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From GMM

This weekend's British grand prix debacle could cost Silverstone millions, track boss Richard Phillips has admitted.

Organisers have vowed full refunds for thousands of spectators who heeded the circuit's plea to stay away from the mud and traffic chaos on Saturday.

"It's going to cost us a lot of money," he told the Guardian. "I honestly don't know the figure, but it could be a lot more than hundreds of thousands (of pounds)."

Photo: WRi2

Richard Phillips did, however, hail the patience and perseverance of the Silverstone crowd, after an ordeal that was recognised even from within the F1 paddock.

"I saw fathers with their sons and daughters, old ladies with backpacks and teenagers, all covered in mud and wearing their coats and hats," said O Estado de S.Paulo correspondent Livio Oricchio.

"I have never seen anything like in this country. They are the best fans," said the Brazilian correspondent.

Mercedes' Norbert Haug agreed.

"They are the best fans in the world," said the German. "They have taken everything - the rain, the cold - and they still came in their thousands."

For the first time, a NASCAR event has been presented on an oval track in Europe, on the Tours Speedway, which was specially prepared for the event.

The track, which was 600 meters long, and 30 meters wide, presented a great fight between the usual championship contenders, who were joined by guest drivers.

Among them, American Ben Kennedy (a NASCAR K&N Pro Series East regular), great grandson of NASCAR founder Bill France Sr, moved up from his seventh position on the grid to take the lead, and eventually the win in the first round ahead of Dimitri Enjalbert and Romain Thievin.

Europe's first ever oval track (Photo: Stéphane Azemard / EURO-RACECAR)

WTCC reigning champion Yvan Muller, who qualified in fourth position, suffered a puncture after a contact in the race.

Ben Kennedy was tipped for victory in the second round presented on Sunday. But, finally, it was Euroracecar reigning champion Eric Helary, who was back at the wheel for the event, who won, after he avoided all troubles during the race, which featured a lot of accidents.

Helary took win ahead of championship leader Ander Villarino and Yvan Muller, who had a great comeback from his 15th position on the grid.

When we think of the provincial highway system, long ribbons of single or double-lane tarmac come to mind with breathtaking vistas around every corner. Okay, the vistas may not be around every corner, nor breathtaking, but you get the picture.

We probably don't think of large marine vessels as part of the highway system, but in British Columbia, they certainly are, and they're a part of the highway network that I enjoy immensely. BC Ferry Services Inc. is one of the world's largest ferry operators, providing year-round transportation on Canada's West Coast.

Photo: BC Ferry Inc.

The system consists of 36 vessels and 47 terminals, moving 20 million passengers and 8 million vehicles per year. One of those 8 million vehicles is mine. I rely upon the ferry system to get me to vacation destinations on the Gulf Islands of British Columbia. Once there, my driving is limited to quaint island roads with nary a traffic light anywhere.

I'm approximately 30 minutes from the terminal and the ferry ride to the Gulf Islands takes around 90 minutes depending on which island one wishes to disembark on. The larger ferries, such as those servicing the Gulf Islands and Vancouver Island, have restaurants, cafes, gift shops and such on-board. Ferries servicing BC's North Coast even have private cabins for overnight trips.

The most recent ferries added to the fleet are the Super C-Class vessels that ply the waters between Vancouver and Victoria. These two ships - the Coastal Renaissance and Coastal Inspiration - are the world's largest double-ended ferries. They were built in Germany, arriving here in 2008, and can each carry 370 cars and 1,600 passengers.

Breathtaking vistas may not exist around every corner of tarmac, but they accompany every nautical mile sailed on the provincial highway system rather than driven. There's no sense fighting a congested freeway to get out of town when you can sail the open seas, taking in breathtaking vistas rather than choking emissions.

Further information on BC Ferries can be found at www.bcferries.com.

It's the quietest Porsche sports car I've ever driven, but that doesn't mean it's the slowest.

Unplug any thought you may have that hybrid vehicles are painfully slow and uninspiring to drive; the 2012 Panamera S Hybrid will short-circuit that notion.


Hybrid powerplant is electrifying
The gas/electric four-door Porsche is a highly sophisticated machine that won't let performance enthusiasts down. Heck, it's capable of 0-100 km/h in 6.0 seconds and 80-120 km/h in just 3.9 seconds. These specs are cited by Porsche, along with a top speed of 270 km/h.

