Auto News 5

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

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.

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.

BMW has just announced significant improvements to the second generation of its popular ALPINA B7, which will make its North American debut at the Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance in August and go on sale immediately after.

Photo: BMW

Delivering unprecedented performance, the new ALPINA B7 produces 40 more horsepower - for a total of 540 - through an 8-speed automatic transmission. It can sprint from 0 to 100 km/h in 4.3 seconds before reaching a top speed of 312 km/h.

Expect updated xenon adaptive headlights, LED fog lights, automatic start-stop technology, and 21'' wheels as well.

Four models will be available in the US including B7, B7 xDrive, B7 Long Wheelbase, and B7 xDrive Long Wheelbase. Right now, only the first is sold in Canada. But that might change as BMW has yet to make an official announcement.

As automakers look for lighter materials to improve fuel economy, Alcoa's director of automotive marketing, Randall Scheps, predicts that demand for aluminum within that sector will be at least twice as strong by 2025.

Photo: Audi

"We have every car maker calling us, wanting to increase their aluminum content, wanting to start new R&D projects about how they can convert bodies from steel to aluminum, wanting to convert hoods and doors from steel to aluminum," he says.

Scheps believes that this transition will more than double aluminum's overall rate of consumption in vehicle fleets from 11.5 million tons in 2011 to 24.8 million tons by 2025. BMW, among other manufacturers, has steadily been increasing its use of the metal in recent years.

In an effort to meet the growing demand, Alcoa has invested $300 million in expansion projects at its Davenport, Iowa plant.


_{Source: Automotive News}

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.