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Sirius XM Radio's grip on American drivers is under an increasing threat as the availability of Internet connections in more cars is helping Pandora Media counter some of its rival's big selling points.

EDITOR WES RAYNAL: Thereand#8217;s a lot to be said for these diesel-powered

Nissan, the largest automaker in Mexico, will start domestic production of the Note subcompact and export the cars throughout the Americas. The five-door model will be the third built at Nissan's plant in Aguascalientes, Mexico, Nissan said Saturday.

Renault soon will join the fast-growing subcompact crossover segment with the Captur, which will debut at the Geneva auto show in March. Small crossover sales in Europe are forecast to more than double to 400,000 by 2015.

This year's Detroit auto show has a decidedly "green" theme. Green as in the color of money, that is.

Marcos Ambrose, who was called upon for help by Michael Shank Racing during the Roar Before the Rolex 24 test, will also race the No. 60 Ford/Riley.

The Australian will take part in the 24 Hours of Daytona alongside 2012 winners AJ Allmendinger, Justin Wilson, John Pew and Ozz Negri, still nursing a leg injury.

Marcos celebrating his next participation in the 24 Hours of Daytona (Photo: Sébastien D'Amour/Auto123.com)

It was to replace the injured Negri that Ambrose was summoned in the first place.

"We are incredibly lucky to have someone like him interested in racing for us," said Mike Shank. "Ozz is coming back quickly, but we wanted to go ahead and commit to having Marcos with us now.

From GMM

The sound of F1's future is not as loud, but nonetheless "sweet".

That is the claim of Mercedes' formula one engine boss Andy Cowell, as he welcomed reporters to the German marque's Brixworth (UK) factory for a first glimpse of the 2014-spec V6.

After becoming accustomed to screaming normally aspirated engines, F1 fans will have to adjust to the soother tones of turbocharged 1.6 litre power next season.

But Cowell said fears grand prix racing will sound tame in 2014 are unfounded, insisting the V6s are "loud but sweeter sounding".

"I had the privilege of standing in a test cell the first time it was run and I had a big smile on my face," he said.

"The sound is going to be pleasant, with the volume a little lower, but it's not a problem with the direction we are going."

He also warned that less cylinders and revs does not mean less excitement.

"The (2014) engines will deliver much more torque," said Cowell, "especially on the exit of the corners.

"Cars with more power than grip coming out of the corners -- that is something that we all enjoy," he is quoted by the Daily Mail.

A three-day test turned into a two-day test for many teams in pre-season NASCAR at Daytona International Speedway.

The twelve-car wreck was started in the afternoon when Dale Earnhardt Jr. turned Marcos Ambrose's car on the back straight while the teams were testing pack draft racing.

Earnhardt said “And we got off of (turn) two and I was trying to push him (Ambrose) a little bit and had a hard time getting our bumpers kind of lining up. There's a roll bar on the front end of my car and his car - that's the first time I pushed it forward and his car sat up on top of that roll bar. And then I was kinda wheel barreling him around a little bit and we ended up getting turned I guess.”

Earnhardt, who was driving a Chevrolet, said the new “Gen-6” racers bumpers didn't line up as easily as the older COT cars.

The Australian Ambrose, sporting a full black beard like a backwoods tree logger, said “I got Junior pushing me. He's just a great drafter, really can feel it well. I guess, you know, I just got caught on the edge of the bumper there and just with the shaped noses and the tires, just spun me out.

“I got a couple shots from him down the backstretch and we carried some steam. Just the third shot just spun me out. So I definitely think it's a consequence of the new shape, and like a downforce, the car's very light and it doesn't take much.”

Others involved included Brad Keselowski, Jamie McMurray, Kasey Kahne, Jeff Gordon, Kyle Busch, Joey Logano, Regan Smith, Greg Biffle, Carl Edwards and Aric Almirola.

Because this was a new body with new construction most teams didn't have a backup car and those who didn't had to leave the test with one more day scheduled.

Before the wreck 2011 Daytona 500 champion Trevor Bayne was with a lap of 199.650 mph in a Roush Fenway Racing Ford while in the draft. In the morning, in single car runs Richard Childress Racing's Jeff Burton was quickest 194.805 mph around the 2.5 mile superspeedway in a Chevrolet.

There were other moments of half spins including one involving Greg Biffle.

“The cars are stuck less and they are looser,” said Biffle. “That is good for racing. It is good for the fans. It will make it more exciting and make pit strategy come into play. If you put tires on, you will be able to go faster. I think all of that is good. This is going to be a heck of a race. I like that the cars were sliding around and hard to drive. It will make it a fun race.”




