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Collectible Classic: 1973-1974 Pontiac Firebird Trans Am SD-455

The last of the old and the first of the new.

Pontiac will be remembered for styling and shtick -- Wide-Track, Ram Air, body cladding, screaming chickens. Behind the juvenile antics, though, there once existed a capable group of engineers. Pontiac Motor Division ran its own successful racing efforts, had its own chassis-tuning group, and fielded its own engines, including an overhead-cam in-line six and a V-8 family that was distinct from Chevrolet's small-block. If that sounds redundant, ask Porsche executives how they'd feel about putting a Volkswagen four-cylinder in a 911. The sun was already setting on Pontiac's golden age, however, when the engineers turned out their greatest effort: the Firebird Super Duty 455. The SD-455 has been accurately described as Pontiac's last stand and the last real muscle car. It also prefaced the dawn of the performance era we enjoy today.

Photo Gallery: 1973-1974 Pontiac Firebird Trans Am SD-455 Collectible Classic - Automobile Magazine

Photo Gallery: 1973-1974 Pontiac Firebird Trans Am SD-455 Collectible Classic - Automobile Magazine

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Strong demand in the United States helped Mercedes-Benz post record car sales in May despite a slowdown in its European home market and a slowdown in China.

Audi new-car sales in China rose 44 percent to 36,278 cars last month, putting it ahead of rivals BMW and Mercedes, which rose 31 percent to 25,500 and 1 percent to 16,529 respectively in the same period.

Nissan expects auto demand in China's inland provinces to help it offset poor sales in Chinese coastal areas as some economists forecast that China's economy will grow at its weakest pace this year since 1999.

The European Commission may soften its stance on new-car CO2 emissions, a report said.

Carmakers and dealers intervened to prop up Germany's flagging new car sales in May by registering vehicles in their own name to offset a decline in demand.

The European auto industry has been rocked by overcapacity, high debt and lagging sales.

Johan De Nysschen, who stepped down as head of Audi of America last week, has been lured away by Nissan to become senior vice president in charge of the Infiniti luxury brand worldwide.

To create a more uniform brand image worldwide, Hyundai has launched a global advertising campaign that uses common creative work in all markets.

Marco Sorensen and Kevin Magnussen won the two races of the Formula Renault 3.5 series held at Spa, while Richie Stanaway crashed heavily.

Marco Sorensen (12) and Kevin Magnussen (1) fighting at the start. (Photo: World Series by Renault)

Magnussen clinched pole position for Race 1, but Sam Bird was able to take the lead after a great start.

Marco Sorensen, who started from third position, was able to slice in front of both drivers to take the lead and claim his maiden F. Renault 3.5 win ahead of Jules Bianchi and Bird, while Magnussen was forced to retire after a contact of Arthur Pic.

Again, Magnussen cpatured the pole for Race 2, but this time he maintained his lead after the start.

The Dane lost first position when Robin Frijns moved up to the lead after the pit stops, but Magnussen - the son of former F1 driver Jan Magnussen - was able to overtake the Dutch driver later on to take the win ahead of Nick Yelloly and Frijns.




Behind them, Richie Stanaway had a huge crash when his car was launched over the back of Carlos Huertas' machine. Landing heavily on the ground, Stanaway suffered two broken vertebrae, and he will be out for several months.

Race 1:
1 - Marco Sorensen - Lotus - 21 laps in 46'10"968
2 - Jules Bianchi - Tech 1 - 2"081
3 - Sam Bird - ISR - 4"639

4 - Mikhail Aleshin - RFR - 14"966
5 - Nico Muller - Draco - 15"375
etc.

Race 2:
1 - Kevin Magnussen - Carlin - 18 laps in 1.02'43"958
2 - Nick Yelloly - Comtec - 2"682
3 - Robin Frijns - Fortec - 6"820
4 - Nico Muller - Draco - 9"688
5 - Sam Bird - ISR - 12"820
etc.

