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Kurt Busch, the 2004 NASCAR Cup champion, will get his second taste of Indy car when he wheels one of Andretti Autosports' Dallara Chevrolets at the famed Brickyard next Thursday.

Busch, 34, recently tested his Gen-6 Sprint Cup Furniture Row Chevrolet at the 4-kilometre oval.

Said Andretti: "I had the chance to get to know Kurt last year when we were working on another racing project. I respect his talent and am happy to give him the opportunity to experience the raw speed of an Indy car. It's a unique feel and perspective - it will be totally different than what he is used to driving each week on the Cup circuit."

The project Andretti was referring was a bid to start a NASCAR team to keep Dodge, a division owned by Fiat in the American stock car series.

Busch left open the door to compete in "The Double" - racing in the Indianapolis 500 and Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway on the same day - in the future.

One of Andretti Autosport's Dallara-Chevrolet (Photo: IndyCar.com)

"I am looking forward to this test and experiencing IMS at the speeds the Indy cars run," Busch said.

"Let's see how the test goes, and then I can look at the opportunities that could be beyond this coming Thursday. Running the Indianapolis 500 would certainly be a highlight, and doing another 600 miles in a Cup car on the same day would make for a special weekend."

Only three drivers have attempted the Memorial Day weekend "Double": John Andretti, Tony Stewart and Robby Gordon.

Busch has experience with Champ Car machinery, having tested one of Bobby Rahal's Lola-Ford at Sebring prior to the 2003 season.

The Las Vegas native showed his versatility as he tested an Australian V8 Super Car in Austin, Texas last month. And he drove an NHRA pro stock car in 2011.

From GMM

Williams has played down reports it suffered a financial loss last year, insisting instead that it is gearing up to expand.

Listed on the Frankfurt stock exchange, the British team this week revealed a pre-tax loss of almost $8 million last year, having turned a profit in 2011.

But spokesman James Francis said the financial report could not include almost $15 million in formula one income.

"If that figure had been included we would have turned a loss into a profit," he told the Oxford Mail.

How profitable is racing to Williams? (Photo: WRi2)

"It would have been a smaller profit (than 2011), but a lot of investment has happened."

The Williams spokesman said building work on a new research and development department is still scheduled to start.

The team is yet to score a point in 2013.

"There is still a way to go for the team to get to where we should be," said Sir Frank Williams, "but improvements on previous seasons are evident."

Timo Scheider (Audi) grabbed pole position, ahead of the opening round of the DTM championship in Hockenheim. Canadian Bruno Spengler (BMW) is only 7th.

Rain helped the former champion storm up the field.

Mattias Ekstrom congratulates teammate Scheider for his pole position (Photo: Audi)

The German driver set the best lap time in the Super pole session ahead of Augusto Farfus' BMW, and both Mercedes C-Coupé driven by Christian Vietoris and Robert Wickens.

The drying track conditions penalized several drivers who went out early in the session, drivers like Bruno Spengler. The reigning champion sailed through Q1 and Q2, but was left stranded at the end of Q3.

Drivers who, unlike the Canadian, put in one extra fast lap were able to improve their time.

18-year-old Pascal Wherlein impressed in his debut at the wheel of the Mercedes C-Coupé. The rookie clocked the second fastest lap in Q1, and eventually managed 8th on the grid.


Qualifying results - Hockenheim (DTM)
1. Timo Scheider (Audi RS5) - Abt - 1'35"918 - Q4
2. Augusto Farfus (BMW M3) - RBM - 1'36"034 - Q4
3. Christian Vietoris (Mercedes C-Coupé) - HWA - 1'36"194 - Q4
4. Robert Wickens (Mercedes C-Coupé) - HWA - no time - Q4
5. Mattias Ekstrom (Audi RS5) - Abt - 1'40"005 - Q3
6. Gary Paffett (Mercedes C-Coupé) - HWA - 1'40"496 - Q3
7. Bruno Spengler (BMW M3) - Schnitzer - 1'41"184 - Q3
8. Pascal Wehrlein (Mercedes C-Coupé) - Mucke - 1'41"337 - Q3
Etc.

The World Endurance Championship travels to Belgium this weekend, for round 2 of the season.

Audi, which won the race last year, secured pole position ahead of the 2013 event.



