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Adapted from GMM

Bernie Ecclestone believes German car manufacturer BMW could be inspired by Honda's 2015 comeback to F1. BMW rejected the claim.

One year after Honda pulled out in late 2008, BMW followed suit.

BMW pulled out of F1 at the end of 2009 (Photo: BMW Motorsport)

Honda announced last Thursday it will return in 2015, after a six-year absence from the sport, to supply works V6 engines to McLaren.

Off the back of Honda's return, F1 chief executive Ecclestone told City A.M. newspaper he would be "surprised" if BMW didn't follow suit again.

But the Munich carmaker's motor sport boss Jens Marquardt said on Monday: "We are pleased with our current programme."

BMW won the 2012 DTM championship (Photo: DTM.com)

At present, the cream of BMW's motor racing programme is its new foray in the German touring car series DTM.

"We have no intention of looking into other areas," Marquardt told German website motorsport-total.com.

"We withdrew from formula one deliberately.  We are focused on what our customers really recognise as BMW, and we have no reason to change."

The world-famous Pikes Peak International Hill Climb (June 25-30, 2013) will once again feature electric cars.

Mitsubishi will return with a pair of MiEV Evolution II prototypes after finishing second in its class in 2012 with two-time Dakar champion Hiroshi Masuoka behind the wheel. Masuoka and Greg Tracy, a six-time Pikes Peak overall motorcycle champion, will be the drivers this year.

Meanwhile, Toyota will try to defend its title with the TMG EV P002, whose 400 kW motor allows a top speed of 230 km/h. New Zealand's Rod Millen, 61, will drive the car - one week after participating in the 24 Hours of Le Mans.

Photo: Toyota

Photo: Mitsubishi

Toyota could becredited for making the word “hybrid” a household term. So omnipresent with hybrid Toyota is that many consumers associate the word with the brand. Well played, big Japanese carmaker, well played.

There is, however, a problem. You see, Toyota did such a fantastic job promoting, building and offering hybrid vehicles that it's almost become confusing within Lexus and Toyota dealership walls. One only has to look back at the defunct Lexus HS250h to realize that too much (or many) may be just that... Lexus HS250h?

Within a brand (say, Toyota), it may be fairly obvious which hybrid to seek out. Most will start thinking Prius and likely end up with one or leave with a Camry Hybrid. In Lexus' case, the options are clearer: few will mistake an ES300h from a GS450h.

Toyota vs. Lexus
But then, what about across the brands? Sure, a Lexus is a luxury car, but is it really worth the $8,000 to $12,000 extra? What about when two models share 100% of their mechanicals, and equipment levels are nearly identical?

We set out to find out where the $10k or so lies between the always esteemed Lexus RX450h and the underappreciated Toyota Highlander Hybrid.

This comparo is not like the others given that these two vehicles are the proverbial peas in a pod. The 2013 Toyota Highlander Hybrid and 2013 Lexus RX450h have more in common than not, and so we'll elaborate on these items first.

Toyota could becredited for making the word “hybrid” a household term. So omnipresent with hybrid Toyota is that many consumers associate the word with the brand. (Photo: Mathieu St-Pierre)

The same
Both the Toyota and Lexus use an identical Hybrid Synergy Drive system. Based on the 3.5L V6, it features three motor generators. The first acts as a starter/generator, the second helps drive the front wheels and the third manages rear-wheel motion. These motors are of the permanent magnetic type and all have a max voltage rating of AC 650V.

Outputs vary slightly, but we suspect the RX450h's 15 extra system horsepower are more symbolic of its badge than anything else. The Highlander Hybrid's combined power rating of 280 hp is plenty enough to get the crossover to 100 km/h in about 8 seconds. As both vehicles have identical curb weights, sprints are even if a few tenths off in the Lexus' favor. The V6 is especially happy in its midrange when accelerating and that's where most of the “fun” is had.

On the electric side, both can be used in EV mode if the throttle pressure is right. Miranda and Matt participated in what must have been the slowest drag race ever witnessed by crows and groundhogs.

They took off side by side, feathering the throttle as lightly as possible, attempting to see who would remain in EV mode the longest. End result: Both the 2013 Toyota Highlander Hybrid and 2013 Lexus RX450h fell out of the mode at exactly 40 km/h.