Source: Fox Sports/Speed

From GMM

Red Bull has announced that this year's single seater, the RB9, will be unveiled on 3 February.

With the 'launch' set to take place at the team's Milton Keynes (UK) headquarters, 3 February is the Sunday prior to Tuesday's opening day of winter testing.

It gives the reigning champions only two days to travel to Jerez, Spain, for the opening day of running.

But there has been speculation designer Adrian Newey, who admits he is behind schedule with the RB9's development, could elect to begin the pre-season period with the team's title-winning 2012 car.

"The RB9 will be unveiled on Sunday 3 February in Milton Keynes ahead of the first test in Jerez," Red Bull announced on Twitter.

"More details to follow."

The Prodrive WRC Team will be running young Finn Jarkko Nikara at Rally Sweden, this February.

Nikara already drove the MINI WRC car once, in last year's Rally Spain, and finished fifth.

"Nikara's mature performance on the tarmac in Spain was even more extraordinary given it wasn't his favourite surface and that he only had 50km of testing in the MINI prior to the event," said Prodrive's business development directer Richard Taylor.

The man himself (Photo: Prodrive Official)

"He clearly has a great deal of talent and if he can continue from where he left off in Spain, I am sure he can produce another great result."

The former Finnish junior rally champion has entered a total of 13 World Rally Championship events so far in his career.

Just when you think you've seen it all, a Moroccan diplomat has commissioned what looks like a pair of Jeep Wranglers fused into one giant 4x4 that's about 12 feet wide. The odd-looking vehicle was recently spotted on the streets of Rabat.

Of course, it's way too large to fit into a single standard lane. On the flip side, based on this Flickr picture, up to 10 people can comfortably sit inside.

Source: Flickr

Watch:

History/Description: Mitsubishi's Endeavor was an often-overlooked SUV offered by the Japanese automaker between 2004 and 2011. Riding the same platform as the Galant sedan and offering standard V6 power, generous ride height and available all wheel drive, it was powerful, capable and family-ready.

Power came from a 3.8L V6 engine, making 215 or 225 horsepower, depending on the year. Front-wheel drive was standard, as was an automatic 4-speed transmission.

Available feature content included power accessories, cruise control, an in-dash CD changer, heated leather seats, stability control, a Rockford Fosgate stereo, Bluetooth, a power driver's seat, satellite radio, and more. Trim level nomenclature at Mitsubishi puts the “LS” model at the bottom of the rung, with “SE,” “XLS” and “Limited” models being more comprehensively equipped.

What Owners Like: Endeavor owners tend to rave about a solid and comfortable ride, plenty of power, plenty of space, and the performance of the up-level stereo system. Many also report satisfaction with fuel mileage, which is rare in a used SUV. Handling is also highly rated by most owners.

What Owners Dislike: Common complaints include cheap interior trim, a lack of illumination on the shift console, and excessive wind noise at speed.

Endeavor owners tend to rave about a solid and comfortable ride, plenty of power, plenty of space. (Photo: Matthieu Lambert)

Common Issues: Start your test drive of a used Endeavor with a walk-around, noting the condition of the tires and paint. Look for signs of rust, particularly on the rear lift-gate, the lower edges of the doors, and around the rear wheel-wells. Ensure the tailgate and tailgate glass open and close as expected, and that the remote keyfobs work properly, too. If the tailgate glass panel won't open, it's likely because of a bad actuator.

A mechanical inspection should be completed ahead of your purchase too, especially if the model you're considering has AWD. Have a mechanic look for signs of leakage from the transmission, engine and differential. While it's in the air, the Endeavor you're considering can be checked for signs of rust, damage or worn-out suspension and brake components.

Ascertain whether the Endeavor you're considering will need a timing belt change soon after your purchase, factoring the extra cost into your offer if that's the case.

Endeavor's engine looks solid, but some owners reported issues with sensors causing drivability issues. These won't always cause the check-engine light to illuminate, so have the Endeavor's onboard computer scanned for signs of trouble with the engine or transmission ahead of your purchase.

Listen for a “whirring” sound in older, AWD-equipped models, which could indicate a bad “propeller” shaft, which sends power to the rear wheels. A Mitsubishi mechanic will be familiar with diagnosing and repairing this well-known problem, which should be covered by the brand's lengthy powertrain warranty in most situations.

The Verdict: Look for a mechanically sound model with a good portion of Mitsubishi's 160,000 kilometre powertrain warranty remaining and you'll confidently enjoy an SUV loved for its size, comfort and power.

