Auto News 5

The "world's best-selling vehicle nameplate" has a nice ring to it, and last week Ford laid claim to that title in 2012, just as it had for 2011. But Toyota would have none of it, claiming that its Corolla was the real No. 1.

China gets part of the credit for Ford Motor Co.'s newest EcoBoost engine, a 1.5-liter powerplant. China gives car buyers a roughly $300 tax break for buying a vehicle with an engine of 1.5 liters or less.

Automakers will test China's huge appetite for crossovers and SUVs with introductions at the Shanghai auto show.

Ford and General Motors are developing nine- and 10-speed transmissions jointly for use in cars, crossovers, pickups and SUVs.

Ford and GM are developing nine- and 10-speed transmissions jointly for use in cars, crossovers, pickups and SUVs. The rivals say partnering on the automatic front- and rear-wheel-drive gearboxes will get them to market faster and cheaper.

A massive vehicle recall by four Japanese automakers because of faulty airbags underscores the perils of huge global supply chains as companies increasingly rely on a handful of suppliers for common or similar parts.

Aluminum -- already the material of choice for engine blocks and many wheels and hoods -- will find a place in the body-in-white, predicts Randall Scheps, Alcoa's director of marketing.

Tesla Motors President and CEO Elon Musk announced during a recent trip to Texas that his company is looking to expand and considering a second plant, possibly in the Lone Star state.

His wish? To produce a battery-powered electric pickup truck that would have “the performance of a sports car but actually more towing power and more carrying capacity than a gasoline or diesel truck of comparable size.”

Musk also proclaimed that Tesla would invest “tens of millions of dollars” in additional showrooms and service facilities. However, the company is asking the Texas legislature to revise the strict franchise system, as it did in numerous other U.S. states. The saga continues...

Source: The Detroit Bureau

From GMM

Williams will survive if Toto Wolff withdraws his major stake in the famous British team.

That is the vow of Claire Williams, who is founder and boss Sir Frank Williams' daughter and the new deputy principal of the Grove based team.

Austrian Wolff bought into Williams in 2009, but over the winter he also became a co-owner of F1 rival Mercedes.

Because of his new management role, Wolff no longer works at Williams, but he has vowed to end the 'conflict of interest' by finding a buyer for his team stake.

Toto Wolff with the Williams' driver Valtteri Bottas. (Photo: Williams F1 Team)

He has pledged to do it responsibly.

"I cannot just go into the market and say 'who wants to buy these (Williams) shares' and that's it," Wolff told Reuters. "If I sell, I have to find somebody who is responsible enough, who is coming in for the sport, who understands how the team functions, hopefully a sponsor. And this is not so easy to find somebody who is suitable."

Time could therefore be on Williams' side, but Claire Williams insists that - no matter what ultimately happens - the health of the team is not at risk.

"Toto is a big shareholder and he's a great shareholder," she said.

"If he feels there's conflict then he has to make the decision in the best interests of his position and we would respect that. But we'll wait and see what happens. We are doing a good job on the commercial front," Claire Williams added.

"We are financially stable and have a good healthy budget to go racing with. We're not complaining about that and there aren't concerns that we aren't going to be here next year."

Wolff's wife Susie is a Williams test driver.

Photo: Williams F1 Team

The opening event of the 2013 World Endurance Championship (WEC) season was held last weekend at Silverstone, UK, and I couldn't help notice how twisted reality can be sometimes.

The 6-hour race on Sunday was the first round of a great, season-long battle between Audi and Toyota. A battle in which Audi -- it must be said -- has a psychological edge.

Simply put, the Ingolstadt manufacturer is No. 1 in the public's eye. Why? Because of its recent successes at the 24 Hours of Le Mans, of course!

Since 2004, victory has slipped out of Audi's grasp only once, when the win went to Peugeot in 2009.