Championship:
1. Bird 70 points; 2. Frijns 61; 3. Yelloly 51; 4. Sorensen 45; 5. Magnussen 43, etc.

The new GP3 spec car, which will be run in the next three seasons, will offer numerous changes, including a more powerful engine.

The GP3 series, which was launched in 2010, is contesting its third season this year.

The second-generation car will be developed for 2013, 2014 and 2015. The main change will come from a more powerful engine that will produce 400 hp (instead of 280 hp today).

New wings, sidepods, and engine cover will be also be developed for the new car that should be tested for the first time this summer, before it will be launched in September in Monza for the last round of the 2012 season.

Another change is that a maximum of 27 cars will be allowed on the grid, instead of 30 this season.

Aaro Vaino, Lotus GP. (Photo: GP3 Series)

Some more turbulence is right around the corner in the world of automobile racing.

Soon after the checkered flag fell on an epic Indy 500 finish - thanks to Chevrolet - in the IndyCar series, voices started to rise.

The race on track was superb, electrifying. Audience ratings were just as high as the speeds the car reached.

But 24 hours after the finish, unhappy competitors started to voice their opinion.

Some team owners started lobbying to get series' boss Randy Bernard out.

Why? Because according to them, Bernard failed twice to the task. First, Chevrolet still cannot not get over the fact that Bernard allowed Honda to tweak its turbo a few weeks before Indy.

At Indianapolis, it seemed Honda had a better engine in the top end, than Chevrolet did. That's why Chevy cars have won all the road races and Honda, quite easily, took the win in the most prestigious event of the season.

Furthermore, owners are furious about the exclusive new chassis used in the series, the Dallara DW12: in the end, it will cost them much more than the announced $350,000 announced by Bernard. That's not even factoring the aero kits in, which the teams will have to buy at $70,000 each.

Many teams are probably also mad at Bernard because he gave Lotus the green light to become an official engine supplier, probably knowing the small manufacturer wouldn't get the job done: every team powered by Lotus at the start of the season has now given up on its V6.

Well, not quite everyone. Simona de Silvestro and Jean Alesi had to stick to their respective contract and race the Indy 500 with an engine that, by any stretch, was not up to the task; after only 10 laps - seven minutes or so of racing - they were called back into pits by the officials, who were deemed too slow.

So, will Randy Bernard be forced to walk out? If the pressure keeps building up, he simply will have to. Follow the story on Auto123.com Racing.

Volkswagen doesn't think there are enough Jetta in the world.

That's why the German manufacturer is presently working on a crossover version of the future family SportWagen vehicle, which would be named the Alltrack. Volkswagen's aim is to steal a handful of Outback customers away from Subaru.

Photo: Volkswagen

To help minimize development costs, the SportWagen and the Alltrack will be based on the same platform - the same platform shared by two other Jetta models.

The Alltrack will be available only in the United States, at least for the time being. Volkswagen may offer it on other markets, such as Europe, but not in a close future.

The Alltrack will come in front- or four-wheel drive configurations, and be powered by either a petrol or a diesel 4-cylinder engine.

The whereabouts of the price are still undetermined.


_{Source: Automotive News}

IZOD IndyCar Series' team owners and CEO Randy Bernard have met in recent days and the introduction of the new aero kits was discussed. However, the team owners have made the point that they do not want them, period.

“We're all in agreement that nobody wants new aero kits next year because it's not really necessary right now,'' said Dennis Reinbold, who co-owns Oriol Servia's car along with Robbie Buhl.

Dario Franchitti, Dallara DW12 Indy car (Photo: IMS)

Instead, the team owners have expressed their concerns over the escalating costs and they would rather have new pricing arrangements with Dallara and other suppliers instead of having to invest more money in the DW12 car.

The owners believe the car is pretty good on all sorts of circuits and that the aero kits that are supposed to be developed by Chevrolet, Honda and Lotus would only be an extra expense (estimated at $75,000) they do not need.

Some of them have even suggested that the engine manufacturers should take the money they were going to spend on those kits to reduce the price of the engine lease.

