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Federal-Mogul's powertrain segment says it has developed an application in piston ring coating, known as DuroGlide, for gasoline and heavy-duty diesel engines.

Another treasure from our huge cache of car porn, feast your eyes on the official 1985 Ferrari 308 Quattrovalvole spec sheet below. Yours truly is a child of the "Magnum, P.I." era and lusted over one of these for a decade.

We spend a lot of time on the Internet -- pretty much whenever we're not driving, writing about or working on cars.

News 22 May, 2013

Digital radio switchover planned in two years; all new cars must be digitally enabled by then

Two Japanese executives who worked for Denso Corporation are facing over a year in a US federal prison following their roles in a price fixing scandal.

PSA will shut a French randd facility as part of a program to reduce spending.

Ford Motor and Chrysler Group said today they are scaling back annual summer production shutdowns this year in hopes of boosting output of key models in North America. General Motors declined to disclose specific summer plans.

Two executives at Toyota-affiliated supplier Denso have agreed to plead guilty to conspiring to fix prices and have agreed to cooperate with an ongoing criminal investigation, the U.S. Justice Department said.

Opel will keep a spare-parts distribution center open until 2016 at its plant in Bochum, Germany, as long as two years after car production ends at the site.

A boutique carmaker led by a former GM executive Bob Lutz and China's largest auto parts supplier submitted an offer to buy cash-strapped automaker Fisker Automotive, people familiar with the matter told Reuters.

Volkswagen plans to refit more than a quarter million 2009-12 diesel cars to prevent North American customers from mistakenly pumping gasoline into the fuel tanks.

Two executives at Toyota-affiliated supplier Denso have agreed to plead guilty to conspiring to fix prices and have agreed to cooperate with an ongoing criminal investigation, the U.S. Justice Department said.

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 Darren Cox, Nissan's global motorsports director.

Toyota has just released the first official -- albeit partial -- picture of the all-new 2014 Toyota Corolla ahead of its debut on June 6th.

The eleventh-generation Corolla is based on the Furia concept unveiled at the NAIAS in Detroit earlier this year.

No specs have been announced; however, some sources predict that a 1.8L four-cylinder engine will find its way under the hood.

Source: leblogauto.com

Photo: Toyota

From GMM

Jenson Button on Wednesday refused to commit to McLaren for the beginning of the Honda era in 2015.

Team boss Martin Whitmarsh this week said he is happy with McLaren's current driver lineup, but managing director Jonathan Neale acknowledged that the Woking based team is merely "hoping" Button will still be at the wheel in two years.

When asked about 2015, when former works Honda driver Button will potentially be reunited with Japanese power at McLaren, the 33-year-old said in Monaco: "I don't want to think about the future too much at the moment.

"You've got to live in the moment and I don't think trying to agree a lengthy deal for the future is something that is interesting at the moment for me."

Button did, however, sound excited about the Honda deal -- not just for McLaren's sake, but also for F1 more generally.

"For us as a team, I think it's good news for the future. But I also think for the sport as a whole, it's fantastic news," said the Briton.

Photo: McLaren F1 Team

Renault and Red Bull Racing celebrate their third Formula 1 Constructors' world title together with the introduction of a limited edition Megane R.S. Red Bull Racing RB8.

Photo: Renault Sport Technologies

For the second year in a row, Megane R.S. will be available in the colours of Red Bull Racing. In true Renault Sport style, this attractive limited edition version packs advanced technology.

An exclusive look, the result of combined input from the Renault and Red Bull Racing design teams

The exclusive Crépuscule Blue finish takes its inspiration directly from the race team's famous colours, while Red Bull Racing graphics at the rear and on the sides are further tell-tale hallmarks of this limited edition car.

Photo: Renault Sport Technologies

In addition to its sporty credentials, it stands out as particularly elegant, too, thanks to exterior Platinum Grey details (F1 blade, door handles, door mirror housing and rear lip spoiler) which harmonise splendidly with the striking Crepuscule Blue body colour. Last but not least, a monochrome laurel on the rear side windows celebrates the team's 2012 Constructors' world title.

Inside, the new limited edition version comes with a number of exclusive features, including Red Bull Racing branding on the numbered aluminium sill guards and carpet mats. The same logo appears on the head rests of the Recaro seats which are trimmed in a new leather/fabric upholstery.

Photo: Renault Sport Technologies

The limited edition version packs the same fundamental features as Mégane R.S., including a Cup chassis, a limited slip differential, the 2.0 16V 265 engine with Stop&Start (fuel consumption: 7.5 litres/100km / CO2 emissions: 174g/km) and Renault Sport trademark technologies.

