Auto News 5

This coming Friday is the deadline for the teams that have decided to renew their participation into IndyCar's Leaders Circle program for the upcoming 2013 season.

The program is primarily designed to reward teams that finished in the top 22 of last season's standings and for their full-time participation to the series. This season, the monetary value of an entry is about $1 million.

To renew, teams must pay $50,000 now, then another $60,000 in a month. There's also a $15,000 technology fee.

Most of the top 22 teams are expected to renew, but there are a couple of key ones that had not renewed as of Thursday. They include: The No. 38 car of Ganassi Racing (driven last year by Graham Rahal) and the No. 2 car of Penske Racing (Ryan Briscoe).

The other car of interest is the No. 8 of KV Racing Technology entry that was driven last year by former Formula 1 veteran Rubens Barrichello who decided to pursue his career in stock car back home in Brazil.

As of today, Ganassi Racing has not decided whether to renew the No. 38 car since sponsorship isn't in place.

Same thing applies to Team Penske, which still has to decide whether or not to recommit for the No. 2 Dallara. Team Penske may pay the fees and then try to finalise a sponsorship deal.

Bo Andersson was one of the most powerful and feared men in the Detroit a few years ago. Now he is a hero of the Russian auto industry. He might still be a little feared, he admits.

Ford, facing criticism for the fuel-economy performance of some of its models, said the Environmental Protection Agency may change its procedures for testing the mileage of hybrids.

Publicly-owned automotive retailers with the financial muscle to buy new stores now have the perfect opportunity to do so, both in the United States and abroad.

The delayed rule that would require backup cameras in new cars remains "very much" on the table, National Highway Traffic Safety Administrator David Strickland said.

Light-vehicle sales will rise to 17 million units in the United States by 2015, from 2012's 14.9 million, Morgan Stanley Managing Director Adam Jonas told the Automotive News World Congress. Pent-up demand will fuel that rise, he said.

First Look: Nissan Resonance Concept

Nissan's Murano has existed in its current iteration since its 2007 Los Angeles Auto Show debut/January 2008 sale date.

Nissan's Murano has existed in its current iteration since its 2007 Los Angeles Auto Show debut/January 2008 sale date. Considering that most modern cars have a six-year life span, the Murano is due for a complete revamp sometime in 2013 or 2014. It's a good thing, then, that Nissan's Detroit auto show stand has a mid-size SUV concept -- the Resonance -- on it.

Photo Gallery: First Look: Nissan Resonance Concept - Automobile Magazine

Photo Gallery: First Look: Nissan Resonance Concept - Automobile Magazine

First Look: Nissan Resonance Concept | Digg It | Add to del.icio.us

2013 Detroit Auto Show Coverage

It's January and that means that it's time for the annual extravaganza of world premieres that is the Detroit Auto Show. Check back often for all the latest debuts including the Chevrolet Silverado, 2014 Corvette C7, Infiniti Q50, Volkswagen's three-row SUV, and many more world debuts.

Automobile Magazine previews the 2012 Detroit Auto Show.

Photo Gallery: 2013 Detroit Auto Show - 2013 North American International Auto Show Coverage - Automobile Magazine

2013 Detroit Auto Show Coverage | Digg It | Add to del.icio.us

Autonomous driving in some situations will be a reality by 2025 but a fleet of fully autonomous cars on American roads is unlikely, a panel of auto industry executives said at the Automotive News World Congress.

Over the next four years, Infiniti will add at least four additional vehicles with new engines and transmissions, on top of renewing every existing nameplate in its United States lineup, says the company's top executive.

TRANSCRIPT

Fresh off its debut at the Detroit auto show, the

News 15 Jan, 2013

Our news editor, Jack Rix, rounds up his 10 favourite cars from Detroit

Volkswagen plans to nearly double sales in the US within the next five years as part of its plan to be the world's top automaker by 2018.

More MINI production is to be shifted out of the UK but owner BMW said Oxford would always be the home of the famous small car.

Global automotive supplier Denso is spending US$1bn in North America over the next four years, which, it said, would result in over 2,000 jobs across the region.

Renault is to cut 17% of its French workforce in the next four years to reduce costs but won't close any factories, Bloomberg News reported on Tuesday (15 January).

Subaru will expand production capacity at its existing assembly plant in Indiana, rather than build a new factory, and will start making a new model there in 2016, the company said.

News 15 Jan, 2013

Ford has revealed the Atlas Concept, which previews the next generation of F-Series pick-ups

Johnson Controls (JCI) is working with the US Department of Energy (DOE) to research ever-more efficient battery solutions.