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Bentley will launch the Continental GT Speed Convertible at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit on January 14th. With a 625-horsepower W12 engine allowing a top speed of 325 km/h, this brand new model will become the fastest four-seat production cabriolet in the world.

The Bentley Continental GT Speed Convertible sports exclusive 21'' wheels, dark tinted grilles, and ''rifled'' tailpipes. Inside the lavish cabin, buyers will find distinctive diamond-quilted leather upholstery along with an exclusive Dark Tint Aluminum ''engine spin'' finish inspired from the dashboards of the Le Mans-winning Bentleys of the 1920s.

The infotainment system has been improved and can now store up to 15 Gigabytes of music. Optionally, the Naim for Bentley sound system comes with custom-built speakers that automatically adjust audio balance settings when the roof is lowered.

Similar to Mercedes-Benz and its Airscarf system, the company also added a practical neck warmer. When you don't have a choice but to keep the top up, the four-layer fabric has proven to withstand even the harshest elements and conditions.

Pricing for the Bentley Continental GT Speed Convertible will be announced later.

Photo: Bentley

Forbes magazine recently published the list of the 10 best-selling cars in the world in 2012 and crowned a new leader.

With nearly one million units, the Ford Focus edged the venerable Toyota Corolla (966,000 units), followed by the Volkswagen Jetta, Hyundai Elantra, and Ford Fiesta.

Rounding out the top 10 were the Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Camry (No. 1 in the U.S.), Volkswagen Polo, Chevrolet Cruze, and Honda Civic (No. 1 in Canada).

As you may have noticed, all of them are small, fuel-efficient cars, save for the Camry.

Toyota could have retained its seat atop sales charts if it hadn't been for a territorial dispute between Japan and China that sparked a boycott of Japanese cars by Chinese consumers in the latter half of the year. As a result, Toyota sales in China dropped about 25%.

Source: Forbes

Photo: Mathieu St-Pierre

Subaru Canada is recalling 293 vehicles equipped with dealer-installed accessory puddle lights after it's been discovered that a short circuit may develop causing the lights to melt and/or emit smoke. This could result in a fire.

Consequently, Subaru dealers will install an additional fused wiring harness.

Affected models include the 2006-2012 Tribeca, 2010-2011 Outback and Legacy, and 2009-2012 Forester.

Source: Transport Canada

Photo: Mike Goetz

From GMM

Sebastien Buemi has kicked off his new year by learning he will not be making his return to the formula one grid in 2013.

Switzerland's Blick newspaper reports that the 24-year-old has been told he is out of the running to secure the vacant Force India race seat.

Driving the Toro Rosso in 2011, Sebastien Buemi was on the verge of securing a race seat with Sahara Force India in 2013. (Photo: WRi2)

Veteran correspondent Roger Benoit said Buemi, who lost his Toro Rosso drive at the end of 2011, will now work instead on having his deal as Red Bull's official reserve driver extended.

Roger Benoit said Buemi, who had also been linked with a Ferrari test deal, wants that new Red Bull contract in place "as quickly as possible".

"Buemi will not comment at this time. First he needs to safeguard his future," the journalist wrote.

Blick added that the Ferrari-linked Frenchman Jules Bianchi, and former team driver Adrian Sutil, are now the favourites to become Paul di Resta's new teammate at Force India.

Kia Motors Corp. has a new president. Peter Schreyer, the gifted designer who will forever be associated with the gorgeous Audi TT, becomes the first foreigner to head all of the South Korean automaker's operations.

Since leaving the four-ringed logo in 2006, Schreyer has completely transformed the face of Kia, as evidenced by the new Forte and Optima.

"I thought I wanted to give Kia a character and a family feel... If you come to a country and you see a Kia, you should recognize it immediately, like you recognize a BMW or Mercedes immediately," he said in an interview with Reuters in March 2012.

Source: Reuters

Kevin Blanch, IZOD IndyCar Series technical director, has used the Dallara Automobili facility to lay the groundwork for technical rules in the 2013 rulebook.