Start your test drive of a used Endeavor with a walk-around, noting the condition of the tires and paint. (Photo: Matthieu Lambert)

From GMM

Former F1 driver Martin Brundle expects Lewis Hamilton to win a race for Mercedes this year.

But the 53-year-old, who like Hamilton is a former McLaren driver, admitted he would have advised the 2008 world champion to make a different decision as he picked a team for 2013.

"Had I been his manager then I think I would have said 'let's do a short-term deal at McLaren, for one or two years, and let's see what is out there and see who is moving'," Brundle, who used to be David Coulthard's manager, said.

"Having said that, I do think Mercedes will be much better this year and I wouldn't be at all surprised if he (Hamilton) wins a race in 2013 -- in fact, I would be surprised if he doesn't win a race because Lewis has got such speed.

"If Mercedes can harness that speed and give him the car, he will drag another quarter of a second per lap out of it somewhere and I think he'll do a great job," Brundle, now a TV commentator, told British broadcaster Sky.

"Time will tell," he said at the Autosport International show in Birmingham.

Team Abu Dhabi has won the 24 Hours of Dubai for the second consecutive years.

Jeroen Bleekemolen, Khaled Al Qubaisi, Sean Edwards and Bernd Schneider drove the No. 1 Mercedes SLS AMG GT3 to the top step of the podium, finishing two laps ahead of the AF Corse's No. 16 Ferrari F458 Italia GT3, driven by Lorenzo Carvalho, Marco Cioci, Stéphane Lemeret, Lorenzo Case and Mika Salo.

The winning No. 1 car (Photo: DubaiAutodrome.com)

Team Abu Dhabi won despite crashing its primary car Wednesday in testing. The team had to resort to a rival team's chassis, and work through two days and night to get a new car ready in time.

The No. 15 Craft Racing Aston Martin Vantage GT3 of Frank Yu, Tomonobu Fuijii, Darren Turner and Darryl O'Young claimed the last podium spot.

Sadly for BMW, none of its Z4 GT3 machines saw the finish.

Mechanics having their lunch (Photo: DubaiAutodrome.com)

The all-lady team of Racing Divas, fielding a BMW 320D, scooped the top step of the podium in its A3T class.

Canadian Matthew Dileo finished 72nd overall, fourth in the D1 class, despite the four drivers managing only 144 laps in Cor Euser Racing's No. 152 BMW 120D.

Jean-Charles Perrin, the other Canadian in the race, never made it to the start, as his Leipert Motorsport Lamborghini was destroyed in practice.

Sun sets on the 2013 Dunlop 24 Hours of Dubai (Photo: DubaiAutodrome.com)

Race results - 2013 Dunlop 24 Hours of Dubai (Dubai Autodrome)
1. Abu Dhabi by Black Falcon 1 (Mercedes SLS AMG GT3) - 600 laps
2. AF Corse SRL 2 (Ferrari 458 Italia GT3) - 598 laps
3. Craft Racing AMR (Aston Martin Vantage GT3) - 594 laps
4. FACH AUTO TECH 2 (Porsche 997 GT3 R) - 56.582s
5. Preci-Spark (Mercedes SLS AMG GT3) - 587 laps
6. FACH AUTO TECH 1 (Porsche 997 GT3 R) - 582 laps
7. Abu Dhabi by Black Falcon 2 (Mercedes SLS AMG GT3) - 580 laps
8. JLOC (Lamborghini Gallardo LP600+) - 579 laps
9. Stadler Motorsport (Porsche 997 GT3 R) - 568 laps
10. Lapidus Racing (McLaren MP4-12C GT3) - 565 laps
(...)

An anonymous reader passed along this short video of a heavily camouflaged Alfa Romeo 4C testing in Michigan this morning. Hopefully it was a passenger doing the filming.

The election season is over, but plenty of politicians will be shaking hands at the Detroit auto show next week.

There are a few tried-and-true ways to cover the annual Scottsdale, Ariz., collector-car auctions. One can dutifully tally up daily sales figures, for example, gaining some insight into the state of the collector-car market as a whole.

Top executives at Fisker Automotive are scouring Asia - in particular, China - for funding and strategic partners that are viewed as crucial to the automaker's success, four people familiar with the matter said.

Also in this episode: Ferrari hints at future California variants, and Renault shows off its take on the Nissan Juke.

Cadillac is developing a small crossover that would be slotted below the popular SRX, the brand's top executive said.