The limited edition Mégane R.S. Red Bull Racing RB8 offer will be withdrawn on September 30, 2013.

Driving aids are the next step being taken toward fully automated cars. Books and folklore have predicted self-driving and flying cars for decades. While the latter has yet to materialize on a real scale, driverless cars are already here.

Although not yet ready for mass consumption, the average consumer can already get a taste of what is to come.

Mobileye's collision avoidance technology, using just a display and sophisticated camera, is deceptively simple. There are two kits currently available: the 5-Series and the C2-Series. However, before I go into a few details on the products, I'm going to briefly describe how they work.

Mobileye's collision avoidance technology is based on sophisticated vision algorithms that are capable of reading and interpreting scenarios unfolding ahead of your vehicle in real-time. The mono-camera (a single camera as opposed to two or more in stereo), with set parameters, sends its recommendations and evaluations to a display, providing drivers with sometimes life-saving signals based on its analysis. Along with the visual warnings, an audible sound is also produced.

Photo: Mobileye

Carmakers are currently (and actually have been for a little while) integrating this technology in a number of their products. The safety application is best known as Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS). In fact, Mobileye holds 80% of the collision avoidance market and its technology is found in BMW, Ford, GM, and Volvo cars and SUVs, among others.

The news announced at CES 2013 pertains to the fact that Mobileye has released a new app for the iPhone and iPad. These devices can now display the information from Mobileye's SeeQ2 image processing board. In fact, the iPhone and iPad's larger screens can exhibit more information than the standard high visibility Eye Watch display and control unit.

With the iPhone mounted in a holder on the dashboard, it doubles as a focal point for all pertinent driver information and maintains the crucial link to the lifeline that is our smartphone. This is bringing technology to the masses.

This new app works with the 5-Series product where Bluetooth connectivity allows consumers to use their own mobile devices. The C2-Series is a more basic system, if only because wires are required.

This new feature demonstrates Mobileye's commitment to bringing more of their devices to the masses with as little intrusion or complication for the consumer. And this is key. This ease of implementation will aid in the deployment of the next million devices they expect to sell in 2013, thus increasing the number of devices to 2 million.

Back in 2010, in the United States alone, 35,000 deaths were caused by car accidents. This statistic excludes injuries and other types of damages. It's no small wonder why the push for self-driving cars is fueled by those invested in safety and security.

As with stability control and ABS brakes, expect these types of detection systems to become standard issue on most, and eventually all, cars sold in North America.

For those interested in Mobileye's technologies, here's a breakdown of the features included in with their collision avoidance technology (copied from Mobileye's website):

• Daylight Pedestrian Collision Warning, including Bicycle Detection
• Forward Collision Warning, both in Highway and Urban areas, including Motorcycle Detection
• Lane Departure Warning
• Headway Monitoring and Warning
• Intelligent High-Beam Control*
• Traffic Sign Recognition
• Intelligent High-Beam Control
• Speed Limit Indication

Mobileye's technology has generated much interest from insurance and leasing companies as well as fleet managers and consumers in general.

In time, and when the 5-Series becomes available, we at Auto123.com intend to test the product. We look forward to the opportunity, especially given that we test drive numerous different cars from the smart fortwo to the RAM 2500 Laramie Long Horn. We're curious to see if the single camera, installed as per the instructions, will be able to clearly do everything it is expected to do in wildly different vehicles.

At the time of writing, prices were not posted online.

For more information on Mobileye and their products, visit www.mobileye.com.

Photo: Mobileye

World Rally Champion points' leader, Sebastien Ogier will compete in the Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup in Monaco this weekend, driving a TAG Heuer sponsored 911 GT3.

The French driver will celebrate the 50th anniversary of the TAG Heuer Carrera timepiece and chronograph collection with a car specially decorated for the occasion.

Photo: TAG Heuer

“I am delighted to be in Monaco for a track race. It's a nice break in the middle of the WRC season. I'm being given a great opportunity to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the iconic Carrera, with a highly original car livery inspired by the sixties and Pop Art!” declared Sebastien Ogier in a press release.

The Swiss company has invited several guests to attend the launch of the new wristwatch, including actress Cameron Diaz, McLaren drivers Jenson Button and Sergio Perez, four-time World Champion Alain Prost and Lotus driver Romain Grosjean.

The Carrera model was created by the manufacture in 1963 as a tribute to a legendary race: La Carrera Panamericana.

