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Sebastian Vettel's and Mark Webber's Red Bull RB9 Renaults ran very thin rear wings during the Australian Grand Prix last weekend in Melbourne.

As seen in these photos, the main wing plane and the flap of the rear wing of the RB9s were significantly thinner than those of rivals McLaren and Ferrari.

This is quite surprising because Melbourne, a temporary street circuit, normally requires quite a bit of downforce.

Running such a big rear wing as the McLaren requires a lot of top end power from the Mercedes V8, because a wing not only produces downforce but also drag, which slows the car down on the straights.

We can only assume that McLaren had to run their MP4-28s in this high-downforce configuration because they couldn't get the new Pirelli tires to their correct working temperature.

Red Bull-Renault RB9. (Photo: WRi2)

McLaren MP4-28-Mercedes. (Photo: WRi2)

This significant difference also showed in terms of top speed at various portions of the circuit.

In qualifying, both Red Bulls were, on average, 5-7 km/h faster than the McLarens on the straights. The Ferraris of Fernando Alonso and Felipe Massa were amongst the quickest of all.

It was roughly the same during the race with Button, constantly the slowest. At the main speed trap, Button's McLaren was 6 km/h slower than Vettel's Red Bull. Jean-Eric Vergne's Ferrari-powered Toro Rosso was the quickest of all at 310.7 km/h, followed by Alonso.

We can conclude that -- like its predecessors -- the Red Bull RB9 generates a lot of downforce from his floor and diffuser. Therefore, the team can run its cars with thinner wings which allow better top speeds.

American Honda, following a three-month selection process, picked incumbent RPA to remain its advertising agency for the Honda brand, but has given the Acura business to Boston-based Mullen.

How would you react if you saw that the and#8220;Mona Lisaand#8221; was going up for auction? What about the Statue of Liberty or Big Ben? Would you sit there, jaw agape, dumbfounded that a cultural treasure -- one-of-a-kind irreplaceable objects -- are...

Mitsubishi's restyled Outlander crossover is a vast improvement in interior refinement, packaging and technology over the outgoing model. The outgoing Outlander was among the worst-selling compact crossovers in the industry.

Also in this episode: An entry-level Corvette in our midst; Nürburgring is for sale.

Midsize Madness - Day One

It’s all about character.

Mainstream sedans--millions of them. Get out there on the road and you'll find them. Not too big and not too small, all built for the way we drive in this country--even if the carmakers labels seem to come from elsewhere. These are midsize cars built to suit American roads and American drivers, so we really should call them American sedans.

Photo Gallery: Midsize Madness - Day One - Automobile Magazine

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It's the father of the venerated 300 SLR. It was driven by Juan Manuel Fangio, Hans Hermann and Sir Stirling Moss.

Mini revealed Monday it will announce details regarding its expanded performance driving school as well as new app partnerships during the New York auto show.

Noise, Vibration & Harshness: Free the Fiat 500

It was no surprise in 2009 when large swathes of America's Fourth Estate, Automotive Division, practicing a sort of misguided car nationalism, moaned and groaned about Chrysler's takeover by Fiat.

It was no surprise in 2009 when large swathes of America's Fourth Estate, Automotive Division, practicing a sort of misguided car nationalism, moaned and groaned about Chrysler's takeover by Fiat. How, they wondered, could an Italian company run an American one -- by government edict no less -- especially after they'd spent so many years dismissing Italian carmakers as hopeless automotive romantics, sharp-suited, socialist incompetents with a flair for snappy shoes, snazzy camshafts, and doing lunch?

Photo Gallery: Noise, Vibration & Harshness: Free the Fiat 500 - Automobile Magazine

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Pininfarina may produce a few examples of the Sergio concept we saw at the Geneva motor show for a few well-heeled buyers with about $3.9 million in liquid assets.

When Steve Loudin and Tom Drewer hit the road this May in a heavily modified SRT Viper, they'll be carrying a message that ought to resonate with anyone who likes Chrysler's and#8220;Imported From Detroitand#8221; campaign: Buy American.

The production version of the 2014 Acura MDX will be revealed at the New York auto show at the end of this month.

News 18 Mar, 2013

Range Rover could move more upmarket to compete with a Bentley SUV

Oh wait, we're going up there?

China will save the electric car, Renault-Nissan boss Carlos Ghosn predicts - and with it the vision of battery-powered motoring on which he has staked his credibility.

Sonic Automotive told regulators on Monday it delayed the filing of its annual report because of weak accounting controls at its dealerships. Sonic said in a regulatory filing it believes that financial results will be the same as reported on Feb.

When a storied car brand

News 18 Mar, 2013

Lotus denies liquidation rumours after the company appeared on Companies Court Winding Up List

The redesigned 2014 Cadillac CTS sedan that goes on sale this fall will have a 420-hp, twin-turbo 3.6-liter V-6 engine as an option. The redesigned CTS will be unveiled next week at the New York auto show.

News 19 Mar, 2013

Official details of the all-new Mercedes S-Class and its luxurious interior, ahead of its debut in May