How you do at Le Mans matters; it's what the spectators remember. As it turns out, Audi hasn't done so well everywhere else. Peugeot had the R15 and R18 beaten with its 908. Same goes for the still-young Toyota TS030, which in 2012 defeated the mighty Germans three times.

Shame then that we only remember Le Mans. It's as if the other races don't matter. Audi actually tailors its cars around the specific needs of the French track, with very slim, low-drag bodies. That's right: Audi builds its cars just for Le Mans because nobody cares who won the 6 Hours of Shanghai or the 6 Hours of Bahrain.

The reality of world rallying is equally twisted: I fell off my chair the other day when I heard somebody talk about the success Subaru is enjoying at the moment. Yup, the same Subaru that pulled out of the WRC five years ago, in 2008 -- and won its last world rally in 2006 (i.e., seven years ago).

Photo: WRI2

Too many people think Subaru is still involved, and winning, in the world championship, just like too many people think Honda is still in F1, and Mercedes-Benz still in IndyCar.

I'm not saying people are badly informed, I'm just impressed by the PR people of racing who manage to give whoever they represent credit for wins in series... they're not even in.

Maybe it's the future of sponsorship!

Bugatti has just set a new speed record for open-top production sports cars, reaching 408.84km/h with a Veyron 16.4 Grand Sport Vitesse. The feat took place at Volkswagen Group's proving grounds in Ehra-Lessien, Germany.

The 1,200-horsepower roadster will be sold in a World Record Car (WRC) Edition, which is limited to eight vehicles at €1.99 million (about $2.5 million) apiece.

Look for it to make its global debut next week at Auto Shanghai 2013.

Photo: Bugatti

General Motors and Ford have announced a partnership to develop an all-new generation of advanced, 9- and 10-speed automatic transmissions for cars, crossovers, SUVs, and trucks -- both in front- and rear-wheel drive variants.

The new agreement will enable both automakers to design, develop, engineer, test, validate, and deliver these new transmissions faster and at lower cost than if each company worked independently.

This is the third time in the past decade that GM and Ford have collaborated on transmissions. The alliance started with a 6-speed autobox for the Chevrolet Cruze, Malibu, Traverse, Equinox and others. Ford used it for the Fusion, Edge, Escape, and Explorer.

Further technical details and vehicle applications for these 9- and 10-speed transmissions will be released by each company at the appropriate time before launch.

Peugeot has released photos of its new beast: a 208 T16 that will be driven by nine-time World Rally Champion, Sebastien Loeb in this year's Pike Peak hill climb, June 30.

Photo: Peugeot Sport

The Frenchman will tackle the world's highest hill climb - which culminates at an altitude of 4,301 metres - at the wheel of the 208 T16 Pikes Peak which was specially engineered and built by Peugeot Sport. The event marks the French team's return to the classic American event after its memorable victories there in 1988 and 1989.

Photo: Peugeot Sport

“Its proportions are very different to those of the production 208,” said Michael Trouvé who is in charge of silhouette design at Peugeot's Styling Centre.

“This difference gives it an almost beast-like appearance. Peugeot Sport provided us with a number of technical constraints, such as the width, body height, location of the wheels and engine, and we worked to this brief to produce an extreme take on the 208.”

Photo: Peugeot Sport

The start line of the Pikes Peak is located at an altitude of 2,800 metres, which means that competitors face an altitude difference of some 1,500 metres. Meanwhile, the lack of oxygen is a challenge not only for the engines - which can lose up to 30 per cent of their power.

Peugeot will soon release information about the engine and the final livery of the 208 T16.

Photo: Peugeot Sport

Photo: Peugeot Sport

Photo: Peugeot Sport

The fourth and final Japanese automaker involved in a massive recall pertaining to the front passenger airbag has now announced the list of affected models, which amounts to 84,503 units.

They are:

• 2001-2003 Infiniti I35
• 2003 Infiniti FX35
• 2003 Infiniti FX45
• 2003-2004 Infiniti QX4
• 2001-2003 Nissan Maxima
• 2001-2003 Nissan Sentra
• 2002-2003 Nissan Pathfinder

As you're probably aware, the airbag may deploy with excessive force and rip apart, leading to possible injuries.

