Auto News 5

For the first time ever, a license plate has been granted to a self-driving car. Google's model is now allowed to take itself for a ride out on public roads, thanks to the Nevada state.

Photo: Google

The plate is red and reads "∞ 001" so the public can easily distinguish it. Once the self-driving car enters the market, the plate will go from red to green, but will keep the distinctive symbol.

"The infinity symbol felt right for what is essentially tomorrow's car," Nevada motor vehicle department's Bruce Bresbow said.

To be allowed on the public roads, Google had to meet to following requirements: subscribe to a million dollar insurance policy and publish ahead of time every detail concerning the tests conducted. Plus, at all time, two passengers must be aboard, one sitting behind the wheel to prevent any catastrophic failure.


_{Source: Ars Technica}

From GMM

Mercedes' continued participation in Formula 1 could be put to a shareholders' vote at the end of the year.

That is the claim of the respected French commentator Jean-Louis Moncet, writing in his Auto Plus column.

Norbert Haug on Monday denied reports the German car maker is on the verge of quitting the sport because it is not being offered the same Concorde Agreement deal as rival top teams Ferrari, McLaren and Red Bull.

But Moncet's apparently 'well-informed source' said: "The Mercedes directorate will vote on whether to stop the F1 programme at the end of 2012, and consequently (Mercedes) will not sign the agreements offered by Bernie Ecclestone."

The source said "the majority" of shareholders may veto Mercedes' F1 activities, which includes its own works team and the supply of engines to McLaren and Force India.

"The future of the (Mercedes) team is also tied to investment and sponsorship and the outcome of the arm-wrestling with Ecclestone," Moncet's source added.

Gas prices are on the rise and there IS something that consumers can do about it. In fact, the auto industry offers a broad range of fuel-efficient choices. 23 of them to be exact.

Beginning today, in Brighton, Ontario, journalist members of the Automobile Journalists Association of Canada (AJAC) will be driving 23 "green" vehicles from Brighton to Oshawa, Oshawa to Toronto, then Toronto to Hamilton, and finally onwards to London where the green convoy arrives Thursday, May 10th. The Mayor of Brighton, Mark Walas, officially launched the EcoRun today; Mayor Joe Fontana of London will close the event Thursday.

AJAC's EcoRun media event has one purpose: demonstrate to Canadians the latest in fuel-efficient technologies being introduced by automobile manufacturers.

The concept is loosely based on England's historic London-to-Brighton run for vintage cars; our own version will be focused on "green" cars with Brighton, Ontario as the starting point.

The Canadian Automobile Association (CAA) and Natural Resources Canada (NRCan) are event partners. They will join AJAC in providing tips and expert advice to consumers on ways to combat rising fuel prices. Schneider Electric is providing mobile charging stations for the EVs.

The CAA will use AJAC's EcoRun event to promote its various fuel-efficiency programs (e.g. Autogreen, and their ecoDriving tips)

Natural Resources Canada will use the AJAC event as a platform to launch its AutoSmart III program. Their message is that driver behaviour influences fuel-efficiency. NRCan is also monitoring and reporting on energy use so as to demonstrate the fuel-efficiencies attainable in a real-world driving situation.

Finally, the event intends to encourage the "handprint" vs. "footprint" philosophy of making a difference through educated choices and behaviour.
Along our route, we will be making stops at a few community colleges, universities and the Evergreen Brick Works Environmental Centre to promote their respective fuel-efficient projects. Each has their own story to tell: new research projects, new facilities, new programs. The first stop is the University of Ontario Institute of Technology today in Oshawa; followed by Centennial College and the Evergreen Brick Works in Toronto tomorrow; and ending up at Fanshawe College in London on Thursday.

Photos and videos of the EcoRun will be posted daily to the AJAC EcoRun web site: www.ajac.ca

Follow our day-to-day progress on Facebook and Twitter #ajacecorun.


_{As reported by the AJAC}

We have learned that Dragon Racing, thru its owner Jay Penske, has filed a lawsuit against Lotus accusing the engine supplier of no less than contractual fraud.

Dragon Racing becomes the third team to part way with Lotus after it had agreed to release both Team Barracuda BHA and Dreyer & Reinbold Racing from their contracts.

It's believed that Dragon has returned its Lotus engines and associated equipment, and is close on signing with Chevrolet with which he had numerous conversations with them in the last days.

We also believe that Dreyer & Reinbold Racing will announce shortly this week that it is also joining the Chevy stable in collaboration with an existing team.

As we had also revealed some times ago, Team Barracuda BHA is also expected to formally announce its addition to Honda's roster this week.

Associated Press said that Dragon Racing has sued Lotus for at least $4.6 million in damages, accusing the engine manufacturer of damaging its reputation by spreading "especially outrageous" falsehoods about the IndyCar team while failing to deliver two chassis and hurting its ability to be competitive.