They repeated the exercise with a little more force and both vehicles locked EV mode out at 10 km/h. unfortunately, they wanted to try the exercise once more, however, the Highlander would no longer accept our request for the EV mode. The RX expressed no such resistance.

Mechanically speaking, the hybrid powertrains make use of an electronically CVT ‘box. Brakes are 99% identical, and feature same-size discs front and back.

Physically speaking, the four-door plus hatchback configuration are ideal. Ingress and egress are easy as is access to the proportionally voluminous trunks. The Highlander does feature a third row and we'll get to it later.

Both the Toyota and Lexus use an identical Hybrid Synergy Drive system. Based on the 3.5L V6, it features three motor generators. The first acts as a starter/generator, the second helps drive the front wheels and the third manages rear-wheel motion. (Photo: Mathieu St-Pierre)

Full Disclosure
The specs and the relatively narrow gap in pricing are the reasons why we decided to pit the 2013 Toyota Highlander Hybrid and 2013 Lexus RX450h against each other.

We are well aware of the fact that the Highlander sports a 3rd row of seats and that the RX450h is a Lexus and so not a “commoner's” ride. However, (and in our minds) content, performance, and value are good enough reasons to strip away fluff and see what consumers are getting in return for their hard-earned dollars.

Although very few potential buyers would ever take these two vehicles for back-to-back test drives, mostly because they can't, we also decided to do the exercise because we can.

Continue reading 2013 Toyota Highlander Hybrid / Lexus RX450h comparison test

Being a good driver on rural streets is one thing, being a “good” driver on the track, at the helm of a vehicle with well over 500 horsepower is a whole other thing -- and something I think more drivers should learn how to do.

There's so much more to track driving than just going fast and cutting corners, and I learned just that at my recent involvement in the Mercedes-Benz Driving Academy at Circuit Mont-Tremblant, one of the best tracks in North America. I recently participated in their Mastering Performance driving school and got behind the wheel of 12 Mercedes-Benz models from the B 250 to the knee-weakening SLS AMG GT Coupe.

You'll have to check back for my full driving impressions on the SLS AMG (and trust me, you won't want to miss those), but here's the deal: Techniques used to harness the power and precision of the SLS are just as applicable to the B Class, if not more and can be applied to your everyday commute to work too.

There's more to proper driving than good seating position and looking past the hood of your own vehicle (something we all “know” inherently to do... at least I hope).

From loosening your grip on the wheel (a death grip is often associated with precise handling and steering abilities, when really it's the opposite) to actually turning your head to look at where you're going (instead of just tilting or swiveling your eyeballs), little tweaks like that can make you a much better driver.

Ever thought about how the weight of your vehicle can affect braking and handling abilities? Well, at speed this can have more of an influence;, however, abruptly braking then trying to turn is asking a lot of any vehicle -- even more so in one as large as the GL Class, or say the Santa Fe parked in your driveway...

While the Mastering Performance program is the top of the driving academy pack, they also offer a Winter Driving Academy as well as a Driving Experience course, both of which include introductory lessons to track driving and advanced driving techniques. Offered at a number of venues across Canada, a program like this one is something I believe every driver should one day experience.

Forget doing 200 clicks down the straightaway, the most valuable lesson I learned was to drive with my eyes. In general, drivers “drive” with their hands. I noticed that as soon as I looked to an apex my hands followed, even if that wasn't the correct line to take. It took a few shots for me to train my hands to function separately from my eyes. And once they did, my eyes became an invaluable part of my driving ability, and my rather perfect driving line (if I do say so myself).

Not just entertaining, these driving programs are designed to make the participants better drivers in the end, and I think they achieve that on a deeper level than solely remembering seat and mirror placement. Programs like the Mercedes-Benz Driving Academy are also designed to build confidence behind the wheel, and they do.

Photo: Mercedes-Benz

Toyota is planning to increase production of lithium ion batteries by six times, as the automaker prepares to eventually use them in its flagship Prius gasoline-electric hybrid cars, the Nikkei business daily reported on Sunday.

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Protesting over poor service from his dealer, a Maserati Quattroporte owner in China hired a gang of sledgehammer-wielding men to destroy the car... right in front of the building where the Qingdao Auto Show was taking place.