Domestic automakers haven't been spared, mind you. General Motors has issued a similar recall on the 7,000 Pontiac Vibe hatchbacks from 2003.

In all cases, dealers will inspect and, if necessary, replace the passenger airbag inflator.

Source: Transporst Canada

The Automobile Journalists Association of Canada (AJAC) has just made the Ford Fusion Hybrid the winner of its first annual Canadian Green Car Award.

The announcement came during the Green Living Show in Toronto, which recognizes vehicles with the potential for strong environmental benefits and provides consumers with authoritative information about them.

“We are extremely proud that the 2013 Ford Fusion Hybrid has been honoured by our country's top automotive journalists as the recipient of the inaugural Canadian Green Car Award,” said Steve Ross, Ford of Canada's product marketing manager, sustainability and electrification.

Photo: Sébastien D'Amour

In addition to fuel economy and emissions, criteria for the award included environmental features within each vehicle, like the use of recycled or naturally sourced materials, as well as steps each manufacturer has taken to green its operations. Factors such as build quality, driving experience, overall content, availability, general consumer appeal, and pricing were also considered.

Other nominees were:

• Ford C-MAX Energi (finalist)
• Hyundai Sonata Hybrid (finalist)
• Mazda3 (finalist)
• Volkswagen Jetta TDI Clean Diesel (finalist)
• Chevrolet Cruze Clean Turbo Diesel
• Chevrolet Volt
• Ford Edge EcoBoost
• Ford Focus Electric
• Mazda CX-5
• Mazda6
• Mercedes-Benz B 250 Turbo
• Mitsubishi i-MiEV
• Nissan LEAF
• Smart Fortwo Electric Drive

Source: AJAC

Robin Frijns will make his GP2 debut with Hilmer Motorsport at Bahrain this weekend in a one off deal.

The Dutchman, who is the Sauber Formula 1 team's reserve driver and reigning Formula Renault 3.5 champion, missed out on a GP2 seat in the season opener due to budget problems, despite having tested for the Trident and Russian Time outfits in pre-season testing.

With the deal being in place for just one race, Frijns is aware of the work ahead in order to keep the seat with the newly formed team.

“If I want to do the rest of the season we have to work and we know it,” Frijns told AUTOSPORT. "It always depends on the money.”

Despite the nature of the deal, the Maastrichter is also happy to be racing again.

“I'm happy that I get to race again, to be driving in Bahrain is good news for me.

Whilst Frijns has never raced in GP2 before, he is looking forward to the challenge given Hilmer scored points on their debut in Malaysia.

“If you are realistic, everything is new to me in GP2, and it's a new team, so if I can fight for points I will be quite happy.

"I need more time in the car of course, and you only get 30 minutes practice before you are straight into qualifying.

"That is quite harsh but it's the same for everyone. I don't have experience of that, but I just need to learn a lot in the time I have and hopefully we will be OK."

McLaren team principal Martin Whitmarsh has publically urged Sergio Perez to improve following the Chinese Grand Prix.

Since moving from Sauber to McLaren, the young Mexican has scored just two points and has struggled in comparison to teammate Jenson Button. Another difficult weekend in China saw Perez crash in free practice, and finish out of the points in 11th after being heavily criticized to the point of weaving by Kimi Raikkonen, who damaged his Lotus against the McLaren whilst trying to overtake.

“Sergio is not satisfied with his performance this weekend,” remarked Whitmarsh.

"He is a young driver and he had a difficult weekend, but he is not satisfied with himself and nor should he be,” conceded the McLaren team principal to AUTOSPORT.

"There is some pressure there and this will not go down as his best weekend of the year,” he continued.

Sergio Perez, McLaren MP4-28. (Photo: McLaren)

However, Whitmarsh did not lay the blame for Perez's underperforming solely at his driver's feet and believes the team should shoulder some of the blame.

