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After Chrysler initially denied an NHTSA request to recall 2.7 million 1993-2004 Jeep Grand Cherokee and 2002-2007 Jeep Liberty vehicles, the automaker has finally decided to conduct a voluntary campaign for said models.

An inspection will determine the necessity to upgrade the rear structure in order to better manage crash forces in low-speed impacts.

Chrysler's analysis confirms that these SUVs are not defective and are among the safest in their respective class. Nevertheless, Chrysler opted to comply with the NHTSA to provide additional measures to supplement the safety of its vehicles.

Photo: Jeep

The two Lotus Praga LMP2 cars of the Koweda team have been seized by French authorities Tuesday afternoon in the paddock of the Le Mans circuit, one day prior to the first practice session of the 24 Hours of Le Mans.

The action was taken by one of the supplier of the German team owned by former HRT F1 team director, Colin Kolles for alleged non-payment of bills.

One report says that suspension components, gearboxes and the steering wheels were taken from the team's pit in Le Mans by bailiffs at 5pm on Tuesday.

The two Lotus entries are scheduled to be driven by James Rossiter, Kevin Weeda and Christophe Bouchut (N° 31), and Thomas Holzer, Dominik Kraihamer et Jan Charouz (N° 32).

The court case in the city of Le Mans is due at 3pm local time today, Wednesday. Team sources are hopeful that a successful resolution would allow the two cars to take to the track in free practice, which runs from 4 to 8pm.

Photo: Lotus

Any time of year is good for a road trip, but the summer months seem to bring out the need to hit the open road that much more. Maybe it's the sunshine or maybe it's too many iced coffees that have us all hyped up about filling up the tank and throwing caution to the wind as we head out to where the sky meets the earth.

Whatever it is, we're glad we feel the itch because it means we could (potentially) enjoy the journey behind the wheel of any of these top 10 road trip vehicles.

10 - Toyota Prius v
Well, if you haven't clicked away already, good. Here's why the Toyota Prius v is one of our top 10 road trip vehicles: it won't cost you a bomb at the pumps as you make your cross-country trek. Sure, road tripping is great, but not when you're spending money on feeding your car instead of yourself. It won't be the quickest, or the coolest looking, but it'll offer up space, comfort and convenience. And you can spend your dollars on roadside attractions ; and who doesn't want to see The Blue Whale in Catoosa, Oklahoma?!

Photo: Toyota

Continue reading Top 10 Road Trip Vehicles

Canadian stock-car driver, Andrew Ranger will be pretty busy this weekend as he will participate in both the ARCA and Nationwide races held at the Road America road course.

For Ranger, it will be his second and third race of the year, having already contested the K&N Pro West race in Brainerd, Minnesota, where he earned pole position and finished 10th after experiencing a puncture late in the race.

The weekend schedule will be hectic for Ranger since both races are to be held on Saturday afternoon but that doesn't seem to bother the two-time NASCAR Canadian Tires Series' champion.

Photo: Facebook Andrew Ranger

The Canadian will be fighting for victory in the ARCA race, his MDS Motorsport team having brought to the circuit two excellent cars for the occasion.

The team has a lot of experience in ARCA and the Road America track is one of Ranger's favorites and on which he has a lot of experience, having raced there in ARCA, Nationwide and even ChampCar.

Things will be different for the Nationwide part of the weekend since the team doesn't have a lot of experience in that series. Ranger will do is best to qualify the car for Saturday's event, 46 drivers will be battling for the 40-car starting grid.

Here is a preview of this year's 24 Hours of Le Mans - the 81st running of the great endurance race in France.

LMP1
In LMP1 - the top endurance category - it's quite difficult to imagine how Audi can lose victory. The German car manufacturer has dominated Le Mans since 2000, scoring 11 wins in 13 races. Why things should be different this year?

Audi's top trio made of Lotterer-Treluyer-Fassler (winners of the last two Le Mans races and reigning World Endurance champions) intends to win the race for a third time. The fact is that Audi has virtually no rivals, except Toyota. Despite the fact that they performed well at Le Mans last year, the Toyota TS030s are not as fast as the mighty German machines.

Behind the factory teams, the two Rebellion Racing Lola-Toyotas intends to win the “independents” race in front of the HPD of Strakka Racing.

LMP2
An impressive field of 22 cars will battle in the LMP2 class. Winners of last year, Starworks Motorsport are not back. Battle for the win includes OAK Racing's Morgan-Nissan, the Alpine-Nissan and the Zytek Nissan.

GTE Pro
Five car manufacturers are entered in the GTE Pro category. Four works teams - Porsche, Corvette, Aston Martin and STR Viper and one semi-private, Ferrari AF Corse - will be in the hunt for victory. The Porsche factory will be involved, rehearsing for next year's challenge with its new LMP1 prototype.

GTE Am
Corvette, Ferrari, Porsche and Aston Martin will be racing in the GTE Am category. Fourteen cars will be battling for 24 hours, including a pair of factory Vantages.

From GMM

Caterham boss Cyril Abiteboul has backed the team's all-new driver lineup, amid suggestions Heikki Kovalainen should be drafted back in.

For the first time since its 2010 debut, the green-liveried team appeared to falter early this season with an outdated car and in the wake of experienced driver Kovalainen's departure.

Finn Kovalainen reappeared in Friday practice in Bahrain and Spain, triggering rumours he might soon replace either rookie Giedo Van der Garde - slammed by Mark Webber in Canada as a 'pay driver with no mirrors' - or Charles Pic.

Photo: Caterham F1 Team

Abiteboul told F1's official website: "He (Kovalainen) definitely helped in the couple of sessions he ran, and in the feedback he gave."

But there is no sign the 31-year-old will appear again, even if Finnish commentator for MTV3, Oskari Saari, said: "I still believe he will race this season."

For now, Abiteboul is backing van der Garde, who will drop five places on the Silverstone grid after his crash with Webber in Canada, and Frenchman Pic.

"Same as with the team, I'd like to evaluate both drivers properly at the right moment, but for now I think both are making progress in parallel," he said.

Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery. This is great and everything, but at some point it all becomes a little dull.

Recently, Toyota unveiled their latest 2014 Corolla and although not revolutionary by any stretch of the imagination, the new car shows signs of progress in the right direction. Although it remains progress, I'm not certain that Toyota created anything entirely new. Driving impressions are a few months away, so final judgment will be reserved for then.

On the design front, a colleague of mine sent me the picture you see in this story. He concocted this picture in only a few seconds, but the message it conveys is quite clear: Design barriers were not torn down with the new Corolla.

In fact, with the exception of Kia and Hyundai, few others are really doing anything concrete or original. The Dodge Dart is decidedly a handsome car, but the gapping grille, aggressive bumper, and profiled headlights have been around since the 2010 MAZDA3 in the same segment.

So what's going on? Easy: There are innovators and there are followers. For some manufacturers such as Mazda with their gorgeous MAZDA6, they bank on being noticed first, then appreciated for their technology second. I don't know how well it will work for the 6, however, when the new 3 arrives, hold on to your hats.

So, what does this all mean? Well, in the Corolla's case it's a matter of Toyota deciding to invest further in content (to match the Koreans) and to depend on its namesake to attract and maintain clientele. As a note, it will work. In the case of the Kia Forte, its success depends heavily on two things: bang for the buck and styling. I think they've managed both.

If we look at every car in the compact segment, many look alike from one angle or another and even if I find the situation a little sad, conservative buyers in this segment like it this way. As the years and months go by and our aging population moves out of cars, manufacturers will have to spruce and spice up designs to attract younger buyers.

The process has already begun so within a few years, stragglers will all catch up. The end result? The compacy car segment will be a good looking bunch (and clearly all from the same lineage) in the very near future.

Grand in more ways than one
The idea of a four-door coupe may be lost on some, but not on BMW. Somehow, they've managed to design a vehicle that's cavernous inside but feels small and nimble on the road. From long sweeping lines to tight, taut handling, the 2013 BMW 650i Gran Coupe is just that: Grand.

There's another thing that's quite grand about the 650i, and that's its price tag. However, in my mind, BMW justified the numbers (and there are many) attached to the Gran Coupe. While it is quite a large vehicle (stretching nearly 16 ft in length), it's the attention to detail that really dragged me into the luxurious stronghold that is the 2013 BMW 650i Gran Coupe.


What is the BMW 650i Gran Coupe?
BMW's 6 Series is a coupe model, and first hit North American soil in the ‘70s. Available as a two-door and later, a convertible, the 6 Series was, and still is, seen as the sportier brother to the 7 Series. Larger in size and with ample power, the 6 Series is the sporty businessman's vehicle of choice.

It wasn't until its third iteration that the BMW 6 Series gained an extra pair of doors to rival the likes of the Audi A7 and Mercedes-Benz CLS. The Gran Coupe four-door model was first seen in 2012.

Technicalities
While there are a few engine choices available in Europe, we only get one here in Canada for 2013, but at least it's a very good power source. The 2013 BMW 650i Gran Coupe features a TwinPower Turbo V8 that pumps out a glorious 445 hp and 480 lb-ft of torque. One hundred from a standstill happens in just 4.8 seconds. The power in the 650i Gran Coupe is fluid and always there.

Turbo lag is nearly non-existent and the 8-speed sports automatic transmission is a joy to manipulate. Steering wheel-mounted paddle shifters offer more control, but I rarely used them as the transmission is that quick to respond and functional on its own.

The 2013 BMW 650i starts at $98,800. At the top of the 6 Series lineup sits the M6 Gran Coupe for $127,900. Where does the 650i Gran Coupe fit in? Well, it sits pretty at $99,800 -- to start. BMWs are highly customizable and are made to order. As such, my tester's price rose to a dramatic $131,100 after various packages for seats, sound, and technology were added.

The 2013 BMW 650i Gran Coupe features a TwinPower Turbo V8 that pumps out a glorious 445 hp and 480 lb-ft of torque. (Photo: Olivier Delorme)

Driving the BMW 650i Gran Coupe
For a vehicle weighing somewhere in the 4,500lb range, the 2013 BMW 650i Gran Coupe is quite light on its feet. I expected to feel as if I was piloting a small land yacht; instead, I felt like I was behind the wheel of a slightly fatter 3 Series. That's the thing about BMWs; they really are driver's cars (no matter how big the backseat is).

I'll admit, the nose on the 650i Gran Coupe was a little stretched out for my liking (I paid close attention when parking near curbs, etc.). However, as far as handling, cornering and acceleration were concerned, the 650i is an absolute joy to drive -- and the bark from the dual exhaust will keep you coming back for more.

Visibility in the 2013 BMW 650i Gran Coupe isn't the best as the rear window has quite a severe angle; however, the available backup camera will help with that.

For a vehicle weighing somewhere in the 4,500lb range, the 2013 BMW 650i Gran Coupe is quite light on its feet. (Photo: Olivier Delorme)

Inside and out of the BMW 650i Gran Coupe
There's no denying that the 650i Gran Coupe is a big beast of a car. I adore the recessed, angel-eye headlights and bulbous, ferocious nose of the front fascia. A traditional kidney grille and sporty front lip complete the intimidating look that ensures traffic parts in your wake. The coupe line is stunning on the 650i Gran Coupe. Four-door vehicles that can wear the coupe line so well without looking awkward always intrigue me, and the 650i is one such vehicle.

Here's where the little things come to light: From subtle “Gran Coupe” branding below the rear side windows (integrated into the door frame) to “BMW LED” branding in the headlamps, BMW really took a fine-tooth designing comb to the 650i.

