay so much more money for engines."

Meanwhile, Kaltenborn played down rumours Sauber's salvation could be Volkswagen.

Her boss Peter Sauber recently confirmed he met at the Geneva motor show with VW chairman Martin Winterkorn.

"That's all there is, there's no more to say about it," Kaltenborn insisted. "We are not in further talks."

A dedicated cyclist path, connecting the northern and southern extremities of the island of Montreal, is due to be fully operational between now and 2017. At last, cyclists can enjoy a safe ride without taking their chances on the mean city streets. Brilliant idea? For sure! Radical idea? Hardly.

The Dutch have long understood that the best way to ensure that bike and automobile co-exist harmoniously was to separate them. Holland was among the first to open up bike-only routes...given that every citizen of this country owns an average 1.11 bikes, this is no big surprise!


And Scandinavian countries are not to be outdone either: bike culture is well and truly implanted there as well. During my stay both in Sweden and Denmark in 2006, I was able to gauge the scale of this astonishing phenomenon. Here I am, a North American brought up with the idea that buzzwords like car and freedom are practically synonymous, suddenly discovering an environment where worship of the automobile is very far removed from the collective imagination.

At the railway station in Sweden, and for the first time in my life, I saw a parking lot for bikes only - not just a few dozen, but literally hundreds! In Copenhagen, I noticed that I was more likely to be knocked down by a bike that by a car. Getting around the city is geared towards cyclists and pedestrians, nobody seems to mind.

Business men and women, in suits, skirts, stiletto heels, sneakers...15,000 suburbanites commute to the downtown centre by bike, and that's not counting those who already live in the city itself. Some of them rode tricycles equipped with a big front ‘basket' to carry lunchboxes, briefcases or even kids. Recently, Copenhagen opened its first bike highway, and in a few years, the city should number 13 major bike paths, all connecting the suburbs with the downtown area.

Indeed, it's quite the luxury: direct routes to the city centre, always free of snow and ice in winter, air pump stations for inflating tires approximately every 1.5 kilometres, rest areas (a bit like convenience stands at metro stations). Plus, these paths are not small: at least three metres wide, certainly wide enough for Tour de France wannabes and for a Zen-like sharing of the route (no road rage here).

It all sounds peachy but I'm asking myself that for a city as populated as Montreal, is it simply impossible? As of 2009, Copenhagen had 1,167,000 inhabitants. In Montreal, the population is 1,650,000 spread over a wider area...QED, say no more. But with so many cyclists, accident risk goes up as well, right? Actually, no.

We have to disconnect from our North American car culture perspective because in bike-friendly countries the number of accidents involving cars and bikes is proportionally less. Why? Because the cyclists stick to the dedicated bike paths. Keep in mind that cyclists ride on city streets because of the lack of an adequate bike path network. Overwhelmingly, most would prefer to ride along without constantly worrying about a car's side mirror or the sudden opening of a car door.

Several big cities around the world have followed this trend to create paths and routes exclusively reserved for cyclists. No doubt about it, we still have plenty to learn from the North Europeans when it comes to the harmonious co-existence of cyclists and motorists.

Sam Schmidt Motorsports' Tristan Vautier completed a weekend sweep of the Grand Prix of Trois-Rivières with the victory in the Firestone Indy Lights series.

Vautier was atop the time sheet in practice, started from the pole and went on to his third victory of the season.

Photos: Yanick Gougeon

At the drop of the green flag, Vautier was quickly passed by Peter Dempsey, who started fifth and made a courageous move to second and took the lead all on the first lap. Dempsey maintained the point until lap 9, when a gearbox problem forced him into the pits and out for the race.

From there, it was smooth sailing for Vautier, who maintained a fairly comfortable gap over Gustavo Yacaman throughout the remainder of the race. Yacaman finished second after qualifying third, and Carlos Munoz followed up his recent win in Edmonton with a third-place finish.

Summer is the perfect time of year to enjoy the heat from inside a nicely air-conditioned sports car. The hot sun gets motoring fun on people's brains -- and during this time of year, friends, relatives or acquaintances ask me to suggest the best “fun” machine for the money almost every week.