The problem is that the teams have to buy genuine and certified components from Dallara, Cosworth (electronics) and Xtrac (gearboxes).

In the past, local shops were allowed to build parts or teams could produce these in-house for cheaper but that it is not the way things are working today.

One team owner estimated the annual overall costs are at least 25 percent higher than a year ago and that the addition of aero kits would only make things worse.

Mercedes' new SLS AMG GT is setting the bar even higher.

The newest SLS features enhanced driving experience and offers yet more power - 591 horsepower to be precise. It comes in both coupe or roadster version.

Photo: Mercedes-Benz

Darkened headlamps and taillights, red-coloured stitches, seat belts, centre console and brake callipers, sport seats with embroiled badges on the headrests, Alcantara leather door garnish - the SLS AMG GT is packed with style.

Thanks to an 8-cylinder 6.3L engine, the it can reach 0-100 km/h in just 3.7 seconds - wait another 7.5s and the speedo will read 200.

The options list is tasty, too. Amongst others, you can have carbon fibre door mirrors, carbon fibre interior, or ceramic brakes, some high-end audio system or even 10-spoke alloy wheels.

The SLS AMG GT is set to appear in German dealerships in October, with a price tag of €204,680. The roadster version should sell for €213,010.

From GMM

After denying rumours of a Ferrari contract, Sebastian Vettel has now played down persistent suggestions he is eyeing a switch to the famous Italian team in the near future.

"How will this work if I don't know anything about it?" the German smiled after authoritative British newspapers reported in Monaco that he had signed a pre-contract to move to Ferrari in 2014.

But the rumours only gained strength when Red Bull's Dr Helmut Marko confirmed the existence of a clause in Vettel's contract allowing the 24-year-old to leave under certain conditions at the end of 2013.

Sebastian Vettel won in Bahrain with Red Bull this season. (Photo: Pirelli)

"I'm fine where I am and I have no intention of leaving," Vettel is now quoted by La Presse newspaper ahead of the Canadian grand prix.

In the past, however, the reigning back-to-back world champion has refused to entirely rule out ever driving for one of F1's marquee names like Ferrari or Mercedes.

"I have worn a Red Bull helmet for most of my career," insisted Vettel. "It's difficult to imagine something else. It (leaving) would be like turning 18 or 19 and leaving home."

Team boss Christian Horner told the same French-language newspaper that Red Bull is very happy with Vettel.

"His character is his greatest strength," said the Briton.

"He is very determined, he is hungry, he is very professional, very dedicated," added Horner. "He continues to improve and develop and is still so young that I doubt we have yet seen the best of Sebastian."

He may be famous for not saying much, but the vehicle he drives manages to speak volumes about the man.

Yes, the applejack green 1976 Mini 1000 MkII, with its black painted hood (or bonnet as we Brits call it), was undoubtedly the perfect choice for the character Rowan Atkinson portrays. After all, from its launch way back in 1959, the Mini was always looked upon as something of an oddball.

Its inventor, Sir Alexander Issigonis, wasn't exactly shy about pushing the boundaries of design. While traditional thinking lined up a car's powerplant front-to-rear, he went and slapped them sideways into the vehicle to gain more interior room. Perhaps not the first time someone had thought outside the box (think hugely successful rear-engined Volkswagen Bug/Beetle), but Sir Alex perfected the idea of what is now an industry standard.

Back in its day, the Mini had a lot going for it. It was quite roomy for its overall size, was frugal on fuel, easy to park, and available in a number of configurations, including the sporty Cooper and Cooper S models. It was the darling of the swinging ‘60s and the car to be seen in, and yet Mr. Bean has managed to overshadow this on any number of occasions with his harebrained antics.

Who will ever forget the episode in which he placed his newly purchased armchair on the roof of his Mini and proceeded to drive home piloting the vehicle sitting in the chair? It surely has to be one of the funniest moments in television history!