The Ingolstadt manufacturer also won the first race the year, last month in Silverstone.


Source: LeMansLive.com

Summary
This year, 2013, marks the introduction of the 250 BlueTEC version of the famous GLK mid-size luxury SUV. This version is powered by a 4-cylinder twin-turbo diesel engine that goes a long way towards 'greening' this vehicle when compared to its standard gas-powered sibling that consumes nearly 15 L/100 km. The GLK has been thoroughly civilized.

Pros
Good visibility, practical format, quiet interior.

Cons
The ECO system is not available in the BlueTEC version.

Price
The MSRP starts at $43,500.

Fuel Economy
Fuel-economy ratings are a reported 7.5 L/100 km city and 5.8 L/100 km highway.

Photo: Mercedes-Benz

New and Improved
Certain small exterior design changes have been applied such as those to the grille as well as an elegant LED strip that has been added above the headlights. The interior has been slightly updated but not overhauled. The outstanding feature of the 250 BlueTEC is, without a doubt, its engine. A Mercedes 4-cylinder diesel engine has finally made it back to our shores after a 28-year absence.

Exterior Styling
Strong mass-appeal design.

Cargo Capacity
The GLK 250 BlueTEC has 450 litres of trunk space which expands to 1,500 with lowered seats.

Drivetrain
An inline 4-cylinder 2.1 litre twin-turbo engine that produces 190 hp and 369 lb-ft torque.

Safety
Anti-lock braking system with brake assist and electronic stability program.
Lateral collision test score: 5/5
Frontal collision test score: 5/5
Airbags: 7

Tip
Even though the GLK is an all-terrain vehicle with four-wheel drive, few drivers will take this $40,000 unit off-roading. The 250 BlueTEC is a Mercedes all-terrain offering that is suited for its true purpose: urban cruising.

Comparable Models
'Green' models: Volkswagen Tiguan
Others: Audi Q5, BMW X1/X3, GMC Acadia, Acura RDX

Photo: Mercedes-Benz

References
L'Annuel de l'automobile 2013

Le Guide de l'auto 2013 (www.guideautoweb.com)

Highlights*
Interior room, ergonomics, reliability, fuel economy, and quiet operation are all areas in which the 2013 Subaru Impreza shines. Of course, its main selling point continues to be Subaru's acclaimed all-wheel drive system, which delivers grip and handling any day of the year.

Lowlights*
The poor sound system, noisy CVT, and somewhat uninspiring lines are some of the knocks against the new Impreza. Also, the manual transmission has five gears only, and its shifter lacks precision.

(Photo: Subaru)

Pricing
The 2013 Subaru Impreza starts at $19,995 in 4-door sedan configuration, and $20,895 as a 5-door hatchback.

In both cases, buyers can select a Touring Package (16” alloy wheels, heated front seats, automatic headlights, etc.), a Sport Package (17” wheels, power sunroof, dual zone climate control, etc.), or a Limited Package (multimedia system, navigation, rearview camera, leather seats, etc.).

A fully equipped 2013 Subaru Impreza retails from $26,895 (once again, add $900 for the hatchback).

Fuel consumption
With the manual gearbox, all Imprezas achieve 8.3L/100km in the city and 5.9L/100km on the highway. Opt for the Lineartronic CVT, however, and these ratings drop to 7.5L and 5.5L/100km, respectively, making the 2013 Subaru Impreza the most efficient AWD vehicle in Canada.

Styling
The Impreza was completely redesigned for 2012 and returns virtually unchanged in 2013. The exterior design features the trademark hawk-eye headlights, powerful wheel arches and hexagonal front grille. Customers have a selection of 15”, 16” or 17” wheels.

(Photo: Subaru)

Powertrain
The 2013 Subaru Impreza uses a 2.0L 4-cylinder BOXER engine that's good for 148 horsepower and 145 lb-ft of torque. As mentioned earlier, the 5-speed manual transmission can be replaced with a Lineartronic CVT offering a 6-speed manual mode and paddle shifters on certain models. Completing the equation is the legendary symmetrical full-time AWD system.

Cargo capacity
The sedan boasts a 340-litre trunk, while the hatchback's cargo area expands from 638 to 1,485 litres when you fold the rear seats down.

Safety
Did we mention this car has AWD? Safety also comes in the form of Vehicle Dynamic Control (with lateral-g and yaw-rate sensors), traction control, collapsible pedals and steering column, along with seven airbags. Now you understand why the 2013 Subaru Impreza received a “Top Safety Pick” award from the U.S. Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS).

Competitors
Chevrolet Cruze, Ford Focus, Honda Civic, Hyundai Elantra, Kia Forte, Mazda3, Mitsubishi Lancer, Nissan Sentra, Toyota Corolla/Matrix, Volkswagen Golf.


*Based on expert reviews.
Fillion Nadine, Le guide de l'auto 2013, Montreal, Les éditions de l'Homme, 2012, p.552
Laguë Philippe, L'annuel de l'automobile 2013, Montreal Transcontinental, 2012, p.544
www.subaru.ca

From GMM

Formula one chiefs will meet next weekend in Barcelona to discuss a potential demerit-points system that could lead to drivers facing race bans for repeat misbehaviour.

Reports, including by the news agency AFP and the British newspaper the Times, said the FIA's Charlie Whiting will meet with team bosses to talk about the new regime.

The reports said the new system could replace the mainly grid penalties and fines that are currently levied against drivers for on-track misbehaviour.

The new system would see drivers tote up demerit points against their mandatory super license, with multiple indiscretions to add up to race bans.

"It's a complex question," Whiting is quoted as saying, "and we need to get the balance right because banning a driver is a serious issue.

"We need to make sure a driver genuinely deserves any ban.

"We will be monitoring offences and running a (hypothetical) system in the background to see how it would all work if put into practice."

Sebastien Loeb (Citroën) inherited first position in rally Argentina after Sébastien Ogier (Volkswagen) made a small mistake while leading the event.

Ogier hold the lead at the end of Thursday, but a small mistake in the very first stage on Friday dropped him down in order as he lost about thirty seconds, which allowed Loeb to move up in first place.

The Volkswagen driver was closing on his rival at the end of the day, but he lost several seconds after a puncture in the last stage of the afternoon, which put him 40,3 seconds behind his fellow country man before Saturday's stages.

Meanwhile, Mikko Hirvonen (Citroën), who was holding third position behind Loeb suffered a puncture that cost him about 40 seconds, before electric problems dropped him down to sixth position. Jari-Matti Latvala (Volkswagen) was on his way to second place, but he also suffered puncture, and lost two positions, as he concluded the day in fourth position.

Behind Loeb and Ogier, Evgeny Novikov (Ford) was happy to complete the provisional podium finish, after his team mate Mads Ostberg was forced to retire on Thursday.

Friday was not a good day for the Citroen driver, Mikko Hirvonen. (Photo: WRC)

One of the odder things about living in "the future" is that things develop so gradually, hardly any of the really amazing things we're exposed to every day seem amazing or futuristic.

We rang in the week with good news as we found out that the Cadillac ATS will bring a coupe version when the new model arrives next year.

A "Jack Reacher" chase scene (above) featuring a Chevrolet Chevelle SS clone is the inspiration for an endurance contest next week.

Tesla increased the guaranteed residual value of its electric Model S sedan to 50 percent after its lease-to-own period of three years.

Enterprise Holdings has promoted Christine Taylor-Broughton, the granddaughter of the car rental company's founder, to senior vice president of North American operations effective immediately.

It has been three years since BMW announced its new i lineup, a range of so-called megacity vehicles beginning with the compact

Ford, seeking to challenge Toyota's dominance in gasoline-electric vehicles, said it will pass its own full-year record for hybrid sales in the United States this month on demand for its Fusion and C-Max hybrid models.

The last manual-transmission diesel convertible we drove was the Volkswagen Beetle. It was a fine little cruiser -- and#8220;joyfuland#8221; is a word we bandied about a lot.

Studebaker's mid-'50s coupes -- including the gorgeous Commander Starliner -- were tantalizing but frustrating. Early cars used flimsy steel for the frame, resulting in undesirable flexibility.

Lead-generation Web site Autobytel reported its highest quarterly revenues in five years during the first quarter -- growth that reflects the improving automotive market.

Senior motorsports editor Mac Morrison walks us through this weekend in racing.

Auto parts maker American Axle and Manufacturing said net income fell 86 percent in the first quarter, citing debt refinancing and high costs for new-vehicle launches.