Today, automakers are putting higher-than-ever levels of performance and functionality into more-affordable-than-ever packages. These “fun” rides come in all different sizes, shapes and price points, too.

There's no “best,” but for the sake of discussion here's a cross-section of some of this writer's favourite “fun” rides to get the decision-making juices flowing if you're checking out the market for four-wheeled entertainment.

MINI Cooper S: It won't do John Force style burnouts down half a drag strip, but the MINI Cooper S puts efficient turbocharged thrust, cheeky looks and go-kart handling abilities into the hands of the masses. This is one of the affordable market's most purely entertaining driving experiences and one of my favourite fun cars.

Photo: Sébastien D'Amour

Ford Mustang GT: Ford's new 5.0L V8 kicks serious ass -- mainly because it performs suspiciously well compared to its rated output, sounds nearly exotic and pulls to 7,000 rpm with a smile on its face. The new 5.0L may be one of the most compelling reasons to get into the Mustang GT, which will embarrass many a pricier car in a light-to-light race. Instant recognition and sharper-than-ever handling round out the package of this favourite fun car.

Photo: Rob Rothwell

Mazdaspeed3: This discreetly styled five-door favourite fun car has cargo space, an upscale cabin and is torque-y as all snot. Great brakes, great handling and plenty of turbocharged power make it a blast to drive. The Mazdaspeed3 is a car that'll rip around a weekend racecourse and get you back home in air-conditioned comfort with a trunk full of gear. It's an affordable, track-attacking hot hatch that's ready for every day life.

Photo: Sébastien D'Amour

Hyundai Genesis Coupe: Bang for the buck? Very yes. Get the new one with the V6, and you're into the better part of 350 horsepower for about 37 grand. Brembo brakes, rear-wheel drive and six manually shifted gears are included in this favourite fun car. And, since the Genesis Coupe isn't tiny, you can still drive one even if you're sized like a human mozza-burger repository. Oh, and you should hear the freshly direct-injected V6 sing when pushed to the upper end of its tachometer. This one's nearly impossible to beat for the money.

Photo: Sébastien D'Amour

Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution: Forget the fact that the engine is noisy, the ride is harsh and the trunk is small and shallow. The Lancer Evolution packs nearly 300 hp, delivers track-busting, winter-ready all-wheel drive and is available with a high tech, twin-clutch gearbox. In the affordable marketplace, this is as close as it gets to parking a video game in your driveway. As an added bonus, it's also cool looking and has four doors making it an easy sell to the wife.

Photo: Sébastien D'Amour

Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT8: This favourite fun car is big, thirsty and low-tech, but Chrysler's latest SRT V8 is massively entertaining in an awesomely redneck sort of way. With 470 horsepower and exhaust sounds that send children running for their mother's bosom, it's an exercise in excess. But, in the Grand Cherokee SRT8, that all-American power comes with good ride quality, all-wheel drive and a plethora of family-ready features. After all, fun cars are even more fun if you can take your favourite folks along for the ride.

Photo: Sébastien D'Amour

Veteran driver Michel Bonnet was unbeatable this past weekend in the two races of the Formula Tour 1600 HGregoire Toyo Tires series held at the prestigious Grand Prix of Trois-Rivieres.

Michel Bonnet beat all other 25 other drivers to clinch two superb victoires. Saturday, Michel finished first in front of his son, Olivier, and the reigning series' champion, Nathan Blok. Indianapolis' Brandon Newey finished fourt in front of Sergio Pascian.

Bonnet repeated his winning act on Sunday. He started the race from pole position and engaged in a firce battle with Olivier. Michel eventually won the race in front of Olivier and Blok.

Check out our best photos of the weekend.

Photos: Yanick Gougeon

After taking his 10th career victory in the streets of Trois-Rivières during Friday night's Canadian Touring Car Championship (CTCC) round, Marc-Antoine Camirand (No. 96 BMW 330i) added an 11th to his record Saturday during the series' second round of the weekend.

"It was no easy race this time," Camirand admitted. "[Sasha] Anis stayed close to me pretty much the whole race, so the slightest mistake could have costed me the win. But I managed to keep him behind."

Anis, aboard his No. 14 Hyundai Genesis came home second, a result good enough to preserve his lead in the championship over Benjamin Distaulo (Honda Civic Si No. 6), third in the race.