When one considers the size of the Panamera and its four-door architecture, the performance numbers are impressive, especially considering that the core powerplant is a supercharged 3.0L V6 gas engine. Perhaps more impressive is the vehicle's ability to conserve the black gold in its tank.

The Panamera S Hybrid is rated at 8.6L/100km and 6.8L/100km, city and highway driving respectively. While fuel economy ratings are often artificial and near impossible to achieve by the average driver, such wasn't my experience with this week's tester.

The Panamera S Hybrid is rated at 8.6L/100km and 6.8L/100km, city and highway driving respectively. (Photo: Rob Rothwell)

Thriftier than expected
So let's not kid ourselves about ability to pay. Folks buying a $127,395 (as tested) Porsche aren't likely bereft of funds to fuel it. For them, the motivation to go hybrid may be more altruistic than economic. Regardless of reason, it's a good thing.

I was quite surprised at how effectively I could maximize the potential of the Panamera's hybrid technology. After a dose of seat time to get accustomed to the system's operational characteristics, I learned when to lay off the throttle and allow electrical propulsion to take over. And it wasn't necessary to slow to a crawl to maintain the spark.

The Panamera S Hybrid can move along at low highway speeds for short durations on purely electric power. The driver can also select E-Power, which aids in the exclusive use of electrical propulsion. I found this a great way to drive cost-free the six or so blocks of side streets that lead to my home.

While my average economy was all over the map due to pushing the hybrid Panamera for performance purposes and alternately babying it for economy testing, I was still capable of matching the posted city consumption rating of 8.6L/100km.

Part of the push in economy belongs to the vehicle's 8-speed Tiptronic S automatic transmission. The vast selection of gearing enables the Panamera S Hybrid to match the most efficient gear to the immediate needs, whether gentle cruising or full-on track duty.

The driver can also select E-Power, which aids in the exclusive use of electrical propulsion. (Photo: Rob Rothwell)

Hybrid on-track
The track isn't where one expects a hybrid-powered vehicle to excel, yet I can verify the competency of Porsche's hybrid in such an octane-doused setting. Its combined output of 380 hp is notable, but what really delivers the goods post apex is the car's massive 428 lb-ft of combined torque.

A few months back, I wrote this comment following my track day with the Panamera S Hybrid: “I'm sure more than a few drivers were surprised to see the big four-door hybrid sled filling their rear-views”. Yes, there were a lot of exotic machines on Mission Raceway's road course that day - including an Italian tour de force - yet the electric/gas four-door from Germany more than held its own.

Activating the Panamera's Sport and Sport Plus modes keeps the gas engine more in the game, ensuring that it constantly contributes to motivation rather than shutting down when it normally would. For everyday driving, though, the gas/electric combo functions fairly seamlessly.

Its combined output of 380 hp is notable, but what really delivers the goods post apex is the car's massive 428 lb-ft of combined torque. (Photo: Rob Rothwell)

Smooth and enjoyable around town
Allied with its dual power sources, the Panamera S Hybrid exhibits two distinct personalities; one oriented toward power and performance, while the other favours luxury and comfort.

The car rides with a pleasing degree of decorum. The driver can opt to firm up the damping, but there seems to be little reason to do so; the Panamera corners with exceptional accuracy and control without engaging the Sport or Sport Plus modes.

Still, the performance purists will appreciate the ability to alter the big car's persona at the touch of a button, especially when taking it to the stallions at the track.

One aspect of the Panamera S Hybrid that does require a little more finessing to perfect than with the conventional version is brake function. As with all regenerative brake setups, the Panamera's can be slightly more difficult to operate smoothly and modulate intuitively.

The Panamera corners with exceptional accuracy and control without engaging the Sport or Sport Plus modes. (Photo: Porsche)

Hybrid highs
The 2012 Porsche Panamera S Hybrid is every bit a Porsche despite the absence of a howling Porsche exhaust note. This Stuttgart-derived ride is more grown-up than its pure-octane siblings yet highly capable by every measure, and surprisingly effectual when the yardstick is measuring fuel economy, and by extension, CO2 emissions.

