Auto News 5

A new wave of optimism is overtaking the US auto industry as it rebounds from the depths of the recession and a brutal restructuring, according to Booz & Company's second annual US Automotive Industry Survey and Confidence Index.

Tesla Motors says it will begin delivering its Model S, its premium electric sedan, to customers on June 22nd.

The BMW-Brilliance Automotive joint venture will open its most sustainable dealership in the world next month in Beijing.

BMW Group and its Chinese joint venture partner could build new electric vehicles or plug-in hybrids at their new factory in Shenyang which was officially opened here today.

BMW and its Chinese joint venture partner Brilliance have opened a new plant at Shenyang.

The all-new Mercedes SL will start from £72,495 for the V6-powered SL350 model

Nissan said it will start production of its second electric vehicle, the e-NV200 light commercial van, next year. The e-NV200 will be built for global markets alongside standard versions of the van in Nissan's factory in Barcelona, Spain.

First Drive: 2013 Ford Shelby GT500

200 mph for the masses

Let's get the obvious out of the way: 200 mph is an absurd number. Jet airliners take off and land at slower speeds. 200 mph is twice as fast as most Americans will ever drive, and it requires twenty-five times the power needed to go 60 mph. The staff of this magazine has driven some of the fastest, most exotic cars in the world, and yet only two of us -- European bureau chief Georg Kacher and contributor Ezra Dyer-- have driven 200 mph.

Photo Gallery: 2013 Ford Shelby GT500 First Drive - Automobile Magazine

Photo Gallery: 2013 Ford Shelby GT500 First Drive - Automobile Magazine

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From GMM

Money could be at the heart of the delay in Lewis Hamilton's re-signing with the McLaren team.

Until now, the British team has indicated it wants the 2008 world champion to stay on board, while 27-year-old Hamilton insists he has no plans to leave and will turn his attention to the 2013 contract soon.

But according to Blick newspaper, McLaren is pushing to cut Hamilton's existing contract retainer "in half" to "about EUR 10 million".

The Swiss report said the driver is unimpressed with the negotiations so far, but at least Hamilton's mood has improved tenfold compared with his calamitous 2011.

Photo: McLaren

It is a full year since Hamilton raged about his "frickin ridiculous" track rivals in the 2011 Monaco grand prix, when he also half-seriously suggested that the stewards were targeting him "because I'm black".

He is back on top form this season, but still yet to win a race, arguably mainly due to McLaren's numerous team mistakes.

Reports have suggested boss Martin Whitmarsh, who insists Hamilton "deserves" to win this weekend in Monaco, is worried the mistakes might drive the highly rated racer away.

On Wednesday, however, Hamilton denied he is frustrated.

"I'm not, no. This is the way racing goes sometimes," he insisted.

"I could easily get frustrated because I could have a healthy lead in the championship -- but that's not the case. I don't want to speak too early but something has definitely changed. Whatever I'm doing is working," he told British reporters. "In life, things just seem a lot better and that's enabling me to get on with my job without having any baggage."

The very first BMW M6 showed up in 1983, and sported an engine borrowed by the extremely rare BMW M1, the only mid-engined sports car ever produced by the Bavarians.


The E24 M6 was produced until 1989 and approximately 5,900 examples were produced, most of which came to North America.

It wasn't until 2006 that the M6 badge had once again found itself on a BMW. This M6 was based on the E63/E64 6 Series platform, and was offered as both a coupe and a convertible. This generation of M6 had a 5.0L V10 engine which produced 507 hp and was mated to a seven-speed, paddle-shift gearbox called SMG.

This model was praised for its performance and luxury features, and hence found quite a lot of customers. In its brief four-year production run, a total of just over 9,000 coupe (E63) and just over 5,000 convertible (E64) M6s were produced.

While there was a 17-year production gap between the first- and second-generation M6 models, buyers thankfully won't have to wait that long for the next M6 model.

The 2012 BMW M6 is slated to arrive this summer and will be first launched as a convertible model, with the coupe following a few months later. It's based on the new 6 Series coupe and convertible platform (F12/F13), and hence would benefit from all its latest technologies, starting with the new engine.