This customer got furious upon learning that his insurance company wouldn't cover a repair because the dealer had installed a used replacement part instead of a genuine Maserati part. What's more, the same dealer failed to fix a door problem and reportedly damaged the body.

The video really speaks for itself:

Source: www.turbo.fr

Ed Carpenter has created quite a surprise by earning pole position for next weekend's Indianapolis 500 ahead of three Andretti Autosport's drivers who took second, third and fourth spot.

Carpenter was able to get to speed and clocked a sequence of four laps at 229.347mph, 228.976mph, 228.774mph and 227.955mph to finish up with an average of 228.762mph.

Andretti Autosport rookie Carlos Munoz took second with an average speed of 228.342mph. His team-mate Marco Andretti completes the front row.

Another member of the Andretti squad, EJ Viso was fourth in front of both Team Penske drivers AJ Allmendinger and Will Power.

Current IndyCar champion Ryan Hunter-Reay qualified seventh followed by Helio Castroneves (Penske) and James Hinchcliffe, the last driver to compete in the Fast Nine shootout.


Qualifying results - Indy 500 (IndyCar)
1.Ed Carpenter (Dallara DW12-Chevy) - Carpenter - 228.762 mph (368.156 kmh)
2.Carlos Munoz (Dallara DW12-Chevy) - Andretti - 228.342
3.Marco Andretti (Dallara DW12-Chevy) - Andretti - 228.261
4.Ernesto Viso (Dallara DW12-Chevy) - Andretti - 228.150
5.AJ Allmendinger (Dallara DW12-Chevy) - Penske - 228.099
6.Will Power (Dallara DW12-Chevy) - Penske - 228.087
7.Ryan Hunter-Reay (Dallara DW12-Chevy) - Andretti - 227.904
8.Helio Castroneves (Dallara DW12-Chevy) - Penske - 227.762
9.James Hinchcliffe (Dallara DW12-Chevy) - Andretti - 227.070
10.JR Hildebrand (Dallara DW12-Chevy) - Panther - 227.441
11.Alex Tagliani (Dallara DW12-Honda) - Herta - 227.386
12.Tony Kanaan (Dallara DW12-Chevy) - KV - 226.949
13.Oriol Servia (Dallara DW12-Chevy) - Panther DRR - 226.814
14.Justin Wilson (Dallara DW12-Honda) - Coyne - 226.370
15.Sebastien Bourdais (Dallara DW12-Chevy) - Dragon - 226.196
16.Scott Dixon (Dallara DW12-Honda) - Ganassi - 226.158
17.Dario Franchitti (Dallara DW12-Honda) - Ganassi - 226.069
18.Takuma Sato (Dallara DW12-Honda) - Foyt - 225.892
19.Charlie Kimball (Dallara DW12-Honda) - Ganassi - 225.880
20.James Jakes (Dallara DW12-Honda) - Rahal - 225.809
21.Simon Pagenaud (Dallara DW12-Honda) - Schmidt - 225.674
22.Townsend Bell (Dallara DW12-Chevy) - Panther - 225.643
23.Ryan Briscoe (Dallara DW12-Honda) - 225.265
24.Simona de Silvestro (Dallara DW12-Chevy) - KV - 225226

Jimmie Johnson took the lead when it counted the most and went on to win NASCAR's All-Star race in Charlotte for a record fourth time.

That broke a tie with the late Dale Earnhardt and teammate, Jeff Gordon, who greeted Johnson in Victory Lane with "congratulations Five-time, four-time" referring to Johnson's nickname and new status.

"To beat Jeff and Earnhardt, two guys that I have looked up to my whole life, two massive icons of our sport, this means the world to me," Johnson, who also won the event in 2012, said.

The non-points race consisted of four 20-lap segments followed by a mandatory pit stop for four tires and ten race dash to a one million dollar payout by series sponsor Sprint.

Johnson who had a problem in qualifying took the lead in that last segment shootout and was never closely challenged after that. Joey Logano finished second followed by Kyle Busch who won two of the four preceding segments.

The finale had an unusual set up; unlike typical points races where cautions are unpredictable and drivers pit in no specific order. On Saturday night, at the 1.5 mile Charlotte Motor Speedway, the last pit stop order was performed by average finish in the first four segments.

Even though Johnson failed to capture one of the preceding segments his average finish put him and his crew in position to take the lead spot exiting the pits.