Photo: TAG Heuer

Pros and Cons*
Pros
Great value, generous standard features list, versatile cabin, great road handling, crisp design and frugal fuel consumption make this 2013 Kia Forte5 a force to be reckoned with.

Cons
Notchy manual gearbox, inadequate driver seat adjustments, high beltline hurts visibility, lacklustre instrument panel and low resale value are the main caveats.


Price
No less than five versions of the 2013 Kia Forte5 are available: the LX, which starts at $18,250, and is equipped, as are the LX Plus and EX versions, with the 2.0 litre engine as well as standard 15-inch wheels, AUX and USB ports and steering mounted audio controls, among others.

The LX Plus adds AC, remote entry with theft alarm, Active ECO-System as well as an automatic transmission to the list of standard equipment, at a starting price of $20,850.

EX models include heated seats, speed control, 16-inch alloy wheels as well as chrome door and hatch handles, for a base price of $20,750.

Adding a sun roof will bring this total to $21,650, while adding the Active ECO-System and automatic transmission will fetch $ 21,950. The sun roof and automatic transmission combination brings this total to $22,850.

SX versions are equipped with a 2.4 litre engine, sport pedals, automatic headlights, 17-inch alloy wheels, sun roof and leather steering, for a total of $24,050.

Automatic transmission with paddle-shift and Active ECO-System raise the total to $25,250.

The top-of-the-line LX Luxury version, at $27,750, is equipped with standard automatic transmission, SmartKey with pushbutton stop/start, paddle shifters and navigation system.

Fuel Economy
The 2.0 litre engine/ manual transmission combination delivers fuel economy ratings of 8.1 L/100 km city and 5.7 L/100 km highway. Automatic versions consume an estimated 8.0 L/100 km city and 5.5 L/100 km highway.

Fuel economy ratings for the 2.4 litre engine are an estimated 9.2 L/100 km city and 6.2 L/100km highway for both transmissions. Highway estimates are pegged at 9.2 L/9.0L/100 km for both manual and automatic models respectively.

Exterior Styling
Sporty elegance. The tasteful, curvaceous design of the Forte5 attracts attention in an understated way. The rear end is sturdy and attractive, and the wraparound taillights add a well-balanced finishing touch to the overall visual effect.

Drivetrain
Base engine is a 2.0 litre 4-cylinder engine that pumps out 156 hp and 144 lb-ft torque. The 2.4 litre engine delivers 173 hp and 168 lb-ft torque. 6-speed manual and automatic transmissions are available according to engine option.

Cargo Capacity
LX and EX models can hold up to 550 litres while the SX and SX Luxury models, with a bigger engine, have an available 438 litres of trunk space.

Safety
Six airbags, whiplash protection, electronic stability control and assisted braking are all standard safety features of the 2013 Kia Forte5.

Comparable Models
Ford Focus, Hyundai Elantra GT, Mazda 3, Mitsubishi Lancer Sportback, Subaru Impreza, Suzuki SX4, Volkswagen Golf

Photo: Kia

*References
Rufiange Daniel, L'annuel de l'automobile 2013, Montréal Transcontinental, 2012, p.338
Duquet Denis, Le guide de l'auto 2013, Montréal, Les éditions de l'Homme, 2012, p.358
Charette Daniel, L'auto 2013, Montréal, Les éditions La Presse, 2012, p.332
http://www.kia.ca

Love it or hate it, Monaco is the jewel in the Formula 1 calendar's crown; if it wasn't, it wouldn't have been around for what will be 71 years.

The great, the good and the glamorous take to the various yachts, apartments and bars which surround the 3.3 kilometre street circuit to see Formula 1 drivers doing what they do best; race on an absolute knife edge on a track that has no margin for error.

Whilst the undulations and narrow nature of the Monaco circuit at times lead to processional races, when the circuit delivers a good race, it does so in style.

As a result, Auto123.com has delved into the archives and found top five of the most iconic Grands Prix of the last three decades held around the streets of the principality.

1
1992: Senna makes it four in a row

Following his disappointment of 1988, Ayrton Senna went on an offensive in Monaco between 1989 and 1993 to reign supreme and take five consecutive victories to add to his first there, which he scored behind the wheel of a Lotus Honda in 1987. Of all the Brazilian's victories around the principality however, 1992 would arguably rank as his finest. After inheriting the lead in a relatively average McLaren Honda on lap 70 when the first placed Nigel Mansell was forced to pit due to a loose wheel nut, Senna managed to keep Mansell at bay to take the win by 0.215s, despite the significantly quicker Williams managing to close the gap from 5.2 to 1.9 seconds in just two laps. After the race, Senna described the race as like “driving on ice” after having completed the entire 78 lap race distance on the same set of tires.

2
1988: Senna sees god and shunts

Although 1988 was marked by McLaren's inter-team battle, its on-track domination in which it won 15 of 16 races and to top it off, Ayrton Senna's first title, it was also the year that saw the Brazilian throw away victory whilst it was in his grasp. As expected, the Marlboro liveried cars dominated qualifying with Senna taking pole from teammate Prost by 1.4 seconds. Following the session, Senna claimed “suddenly, I realised that I was no longer driving consciously and I was kind of driving by instinct only, [...] I was well beyond my conscious understanding.” Come the race, Senna's form was such that by lap 67, he had a 40 second advantage over Prost with 12 laps to go, until he slammed his McLaren Honda into the barrier which separates the entrance of the tunnel from the Mediterranean sea. The incident saw the Brazilian immediately storm back to his apartment without debriefing with the team. Much like another McLaren driver, Kimi Raikkonen, did after suffering an engine failure in the 2006 race...

Ayrton Senna, McLaren-Honda. (Photo: WRi2)

3
1982: Running on empty; Patrese wins amidst leader chaos

In a race that was largely uneventful until the final four laps, the race win looked set to go to Renault's Alain Prost, who inherited the lead from teammate Rene Arnoux after the latter crashed. However, with an uncharacteristic mistake, Prost crashed his Renault coming out of the chicane and gifted the lead to Ricardo Patrese, who in turn spun and stalled his car at the Loew's hairpin. The lead changed once again, with Didier Pironi assuming the lead in the sole Ferrari, after the team elected to race one car following the death of Gilles Villeneuve at the previous race in Zolder. When Pironi's car slowed in the tunnel due to a lack of fuel, Andrea de Cesaris assumed what should have been first position, but the Italian's car suffered the same fate before it could pass the stricken Ferrari. Derek Daly, at the time driving a Williams-Ford, then took the lead, but suffered a gearbox failure as he crossed the line to start his final lap. Meanwhile amidst the chaos, Patrese had managed the bump-start his Brabham-Ford and crossed the line to take the win ahead of Pironi and De Cesaris.

4
2004: Trulli wins race he ‘shouldn't have won''

If you ask Jarno Trulli what his favourite Formula 1 memory was, Monaco 2004 will be the answer. However, he'll also tell you he wasn't supposed to win it, due to the Italian's wish to be released from his management contract with team principal Flavio Briatore, as well as seeking a pay-rise from Renault. However, Trulli put the politics behind him and turned up in Monaco nine years ago looking like a man who was destined to win his first and only Grand Prix after having solidly outpaced teammate Fernando Alonso in the previous races. He stamped his authority on the weekend by taking pole ahead of Ralf Schumacher, and then went on win ahead of Button and Barrichello on a weekend which saw drivers such as Michael Schumacher and Juan-Pablo Montoya lose their cool; the pair were caught up in a bizarre incident in the tunnel, which saw Montoya - who was a lap down - plough into the back of the Ferrari under a safety car period caused by the Ralf/Alonso incident, whilst Schumacher was warming his F2004's brakes.

Jarno Trulli, Renault. (Photo: WRi2)

5
1996: Panis wins Ligier's last Monaco race

Much like Jarno Trulli, Olivier Panis' sole Grand Prix win came at Monaco in 1996. The Frenchman qualified 14th in the Mugen powered Ligier, some two seconds off of Schumacher's pole lap. The early stages of the race seemed to signify that the win would come down to a battle between the dominant Williams of Damon Hill, Schumacher's Ferrari and Jean Alesi's Benetton. However, in a race that bucked the form guide, none of the three favourites finished, with Schumacher opening proceedings after he slid off halfway around the first lap, a mistake that gave Hill the lead. However, the Williams' engine gave way in the tunnel, which promoted Alesi to top-spot. The French/Sicilian's hopes of a second career victory were halted however, when his suspension failed on lap 60 with 15 to go. This gave Panis the lead after the Frenchman had made a well-timed stop for slick tires earlier in the race; a move which saw him move steadily through the field, to take his only, and Ligier's first win in 15 years by 4.8 seconds from David Coulthard's McLaren.

Olivier Panis, Ligier-Mugen. (Photo: WRi2)