Everybody was expecting Mathieu Audette (No. 12 Acura RSX) to join the fight for the three podium spots, but instead of going home with trophies, Audette left Trois-Rivières empty handed with two DNFs, caused by electrical failures, on his record.

"The problem is that since there is no practice time after the qualifying session, nor between the two races, we were never able to find out if our changes resolved the issue," revealed Audette.

"We were eventually never able to fix it."

From GMM

HRT boss Luis Perez-Sala has admitted his first taste of the struggling Spanish team was not a happy one.

The former Minardi driver was appointed by HRT's new owners Thesan Capital last year.

His first taste of life at HRT under his predecessor Colin Kolles' rule was at the 2011 British grand prix.

"What I saw, I did not like," Perez-Sala told El Pais newspaper.

"It was a total disaster. There was no organisation, no credibility. No aerodynamic research. No home, no identity. Everything was outsourced. No technician was based at the same place. They said it was a Spanish team, but there was nothing Spanish," he added.

Luiz Perez-Sala, beside Colin Kolles, during the 2011 Belgian Grand Prix. (Photo: WRi2)

Since then - even though HRT remains at the rear of the grid - a lot has changed. Perez-Sala, who has overseen the team's relocation to plush headquarters in Madrid, said the restructuring followed an "autopsy" of HRT's first two seasons as Campos and Hispania.

"It was clear that Pedro (de la Rosa) had to be with us," he explained. "He was the key. He was Spanish, he is experienced, he is honest. He has been more than ten years in formula one, knows everyone and knows how to develop a car with the mechanics and the engineers. He contributes a lot as a driver, but having him with us helps us to grow, to have a plan without taking stabs in the dark."

La Caja Magica, headquarter of HRT. (Photo: HRT F1 Team)

Pedro de la Rosa, who was enticed by Sala to join HRT despite being offered only half the pay of his McLaren reserve role, admits he too had a "bad" first impression of the team.

"They had been in formula one two years and yet it did not look like a serious project. They had a bad structure that was difficult to change. I wanted to sign before, but I had no trust. When I saw Luis was there, I thought about it. Then there were some good arguments: to race again with a team with a Spanish license, Spanish bosses, mechanics and engineers, a Spanish driver. I liked the idea of being here (in Spain) not in England where the other teams are, but to create something different and a structure that is staying in Spain. It sounded good," said de la Rosa.

HRT's chief executive Saul Ruiz de Marcos revealed that the team's budget in 2012 is EUR 50 million, which is seven times less than the biggest teams, and half that of immediate competitor Caterham.

"If we succeed, we can get sponsors and make money in three years," he said. "The secret is to spend every last euro to develop the car aerodynamically, which is where you gain the most time."

Narain Karthikeyan in the HRT garage. (Photo: HRT F1 Team)

De Marcos said one strategy is to "get closer" to the lucrative Indian and Chinese markets, which have not yet been fully tapped by formula one.

"We already have a driver of Indian nationality, Narain Karthikeyan," he said, "and we are developing what will be the first Chinese driver in the history of formula one, Ma Qing Hua."

Chevrolet will provide a turbo engine for Britain' Katherine Legge at the Grand Prix of Sonoma IndyCar race at the end of August.

After competing in the first five races (the initial four with a Lotus engine before Dragon Racing switched to Chevrolet in mid-May), she has shared the car and its Chevrolet 2.2-liter, twin turbocharged V6 engine with Sebastien Bourdais.

Bourdais, a former Formula 1 driver has driven in the four road/street course races since the Indianapolis 500 on May 27. Legge has driven in the three oval races since competing in her first 500 Mile Race.

Katherine Legge. (Photo: IndyCar)

Thanks to Chevrolet providing a second engine to the team for the GoPro Indy Grand Prix of Sonoma on August 24-26, Legge will compete in her first road course race since Barber in early April.

Legge will join 22 other drivers in testing at the recently reconfigured Sonoma circuit August 17.

Jeff Gordon got a little help from his teammate's botched restart and enormous downpour which ended the Pennsylvania 400, at Pocono on lap 98 of the 160-lap race.