While typical Porsche buyers may not have fuel economy topping their list of priorities, they may feel better adjusted and more socially accountable knowing that their automotive affluence is burning less fossil fuel than the preponderance of vehicles choking our communities.

Gymkhana FIVE: Ultimate Urban Playground by DC Shoes took four days to shoot. Eager to amaze drifting enthusiasts like never before, Ken Block pulled off an unbelievable mix of speed and agility, muscling and dancing his way around San Francisco in his signature Ford Fiesta HFHV.

Unveiled earlier this year at the NAIAS in Detroit, the all-new 2013 BMW ActiveHybrid 3 is about to hit the US market.

Combining a 306-horsepower 3.0L inline six-cylinder engine with a 55-horsepower electric motor, this environmentally friendly compact emits only 139 grams of CO2 per kilometre. It also features an eight-speed autobox and lithium-ion battery that charges through regenerative braking.

The 2013 BMW ActiveHybrid 3 offers an all-electric driving range of about four kilometres at an average speed of 35 km/h. It can also deliver emission-free mobility at up to 75 km/h, although for a much shorter a distance. Expect 0-100km/h accelerations in 5.3 seconds along with a fuel consumption rating of 5.9L/100km.

The BMW ActiveHybrid 3 will arrive at dealerships this fall with a price of US$50,195. Hopefully, the car will make it to Canada as well.

Photo: BMW

Driving at night in a snowstorm or under heavy rain can be very dangerous due to the lack of visibility. Good news: a team of researchers is now working on smart headlights that can basically make rain and snow disappear.

The system uses a digital projector, camera, and 50/50 beam splitter. The camera detects rain drops and creates an image for the computer, which determines the future location of the particles so that the projector can blank them out. The driver's field of vision immediately becomes clearer, and lighting remains adequate.

Since the entire process from capture to reaction takes only 13 milliseconds, drivers won't notice anything unusual, except for an improved sense of safety.

Smart headlights are still undergoing tests. No word yet on a future market release.

Photo: ILIM laboratory

Photo: ILIM laboratory

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A group of 200 lucky buyers will get their hands on the new BMW M3 Coupe Lime Rock Park Edition developed by the German automaker in collaboration with Skip Barber, owner of the Lime Rock Park race track in Connecticut.

''It's a classic car for a classic track,'' Barber claims.

Under the hood is the same 414-horsepower 4.0L V8 engine that allows 0-100km/h accelerations in 4.8 seconds. However, the car sports a bright Fire Orange paint, Anthracite and Black cloth seating with Nappa leather trim, and a new flat-bottom steering wheel in Anthracite Alcantara.

The M3's signature carbon fibre composite roof will be retained on all copies produced. Each one will be identified by a numbered plaque on the centre console, a unique decal on the left-rear quarter window, and a certificate of authenticity.

Priced at US$70,995, the BMW M3 Coupe Lime Rock Park Edition is scheduled to arrive at dealerships this September.

Photo: BMW

Canadian Jacques Villeneuve, the 1997 Formula 1 World Champion, endured a tough time Down Under in his participation to the Sucrogen Townsville 400 round of the exciting V8 Supercars series in Australia.

Villeneuve qualified 28th and last in No. 51 Pepsi Max Crew Commodore for Race 1. He retired from the race on lap 18.

On Sunday, he again qualified last but ran reasonably well in the race to arrive home in 24th place out of 28, one lap down the winner.

Photo: Australian V8 Supercars series

The former F1 driver said all weekend long that his left hand wasn't used to all of this gear shifting!

“It was a hard race but I'm very happy. I just needed to get the laps done and see how the car went and how the tires evolved between the hard and the soft. I also got to practice my starts and the start went very well. I got three or four cars off the line so that was really good, but then into braking I braked really early, I didn't want to get mixed up,” Villeneuve told the medias after Sunday's race.

“I really had a hard time on the hard tire. Our set-up worked well on the soft tire but on the hard tire I just couldn't lean on them and that was really, really, really difficult to drive, not having done that segment of the race yesterday on the hard tires,” he added.

Photo: Australian V8 Supercars series

“I figured out after 10 laps that it was going to be a hard race because the way I was sitting in the car it was like sitting in a road car and putting a pillow behind my back. So I was moving around so much I had cramps already after 10 laps, so I knew it was going to be a long day,” Villeneuve explained.

