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The migration to smaller engines with fewer cylinders may be a boon for fuel-conscious motorists, but it has created a dilemma for traditional suppliers of engine components.

No one expects China's vehicle sales to rise 30 percent a year anymore, but it's still the world's largest auto market, and some segments have room to grow.

Sales of 16 million light vehicles? Suddenly it's not a mirage.

Struggling Suzuki is shrinking in many ways. Insiders say the company is slashing marketing while sales and the dealer roster dwindle.

Volkswagen Group is leaning toward building a factory in Mexico for its premium Audi brand. The parent company favors Mexico for the North American assembly plant over a site on the grounds of its U.S. manufacturing complex in Chattanooga, Tenn.

Blind-spot detection is becoming the first collision-avoidance technology to reach high volume outside luxury vehicles. From 2008 through 2011, Autoliv Inc.'s sales of blind-spot radar units jumped tenfold, with production of 1.

Laura Isbell, e-commerce marketing director for Bob Rohrman Auto Group, likes live chat with prospective customers on her Web sites. But she has stopped asking busy salespeople to do it.

Volkswagen Group is leaning toward building a factory in Mexico for its premium Audi brand. The parent company favors Mexico for the North American assembly plant over a site on the grounds of its U.S. manufacturing complex in Chattanooga, Tenn.

Luciano Bacheta won both of the 2012 Formula 2 championship held at Silverstone.

The Brit, who contested the GP3 championship last season, set the second best performance in qualifying 1 behind the suprising 15-year-old Matheo Tuscher.

However, at the start of race 1, Bacheta powered into the lead ahead of the young Swiss, and then cruised to victory ahead of Christopher Zanella and Alex Fontana, as Tuscher took 6th place at the checkered flag.

Photo: FormulaTwo

Race 2 qualifyings were dominated by Mihai Marinescu ahead of Alex Fontana. Bacheta, who started from 3rd place, snatched second position from Fontana at the start, then was then able to take the lead afterfrom Marinescu at the end of the race.

Race 1:
1 - Luciano Bacheta - 21 laps in 38'35”237
2 - Christopher Zanella + 0”912
3 - Alex Fontana + 5”267
4 - Mihai Marinescu + 6”154
5 - Daniel McKenzie + 6”240
etc.

Race 2:
1 - Luciano Bacheta - 21 laps in 38'27”118
2 - Mihai Marinescu + 1”137
3 - Alex Fontana + 6”279
4 - Daniel McKenzie + 7”232
5 - Matheo Tuscher + 8”202
etc.

Championship:
1. Bacheta 50 points; 2. Fontana and Marinescu 30; 4. Zanella and McKenzie 22; 6. Tuscher; 7. Pommer et Zamparelli 10; 9. Hurst 7; 10. Zhu 2.

Team Penske's Will Power may have been among the drivers who had been sanctioned by a 10-place grid penalty but, still, he overcame the odds to win IndyCar classic race in Long Beach.

Because of some swift moves on the track and some great strategy, the Australian, who was starting 12th, maintained the pace and fended-off a late charge from Schmidt's Simon Pagenaud to take his second victory of the 2012 season.

Photo: LAT for IndyCar

Power had chosen to make his last pitstop early and therefore had to conserve his fuel to last thru the end while his closest pursuant Pagenaud was exactly on an opposite strategy and was forced to stop later; losing some positions in the process.

With 30 laps remaining, the Schmidt Motorsport ace was back in fourth and with plenty of fuel to spare. The Frenchman started his way back to the front by moving around Rubens Barrichello (KV Racing) for third.

Then, with 11 laps to go he did the same to Rahal Letterman's Takuma Sato before starting closing the gap between him and the leader Power. From 7 seconds out, Pagenaud gained ground with each lap but, still, Power was able to cross the finish line with only 0.8 seconds to spare.

Sato was looking for a podium finish but was spun from behind by Andretti's Ryan Hunter-Reay on the final lap. Hunter-Reay was handed a 30 seconds penalty for his part in the incident, promoting his team-mate James Hinchcliffe onto the podium.