Gordon had been in a slump, it had been 31 races since his last victory. This was his 86th career win.

On a restart, on lap 91, his teammate, Jimmie Johnson, got a bit wide in turn one knocking Matt Kenseth into the outside wall. As the field scattered like a break in a billiard game Gordon, who had been sixth, squirted into the lead “Man, I've never seen the seas part quite like that before (laughing) like they did going down into (Turn) one. I got a great restart and was able to dive to the inside in front of Kasey (Kahne) and I saw the No. 48 (Jimmie Johnson) get sideways and it just took them all out.”

Jeff Gordon leading at Pocono. (Photo: NASCAR)

Later Johnson said a flat right rear tire caused the wreck. He said “I shouldn't feel bad about that but not much you can do with a right-rear flat.”

Kenseth described the incident “ I got a little draft and actually pulled up to his (Johnson's ) door and so I decided to race him through there and we went off into one and I could hear his pipes. I wasn't sure he has lifted yet. He drove in really, really far and spun out underneath me and I got wrecked.”

It was like redemption for the four-time champion who appeared in jeopardy to fail to make the Chase, NASCAR's playoffs. “You can't ever give up. It doesn't matter where you're at. You've got to just try to go out there and win races. For all the things that have gone wrong for us this year, I still can't believe what just happened. But, I think this is the one that makes up for all the ones that have gotten away.”

Kasey Kahne, another HMS teammate, finished second coming back from a pit lane error. “Jeff got a little bit better restart, got in front of me getting into turn one when the field wrecked in front of us, and he won the race,” he said.

Martin Truex Jr leading a pack of cars. (Photo: NASCAR)

Martin Truex Jr. finished third. They way he saw the restart “everybody was throwing rubber off their tires trying to get them cleaned up before we took the restart. So, all that stuff combined into those guys going off into (turn) one, all of them looked like they took off up the track. Fortunately, I was the third guy that didn't slide. The 24 (Jeff Gordon), 5 (Kasey Kahne), and me, we all went down in there and stuck.

Dale Earnhardt Jr. who retired early with a transmission failure continues to lead the points.

Tony Stewart's crew pushing back the car in the garage when the storm arrived. (Photo: NASCAR)

The bad weather affected the fans adversely, too. Officials of Pocono Raceway confirmed that one spectator died and nine others were injured in the storm which ended the race. Another was listed in critical condition at a local hospital.

Quebec drive Andrew Ranger extended his domination of the Grand Prix of Trois-Rivieres with his fourth win in six races there Sunday in the JuliaWine.com 100.

Ranger won at Trois-Rivieres each year from 2008 to 2010, and finished second in 2007 and 2011.

The Roxton Pond, Quebec native took the lead from J.R. Fitzpatrick on Turn 3 of lap 10 of the 42-lap event around the 1.53-mile course and cruised to a win by 2.096 seconds over local driver L.P. Dumoulin.

Photos: Yanick Gougeon

Fitzpatrick finished third, followed by Robin Buck. Points leader D.J. Kennington had his five-race win streak ended with a fifth-place finish.

It was the Rangers' 16th career win in the NASCAR Canadian Tire Series and his 13th on a road course.

J.F. Dumoulin was sixth, followed by Scott Steckly, Ron Beauchamp Jr., Jeff Lapcevich and Isabelle Tremblay.

Kennington leads Ranger by 37 points and Steckly by 43 after eight of 12 races.

The NASCAR Canadian Tire Series will return to the track in two weeks with the NAPA Autopro 100 at Circuit Gilles Villeneuve in Montreal.

From GMM

Bernie Ecclestone has admitted it is unlikely a bid to stage a grand prix at London's Olympic stadium will succeed.

A company called Intelligent Transport Services recently launched the bid to take over the Olympic venue and use it for a formula one race once this week's Games have ended.

But on a visit to Olympic Park at the weekend, F1's chief executive said he actually favours rival plans to stage a London street race that would see the cars drive past some of the city's most famous landmarks.

When asked about the Olympic stadium plans, Ecclestone said: "I would rather have a race where we originally planned in central London.

"It is a project we are going to try and make happen," he is quoted by the Times newspaper.

The F1 cars in the streets of London. (Image: Santander)