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From GMM

Thailand is on track to secure a round of the 2014 world championship.

The southeast Asian country made its intentions clear recently by successfully bidding to host this year's end-of-season Race of Champions in December, which will be attended by reigning world champion Sebastian Vettel.

Talks have also been taking place about bringing formula one to Thailand.

"Our discussions with Bernie Ecclestone have gone smoothly. We expect to get rights to host a grand prix from 2014 onwards," Kanokphand Chulakasem, governor of the Sports Authority of Thailand, is quoted by the Phuket News.

The Thai daily The Nation said 51 per cent Red Bull energy drink owner and co-founder Chalerm Yoovidhya is playing a role in the logistics of the Thai grand prix.

From GMM

Local authorities are investigating organisers of the Italian grand prix at Monza.

Last month, the World Superbike races at the fabled circuit were cut short due to rain and ensuing crashes.

La Gazzetta dello Sport reports that local prosecutors are looking into whether the circuit was to blame for installing a sub-standard track surface.

It is believed rider Marco Melandri has already been interviewed by the investigators, who reportedly suspect the organisers knew the surface was not adequate.

Melandri had said after one of the May races: "There are different tarmacs on the track. While the new tarmac doesn't allow for the water to drain away, the old asphalt is different and dries up very quickly."

The Corriere della Sera newspaper said Monza's technical boss Stefano Tremolada exercised his right to remain silent.

We reported last month that Italy's finance police raided Monza amid suspicions of tax offenses, false invoicing and other discrepancies in relation to Sias SpA, the circuit operator, between 2007 and 2012.

You're 16, and you just obtained your driver's license. You've got a job and are looking to buy your first car; your parents might even be willing to help you pay for it, because they're sick and tired of hauling you and your buddies around at any given time of the day. Or night.

Naturally, a brand-new car would be the best choice if money's not a big issue. On the other hand, insurance premiums for teenagers are extremely high, because of their inexperience behind the wheel and the risk involved. Everybody knows that.

Photo: Auto123.com

I thought I had the best advice on this issue, but I might be wrong. Parents asking me what car they should buy for their child are obviously concerned about safety above anything else, even price.

My opinion used to be that a teenager should start off with a used, inexpensive car. A beater. These kids need a lot of practice in many conditions such as traffic, parallel parking, high speeds as well as Old Man Winter. They'll likely dent their car, back up into a lamppost, scrape a bumper or two, slide through a slippery intersection and discover what happens to an engine when you never check its oil level.

However, an old car might not be equipped with all the safety features included in a new car, such as a full array of airbags, electronic stability control and a blind-spot monitor.

A friend's teenage son bought himself a brand-new Volkswagen Jetta, and was involved in an accident a few months later. He was driving down a country road early in the morning on his way to work, when a fox suddenly crossed the road. In an attempt to avoid it, he lost control and spun the car into a ditch; the Jetta rolled over, triggering every airbag. The car was a write-off.

The kid walked away from the crash with only a few bruises. He wasn't speeding. He was sober. He was belted. He wasn't texting or talking on the phone. He was alone in the car. He just swerved too sharply and couldn't recover, a manoeuvre he didn't know how to handle, because no one taught him how to react in a panic situation.

Long story short, the only thing injured was his pride. If he were driving a beater however, he might still be in the hospital right now. As much as I think manufacturers are going nuts adding a gazillion airbags into new cars, I must admit they proved their usefulness in this case. And I'm now reconsidering my opinion that beginners should drive beaters until they gain more experience.

But more importantly, advanced driving courses teach you what to do in this type of situation; they show you what a car, new or used, is capable of in terms of manoeuvrability and braking. I believe a lot of people likely never performed an emergency lane change or slammed on the brakes with all their might, and have no idea how their vehicle will react.