Results - 85 laps:

Pos Driver Team/Car Time/Gap

1. Will Power Penske DW12-Chevy
2. Simon Pagenaud Schmidt DW12-Honda + 0.8675s
3. James Hinchcliffe Andretti DW12-Chevy + 13.2719s
4. Tony Kanaan KV DW12-Chevy + 18.1951s
5. JR Hildebrand Panther DW12-Chevy + 22.9947s
6. Ryan Hunter-Reay Andretti DW12-Chevy + 42.5631
7. Ryan Briscoe Penske DW12-Chevy + 1m40.1271s
8. Takuma Sato Rahal DW12-Honda + 1 lap
9. Rubens Barrichello KV DW12-Chevy + 1 lap
10. Justin Wilson Coyne DW12-Honda + 1 lap
11. James Jakes Coyne DW12-Honda + 1 lap
12. EJ Viso KV DW12-Chevy + 1 lap
13. Helio Castroneves Penske DW12-Chevy + 1 lap
14. Ed Carpenter Carpenter DW12-Chevy + 2 laps
15. Dario Franchitti Ganassi DW12-Honda + 3 laps
16. Oriol Servia Dreyer & Reinbold DW12-Lotus + 3 laps
17. Sebastien Bourdais Dragon DW12-Lotus + 3 laps
18. Charlie Kimball Ganassi DW12-Honda + 5 laps
19. Katherine Legge Dragon DW12-Lotus + 5 laps

Retirements:
Simona de Silvestro HVM DW12-Lotus 74 laps
Alex Tagliani BHA DW12-Lotus 46 laps
Mike Conway Foyt DW12-Honda 41 laps
Scott Dixon Ganassi DW12-Honda 27 laps
Graham Rahal Ganassi DW12-Honda 23 laps
Marco Andretti Andretti DW12-Chevy 22 laps
Josef Newgarden Fisher DW12-Honda 0 laps

Sebastien Loeb will drive the LMP2 Oreca-Nissan, the car entered by Sebastien Loeb Racing in the ELMS series, during the Test Dat at Le Mans.

The Loeb team, which made its racing debut this season in the European Le Mans Series is also involved in the French Porsche Carrera Cup and in the French GT Championship.

The team will not contest the 2012 24 Hours of Le Mans, but intends to fo so this year.

The 8-time World Rally Champion will therefore drive the LMP2 car during the Test Day scheduled for June 3.

Photo: Sebastien Loeb Racing

Sebastien Loeb will be sharing the wheel of the LMP2 with regular drivers Stephane Sarrazin, Nicolas Minassian and Nicolas Marroc, who just clinched second place in the Six Hours of Le Castellet, the opening round of the European Le Mans Series.

Loeb already ran the24 Hours of Le Mans 24, in 2005 and 2006 with team Pescarolo, and the rally champion clinched second place overall in his second attempt.

"I'm looking forward to be back at Le Mans for two reasons," Sebastien Loeb said.

"First as a driver, for its history and its unique characteristics. This circuit is magic. Secondly, as a team manager. To see the team run its prototype on the Le Mans circuit only a few months after its creation, this will obviously be a very special moment !"

Sam Schmidt Motorsport's Esteban Guerrieri won without any opposition this Sunday's Indy Lights race in Long Beach.

Guerrieri took the lead from polesitter Sebastian Saavedra (Andretti/AFS) right at the start and, after that, never had to look in his mirrors; cruising to a comfortable win.

Photo: LAT for IndyCar

He crossed the finish line with an advantage of more than 1.5 seconds over his nearest pursuant. Gustavo Yacaman (Team Moore) was third on the road but was issued with a 30s post-race penalty that appeared to be linked to some damaged bodywork.

That handed the final podium place to Schmidt's Tristan Vautier, with Victor Carbone, Carlos Munoz and Oli Webb rounding out the top six.

From GMM

Jean Todt has broken his long and conspicuous silence over the Bahrain controversy.

Until now, the ultra-low-profile FIA president had been reluctant to speak on the issue, despite deciding that the sport should push ahead with this weekend's race in the troubled island Kingdom.