"We were able to keep clicking away at good finishes through the second, third and fourth segment," said Johnson.

"That got us to fourth and then pit road came around and our guys had awesome pit stop. And we were almost off pit road first, but we were on the front row and the front row is what we needed for 10 laps."

Kahne who finished fourth agreed about the need to get out front quickly.

"I was a little tight the run before," he said. "We didn't have time to fix it because we wanted to get out first and knew if we could get clean air we thought we would be alright with our Chevy. Jimmie just stayed right there and I couldn't get rid of him and then he beat me off the corner and into three and kind of on exit and it was over after that."

The final pit stop was the key to a near miss by Kyle Busch and polesitter Kurt Busch (who finished fifth).

Jamie McMurray and Ricky Stenhouse, Jr. were added to the field by virtue of a one-two finish in the Sprint Showdown. A 40-lap race with two 20-lap segments which preceded the main event.

Danica Patrick, who earned an entry via a fan vote for most popular, finished 20th in a 22-car field.

Alex Lynn claimed his maiden Formula 3 European Championship after leading the first race of the Brands Hatch weekend from pole.

Prema teammate Rafaelle Marciello challenged the Brit into the first corner, but the local driver managed to withstand the pressure to take the first win of the weekend at Brands Hatch and the first win of his Euro F3 career.

Lucas Auer made it a Prema a 1-2-3 after passing Sven Muller's stricken Ma-Con Dallara- Volkswagen at the Druids hairpin in the closing stages of the race.

Swede Felix Rosenqvist finished fourth in his Mucke Dallara-Mercedes ahead of Harry Tincknell and Tom Blomqvist.

Jordan King, Josh Hill and Will Buller rounded out the top-nine drivers, with Antonio Giovinazzi claiming the final point. Red Bull's Russian protégé Daniil Kvyat finished in the final points position, but was not eligible to score.

Race two saw Ferrari junior driver, Rafaelle Marciello, take honours in the second race, beating Alex Lynn to victory.

Marciello once again won the third race held on Sunday morning, but was later excluded from the result after using an excessively short first-gear ratio, which gifted a maiden Euro F3 win to teammate Lucas Auer.

As a result, Harry Tincknell was promoted to second and Felix Rosenqvist took the third and final step on the podium.

The Prema Powerteam's team manager, Rene Rosin, said after the race: “We made a mistake, putting in a ratio we use in testing [from the older-generation car] for today's race. There is nothing more to add.

"From our side, I'm happy that there is technical and sporting fairness in the championship. On the other hand I'm pissed off because we made a mistake."

Schmidt-Peterson Motorsport confirmed Katherine Legge as the driver of its third car for the Indianapolis 500, only a few hours before qualifying started.

The last minute deal put her team in a tough spot to prepare the No. 81 car in time, but boss Sam Schmidt sounded confident everything would be ready time.

The 32-year-old Brit, who was dropped by Dragon Racing during the off-season, still has to qualify for fabled race: the entry list now features 34 drivers and there is only 33 grid slots. But at least she has a shot.

So far in the team, only Simon Pagenaud is qualified for the race. Legge and her other teammate Tristan Vautier still have Sunday, or Bump Day, to make the cut.

The former DTM driver was grateful for the opportunity to race at Indianapolis, one of the biggest motorsport event in the world.

"I owe a huge thank you to Honda, Firestone, the IZOD IndyCar Series and especially Schmidt-Peterson Motorsports for pulling this together in the last minute to get the car on track," she is quoted saying by Crash.net.

Audi's Mike Rockenfeller has taken his first win in two years and four days after a commanding victory at Brands Hatch.

"Rocky'' inherited pole after BMW's Martin Tomczyk was excluded from qualifying and looked unrivalled around the short 1.9 kilometer circuit.

Bruno Spengler finished 7.6 seconds behind in second after benefitting from teammate Augusto Farfus' misfortune, which saw the Brazilian's M3 ground to a halt on the Brabham Straight whilst on course for another podium.

Another Canadian, Mercedes' Robert Wickens, finished third. Never before in the history of the sport has there been two Canadians on a DTM podium.