Colin Jackson is best known for his 60 m hurdles world record - 7.3 seconds. However, he recently bested his time on a Warwickshire test track in England, lowering it to less than a second.

Photo: Jaguar

Albeit... at the wheel of a car - Jaguar's XJ Speed Pack.

"That's a new record for me!" said Jackson after he'd covered a total of 558.04 metres in the magic 7.3 seconds, travelling at over 275 km/h.

"The car was incredibly stable and quiet, it really felt totally at ease with travelling at such enormous speeds. We pulled more the 1G in deceleration - it was quite a ride!"

Jacques Villeneuve, the 1997 Formula 1 World Champion, drove today his father Gilles' Ferrari 312 T4 at the test circuit of Fiorano in Italy.


This morning, at the Fiorano Circuit one could be forgiven for imagining that Gilles Villeneuve was back on track. Shortly after 10:30am, a 312 T4 rumbled out of the pits prior to doing a few laps of the track.

In fact, this was a special commemoration organised by Ferrari as a tribute to the Canadian driver who raced for the Maranello Scuderia from 1977 until he died tragically during qualifying for the Belgian Grand Prix on 8 May 1982.

On the 30th anniversary of his death, his son Jacques took to the track in his memory, at the wheel of the same car with which his father won three races in 1979 and that his teammate Jody Scheckter drove to take the Drivers' Championship title.

Taking part in the event were Ferrari President Luca di Montezemolo, the Vice President Piero Ferrari, the Scuderia Ferrari drivers, Fernando Alonso and Felipe Massa, the Managing Director, Amadeo Felisa and the engineer, Mauro Forghieri, who was Technical Director in Gilles' day.

Many fans were drawn to Maranello by the ever present memory of the courageous driver and bringing the event to life, they were joined by Villeneuve's mechanics, his widow Joann and their daughter Melanie, who had been by his side back in those unforgettable days.

When Miami Vice first aired, viewers could hardly believe the number of expensive automobiles involved in the making of the show. Sonny Crockett (Don Johnson) roared around in a black Ferrari Daytona Spyder, whilst his partner, Ricardo Tubbs (Philip Michael Thomas) cruised about town in a classic 60s Cadillac Coupe DeVille Convertible. In fact, by the third season, Sonny had successfully offloaded his Daytona and could be seen piloting a drop-dead-gorgeous Ferrari Testarossa!

Photo: Universal Television

Renting those as prop vehicles is a lot of money for a television production company to fork out, let alone one (in its first season anyway) facing the possibility of getting axed at any moment, if it didn't prove popular with audiences.

Of course, like much in TV & Film land, not everything is always as it first appears. Point of fact, that awesome looking Ferrari Daytona was actually nothing more than a replica built on an old Corvette platform, and the Testarossa was a cleverly concealed De Tomaso Pantera.

Oh, the Cadillac was real enough, but then again, we seldom saw that being driven at anywhere near the pace of the Daytona and Testarossa. And although a very nice car, you could have, and still can, purchase several of them for what those Ferraris are worth.
Ah, but that's the beauty of TV and Film production because, with a little bit of imagination and some careful control of the camera angles, the camera can indeed lie!

I know this only too well as I have in the past rented out some of my own vehicles for TV & Film production. In fact, I still do on occasion (mostly British vehicles and old Land Rovers in particular), and it's often surprised me what they've ended up becoming.

One became the Pope-Mobile in a film where somebody shot at the poor guy, and another old Land Rover left me only to return as a fully decked out Pilipino taxi complete with baubles & beads hanging above the screen and a sign declaring that the driver had a “single daughter”. I still have the vehicle if anyone wishes to truly stand out in the crowd, or if they need a little assistance in finding an eligible husband for their eldest daughter!

Photo: Universal Television

Continue reading The cars of Miami Vice

Eric McClure, the Nationwide Series driver injured in Saturday's race at Talladega, was released from University of Alabama Birmingham Medical Center, on Monday.

Emily Brandt, a team spokesperson wrote, on Facebook “Eric McClure, driver of the No. 14 Hefty/Reynolds Wrap Toyota, was released this evening from the UAB Medical Center in Birmingham, Alabama, where he was airlifted Saturday afternoon following a racing incident at Talladega Superspeedway.

He suffered a concussion and mild internal bruising and is expected to make a full recovery. This week he will follow up with specialists regarding his injuries.

McClure has said he will make himself available to the media in the Jim Hunter Media Center at Darlington Raceway on Friday, May 11, time to be announced.”

In the closing stages of the Nationwide race McClure's car slammed into a SAFER barrier, on the inside of the track, after being struck from behind.

The impact caused such damage to his car that the roof had to be cut away to release him and there was a 19-minute red flag stoppage for safety and medical crew operations. McClure was awake and alert at the track, but, he was removed to the hospital nonetheless.

In an effort to take some distance with Toyota and some customers from BMW and Mercedes, Lexus has redesigned its GS model.