Major Chinese cities are increasingly resorting to new-vehicle sales caps to curb vehicle emissions and ease traffic congestion, prompting a rush on dealerships but threatening to slow the country's rapidly growing auto market.

Latest pictures from race day at Silverstone, following Mark Webber's sensational victory in the British Grand Prix

News 8 Jul, 2012

Latest pictures from race day at Silverstone, following Mark Webber's sensational victory in the British Grand Prix

Mark Webber takes his second victory of the year, following a late move on Fernando Alonso to win the British Grand Prix

News 8 Jul, 2012

Mark Webber takes his second victory of the year, following a late move on Fernando Alonso to win the British Grand Prix

Audi aims to become the world's largest maker of premium cars no later than 2020, CEO Rupert Stadler was quoted telling the Sueddeutsche Zeitung newspaper in an interview published on Saturday. Asked when Audi expected to become No.

Adapted from GMM

Marussia team boss John Booth on Sunday said that the team's test driver, who lost her right eye after an horror testing crash at Duxford airfield on Tuesday, is now awake and "talking with her family".

He said that is "great news".

Furthermore, Charlie Whiting, the FIA's top F1 official, has described de Villota's crash earlier this week as a "one in five million" freak accident.

"It was so incredibly unfortunate," the race director, starter and technical and safety delegate told the Spanish sports newspaper Marca at Silverstone.

"I think that if Felipe (Massa)'s accident (in 2009) was one in a million, then Maria's was one in five million," Briton Whiting added.

"The circumstances were just so unique that it was just incredible bad luck," he said.

Whiting said that, even at the time of de Villota's incident, the FIA was already looking at ways to better protect the drivers' heads.

"We're looking more at the case of an impact with a wheel, because this can happen several times in a year. Maria's circumstances may never occur again," added Whiting.

"In Maria's case, yes it (head protection) would have worked, but perhaps in many other cases the problems would be worse, like extraction or visibility.

"We have to make sure we aren't making something better for one type of accident but worse for three more."

From GMM

Formula one drivers can forget any hopes of winning an Olympic medal.

When International Olympic Committee president Jacques Rogge entered the Silverstone paddock on Sunday, some suggested it could be the first step to adding motor racing to the Games' roster of sports.

Not so. Although admitting grand prix drivers are "very courageous", Rogge - a guest of F1 chief executive Bernie Ecclestone - insisted the Olympics is for "athletes, not for equipment".

"While having a lot of respect, (motor sport) will not be included into the Olympic programme," he is quoted by the Daily Mail.

The 2012 Summer Games kick off in the British capital later this month.

Wayne Taylor and Max Angelelli aboard their SunTrust Racing Corvette DP have topped a two-day test held at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway ahead of the next Rolex series' round held there on July 27.

Round nine of the Grand-Am season will also be the third and final round of the North American Endurance Championship (NAEC), a series within the series that included the Rolex 24 and last week's 6 Hours of the Glen.

“The track was ‘rubbering up' a good bit, and the speeds kept getting faster even though the temperatures were climbing,” said Taylor, who co-drives with Angelelli. “This means a lot to us, especially with our team being based in Indy. We're really looking forward to coming back for the race.”

Another Corvette topped the GT time sheets: Eric Curran's No. 31 Whelen Engineering.

The Indianapolis Motor Speedway will extend the two-day on Monday, to offer teams competing in other series a chance to test at the famous oval. Chip Ganassi Racing for example were busy in the NASCAR Sprint Cup series, down in Daytona.



DP Top 3
1. Ricky Taylor, Corvette DP, 108.649 mph/1min23.962s
2. Ozz Negri, Ford/Riley, 108.348 mph/1min24.195s
3. Scott Pruett, BMW/Riley, 108.343/1min24.199s

GT Top 3
1. Eric Curran, Corvette, 99.857 mph/1min31.355s
2. Eric Foss, Porsche GT3, 99.788/1min31.418s
3. Jonathan Bomarito, Mazda RX-8. 99.695/1min31.503s

Mark Webber (Red Bull) overtook Fernando Alonso (Ferrari) in the late stages of the British Grand Prix to take both the win and seven points back on the championship leader.