"With delivery of the new car last Dec. 15 and all the testing, it's given me an opportunity to check and verify procedures," Kevin Blanch said of the Dallara chassis introduced for the 2012 season. "We had about two months to update what we had built over eight years to fit the old car. We approached the 2012 season as what were the most important things we needed to check, and then we prioritized items and worked through all that until we went racing. Then you're racing back to back to back and there wasn't much time to develop the tech pad. So, just like the teams over the winter are developing the car, we're developing the tech pad to get back to where we used to be."

About 175 measurements and dimensional checks are conducted the first time a car goes through technical inspection during a race weekend - all in about 12 minutes. Additional checks are performed pre-qualifying and pre-race, plus spot checks following qualifications and the race.

Kevin Blanch adds: "Being able to work here where there is a fab shop and machine shop and engineers has been a big help. I've put the car on the tech pad and have played out different scenarios and have tried different ways to inspect items. I've talked to teams a number of times about what we're thinking of doing, and they're good about saying what they think needs to take place but here's what you need to be looking for if somebody will take it to the next level."

Photo: LAT for IndyCar

Car dimensions for 2013

Length:
Road and street course / short oval - The overall length of the car is 203.94 inches +/- 0.250 inches.
Speedway - The overall length of the car is 197.335 inches +/- 0.250 inches.

Wheelbase:
The maximum wheelbase is 121.500 inches and minimum is 117.500 inches.
The wheelbase of the car, left to right, may have a maximum variance of 0.750 inch.

Track width (measured at axle center line):
Oval events - Front and rear are limited to a minimum of 75.750 inches and a maximum of 76.750 inches.
Road and Street events -- Front and rear are limited to a minimum of 75.500 inches and a maximum of 76.500 inches.

Wheelbase offset:
Oval events - The car can be between .150 inches off center to the left or 0.600 inch off center to the right.
Road and street events - A maximum of +/- 0.250 inches permitted left or right of center.

From GMM

This year Toro Rosso car is "very different" to the 2012 model, Australian driver Daniel Ricciardo has revealed.

Ricciardo and his teammate Jean-Eric Vergne finished last season eighteenth and seventeenth consecutively, with the Faenza based squad ahead only of the sport's three newest teams in the constructors' standings.

23-year-old Ricciardo has acknowledged the pressure to improve in 2013.

"I'm aware of that, and I know that my targets in 2013 will have to be more ambitious," he told Italy's Autosprint magazine. "My Achilles heel is that this year, in the first part of the season, I wasn't aggressive enough in the races. In some aspects I was the opposite of Grosjean."

Daniel Ricciardo, Toro Rosso STR7. (Photo: WRi2)

Another crucial element, Ricciardo admitted, is a better Toro Rosso single seater.

"I have already seen the new car. When you examine it more closely, it is very different to the old one. I believe that it is better. In any case, it's not one of those cars that looks a total copy of the last one, as though nothing has changed," he added.

JR Motorsports announced a primary sponsorship deal which puts Kasey Kahne and Brad Sweet in the driver's seat for 27 races sponsored by Great Clips. Dale Earnhardt Jr. a co-owner of the team will race in one additional race for this sponsor.

Kahne's relationship with Great Clips, going to back to 2003, was likely the driving in force in JRM obtaining the new sponsor. The company also recently announced a sponsorship of Kahne's No. 5 Chevrolet at Hendrick Motorsports for three NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races in 2013.

This is a financial boost in the arm which guarantees the company will field at least two entries in 28 of 33 Nationwide Series events. Smith is already committed to driving a full schedule, and Earnhardt Jr. will compete in select races in a third car.

Kasey Kahne and Brad Sweet. (Photo: JR Motorsports)

The breakdown includes: Kahne and Sweet will split time in the No. 5 Chevrolet for 27 races. Regan Smith will compete for a championship in the No. 7, and Earnhardt Jr. will carry his familiar No. 88 in a limited schedule that presently stands at four races.  One of Earnhardt's races will be with Great Clips branding to fill out the 28-race sponsorship package.

JRM is still seeking a primary sponsor for the remaining races in the Nationwide Series.