Lexus estimates that 30% of their present customer base will leave, sooner rather than later, to buy from the two German manufacturers - that's why they need to do something.

Photo: Lexus

"We want people to stop thinking we're just offering Toyota by-products," explains Kiyotaka Ise, head of states at Lexus since 2007. "We want to be known as a brand of its own, with character, luxury and comfort."

At the moment, however, BMW cars overshadow similar Japanese ones in that respect: Lexus has a lot of catching up to do, and they hope the GS is the solution to their problems. They hope it will redefine their image.

Such a feat is a big task for one model, especially if you are trying to please everyone.

"A design loved by everyone quickly becomes dull," Kazuo Ohara, another Lexus head of states, believes.

So don't expect the new GS to please everyone, because its design is bold.


_{Source: Automotive News}

From TOYOTA Racing

TOYOTA Racing announced that Hiroaki Ishiura is unable to take his place in the driver line-up of the No. 8 TS030 HYBRID at the 24 Hours of Le Mans.

During the first tests of the TS030 HYBRID, Hiroaki experienced discomfort in his back due to the higher g-forces experienced in an LMP1 car.

After taking medical advice, Hiroaki informed TOYOTA Racing of his decision to withdraw from the team for this year's Le Mans 24 Hours and concentrate on regaining full fitness ahead of the 2013 season.

TOYOTA Racing is evaluating a potential replacement and will confirm its decision as soon as the change has been ratified by the ACO.

From GMM

Nineteen years of Formula 1 did not prepare Brazilian veteran Rubens Barrichello for his first taste of driving an IndyCar on a high speed oval.

The former Ferrari driver, who switched categories for the 2012 season after losing his Williams race seat, tested at the Texas Motor Speedway on Monday.

"Last night I went to sleep thinking about it and when I woke up I was on the other side of the bed, so I already was ovaling in my dreams," Barrichello said with a laugh.

"It was bloody fast," he is quoted by the Associated Press, "and very, very much different than anything I have ever tried.

"I've had places that in formula one that they say 'Oh, it's almost flat and it's a big corner and it's a big challenge'. But the walls were never so close," the 39-year-old Brazilian enthused.

Barrichello's teammate Tony Kanaan admitted it was "fun" and a rare sight to see his close friend "nervous" prior to getting into a racing car.

"It was quite exciting to see how excited he got, and how happy he got out of the car saying how awesome it is," he said.

Texas Texas test

Ganassi's Scott Dixon was the fastest driver on hand at the IndyCar Series' oval test held at the Texas Speedway on Monday.

Actually, it was an all-Ganassi front line as Dixon was only one of three teammates to lead the timesheet as the series had set this practice in order to further development of the DW12 on a 1.5-mile high-banked oval

Charlie Kimball was second fastest, 0.121s slower than Dixon, while defending series champion Dario Franchitti was third.

In the first of the Chevrolet-powered car was Will Power in fourth followed by Ed Carpenter (Carpenter), Graham Rahal (Ganassi) and his teammate Helio Castroneves.

From GMM

Getting the set-up right is a challenge Formula 1 teams are grappling with in 2012.

So far this season, four different cars have won the four Grands Prix, with Pirelli's difficult tires credited or blamed for the unbalance of power.

The key, according to Mercedes team boss Ross Brawn, is car set-up.

"We can't modify the setup between qualifying on Saturday and the race on Sunday," he is quoted by Brazil's O Estado de S.Paulo newspaper. "And they are very different challenges, especially with this year's tyres.

"It's one thing to get the car to be fast on one lap and quite another to make it fast and consistent over 70.

"Whoever can anticipate what will be required for the race and come to a compromise - maybe to the detriment of grid position - should have a decisive advantage in the race.

"But it's not easy to anticipate what happens on Sunday," insisted Brawn.

Photo: Mercedes AMG

The number of people killed on U.S. highways fell in 2011 for the sixth straight year, the longest streak of declines in the nation's history. Crash fatalities dropped 1.

Two Detroit 3 automakers are among the top 10 in Fortune magazine's ranking of the 500 largest U.S. companies released today. More than 23 auto-related companies made the list. GM rose three spots to No. 5 and Ford rose one place to No. 9.

Toyota's profit may climb to a five-year high and exceed GM's earnings this year, signaling Asia's biggest automaker is close to full force after reeling from natural disasters and a recall crisis.

Toyota Motor Corp. unveiled the production version of its

Toyota today unveiled the production version of its RAV4 electric vehicle, which carries a battery pack and electric motor system developed in collaboration with Tesla Motors.

Also in this episode:

For the first time in six months, used-vehicle prices in April stopped their upward trajectory and showed signs of easing, according to a closely followed gauge released today. The Manheim Used Vehicle Value Index in April stood at 126.

A former Acura dealership employee who stole $10.2 million from the Pittsburgh-area store where she worked could face six years in prison, the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reported today.