This new generation of the M6 will use a 4.4L, twin-scroll, twin-turbocharged V8 motor, which produces 560 hp and 500 lb-ft of torque.

Power will be transferred to the rear wheels via a seven-speed, dual-clutch automated transmission, which is not only much smoother than the previous single-clutch system, but delivers much faster shifts.

This new generation of the M6 will use a 4.4L, twin-scroll, twin-turbocharged V8 motor, which produces 560 hp and 500 lb-ft of torque. (Photo: BMW)

A quicker gearbox and a more powerful engine equals to a faster car. BMW claims that this new M6 can accelerate from 0-100 km/h in just 4.4 seconds. Top speed is electronically limited to 250 km/h.

To keep the car on the tarmac, the new M6 comes equipped with an Active M Differential and an updated Dynamic Stability Control (DSC) system. The new system not only works to make your journey safer, but also has settings like its M Dynamic Mode (MDM) to allow you to have some fun when you are in the mood, or at the track.

To bring this 4,500-lb (2045-kg) car to a halt, the M6 has 15.7” brake discs at the front, and 15.6” discs at the rear.

While the new M6 has impressive performance stats, it also has a responsible side. Hence all M6s will come equipped with an automatic start/stop feature which will shut the engine off at red lights and start it again as soon as you release the brake pedal.

This not only reduces greenhouse gasses produced by the car, but also helps it achieve decent fuel economy. BMW rates the new M6 at 13.2L/100km in the city and 8.6L/100km on the highway.

As one would expect from a luxury sports car, the new M6 also comes very well equipped. Hence you get a power retractable top, 10-way power adjustable M Sport seats, and a 10.3”, high-resolution LCD infotainment screen. Plus all the other usual comfort and convenience features.

As one would expect from a luxury sports car, the new M6 also comes very well equipped. (Photo: BMW)

As for options, BMW Canada is still working out what will be offered as standard and what will be offered as an optional extra. The pricing of the car and its options are hence not available at this time, but expect a base MSRP of over $120,000.

The sleek new M6 Convertible will go on sale by this summer.

Roush Yates' customer arm is making it possible for fans to buy pieces of actual NASCAR history. These items are not manufactured “memorabilia.”

Usually there is a sale on Wednesdays only, but, for the next week, the company is conducting a “Wide Open Week”sale.

Point your browser over to: http://www.roushyatesparts.com/WOW-s/672.htm to see what's on sale.

Some items are priced very reasonably like a Matt Kenseth Ford Nose piece for only $50.

Matt Kensett's Ford. (Photo: NASCAR)

For one hundred dollars you can get a rear (trunk) panel of Kenseth's Crown Royal Ford.

If you want to go larger how about a hood from one of Kenseth's car for $250

The most expensive items for sale are Butler Seats with Halos for $600. While they can be recycled for use in show cars or perhaps race cars if they meet current specifications.

I think that the Pièce de résistance is the set of used headers marked down from $998 to a mere $349. What a conversation piece for a rather large coffee table or wall in your living room or den.

The 76th Indianapolis 500 was held at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway on Sunday, May 24, 1992 and was the scene of the closest finish in Indy 500 history. Here's a video of the last laps of the race.

Cold temperatures and high winds turned the race into a crash-filled, marathon day.

Michael Andretti led 160 laps and was 30 seconds in front when his fuel pump suddenly failed with eleven laps to go.

With 7 laps to go, the green flag came out, and the race was down to a tense two-man battle between Al Unser, Jr. and Scott Goodyear. The cars battled nose-to-tail around the entire circuit.

On the final lap, Goodyear drafted Unser down the backstretch, and tucked closely behind through the final turn. Out of the turn, Goodyear zig-zagged behind Unser, and dove his nose inside over the final few hundred yards. Goodyear pulled alongside, but Unser held him off officially by 0.043 seconds, the closest finish in Indy 500 history.

Picture this if you can: a cube van is travelling a major highway during rush hour. Inside is a crew of electricians, intent on arriving at a job on a tight schedule.