So unremarkable was Frenchman Todt's visit to Shanghai last weekend that most reporters believed he in fact left China on Saturday.

He then appeared on Sunday's grid, giving reluctantly short soundbites and congratulating his former Ferrari colleague Ross Brawn on Nico Rosberg's win.

Todt even finally commented on Bahrain.

Asked why the event is going ahead despite the ongoing controversy, he told German RTL television: "It has a date on the calendar and was always planned.

"There has been some controversy about it, but the FIA is a sports organisation. We are only interested in sport -- not politics. Our responsibility is that people can go there and have good and secure conditions. This will be the case," Todt insisted.

"We have spoken in this regard with representatives of the government, with the embassies and with neighbouring countries, as well as with European foreign ministries. We have made an extension examination with a lot of checks. It is clear that the grand prix can go ahead. At the moment, a major golf tournament is going ahead in Bahrain. On one hand, there are unpleasant political aspects as well, but it's the same thing all over the world. On the other hand, we are a sport. We are confident that the next grand prix will go ahead just as successfully as this one here in China," he added.

The 2012 Honda Insight gets a new look, some new features and (believe it or not!) even better fuel economy.


An increasingly crowded hybrid field now includes the Ford Fusion, the Kia Optima and, of course, the venerable Toyota Prius. All are pricier, except the new 2012 Toyota Prius c, which offers a nearly price-level competitor for the Insight. Honda's looking to at last gain some ground on the Prius in 2012 with numerous updates, most subtle on their own, but together adding up to a pretty comprehensive update.

Outside, a thin, blue accent bar has been introduced on the grille to denote its high-tech hybrid identity, while restyled bumpers contribute to a 2% increase in aerodynamics. New headlight and brake light internal reflectors, slightly wider tires and new 15-inch wheel covers round out exterior tweaks.

Inside, a reconfigured rear seat offers improved legroom and head room, and the gauge cluster gets a more technically sophisticated look. Cupholders are bigger, seat fabric is posher, and the cabin is quieter. A rearview camera is now available, packaged with an upgraded optional navigation system.



Honda's Integrated Motor Assist featuring a 1.3L i-VTEC 4-cylinder gas engine and 10-kW electric motor develops 98 combined hp at 5,800 rpm and 123 lb-ft of torque at 1,000-1,700 rpm; new friction-reducing measures and a CVT automatic transmission mean fuel economy improvements this year. Its Eco Assist System further enhances the efficiency of throttle control, CVT operation, idle-stop duration, air conditioning and cruise operation, and provides feedback on driving style via a 3D-ish background in the speedo: green for really efficient, blue for not-so-much.

Fuel economy is now rated at 4.7L/100km around town and 4.4L/100km on the highway.

One trim, the LX, is available starting at $21,990.

From Ford

Ford Motor Company's all-new Focus Electric will become the first all-electric pace car to ever lead the field for a NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race at the Richmond 400.

The all-new Focus Electric will perform all pace care duties at Richmond International Raceway on April 28.

Photo: Ford

Approximately 35 percent of new car intenders are motorsports fans and 78 percent of them support NASCAR, according to Ford research. Additionally, Ford race fans are 67 percent more likely to consider Ford products than general market consumers.

In January, Ford became the first manufacturer to show off its 2013 NASCAR race car when it unveiled the new 2013 Fusion racer to media in Charlotte, N.C.

The Focus Electric pace car will be unveiled for the public at the Virginia State Capitol in Richmond on April 25. Lt. Gov. Bill Bolling will deliver the Focus Electric to Richmond International Raceway, where it will serve as pace car for that weekend's NASCAR Sprint Cup Series event.

At the age of 26 and after 110 Grands Prix contested in career, German driver Nico Rosberg won his first Formula 1 race on Sunday at the Grand of China in Shanghai.

Rosberg, driving a Mercedes AMG W03, captured his maiden win at his 111th Grand Prix. Nico Rosberg is the son of 1982 F1 World Champion Keke Rosberg who contested 49 races before he won his first GP.

Let's review the Top 10 drivers with most races contested before first win.