Over the years I've owned several Minis, including Cooper and Cooper S models, and as much as I've loved them all, I've never quite gone to the extremes of Mr. Bean to protect them. His Mini boasts padlocks for door locks and a hidden key system which included positioning a sequence of keys in and around the vehicle to finally gain access to the ignition key, but that wasn't even enough for him. Oh no, his somewhat patented anti-theft system, on occasion, also involved the complete removal of the vehicle's steering wheel.

Now that's funny, but what makes this even more hilarious to me is that I've actually done exactly the same thing myself! Back when I used to drive my rally car on the road, I would often remove the quick-release steering wheel as an added safeguard, and I've endured more than one or two peculiar stares from bystanders as I wandered around town, steering wheel in hand. Maybe it's just one of those eccentric British things we do, or perhaps I was simply inspired by the genius of Mr. Bean, because for sure that is precisely what he is!

The turbocharged engines will make a return in Formula 1 as of 2014 with the introduction of a new engine format.

From 2014, the Formula 1 engine will be 1.6-litre, turbocharged V-6s with direct fuel injection that will make use of the KERS technology.

P.U.R.E engine supplier has supplied us with an computer-generated image of their new V-6 turbo motor.

Image: P.U.R.E. Corporation

As of 1st June 2012, P.U.R.E's technical department, led by Gilles Simon is based out of the former Toyota Motorsport GmbH (TMG) F1 facility in Cologne, Germany.

TMG was chosen in part because of their capability to test hybrid or e-motor systems, with single-component and full powertrain test benches dedicated to hybrid development.

Additionally, their extremely accurate single-cylinder dynamometre is designed for minute analysis of single cylinders from high-performance engines or complete small capacity engines of around 100PS. With no neighbouring cylinders, there is less outside influence on results while a greater variety of tests can be carried out.

In 2009, Hyundai dropped a bomb on the sub-$30,000 sports car segment by introducing the 2010 Genesis Coupe. Rear-wheel drive, 210-hp turbo engine and a bodacious bod, it quickly made us forget the not-bad Tiburon and gave the Korean brand some newfound street cred.

But the Genesis Coupe was also available with a raucous, 306-hp V6 that allowed it to nip at the heels of the potent Nissan 370Z and Mazda RX-8, and eat the Mitsubishi Eclipse for lunch.


The Scion FR-S and Subaru BRZ will soon hit the streets, Ford is constantly improving its Mustang, while the RX-8 and Eclipse have fallen. Hyundai chose the right time to update its sports car and give more power - lots more. The improvements are so significant that it despite its age, the 2013 Genesis Coupe has all it takes to stay competitive against its newer rivals.

More muscle underhood
While the turbo four receives a massive output gain, climbing from 210 to 274 hp, the 3.8L V6 hasn't been ignored either. Now with direct injection, power rises from 306 to 348 hp, torque rises from 266 to 295 lb-ft, and it all makes this car very, very fast.

It also sounds very, very mean. The V6's soundtrack has gotten aggressive to the point where you could almost mistake it for a V8 once it hits 3,500 rpm. The 2.0L turbo should satisfy the vast majority of Genesis Coupe buyers, but the 3.8 is mighty tempting.

Zero to 100 km/h now takes 5.6 seconds, thanks in part to the reworked six-speed manual. What used to be notchy and unrefined now delivers solid, clean shifts, although engaging reverse is still somewhat of a hassle.

The 3.8L V6 produces 348 hp, 295 lb-ft of torque and a wonderfully aggressive soundtrack. (Photo: Sébastien D'Amour)

Overprotective stability control
Once you calm your right foot down, you'll get decent fuel economy. My average of 11.3L/100km isn't bad at all considering engine size and output. At 100 km/h in sixth gear, the engine spins at about 2,300 rpm.

Hyundai claims to have recalibrated the Genesis Coupe's hydraulic power steering, and it does feel more responsive and more sports car-like than the old setup, cutting down some of the understeer I felt in the old car.

