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Geely's Volvo Car Cars will establish a new global purchasing and manufacturing organisation to reduce complexity and costs.

News 24 May, 2013

McLaren has announced 12C and Spider 50th birthday special editions

Volkswagen's Spanish affiliate SEAT has launched the new Leon in Mexico, a move designed to strengthen the brand's strategy for international growth and profitability.

New vehicle sales in Malaysia increased by 9.9% to 52,489 units in April, from 47,774 units a year earlier, according to data released by the Malaysian Automotive Association (MAA).

ROAD TEST EDITOR JONATHAN WONG: The large-luxury-sedan class is filled with strong entries, which means if you happen to be shopping for a plush barge, you're in luck. You have the

Vehicle assembly in Colombia began in 1956 when the government signed an agreement to build Austin trucks locally. Colombian entrepreneurs soon saw the opportunity to invest in technology to be part of the necessary OEM supply chain. But those with up to 57 years of experience are in danger of disappearing unless they make radical decisions.

Holden says it is committed to continuing its Australian presence despite Ford's decision to end production in the country, while a major union is calling for both political parties to unite around supporting the automotive sector.

Mitsubishi Motors' board today announced plans for an accounting change that will help unload the worst accumulated losses in the automotive industry.

Mitsubishi plans to reorganize its capital to help unload the worst accumulated losses in the automotive industry.

Daimler strengthened ties with Ford after consulting with the automaker on its three-cylinder turbo gasoline engine, which it is building with Renault for the next Smart and Twingo cars.

Already collaborating with Ford on the development of fuel cell vehicles, Daimler and the U.S. automaker recently exchanged information about their gasoline engines.

U.S. auto exports to Europe could quadruple within 15 years if regulators get rid of tariffs and adopt standard vehicle-safety rules, automaker associations say.

Nissan will introduce its first Datsun model in India by March 2014 as the carmaker offers cheaper vehicles in a push for a fivefold increase in its share of Asia's third-biggest auto market.

Daimler has strengthened ties with Ford after consulting with the U.S. automaker on its three-cylinder turbo gasoline engine, which it is building with Renault for the next Smart and Twingo cars.

Audi purchasing chief Bernd Martens says the automaker aims to buy 90 percent of its components for its new Mexico factory from local sources. So far no other Audi location has done that

Automotive News Europe salutes the winners of the 2013 Rising Stars awards. Every day until June 12 one of the 18 winners will be featured. Today's Rising Star is Marcus Cox, Opel/Vauxhall's finance director for sales, marketing and aftersales.

British driver, Sam Bird won the first GP2 race of the Monaco meeting held Friday, which was stopped by a massive pile-up at the start.

Pile-up at the start of the Monaco race. (Photo: WRI2)

Johnny Cecotto Jr had a poor start from pole position and that allowed his teammate, Mitch Evans to power in the lead before the first corner.

Cecotto wanted to defend his position, braked too late, went wide at the first corner and hit the barrier. As a result, no less than 13 other cars get caught in the accident. The race was red flagged. Race stewards decided that Cecotto was responsaible of the accident and excluded him from the rest of the meeting.



A new start was given, but the starting order was based on the order in which the cars returned to their pits, and not on the original starting grid.

At the restart, Evans came under pressure from Sam Bird, and eventually lost the lead after the mandatory pit stop, losing even one more position when Kevin Ceccon moved up to second.

Race 1 :
1 - Sam Bird - Russian Time - 42 laps in 1.36'15"919

2 - Kevin Ceccon - Trident - 22"077

3 - Mitch Evans - Arden - 23"225

4 - Felipe Nasr - Carlin - 23"416

5 - James Calado - ART - 29"588

6 - Stefano Coletti - Rapax - 1'00"519

7 - Rene Binder - Lazarus - 1'02"449

8 - Adrian Quaife Hobbs - MP - 1'08"400
etc.

Even though Indy cars do not run on carburetors any more, Frenchman Simon Pagenaud set the fastest time on Carb Day at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway on the last Friday before the famed Indy 500 race.

The Schmidt Peterson driver -- behind the wheel of a Honda-powered Dallara -- set his fastest lap with only minutes to go with a 225.827mph effort, bettering the 225.304mph lap that had been laid down by Andretti's EJ Viso a few minutes earlier.

Viso's teammate, reining champion Ryan Hunter-Reay was third fastest.

Is your child safety seat properly installed? Despite how much you love your little one, the answer may be no. As a matter of fact, a study conducted in 2011 by the Société de l'assurance automobile du Québec (SAAQ) revealed that only half of all child safety seats intended for children under 5 are used correctly.

Today, as part of the Child Safety Seat Inspection Day, 97 Canadian Tire stores across Quebec are inviting parents and grandparents to have their child safety seats inspected or installed free of charge from noon to 8 p.m.

Specially trained staff members will provide useful tips and advice on child safety seat installation, like making sure none of the car's seat belts can harm children in the event of a collision.

Permanent Provincial Network for the Inspection of Child Safety Seats
In partnership with CAA-Quebec, the SAAQ has created a permanent network to inspect child safety seats. It includes police forces, health establishments, daycare centres, and other organizations. With the addition of Canadian Tire, the network now has nearly 480 members.

“Joining the Permanent Provincial Network for the Inspection of Child Safety Seats was a no-brainer for a family-oriented company like us. Child safety seat inspection is yet another service we want to offer our customers,” said Bernard Villemaire, Regional Vice President Quebec, Store & Auto Operations at Canadian Tire Corporation.

The personnel on hand will be able to guide parents and grandparents to make sure they can safely install a child seat in their vehicle -- any vehicle, actually.

In Quebec only... for now
The 2012 pilot project in 14 Canadian Tire stores was so successful that the corporation decided to expand the program to the entire province.

While exclusively held in Quebec due to different rules elsewhere in Canada, Canadian Tire is “seriously considering” a plan to make the Child Safety Seat Inspection Day a nationwide event, Villemaire claims.

How does it work?
The specially trained individuals will check if a child is seated in the right type of child car seat for his or her height and weight. They will then check if the child safety seat is being used properly, more specifically that it is firmly anchored on the back seat of the vehicle and that the child is properly restrained.

Anchoring systems can also be installed in vehicles that don't have any in order to increase the effectiveness of the restraint device.

Beyond today
The Child Safety Seat Inspection Day at Canadian Tire stores primarily aims to raise public awareness. If you can't stop by today, you can still have your child safety seat inspected by making an appointment with a member of the Permanent Provincial Network.

The process will take a mere 15 minutes, and could one day make the difference between life and death during a crash.

*Special thanks to the Canadian Tire team at 1450, Le Corbusier Boulevard in Laval, for their precious collaboration.

Photo: Canadian Tire

BMW today unveiled the Pininfarina Gran Lusso Coupé at the Concorso d'Eleganza Villa d'Este 2013.

Described as an “exclusive interpretation of a luxurious BMW Coupé as seen through the eyes of Pininfarina,” this long-wheelbase four-seater sports the signature double-kidney grille and halo lights capped by a long hood.

The interior features black and brown Foglizzo leather, as well as kauri wood aged more than 48,000 years in New Zealand.

The BMW Pininfarina Gran Lusso Coupé is motivated by a powerful V12 engine. No other technical specs have been revealed, and production plans similarly remain unknown.

Photo: BMW