10. 81nd race United Kingdom Eddie Irvine 1999 Australian Grand Prix (Photo: WRI2)


9. 91st race France Jean Alesi 1995 Canadian Grand Prix (Photo: WRI2)

8. 95th race Belgium Thierry Boutsen 1989 Canadian Grand Prix (Photo: WRI2)

7. 96th race Finland Mika Häkkinen 1997 European Grand Prix (Photo: WRI2)

6. 110th race Italy Giancarlo Fisichella 2003 Brazilian Grand Prix (Photo: WRI2)

5. 111th race Germany Nico Rosberg 2012 Chinese Grand Prix (Photo: WRI2)

4. 113th race United Kingdom Jenson Button 2006 Hungarian Grand Prix (Photo: Honda)

3. 117th race Italy Jarno Trulli 2004 Monaco Grand Prix (Photo: Renault)

2. 124rd race Brazil Rubens Barrichello 2000 German Grand Prix (Photo: WRI2)

1. 130th race Australia Mark Webber 2009 German Grand Prix (Photo: WRI2)

From CIK FIA

Further to hearing and following the recommendations and desiderata of most of the major Manufacturers performing on the international Karting scene, the CIK-FIA had introduced a new World Championship format dedicated to the KF1 category for the year 2012. Five Organisers have trustfully invested in the organisation of events which were supposed to constitute the highlight of their season and possibly that of the history of their circuit or club.

Charles Leclerc, Winner, 2011 CIK-FIA World Cup for KF3, Sarno, Italy. (Photo CIK/KSP)

On the back of receiving 16 entries and of the World Council's green light to confirm the World Championship despite this small number of participants, the FIA and CIK, only a few days before the date scheduled for the publication of the entry list, had to deplore the announcement by the three main Manufacturers concerned (who represent 12 Drivers) that they would not participate in the competition if a minimum of 25 starters could not be reached.

Without yet cancelling the 2012 CIK-FIA World KF1 Championship, the CIK-FIA is therefore compelled to delete its three European events scheduled for Varennes (France), PF International (Great Britain) and Sarno (Italy).

As the sporting regulations of the Championship stipulate that the Asian events of Suzuka and Macau can be reinforced by local participation, these two rounds could be maintained thanks to a large enough field. The CIK and FIA will shortly take a decision regarding the events scheduled for Japan and Macau.

According to reports, former Champ Car and IndyCar driver Michel Jourdain Jr could find himself in a Rahal Letterman Lanigan (RLL) car for the upcoming Indianapolis 500 if everything goes according to plan.

The Mexican was present in RLL garage last weekend during the Long Beach Grand Prix and when asked about his visit, both Bobby Rahal and Jourdain Jr. confirmed that the chances are more than good for the Mexican to contest the Indy 500.

Jourdain Jr. won races in Milwaukee and in Montreal ChampCar races during his stay with Rahal's squad in 2003.

Earlier this season, the RLL had announced that former GP2 stand-out Luca Filippi would drive the team's second car beginning with the 500, but Rahal said the sponsorship money has not come through yet. If it does, the team could run three cars at the Indy 500.

Last weekend, CTV's W5 aired the now famous (or is that infamous) used car investigation results.

This year, well, nothing much has changed... Old habits die hard for used car lots as they still regularly use false advertising to get people into their showrooms.

George Iny, President of the Automobile Protection Association, puts it best: “The low-ball, the bait and switch and the extra unadvertised fees.”

The other undying trend are “curbsiders”. In the video, we meet a few crafty fellows that have great stories that, unfortunately, must work once in a while as they are professional “fakes”.

In both situations, the cars are in terrible condition, a few are not even road worthy.

As ever, the saying “buyer beware” holds true.

Mr Iny notes that the Province of Quebec is not especially stringent when it comes to tracking and reporting accidented vehicles. Could this be one of the hidden unspoken reasons why Bill 48 was introduced? A way way the SAAQ to clean up their act?

Photo: CTV.ca

Audi's got the solution for wary pedestrians concerned about stealthy electric vehicles sneaking up on them -- it's called e-sound.




_{Source: ITworld}