Three manufacturers, two Canadians, one winner on the Brands Hatch podium (Photo: Audi Motorsport)

However, Wickens inherited the position after stablemate Gary Paffett was penalised for now slowing under yellow flags; a decision which dropped the British driver to sixth. Until that point, Paffett had driven an outstanding race which saw him and the HWA team execute a standard-option-standard tyre strategy to perfection.

Joey Hand was another North American to have a good race and despite suffering a poor start which dropped him from third to sixth, the Californian managed to recover to fifth by the end of the race and score his best DTM career result.

Mattias Ekstrom finished seventh from 12th on the grid, ahead of Mercedes' Christian Vietoris, Audi stablemate Timo Scheider and DTM rookie Pascal Wehrlein.

The race was not without controversy however, with Timo Glock calling for Mercedes' Roberto Merhi to take a five-place grid penalty for the next race in Spielberg, after the young Spaniard forced the BMW driver onto the grass at the bottom of Graham Hill hill in the opening stages of the race.

Glock was not the only BMW driver who made contact with Merhi, as Martin Tomczyk was spun by the Mercedes driver in exactly the same place later on in the 98 lap race.

Mike Rockenfeller, Audi RS 5 DTM (Photo: Audi Motorsport)

Race results - Brands Hatch (DTM)
1 - Mike Rockenfeller (Audi RS5) - Phoenix - 98 laps in 1.11'28"719
2 - Bruno Spengler (BMW M3) - Schnitzer - 7"641
3 - Robert Wickens (Mercedes C-Coupé) - HWA - 24"368
4 - Marco Wittmann (BMW M3) - MTEK - 24"964
5 - Joey Hand (BMW M3) - RBM - 26"076
6 - Gary Paffett (Mercedes C-Coupé) - HWA - 27"071
7 - Mattias Ekstrom (Audi RS5) - Abt - 36"523
8 - Christian Vietoris (Mercedes C-Coupé) - HWA - 38"940
9 - Timo Scheider (Audi RS5) - Abt - 39"519
10 - Pascal Wehrlein (Mercedes C-Coupé) - Mucke - 40"290
11 - Miguel Molina (Audi RS5) - Phoenix - 40"853
12 - Dirk Werner (BMW M3) - Schnitzer - 1 lap
13 - Timo Glock (BMW M3) - MTEK - 1 lap
14 - Martin Tomczyk (BMW M3) - RMG - 1 lap
15 - Jamie Green (Audi RS5) - Abt - 1 lap
16 - Roberto Merhi (Mercedes C-Coupé) - HWA - 1 lap
17 - Filipe Albuquerque (Audi RS5) - Rosberg - 1 lap
18 - Adrien Tambay (Audi RS5) - Abt - 1 lap
19 - Andy Priaulx (BMW M3) - RMG - 2 laps
20 - Daniel Juncadella (Mercedes C-Coupé) - Mucke - 2 laps

Retirements
Lap 87 - Edoardo Mortara
Lap 68 - Augusto Farfus

Championship standings
1.Rockenfeller 29 points; 2.Spengler 28; 3.Farfus 25; 4.Paffett 20; 5.Vietris 19; 6.Werner 18; 7.Hand 16; 8.Wickens 15; 9.Wittmann 14; 10.Scheider 10.

Members of the Mercedes AMG F1 team are looking forward to the upcoming Monaco Grand Prix, round 6 of the 2013 F1 world championship.

"Monaco is one of my favourite races of the year," says driver Lewis Hamilton. "As a driver, you know that you have to perform on every single lap and it's a challenge that I really enjoy," he is quoted adding by his team.

Mercedes motorsport boss Toto Wolff agreed.

"Monaco is the most famous race in our sport and a special moment of every F1 season," he stated.

The hype surrounding the famous grand prix is that much sweeter to Mercedes because of the success it has enjoyed at the track.

Mercedes' performances in 2013 have been blurry so far (Photo: WRi2)

In 2012, Michael Schumacher performed his best qualifying effort at the wheel of a silver arrow, clocking the fastest time of Q3. In the race, teammate Nico Rosberg finished second. Taking into account the pace the W04 has showed in qualifying recently, and the fact it is hard to overtake in Monte Carlo, it makes up for great prospects.

"At the moment, we have a good car for qualifying which helps in Monaco [as] track position is so important," said Nico Rosberg, although the pole-sitter from last race refuses to take anything for granted.

"That might be helpful for us but there are so many unknowns, especially with the tires, so we will just have to wait and see."