Alonso and Webber were on different strategies - because of the wet qualifying session, they both had the freedom to choose whichever compound to start on -, but as the race was coming to an end, they were neck and neck. Alonso started on the hard rubber, and Webber on the soft, the compound the two-time world champion saved for last.

The Ferrari driver pulled an early lead, but struggled on that last stint, and fell pray to a charging Webber. He almost even lost second place to Sebastian Vettel (Red Bull), who completed the podium.

Fourth, Felipe Massa (Ferrari) had another strong showing, coming home only 9 seconds adrift his highly rated teammate. He was closely followed by Lotus' Kimi Räikkönen, and then by Romain Grosjean who, in the second Lotus, came back from last at one point after a first lap accident with Paul di Resta (Force India).

Michael Schumacher (Mercedes), third in the rain of qualifying, lost ground from his starting spot, but nevertheless managed to salvage seventh spot's points.

In eighth and tenth spots respectively, Lewis Hamilton and Jenson Button (McLaren) had a tough day. Bruno Senna (Williams) however, did well to slot between the two Brits.

Notable incidents included yet another crash for Pastor Maldonado (Williams), who connected with a furious Sergio Perez (Sauber). Maldonado went on to finish 16th, but the Mexican stayed on the sidelines.

His teammate Kamui Kobayashi experienced a difficult pitstop where he rammed his mechanics. After having rejoined, he crossed the finish line in 11th. Nico Rosberg (Mercedes) also had a difficult pitstop, which clouded only a mediocre race for the German, who finished down in 15th place.



Race results* - British Grand Prix (Silverstone)

1 - Mark Webber (Red Bull RB8-Renault) - 52 laps in 1hour25min11.288s

2 - Fernando Alonso (Ferrari F2012) - 3.0s

3 - Sebastian Vettel (Red Bull RB8-Renault) - 4.8s
4 - Felipe Massa (Ferrari F2012) - 9.5s

5 - Kimi Raikkonen (Lotus E20-Renault) - 10.3s

6 - Romain Grosjean (Lotus E20-Renault) - 17.1s
7 - Michael Schumacher (Mercedes MGP W03) - 29.1s

8 - Lewis Hamilton (McLaren MP4/27-Mercedes) - 36.4s
9 - Bruno Senna (Williams FW34-Renault) - 43.3s

10 - Jenson Button (McLaren MP4/27-Mercedes) - 44.4s
11 - Kamui Kobayashi (Sauber C31-Ferrari) - 45.3s

12 - Nico Hulkenberg (Force India VJM05-Mercedes) - 47.8s

13 - Daniel Ricciardo (Toro Rosso STR7-Ferrari) - 51.2s

14 - Jean Eric Vergne (Toro Rosso STR7-Ferrari) - 53.3s

15 - Nico Rosberg (Mercedes MGP W03) - 57.3s

16 - Pastor Maldonado (Williams FW34-Renault) - 1 lap

17 - Heikki Kovalainen (Caterham CT01-Renault) - 1 lap
18 - Timo Glock (Marussia MR01-Cosworth) - 1 lap

19 - Charles Pic (Marussia MR01-Cosworth) - 1 lap

20 - Pedro De La Rosa (HRT F112-Cosworth) - 2 laps
21 - Narain Karthikeyan (HRT F112-Cosworth) - 2 laps

Fastest lap by Kimi Raikkonen (Lotus) in 1min34.661s


Retirements

Lap 1 - Vitaly Petrov

Lap 2 - Paul Di Resta

Lap 11 - Sergio Perez

Drivers' championship
1. Alonso 129; 2.Webber 116; 3.Vettel 100; 4.Hamilton 92; 5.Raikkonen 83; 6.Rosberg 75; 7.Grosjean 61; 8.Button 50; 9.Perez 39; 10.Maldonado 29; 11.Di Resta 27; 12.Schumacher, Massa 23; 14.Kobayashi 21; 15.Senna 18; 16.Hulkenberg 17; 17.Vergne 4; 18.Ricciardo 2.



Constructors' championship
1.Red Bull-Renault 216; 2.Ferrari 152; 3.Lotus-Renault 144; 4.McLaren-Mercedes 142; 5.Mercedes 98; 6.Sauber-Ferrari 60; 7.Williams-Renault 47; 8.Force India-Mercedes 44; 9.Toro Rosso-Ferrari 9.

*Unofficial scoring