"We haven't given him a great car so far, and he is up against someone like Jenson who has done a fantastic job with the car we have given him,” he admitted.

"We, as a team, have to step up and support a young driver who has an enormous amount of talent.

Whilst publically urging his driver to up his game, Whitmarsh praised Perez's on-track behavior, which was slammed by Kimi Raikkonen after the race.

The Finn damaged the nose of his Lotus against the McLaren as the Mexican moved onto the racing line as Raikkonen tried to make a pass. Despite the 2007 world champion's comments, Whitmarsh has urged Perez to be equally as aggressive in the future.

“He needs to toughen up," said Whitmarsh. "He has been generous in allowing people past him and I think he was a bit more robust in China.”

Price Range: $96,200 and up

Description: Few cars on the road today are as instantly identifiable and spellbinding as the Porsche 911. One of the most storied performance cars in history, Germany's premier sports car export hits the 2013 model year with a slew of recent improvements and updates, alongside more technology and performance than ever before.

Pricing starts at $96,200 for an entry 911 Carrera, while a factory-tweaked 911 Carrera S opens the bidding at $112,800. Four-wheel drive variants of these open the bidding at $103,900 and $120,500, respectively. Entering the Turbo range will set shoppers back $156,900 for a 911 Turbo, and $183,400 for a Turbo S.

Lofty pricing to be sure, though it provides access to one of the most easy-to-use and fuel-efficient performance cars ever built.


Drivetrain: The 911 lineup is motivated by a slew of different flat-six engines bolted behind the rear axle. The standard model gets a 3.4L mill that's good for a high-revving 350 horsepower. 7-speed transmissions are available in manual or PDK dual-clutch.

The dialed-up Carrera S gets a 3.8L flat-six variant, with output rising to 400 horsepower. Four-wheel drive can be added to Carrera and Carrera S models at the shopper's request. In this case, the name badge earns a “4.”

The extreme-performance Turbo models get a 500-horsepower, twin-turbo version of the 3.8L powerplant as a minimum, though the Turbo S sees output bumped slightly to 530 horses.


Consider it if: selection, pedigree, recognition and exclusivity are priorities in your next performance car. With numerous option packages, wheel options, accessories, and a comprehensive personalization program, it's easy to create a 911 that's truly one-of-a-kind.

Skip it if: you're after the most horsepower for your dollar, or you're not in the “good books” of your local police force.

Other Notes: Unique exterior design touches include LED running lamps, speed-deployable spoilers, and a large sunroof panel. Luxury equipment includes a potent surround audio system by Burmester, automatic climate control, heated and chilled leather seats, a communications management system, and more. Various seat and steering-wheel options are available for customization, too.

Don't Miss: the Porsche Ceramic Composite Brake (PCCB) system. Available at an additional cost for shoppers serious about motorsports, the system uses an innovative ceramic composite brake rotor and high-performance calipers for unbeatable durability, fade resistance and looks. The PCCB rotors won't rust, either.

The world's first 7-speed manual transmission in a road car is also fitted as standard equipment on most models.

Engineers also created a dynamic engine-mount system which adapts the stiffness and damping properties of the engine mounts in real time in response to changing conditions. The mounts stiffen during aggressive driving for more precise responses to throttle inputs and their effect on vehicle dynamics. Casual driving sees the mounts soften for higher levels of comfort.

Photo: Porsche

Jenson Button believes McLaren is ‘not quick enough' yet to fight at the front of the grid.

The Briton finished yesterday's Chinese Grand Prix in fifth, giving himself and McLaren their strongest finish after a troubled start to the season. Despite this, the 2009 world champion believes the upgrades that the team bought to Shanghai had not quite worked and it was a ‘clever' two-stop strategy rather than outright pace that netted him a valuable 10 points.

"I'm very happy to have finished fifth today - and the team should be too,” said Button after the race.