General Manager Kelley Earnhardt Miller said “the last three months have been critical for the direction of JR Motorsports and the commitment we've made, and this partnership with Great Clips is a major step in the right direction,” Earnhardt Miller said. “To sign a 28-race sponsor while adding Kasey Kahne and Brad Sweet to our line-up is quite extraordinary. Our goal is still to run two full-time teams, and this helps us greatly to achieve that.”

“Great Clips has been a long-time sponsor of mine for 10 years,” Kahne said.  “They support everything that I do from the Kasey Kahne Foundation to my sprint car team and they continue to grow their program in NASCAR. We all look forward to joining JR Motorsports and continuing to build on the success that they have had.”

A race schedule for Kahne and Sweet in the No. 5 Great Clips Chevrolet is still to be determined. So, too, is Earnhardt Jr.'s complete Nationwide Series slate. To date his only announced races are Feb. 23 at Daytona International Speedway and March 9 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, both in the No. 88 TaxSlayer.com Chevrolet.

Turner Motor Sports, where Kahne had raced in the Nationwide Series previously said the decision to end its' deal was not acrimonious. Steve Turner, owner of Turner Motorsports.  "They have been a big supporter of this race team since the beginning and we just can't Though we have mutually decided to end our business partnership, the friendships we have made over the years will endure well into the future."   


There is no word on where Cole Whitt, who drove the #88 for JRM in 2012 to seventh place in the series standings, will go.

From GMM

Giedo Van der Garde's hopes of finally breaking into formula one in 2013 have "shrunk", according to the Dutch newspaper De Telegraaf.

The now 27-year-old flirted with a move to F1 several years ago with brief test roles at Super Aguri and Spyker, and while racing for Caterham's GP2 team in 2012 he finished the F1 season as reserve driver for the green-coloured outfit.

With sponsor backing, the Dutchman was a leading candidate to be Charles Pic's 2012 teammate.

Giedo Van der Garde, Caterham. (Photo: Caterham F1 Team)

Van der Garde's new year has kicked off on a happy note with his engagement to his girlfriend, but De Telegraaf is reporting that Caterham incumbent Vitaly Petrov is now the hot favourite to complete the team's 2013 race lineup.

Van der Garde's manager Jan Paul ten Hoopen, however, said nothing has been decided.

From GMM

A list of the best formula one drivers of all time has overlooked Ayrton Senna for a top-three spot, and left out Fernando Alonso completely.

Italy's Autosprint said Juan Manuel Fangio, the five-time world champion of the 50s, deserves the number one spot.

He is listed ahead of runner-up Michael Schumacher, with triple world champion Sir Jackie Stewart also finishing ahead of the late and revered Senna.

Ayrton Senna leading Alain Prost at Monaco, in 1988. (Photo: WRi2)

Jim Clark, Alain Prost, Sir Stirling Moss, Alberto Ascari and Niki Lauda are ranked fifth to ninth respectively, with reigning triple world champion Sebastian Vettel completing the top ten.

Spaniard Alonso, Ferrari's double world champion who was recently voted the top driver of 2012 by team principals, was not mentioned.

Fernando Alonso, 2012 runner-up. (Photo: FIA)

"We have analysed not only the results on the track, but also the importance and impact a single driver had on his era," the Autosprint report read.

Well, 2012 is over, we've watched the ball drop and made our New Year's resolutions. Before we venture into 2013 it's time to put a bow on 2012 with our top 12 videos of the year.

and#8220;We can get there faster on the 210,and#8221; we told our piloto, Harry Hernandez, in whose 1924 Model T we were driving.

VW's desire to launch a low-cost brand and Nissan's plan to sell Datsuns for as little as 2,300 euros underline the rising interest from automakers to tap demand for budget cars in fast-growing markets to offset falling sales in mature, stagnant...

Alright, I'm going to go out on a limb here (a very thin, unstable and probably unsafe limb to be on, actually) and say that I really don't care about fuel efficiency numbers. Nope. Not one bit.

I pretend I do because they are shoved down my throat, shouted at me from the rooftop and forced on me from every angle, but really I couldn't care less.