However, Hyundai's stability control system is about the most aggravating in the industry. It's over-reactive to the point of cutting off all power and applying the brakes at the slightest chirp of a wheel, very frustrating for even the mildly experienced behind the wheel.

It is better for 2013, though, which will please the mildly experienced, as Hyundai has added an intermediate mode which reduces the overprotective nanny assist. So when you feel like driving more, say, enthusiastically, you should flip modes.

The electronic stability control system is way too overprotective. (Photo: Sébastien D'Amour)

Revised dashboard
Inside, the steering wheel, instrument pod and door panels are virtually unchanged. That's not necessarily a bad thing; apart from the power window switches, which Hyundai thinks can be operated with your knuckles, little needed improving. The steering column now telescopes, which is a welcome addition.

What has been redesigned is the centre stack layout. Fan speed buttons are replaced by a rotary dial, which is good. The navigation screen has moved up to the top of the dash, which is also good. But for the rest, it's just different and not, well, better.

Actually, the three needles added to indicate real-time fuel consumption (off by about 1.5L/100km), torque (in newton metres) and oil pressure aren't very useful, and take up real estate for nothing. Oh well.

As before, the Genesis Coupe benefits from excellent seats, covered in perforated leather in the 3.8GT. They also look fabulously upscale, especially in brown as is the case in our test car.

A great-sounding Infinity stereo with 10 speakers and touchscreen navigation is included in 2.0T Premium and 3.8GT trims, complete with Bluetooth phone and streaming audio connectivity as well as a USB port. Unfortunately, almost every time I started the car, I had to manually reconnect my iPhone to the system; this also happened in other Hyundais (and Kias) previously tested.

The interior fit and finish is superb inside the Genesis Coupe 3.8GT. (Photo: Sébastien D'Amour)

The look
When the first pictures of the 2013 Genesis Coupe were revealed, I wasn't too sure about the new front-end treatment. The clean mug of the old car is replaced with a wider mouth, fake hood vents, LED daytime running lights and a general appearance that bears a family resemblance to the Veloster.

I don't think it looks that much better, but everybody else seems to: the new car is drawing a lot more attention then the 2011 version I drove last year. People stare, point a finger and raise their thumbs. I have to admit that the 2013 car looks much more aggressive, and that's probably what makes it more noticeable.

Higher price for the V6
The base 3.8 model is no longer offered for 2013, which means the price of admission for the V6 engine rises from $33K to $36,999 before taxes, freight and delivery charges. The 2013 Genesis Coupe 3.8GT is an interesting alternative to a $41K Nissan 370Z, or even a $39K Ford Mustang GT.

Base price for the 2013 Genesis Coupe is $26,499; our 3.8GT tester costs $37K. (Photo: Sébastien D'Amour)

The 2.0T Genesis received a $1,600 price hike, although the improvements are arguably worth it. I'd miss the character and sound of the V6, but a well-equipped Genesis Coupe with the turbo engine for less than 30 grand is quite a deal. If you prefer power over handling, the Hyundai might be a better choice than the new FR-S or BRZ.

Subaru BRZ

Ford Mustang

Nissan 370Z

Gabriele Tarquini has admitted that he was in discussion with team Honda to join the Japanese squad for their WTCC return next season.

Honda competed in the World Touring Car Championship several years ago, has planned a return to the series in the last three rounds of the 2012 season - which will be held in Japan, China and Macau - before a full effort starting in 2013. The Italian squad JAS Motorsport will run the Civic in the WTCC.

Photo: JAS Motorsport

Gabriele Tarquini, the 2009 WTCC champion is rumoured to join the team next season.

"I've been speaking with them for the past three months, but at the moment nothing's in place," said the italian driver to touringcartimes.com.

"Maybe they're not worried to choose their drivers yet, as next season is still a long way away. There's still the winter break, this summer - so there's a lot of time to decide, I don't think they'll decide their drivers for next season immediately."

"I'm in a deal with LUKOIL for 2012," he added, "and I want to respect that deal and I will be in the SEAT all the way up to Macau, I'm 100% sure."