The van pulls over, the men pile out, carrying equipment, reaching under seats and pulling up mats, casting quick glances at their foreman, who paces back and forth, jaw clenched, eyes bulging. They haven't been targeted for a surprise contraband search and it's not a bomb scare; the foreman (a close friend) has just been pushed to the breaking point by an incessant rattling.

In the grand scheme of things, an annoying rattle, rustle or buzz seem like trivial reasons to have a meltdown. There are after all so many obstacles, hurdles and unexpected calamities that we accept and deal with in the course of a day. And yet, like a pebble in a shoe, an endlessly dripping tap or the whine of a mosquito orbiting your head, it's the little things that push the red button.

Taking on just the right frequency or pitch, this seemingly innocuous distraction can cause frayed nerves to finally snap.

I've grown oblivious to the steadily worsening grumble of the transaxle in my aging hatchback (after all, I know the cause, and the cure is merely a liberal application of loonies and twonies). The raucous barking of a long-past-its-due-date muffler is easily squelched by cranking the tunes up a notch.

But the recent introduction of a clacking at idle, that seemed to switch origins and then conversely, come from all four corners of the vehicle, had me, much to the amusement of my watching neighbours, lifting the hatchback, removing the back seat and the spare tire, clambering under the running car, until I finally discovered a broken exhaust hangar.


Routine trips to the dump, my beloved pickup laden with renovation debris, hardly rate a flicker on my serendipity scale.

Flapping tarps, the groaning or thumping of shifting lumber, the scrape of a paint can travelling from the front to the back of the bed on the hilly dump route are all taken in stride.

However, a vibrating wire behind the stereo head unit got the better of me on a recent road trip. Conversation with my passenger became impossible when the buzz grew steadily louder while my friend chattered, completely oblivious to the raging cacophony inside the truck.

Finally, I pulled over in exasperation and pried the dash off, frantically rummaging through the glove box for something - anything - to wedge behind the stereo to stop the maddening noise. Bemused (and wisely silent), my passenger handed me his handkerchief, which, wrapped around the back of the stereo unit, served admirably as sound insulation. We continued our journey in blissful calm.

Little do my friends know that my stoic invincibility in the worst of road and traffic conditions is largely dependent upon a square of monogrammed cotton.

Oh - and the source of all the aggravation in the before mentioned cube van? A dangling bungee cord.

Adapted from GMM

Jean-Eric Vergne will race formula one veteran Jean Alesi's helmet design this weekend in Monaco.

Photo: Jean-Eric Vergne

It is Vergne's tribute to his French countryman as former Ferrari and Sauber driver Alesi, 47, this weekend becomes the youngest ever rookie in the Indy 500.

Jean-Eric Vergne, 22, had planned to watch Alesi from Indianapolis' fabled stands, "but then came the news I was driving for Toro Rosso and of course that meant a clash with Monaco. I was still determined to do something special to mark Jean's Indy debut and so we came up with the idea, which is quite common here in Monaco in fact, of me using a special design in tribute to him. I think it looks great and I hope it brings us both good luck this weekend.”

Jean Alesi. (Photo: IMS)

Jean Alesi starts the Indy 500 from 33rd and last, with the vastly-underpowered Lotus engine.

From GMM

Sir Frank Williams has vowed to visit every rival team this weekend in Monaco to thank them personally for their response to the garage fire two weeks ago in Spain.

The Oxfordshire based team's founder and boss revealed not only that every fire extinguisher in the Barcelona paddock was willingly discharged, but that the other team principals had stepped forward with offers to help Williams recover from the loss of nearly everything in the pits.

"The reaction was extraordinary," he told the Telegraph. "Overwhelming. My main job when I get to Monaco is to go around all the team principals and thank them, and try to pay them back for whatever they gave us."

Photo: WRi2

Chief engineer Mark Gillan is quoted by Spain's El Pais newspaper as putting a figure on how much of the team's travelling equipment was destroyed in Spain -- 90 per cent.

"That includes every metal component on Bruno (Senna)'s car through corrosion," he said.

Senna confirmed to El Mundo newspaper: "I think that from the car I raced in Barcelona the only thing that is the same now is the tub."

Williams is still missing some things, but Mark Gillan insisted that the fire will not affect the team's Monaco grand prix.

"In fact, you can run an F1 car with one laptop if you have to. You don't want to, but we are fully operational," he insisted.

For more than three months, more than one hundred thousand angry students have protested in Montreal in regards to planned university tuition fee increases. A group of students has decided to threaten the Canadian Grand Prix, scheduled for June 8-9-10 on Ile Notre-Dame.

During a meeting held May 9, an association of students from Universite du Quebec a Montreal (UQAM) declared "a weekend of disruption" aimed at "the cancellation" of the race, which carries "sexist, non-environmental and elitist" values.

Montreal newspaper La Presse wrote Wednesday that a spokesperson of the group mentioned that such actions had not yet been decided.

Francois Dumontier, the general manager of the Canadian Grand Prix said he was keeping a close eye on the situation.

Circuit Gilles-Villeneuve. (Photo: WRi2)

Dumontier told La Presse that the safety team of his organisation already had discussions with the Montreal police department and the public transport authorities. He did not mention any of the plans discussed.

As it is the case for several years, access to the Ile Notre-Dame will be limited to ticket holders and accredited persons from a week prior to the event.

La Presse quoted Dumontier saying that the protesters are not targeting the right event. “Certain people want to cause problems during the Grand Prix. They say that it is only about capitalism and money. But they must not forget that the event brings a lot of fresh money into the Montreal economy. The event also give jobs to students”.

And to those who claim that Formula 1 causes pollution, the organizers want to add that because of an FIA programme, the F1 has been carbon neutral for more than 10 years.

From wrc.com

Jari-Matti Latvala says he has no fears about being able to complete the gruelling Acropolis Rally route on his first start in the WRC since he broke his left collarbone in a skiing accident.

Latvala suffered the injury while cross-country skiing as part of his rigorous training programme in his native Finland in early April. He was forced to miss Rally Argentina as a result. But after covering 440 kilometres during a recent test, the 27-year-old says he's ready to take on world rallying's best in Greece this week.

Jari-Matti Latvala, Ford. (Photo: WRC)

“I was surprised how good it felt,” he said. “I wore padding under the HANS device to spread the pressure across my chest and shoulders and it worked perfectly. We planned a shorter first day, but with no problems I drove a full schedule on the second day on a rougher road, and I felt no pain in my collarbone or shoulder. My recovery schedule has been tight but I'm confident I won't have to worry about the injury.”

Latvala, who currently languishes in sixth position in the WRC drivers' standings, expects Saturday's itinerary will be particularly tough but says he's ready for action.

“It will be a hard rally and Saturday's leg will be especially difficult,” he said. “It's longer than last year, with two passes over a new 21-kilometre stage, and it will be tough for the tyres in the heat. We worked on the suspension [in the test] and made a step forward, with the car feeling better in bedrock conditions. After so long out of the car I felt so happy and relieved that my skills were still there.”

2013 Lincoln MKT Ecoboost

We were surprised by the Lincoln MKT's competence.

Open the doors and the rear liftgate and you immediately see evidence of the old Ford D3 platform that underpins this vehicle: the protruding lips that preclude a smooth floor transition at the rocker panels; the huge depth for liftover at the liftgate. That said, Ford has done a superb job of packaging seating into the interior space, and the third-row seats fold cleverly and neatly into the cargo cavity to create a flat load floor that's even with the bumper height. Love the electric operation.

Photo Gallery: 2013 Lincoln MKT Ecoboost - Editors' Notebook - Automobile Magazine

Photo Gallery: 2013 Lincoln MKT Ecoboost - Editors' Notebook - Automobile Magazine

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It's not always business for Pirelli and Formula One. Sometimes even the company chefs need the day off.

Renault is considering introducing a high-end brand and reviving its Alpine sports car models, Chief Operating Officer Carlos Tavares told a French newspaper.