“It [the race] was always going to be tricky: we weren't quick enough to adopt the same strategy as the others, so we had to run longer than the rest and make two pitstops, rather than three.

For us, a two-stopper was the fastest way to the end of the race. It meant I had to let others past me and protect the tyres.”

Jenson Button, McLaren MP4-28. (Photo: WRi2)

Button also likened the strategy of not racing faster cars to the LMP1 and LMP2 categories in sportscar racing.

"It's really tough because in a way it's a little bit like Le Mans when you're in an LMP2 car and the LMP1 cars are coming up behind you," said Button. "The cars were so much quicker than me and there was no point racing because it would have destroyed our strategy. One lock-up, one trip over the marbles and the tires would have been gone so our strategy wouldn't have worked and it was a very tight strategy.”

“We had to be careful, we had to be clever and intelligent and I think as a team we did that today,” he continued.

Despite the pace deficit to its rivals, Button believes McLaren should be happy with their performance in Shanghai as the team have identified further issues on their difficult MP4/28 car and he went on to praise the team's decision to adopt the alternative two-stop strategy.

Photo: McLaren

"[So] it was a tricky race but we should be very happy with what we did. To come away P5 with ten points; we wouldn't have done that if we had done the same strategy as everyone else.

We're not quick enough, so we take away positives but also we know that we're not quick enough and we need to improve,” he concluded.

Button and McLaren lie eighth and fifth in their respective drivers and constructor's championships.

I've never smoked a cigarette in my life. Call me prudish, but I've just never felt the need. I don't judge those who do, hell, my husband smoked for over a decade before he made the decision to quit.

Where smoking was something the cool, suave, popular kids did from the ‘20s to the ‘50s, since the ‘60s (at least) it has taken on a dirty double entendre. Only rebels, outcasts and runaways smoke cigarettes. In many areas, restaurants and bars/clubs no longer allow smoking on their premises, airplanes are smoke-free, buses are smoke-free: everywhere is smoke-free. So, why do some cars still have ashtrays?

It dawned on me while in my latest tester, a 2013 BMW ActiveHybrid3, when I was fiddling with various buttons, openings and knobs: I came across the elusive ashtray. There are some car models that even line their “ashtray” with velvet, clearly marked “Not an ashtray,” making it impossible to use it for anything other than loose change.

It would seem the Germans are the worst offenders for ashtrays in their vehicles. The Europeans love their cigs. While the Americans and Japanese make it a point to move as far away from the dirty habit as possible. In a way, they are dictating how their owners behave, what habits they have. They are making it more difficult for their drivers (and passengers) to indulge in a bad habit by not providing an ashtray and lighter.

Why? Well it seems that automakers, since the mid-‘90s at least, have been slowly phasing out the ashtray/lighter combo to appease consumer demand. And as smoking has taken on even more of a stigma in the 21st century, manufacturers are clearly following the trend.

As I've never been a smoker myself, I can't imagine ever wanting to use the car's ashtray. What's so hard about opening a window and discarding the dirty, gross ashes outside? I mean, technically, your window should be open anyways, so why not ash outside? Maybe I'm just an ignorant non-smoker...

So, what's next? Will automakers suddenly take a fancy to “curing” obesity and ensure their cup holders are only big enough to hold small beverage sizes? No Ventis or Super Gulps allowed, sorry. If they do, it won't happen suddenly. It will be a slow gradual fade out of the larger cup holder size. One day you'll notice your large caramel macchiato doesn't fit, so you order a medium . Then a few years later, in your next new vehicle you'll notice your medium doesn't fit either...

If automakers are hell bent on “protecting” their customers -- and by association, their customer's health -- while they drive, might I suggest a few things? An SMS-block that's activated as soon as your car is turned on; a breathalyzer installed in every car owned by a driver who's been arrested for DUI; air purification systems in every HVAC system (not just those on high-end vehicles); and rear-view mirrors that cannot be turned far enough to the left to be used to apply makeup while behind the wheel.