No, wait, that's not true: I care when I drive a hybrid and/or a diesel and only because I'm curious to see the numbers I can actually achieve. It's like a game I have to win, a score I must attain. I'm competing with myself and the car and the technology. I'm weird like that.

So, as I continue to sit here on this precarious limb I'll further explain myself: Yes, gas is expensive, but if it were so astronomically hard to afford we'd stop buying it all together. We'd boycott. We'd give the oil companies a big “FU” and take the bus or bike or resort to horse and carriage again. If we were so up in arms about it, we'd do more about it. We, the public, far outnumber the oil companies... I'm fairly certain we'd win if we truly wanted to do something about it.

Then there are the “improved” fuel efficiency numbers carmakers are so proud to announce every year: “We shave off 0.8657L/100km in this year's model!” Great. Thanks. That'll save me all of a quarter cent at the pumps. Thank you for giving me some breathing room in my finances. I am forever indebted to you.

Their pride in gaining that half litre here and one litre there often makes me smile. Who are they trying to impress? Their financing departments who gave them efficiency quotas to meet? Possibly. And what if it all goes south like it did for Hyundai? All this hype around fuel efficiency is reaching a point where it's almost (if not more) important than the number of airbags in a car.

“Oooh, it gets 5L/100km, that's amazing.”
“But it only has 1 airbag...”
“Whatever, I'll take it!!”

So, no, I don't care about fuel efficiency numbers and I'm not afraid to say it. I care about handling, driveability, visibility, ease-of-use in the driver's seat, horsepower, and the drivetrain... important things like that.

Photo: Sébastien D'Amour

It might be lonely out here on my limb, but I'm holding on for dear life as I'm sure more than one of you are trying to shake me off right now in your frustration over my not caring about making vehicles more fuel efficient.

If a car is going to cost me less at the pumps at the expense of something else inherently important to a vehicle (read: driveability, power) then I want nothing to do with it. I'll continue to tell you all what my vehicle “achieves” throughout the week, but know that I care nothing about it. I do it for you readers who feel the need to hear it, for some peace of mind.

I don't drive to be fuel efficient, and I doubt I ever will. By the way, there's room on this unstable limb for anyone else who cares to join me.

While not how the expression usually goes, I think it's self-explanatory.

In the mid-'90s, Chrysler unleashed the Neon and all hell broke loose. To bring order back, they dropped the Neon 2.0 -- sorry, the SX 2.0 on dealer lots with little fanfare. In all, the Neon was around for 12 model years.

With all fires put out, the winged brand revealed its new Neon -- sorry, the Caliber. That didn't go so well, either. The Dodge Caliber bowed out after only six model years, leaving a big entry-level hole in Chrysler's lineup. The moment Fiat took hold of Chrysler's reins, I believe a collective sigh of relief was had by designers and engineers alike.


Fiat's got loads of small cars onto which a Chrysler or Dodge logo can be affixed. This is why, last year, I test drove the Alfa Romeo Giulietta. At the time, rumours were running rampant about the lovely Giulietta becoming the donor-car for Chrysler's next small car. The rumours were true.

Although no one would know that the Alfa and Dart are non-identical twins to look at, both are smashingly good looking.

Highs and lows
Side by side, the Alfa Romeo Giulietta is clearly the more feminine of the two. The Dart is, after all, a Dodge: the same brand that carries the likes of the Challenger and the Charger (insert manly grunt here).

The 2013 Dodge Dart is immediately identifiable as a Dodge. The crosshair grille, badass demeanor and raccoon-influenced taillightss all work to make the Dart possibly one of the most attractive compact sedans currently available.

My Rallye tester's cabin was trimmed with youthful red accents, plenty of soft-touch plastics and the amazing class-exclusive Uconnect Touch 8.4” touchscreen.

This giant piece of tech-lover stuff is the centrepiece of what is a generally well crafted and designed dashboard. It's all quite “electric” with the aforementioned red highlights carried on through the gauges and seats. On that topic; the front perches are over-bolstered, but generally comfortable.

The Premium cloth that covers the 2013 DodgeDart's seats is far from being nice; the material proved rough on bare skin as my knee left a mark on the rear bench after I reached for an item. The recently tested 2013 Hyundai Elantra GT has far nicer interior materials than the Dart. Then, there's the Garmin navigation system which is not only awfully slow, but has terrible graphics.