Buying a new (read: safer) car for their teenage kid might not be possible for everyone, because it's a big investment. On the other hand, advanced driving courses, as well as winter driving courses, usually cost a few hundred dollars and are worth every penny for ensuring your safety, or a loved one's safety. Consider them seriously.

Photo: Michel Deslauriers

A 2012 Toyota Camry Hybrid, except for the badging, is nearly indistinguishable from any other 2012 Camry, on the outside. It is this lack of distinction that both helps and hinders Hybrid Camry sales. Mind you, arch rivals Honda with the Accord Hybrid and Ford with the Fusion Hybrid have chosen the same design path. Perhaps Toyota feels that those looking for a distinctive hybrid will move to the Toyota Prius.


For 2012, the new Toyota Camry is slightly different on the outside and unless you park it right beside the previous generation, you will be hard pressed to pick up on the slight changes to the body. They've done subtle things to the base of the windscreen, front fascia and to the rear fascia.

Interior
You are really going to notice the differences inside. In this new model, Toyota has upped their game with new materials on the seats, new dash, door panels and roof liner. If you didn't know you were in a Toyota Camry, you might mistake the interior for a junior Lexus.

A 2012 Toyota Camry Hybrid XLE starts off with cloth seats and no seat heaters. A quick check of the options list shows that seat heaters are part of the Leather and Premium Audio package, which as you have probably guessed features leather seating surfaces, heated front seats and a navigation system as well as a couple of other things such as a moonroof, power adjustable passenger seat and a backup camera. By the way, this is one of two optional packages for the Hybrid. The other is a Moonroof package whose contents is included in the Leather package.

In this new model, Toyota has upped their game with new materials on the seats, new dash, door panels and roof liner. (Photo: Toyota)

Powertrain
Now that the interior is fully decked out, we can turn our attention to the powertrain. The Toyota Camry Hybrid uses a 2.5L, Atkinson cycle, DOHC, 16-valve inline-4 that puts out 156 horsepower. To that you add an electric motor's output for a total of 187. Torque is rated at 156 lb-ft for the gas engine and 199 lb-ft for the electric motor.

The torque totals are a bit misleading because electric motors are measured at 0 rpm under full load, which many of us find a bit difficult to get our heads around. Let me put it like this: if you put your foot to the floor when the light goes green, you had best be hanging on because you are going to take off in a very un-Camry like fashion!

The Camry Hybrid uses a 2.5L, Atkinson cycle, DOHC, 16-valve inline-4 that puts out 156 horsepower. To that you add an electric motor's output for a total of 187. (Photo: Toyota)

Software upgrade
If you can keep your foot off the floor and the grin on your face to a reasonable size, the Camry Hybrid goes back to being a sedate grocery-getter and the CVT transmission seamlessly gets you from place to place. New software in the Hybrid Synergy Drive controller does put you into EV mode more often, and at speeds significantly higher than the previous 40 km/h.
I'm not sure what the new limit is, but when I drove the Hybrid, I was able to get it to go electric at 70 km/h. The battery doesn't last long at that speed, but every bit helps as witnessed by the new fuel economy rating of 4.7L/100km in the city and 5.1 on the highway. The base Camry Hybrid LE fares even better with ratings of 4.5 and 4.9L/100km city/highway.

To help you keep track of what is going on and improve fuel economy even more, Toyota has modified the instrument panel slightly by deleting the tach and putting in what is basically a fuel economy gauge. There is also an ECO mode that will do its best to alter shift points, hold gears longer than usual and use the battery as often as possible.

ECO mode, according to Transport Canada rules, cannot be used for calculating fuel economy figures, so anything you get from this beside the published numbers.

New software in the Hybrid Synergy Drive controller does put you into EV mode more often and there is also an ECO mode that will do its best to alter shift points, hold gears longer than usual and use the battery as often as possible. (Photo: Toyota)

Driving and handling
This is what makes a Toyota Camry Hybrid such a great "sleeper," as cars like this used to be called. Sleepers look like one thing and act like another. If you are into a stoplight grand prix and pound the pedal, it is going to take a pretty decent muscle car to get through the intersection before you do and it will be done well above the speed limit.

Take a 2012 Toyota Camry Hybrid around a corner and you are going to surprise yourself at how fast it will go and how little the nose comes out until well above the posted cornering limit. The tires are a bit noisy because they are supposed to be low rolling resistance, but they do stick well.

Toyota Camry Hybrids don't have a performance problem. They have an image problem! A hybrid Camry may well be the new renaissance car: it has comfort, performance, fuel economy and space. All you have to do is try it.

Volkswagen Passat TDI

Kia Optima Hybrid

Ford Fusion Hybrid

From GMM

Bernie Ecclestone has approved plans to radically upgrade the Interlagos circuit, scene of the annual Brazilian grand prix in Sao Paulo.

O Estado de S.Paulo newspaper reports that the plans were presented to the London office of the sport's chief executive on Wednesday of this week.

The newspaper said Ecclestone's approval of the sweeping plans essentially guarantees the organisers will retain the event beyond the 2014 contract until at least 2020.

Start of the 2011 Brazilian Grand Prix. (Photo: Pirelli)

Briton Ecclestone reportedly agreed that the plans comply with what he requested.

Recently, the 81-year-old said: "Brazil will have the next World Cup and the 2016 Olympics. It makes sense.

"I have long believed in Brazil -- we've been there since 1972," Ecclestone added.

"The future of formula one Brazil depends now on major improvements at Interlagos," he said. "These events (World Cup and Olympics) are a great opportunity to look at the circuit as well.

"I can no longer be questioned by the teams about why we are racing at the worst circuit in the championship," said Ecclestone.

Pit of Interlagos in 2011. (Photo: Pirelli)

Bernie Ecclestone demanded a drastic improvement in the ageing and cramped pit and paddock area at Interlagos.

But because of the steep terrain beyond the current paddock area, the organisers proposed to move the pits and start-finish line to the expansive area on the long straight after the Senna-S and Curva do Sol.

Vauxhall refreshes the Astra hatchback and Sport Tourer, and adds a new 192bhp BiTurbo diesel to the GTC line-up

Road and Track magazine is moving its headquarters from California to Ann Arbor, Mich., according to Hearst Corp., which owns the auto enthusiast magazine.

Mini has updated the 2011 Geneva motor show Rocketman concept to celebrate the 2012 Summer Olympic Games in London.

News flash: Diesel exhaust is bad for you, particularly if youand#8217;re a miner.

According to a May CarGurus.com study, used-car sellers within a 50-mile radius of a 'major city center' offered prices an average of $345 lower on used vehicles compared with prices offered by stores 50 or more miles from the metro hub.

New York publishing house Hearst says it will move the Road and Track magazine editorial offices from Newport Beach, Calif., to Ann Arbor, Mich., home of its other auto-magazine title, Car and Driver.

Also in this episode: The NHTSA upgrades its probe into Jeep fuel tanks, the

We went back to the very roots of Project Car Hell last week, with a Triumph-versus-Lancia matchup.

The president of Brown University and the director of the UAW's strategic research department have been named Chrysler Group directors.

Toyota Motor North America, which saw its public image bruised in recent years from a string of recalls and class-action lawsuits, has named PepsiCo and GM veteran Julie Hamp as its chief communications officer.

Even though Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney opposed the government bailout of General Motors, he still has won the support of one of the automaker's former top executives.

Visteon, the supplier trying to sell two of its four units, took another step toward remaking itself today as shareholders elected nominees who support revamping the company.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has upgraded its investigation into the fuel tank on three

Toyota Motor said it had sold about 15,000 new Corolla sedans and station wagons in the first month since the 11 May launch, more than double its initial monthly sales target of 7,000 vehicles.

BMW sales and marketing chief Ian Robertson is unfazed about slow sales of electric vehicles.