Vehicle Type: Pickup truck

The Verdict: Having the Tundra put on a hoist and looked at by a mechanic is key for confidence in getting a healthy used model. Issues with this truck seem to be easily identified and common, so a mechanic will be familiar with them. Careful and patient road testing with an open ear to “hear” any signs of trouble is also important.

Photo: Matthieu Lambert

Price: Prices span as widely as the Toyota Tundra's available configurations. Expect to pay about $13,000 to $16,000 for a higher-mileage, earlier unit, and up to $50,000 for a slightly used 2013 model. There's healthy selection in the $25,000 to $35,000 range for this model.

What Owners Like: The first word most owners put on their list of likes for this generation of Tundra? Power. Towing capacity, a quiet highway ride, overall comfort and smoothness, and looks round out the package. Some owners report good fuel mileage, which isn't typical in a pickup review.

What Owners Dislike: Numerous Toyota Tundra owners reported a low budget, plastic-y interior, bouncy ride on rougher surfaces, and cheap factory tires. Some also found issues during parking exercises given the Tundra's size and large turning circle.

History/Description: An updated Toyota Tundra pickup hits the market for the 2014 model year, meaning the second-generation 2007 to 2013 model has transitioned fully into used-truck territory.

This is the Tundra's second generation, and it was available with numerous body and bed configurations, two- or four-wheel drive and standard V8 power, namely from a 4.7L or 5.7L unit.

Look for available leather seating, a premium stereo system, automatic climate control, a self-dimming rearview mirror, and more.

Common Issues: In earlier Toyota Tundra models, some owners reported a loud “slamming” noise from the rear of the truck, which could be caused by a faulty driveshaft spline. Some of these owners point at a Technical Service Bulletin issued by Toyota to address the problem (TSB-0115-08). A “growling” or “clunking” noise from the front differential area also indicates a problem.

So, be sure to listen to the Tundra you're considering closely in a variety of driving conditions, and in particular at lower speeds while loading and unloading the driveline with throttle. Ensure no unwelcome sounds occur. If you're suspicious, have a mechanic take a closer look. Note that these issues seemed to affect mostly earlier Tundra models.

While parked, wiggle the steering wheel of the Tundra you're considering back and forth a half-turn or so. You're listening for any popping or clunking sounds, which could indicate a problem with the power-steering rack. Other unwanted sounds could indicate a problem with CV joints or axles.

Water pumps tend to start leaking as a precursor to failure as the Tundra collects some miles, so be sure to ask the seller if the water pump is original. A leaking water pump will typically show itself with a small pink puddle after the vehicle has been parked, or a “dribble” down the body of the water-pump itself.

Other standard pickup truck checks apply, too. Ensure the Toyota Tundra you're considering shifts from two- to four-wheel drive as outlined in the owner's manual, check the condition of the tires and brakes, and have a look at the underside for signs of excessive rust or damage, possibly caused by careless off-roading.

Photo: Matthieu Lambert

J.R. Fitzpatrick earned his first 2013 NASCAR Canadian Tire Series pole position by setting the fastest time at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park for the upcoming Vortex Brake Pads 200.

By the same token, Fitzpatrick established a new track record with a lap of the 2.459-mile road course in 83.286 seconds, for an average speed of 106.289 mph. It is the 12th career pole for the defending race winner.

He now holds the all-time series mark for career poles by breaking a three-way tie with Andrew Ranger and Don Thomson Jr.

Louis-Philippe Dumoulin, who was fastest in practice earlier in the day, earned a start on the outside pole position with a qualifying time of 83.503 seconds (106.013 mph).

The third-fastest time was posted by two-time series champion Scott Steckly at 83.828 seconds (105.602 mph).

Kerry Micks (105.098 mph) and defending series champion D.J. Kennington (104.848 mph) qualified fourth and fifth, respectively.

Alex Guennette, Robin Buck, Peter Klutt, Howie Scannell Jr. and Jeff Lapcevich rounded out the top-10 qualifiers.

The Pinty's presents the Vortex Brake Pads 200 is scheduled to take the green flag at 1:30 pm Sunday afternoon.

ASSOCIATE EDITOR JAKE LINGEMAN: The Beetle is one of those cars that I would never buy, but I'm glad Volkswagen is making it.