The Uconnect Touch 8.4” touchscreen is the centrepiece of what is a generally well crafted and designed dashboard.. (Photo: Mathieu St-Pierre)

Thank you Fiat!
The 2013 Dodge Dart's base engine is the queerly named Tigershark 2.0L 4-cylinder. The optional motor, straight from Italy, is the superb turbocharged MultiAir 1.4L 4-some. At 160 hp and 184 lb-ft of torque, this gem of a motivator is -- without evaluating the R/T's Tigershark 184 hp 2.4L -- the best there is.

Twenty-two pounds of boost spit out all that torque in an instant from 2,500 rpm and hold it until 4,000. By the time the torque backs off, every horse comes into play at 5,500 rpm. How this entire action takes place is wonderful: there is no lag and the swell of power is wonderful. Unfortunately, in order to reach rapture, the driver must go through hell first.

To drive the car is to get annoyed. The tiny gas pedal requires 50% travel in order to respond which only ever turns into jerky take-offs from a start. I can only guess that Chrysler tuned the throttle response with improved fuel economy in mind. What's more, this renders oh-so important heel-and-toeing extremely difficult; the widely spaced small pedals make fancy footwork difficult.

The optional motor, straight from Italy, is the superb turbocharged MultiAir 1.4L 4-some. (Photo: Mathieu St-Pierre)

The weight
The 2013 Dodge Dart feels excessively heavy. By comparison, the Alfa Giulietta was lithe and reactive. The Dart is overburdened somehow. Steering is very heavy, which the driver will adapt to fairly quickly. Then there are the brakes which are so responsive that the first few stops will ruin the average hairdo when passenger's heads fly forward. Again, adaptable.

The ride is European-inspired, but with a difficult-to-pinpoint avoirdupoids that is poorly managed by the fully independent suspension. At moderate speeds, the front end of the 2013 Dodge Dart would push out and regularly need to be reeled back in. The drive is comfortable enough, but quickly falls apart in any type of spirited driving; namely, rally...

The 2013 Dodge Dart feels excessively heavy. (Photo: Dodge)

Darting forward
I liked the car, but the throttle management thing killed the whole experience for me. I want to believe that the optional 6-speed autobox will fare far better. I do love the aftermarket-sounding exhaust note!

At $15,995, the entry-level Dart falls within the competition. In fact, the same goes for all of its trims (SXT $17,995; Rallye, $19,495; Limited, $23,245; and R/T, $23,995).

Despite Chrysler's excellent effort, and however attractive the car may be, I don't think it'll dethrone the likes of the Honda Civic, Hyundai Elantra or Toyota Corolla any time soon. The small shoes, it turns out, do not fit.

You've all heard about and probably seen the Gymkhana series by drift master Ken Block; now, in the middle of the holiday season, Ford is presenting the ''Snowkhana'' with a Fiesta WRC... in Hot Wheels size!

The short video will make parents smile and kids marvel. The little four-wheel star dances its way around LEGO trees while avoiding Star Wars and Playmobil figurines, not to mention the dangerous Sheriff from Disney's Cars.

Watch:

The contributors of Auto123.com Racing are taking a day off and are sending you their best wishes for a Happy New Year.

May each day of the New Year
Bring happiness, good cheer
And sweet surprises...
To you and all your dear ones!

Happy New Year!

May the 2013 motorsport season be highly exciting, safe and hotly disputed in all categories!

Following Google and its driverless car, Continental has developed its very own semi-autonomous vehicle from a Volkswagen Passat. The German-based automotive parts and technologies manufacturer recently got the green light from Nevada authorities to test the car on public roads. In fact, it has already covered some 25,000 kilometres.

Unlike Google, which relies on expensive radars, Continental uses in-house technologies that are currently in development, including a motion-sensing, stereoscopic camera that will be introduced in the upcoming Mercedes-Benz S-Class.

Continental AG president Elmar Degenhart claims that semi-autonomous cars could hit the road by 2016.

Source: Cnet

Watch: