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Spain's CIE Automotive will buy a majority stake in the combined auto component unit of India's Mahindra Group to create a new company that will become one of the top 25 global suppliers, with annual sales of $3 billion and operations from North...

Spain's CIE Automotive will buy a majority stake in the combined auto component unit of India's Mahindra Group to create a new company that will become one of the top 25 global suppliers, with annual sales of $3 billion and operations from North...

ASSOCIATE EDITOR GRAHAM KOZAK: It's nice to test two 2013 Hyundai Sonatas -- one Limited and one SE 2.0T -- nearly back-to-back.

Making sure vehicles are "built Ford tough" has become too tough on the test drivers whose job involves putting thousands of bone-jarring, teeth-rattling, mind-numbing miles on new models.

Toyota has decided it no longer needs 50 kinds of air bags to protect drivers' knees. Ten, the company says, ought to suffice.

Andretti Autosport's Marco Andretti showed a lot of pace during practices and that translated later in pole position for Saturday's IndyCar race at the famed Milwaukee Mile.

Not only did he topped both Friday practices, he also ended up fastest after the qualifying session, with a new track record of 170.515mph, based on his two-lap run.

The Andretti squad continued to show that there were the ones to beat as Andretti teammate James Hinchcliffe took second, also beating the old record with his 170.418mph effort.

"We rolled off pretty good," Andretti said. "I knew I was going to have to go flat in Turns 1 and 2 in both laps, and I was able to pull it off."

It could have been an all Andretti top 4, but a late charge from Will Power (Team Penske) made it impossible as the Australian finished third, putting himself ahead of current IndyCar champion Ryan Hunter-Reay and EJ Viso.

Qualifying results - Milwaukee (IndyCar)
1.Marco Andretti (Dallara DW12-Chevy) - Andretti - 170.515 mph (274.417 kmh)
2.James Hinchcliffe (Dallara DW12-Chevy) - Andretti - 170.418
3.Will Power (Dallara DW12-Chevy) - Penske - 170.212
4.Ryan Hunter-Reay (Dallara DW12-Chevy) - Andretti - 170.100
5.Ernesto Viso (Dallara DW12-Chevy) - Andretti - 169.828
6.Sebastian Saavedra (Dallara DW12-Chevy) - Dragon - 169.732
7.Tony Kanaan (Dallara DW12-Chevy) - KV - 169.482
8.Josef Newgarden (Dallara DW12-Honda) - Fisher - 169.462
9.Simon Pagenaud (Dallara DW12-Honda) - Schmidt - 169.3111
10.Tristan Vautier (Dallara DW12-Honda) - Schmidt - 169.215
11.Scott Dixon (Dallara DW12-Honda) - Ganassi - 168.820
12.James Jakes (Dallara DW12-Honda) - Rahal - 168.470
13.Justin Wilson (Dallara DW12-Honda) - Coyne - 168.412
14.Sebastien Bourdais (Dallara DW12-Chevy) - Dragon - 168.141
15.Takuma Sato (Dallara DW12-Honda) - Foyt - 168.023
16.Alex Tagliani (Dallara DW12-Honda) - Herta - 167.512
17.Dario Franchitti (Dallara DW12-Honda) - Ganassi - 167.263
18.Helio Castroneves (Dallara DW12-Chevy) - Penske - 167.169
19.Ryan Briscoe (Dallara DW12-Honda) - Panther - 165.765
20.Ana Beatriz (Dallara DW12-Honda) - Coyne - 165.364
21.Ed Carpenter (Dallara DW12-Chevy) - Carpenter - 164.797
22.Charlie Kimball (Dallara DW12-Honda) - Ganassi - 164.124
23.Graham Rahal (Dallara DW12-Honda) - Rahal - 163.230
24.Simona de Silvestro (Dallara DW12-Chevy) - KV - 162.886

DTM drivers Timo Scheider, Timo Glock and Christian Vietoris have made donations, on behalf of the series, to the cities of Meissen, Pirna and Herzberg, that were hit hard by floods in Eastern Germany.

Many shops, museums and other important buildings were devastated by the overflowings of the Elbe river.

The donations made exceeded $300,000.