Space in the 2013 BMW 650i Gran Coupe is ample front and back, and standard fare is present in terms of amenities (iDrive, heated seats, privacy screens in the rear, Bluetooth, etc.).

I adore the recessed, angel-eye headlights and bulbous, ferocious nose of the front fascia. A traditional kidney grille and sporty front lip complete the intimidating look that ensures traffic parts in your wake. (Photo: Olivier Delorme)

Comparing the BMW 650i Gran Coupe
As mentioned above, the 650i Gran Coupe was released to compete directly with the Audi A7 and Mercedes-Benz CLS-Class. As far as a grand touring saloon goes, I'm not sure the BMW is at the top of the pack; however, when it comes to sporty driving dynamics the BMW has it in the bag.

From GMM

A photo has emerged that some believe is evidence Red Bull is using illegal 'traction control' aboard its championship-leading RB9 car.

"Bumps or traction control?" a report by Italy's Autosprint said.

The photo shows Mark Webber's single seater exiting a corner in Canada and leaving rubber marks on the track due to wheel spin.

But, apparently moments into the wheel spin, the rubber marks become dotted, as if to depict the kicking-in of a form of traction control, which is not allowed in F1.

The photo was sent in by a reader, who admitted that the dotted wheel spin marks may also have been caused by a phenomenon of resonance in the rear suspension.

"Anyway, the image is worth reporting," the Autosprint story read.

Caption: FOM

UPDATE
Such tire marks cannot be the undisputed proof that Red Bull is using some sort of a traction control device.

In 1984-1985, the Michelin-shod F1 cars used to leave similar tire marks on the tarmac under powerful accelerations. Michelin's Pierre Dupasquier explained at the time that the flexible sidewalls of the radial Michelin tire generated major tire deformation under extreme loads, producing these marks, as there were no traction control systems at the time.

This photo taken by WRI2 last year shows similar tire marks, again caused by the deformation of the tire under acceleration.

Tire marks on the starting grid. (Photo: WRI2)

From GMM

The F1 driver market is waiting for Kimi Raikkonen's next move, according to Oskari Saari, a commentator for Finnish television MTV3.

"Red Bull's Helmut Marko said in Canada that driver decisions will be made in August, during the summer break," Saari said.

It is strongly rumoured that Lotus' Raikkonen, having firmly re-established his reputation in the wake of a rallying sabbatical, is now likely to return to a true top team in 2014 to replace Mark Webber.

Kimi Raikkonen, Lotus E21. (Photo: WRi2)

Saari said he thinks Raikkonen is a better candidate than Red Bull's youngsters at Toro Rosso, Daniel Ricciardo and Jean-Eric Vergne.

"They're good guys, but not quite good enough," he insisted.

"I think the probability of Kimi going to Red Bull is very high -- it would be a logical move," added Saari.

Saari also repeated rumours that Lotus might look to Williams' Pastor Maldonado and his PDVSA sponsor millions to replace Raikkonen.

Britain's SportsPro magazine got an exclusive interview with Mansoor Ijaz, one of the new investors in the Lotus Formula 1 Team.

Yesterday, Lotus confirmed that its owner, Genii Capital, has sold a 35 per cent stake in the business to Infinity Racing Partners. Infinity is a special purpose vehicle set up by what Lotus called 'an American hedge fund manager, an Abu Dhabi-based multinational business group and royal family interest of a major oil producing nation'.

Mansoor Ijaz, a US investment banker and sometime media pundit, is also the founder and chairman of New York-based investment firm Crescent Investment Management.

“For us it was an opportunity to bring our technological capabilities,” said Ijaz to SportsPro.

“We have enormous technological capabilities that we can bring and we're going to make Lotus the number one team for sponsorship within the next year. That's simply a result of my network around the world,” he added.

Mansoor Ijaz.

Some medias speculated that there are interests from the United Arab Emirates and also Brunei in that project.

“I will not comment on the royal family, whether it's Brunei or not. What I will tell you is the people who are part of the consortium are old, dear friends, business partners, investors in other things that I've done,” replied Ijaz.

Ijaz also explained why he chose to invest in the Lotus F1 Team. “We have been looking at Formula 1 for about two years now. We looked at three other teams before we decided on Lotus,” he said to SportsPro.

“Team Lotus has the element of real team spirit, meaning across the board - vertically as well as horizontally - in terms of the breadth and depth of the team's capacity. Secondly, there are the business brains that run Genii Capital and the business brains that affect the way in which Lotus is managed as a business; these are men cut from the same cloth as I have been throughout my career,” he added.

“We will be integrally involved in the technology development side, as the engines change next year, as technology comes to the front.

“I have a younger brother, Mujeeb and he is the chief technology officer of A123 Venture Technologies in Boston. He's an important part of the story of what we're doing because he brings a certain capability as a systems integrator and an expert in battery technology that will, I think, dramatically enhance what we're doing on the technological side come next season,” Ijaz continued.

Ijaz confirmed that the new investors have high expectations for the future of the Lotus F1 Team.

“Of course we want to make a profit, but it's not the primary objective. Next year, when there is a change in the way the races will be run, there's a lot of opportunity going forward to differentiate one car from another technologically. We'll be number one in 12 months. I say it simply, flatly, completely - we'll be number one in 12 months,” he concluded.

From GMM

Niki Lauda only knew about Mercedes' secret tire test at Barcelona in May once "the wheels were turning".

That is the claim on Wednesday of the respected Auto Motor und Sport correspondent Michael Schmidt, as F1 braces for the first ever hearing of Jean Todt's new international tribunal.

Reportedly armed with lawyers and engineers of the Brackley based team, the sole Mercedes chief deployed to Paris on Thursday morning will be Ross Brawn, after a spokesman confirmed that Lauda and Toto Wolff will not be there.

After a disappointing first three years of the 'works' F1 foray, the Austrian pair are the new faces at Mercedes, and both shareholders.

Photo: WRi2

There has been speculation Brawn will be the scapegoat, or fall guy, with former McLaren technical director Paddy Lowe already at work at Brackley, and earmarked to eventually succeed Brawn.

"It was my decision to do the test, so that's a fact. Let's see what occurs at the tribunal and go from there," Ross Brawn told reporters in Canada recently.

Schmidt reported on Wednesday that Lauda, the triple world champion and Mercedes F1 chairman, first heard about the highly controversial Barcelona test "when the wheels were already turning".

He added that Lauda's deputies insisted that permission had been sought for the use of the 2013 car.

The refreshed 2014 Buick LaCrosse will be priced starting at $34,060, with shipping, or $610 higher than the outgoing 2013 model, GM said today.

Chrysler has decided to recall 2.7 million 1993 to 2004 Jeep Grand Cherokee and 2002 to 2007 Liberty models for a potential risk relating to the fuel tank placement between the rear bumper and rear axle.

Jaguar Land Rover is targeting global sales of 750,000 units by the end of the decade, with an eventual target of 1 million units, a top executive said today.

The trial against G. Elizabeth Carmichael and her associates of the defunct Twentieth Century Motor Car Corp.

Tesla Motors, already adding a network of fast-charging stations for its luxury electric cars, is readying a service to rapidly swap a car's battery with a charged pack for added convenience.

Chrysler Group, saying it's settled a dispute with federal safety regulators, will inspect older-model Jeep Grand Cherokee and Jeep Liberty SUVs and install a trailer hitch assembly if necessary to 'better manage crash forces in low-speed...

Former BMW Dingolfing plant manager Wolfgang Stadler is joining Tata Motors' Jaguar Land Rover as director of manufacturing responsible for global operations.

News 18 Jun, 2013

The new Chevrolet Corvette Stingray will start at £61,495 - but it will be offered in left-hand-drive-only