"I was very positively surprised that we got such great news at the time when we were still landing in water," the mayor of Meissen, Olaf Raschke said.

"Getting the first positive report from the DTM was absolutely great."

The series also offered tickets for the upcoming race at the Lausitzring, for workers who volunteered during the floods.

Pros and cons*
Pros
The 2013 Hyundai Genesis Sedan distinguishes itself by its quality-built interior, ease-of-access, comfortable rear seats, quiet and supple ride, as well as being a reliable and affordable vehicle that has an impressive list of standard equipment.

Cons
Taut suspension, vague steering, the absence of an all-wheel drive option, and mediocre fuel economy.

Price
The entry-level Genesis, badged 3.8, starts at $39,999.

The 3.8 with Premium package starts at $44,999.

With the Technology package, the 3.8 carries a $49,499 price tag.

The V8 powered 5.0 R-Spec version starts at $53,499. It distinguishes itself from its brethren with its 19-inch aluminum-alloy wheels, leather covered instrument panel and R-Spec badges.

Photo: Hyundai

Fuel Economy
The 6-cylinder powered Genesis consumes11.4 L/100 km city and 7.2 L/100 km highway. The average is an estimated 9.5 L/100 km.

The V8 ratings are 13.5 L/100 km city and 8.5 L/100 km highway, for a combined average of 11.3 L/100 km.

Exterior Styling
The Hyundai Genesis sedan exudes luxury and refinement. Its split-design chrome grille and massive LED headlights, which are accented by a tasteful chrome strip, make it elegantly distinct. The tail lights and dual exhaust tips are integrated into a design that adds a classic finishing touch.

Drivetrain
The base engine is a 3.8 litre V6 that develops 333 hp and 291 lb-ft torque. The V8 powered R-Spec version pumps out 429 horses and 376 lb-ft of torque which is transmitted to the rear wheels via an 8-speed automatic transmission.

Cargo Capacity
The trunk capacity of this luxury sedan is 450 litres.

Safety
The Genesis received the 2012 IIHS ''Top Safety Pick'' in the U.S. It comes equipped with eight airbags.

Comparable Models
Acura TL, Buick LaCrosse, BMW 5 series, Chrysler 300, Ford Taurus, Infiniti M, Lexus ES, Lincoln MKZ, Mercedes-Benz E Class, Nissan Maxima, Toyota Avalon

*References
Laguë, Philippe, L'Annuel de l'automobile 2013, Montréal, Transcontinental, 2012, p. 300
Duval, Jacques, L'Auto 2013, Montréal, Les Éditions La Presse, 2012, p. 295
www.hyundaicanada.com

Taylor brothers Jordan (Velocity Worldwide Corvette DP) and Ricky (VisitFlorida.com Corvette DP) earned the two first positions of the Grand-Am qualifying session, held prior to Saturday's event at Mid-Ohio.

Of course, their proud father Wayne was watching because he happens to be Jordan's boss at Wayne Taylor Racing.

Ricky, Wayne and Jordan Taylor (Photo: Grand-Am.com)

Christian Fittipaldi put the his Action Express Corvette DP first on the second row, ahead of the Jon Fogarty (Gainsco Corvette DP).

John Edwards (Stevenson Auto Group Chevrolet Camaro) heads the GT field. Boris Said (Marsh Racing Corvette) and Emil Assentato (Aim Autosport Ferrari 458) complete the top 3.

Tom Long (MazdaSpeed Mazda6) set the pole in GX.

Qualifying results - Mid-Ohio (Grand-Am)
1.Angelelli-Taylor (Corvette DP/Dallara) - Taylor - 1'16"947
2.Taylor-Westbrook (Corvette DP/Coyote) - SpiritOfDaytona - 1'17"001
3.Barbosa-Fittipaldi (Corvette DP/Coyote) - ActionEx - 1'17"200
4.Fogarty-Gurney (Corvette DP/Riley) - Stallings - 1'17"248
5.Frisselle-Frisselle (Corvette DP/Coyote) - ActionEx - 1'17"381
6.Dalziel-Popow (Riley-Ford) - Starworks - 1'17"415
7.Pruett-Rojas (Riley-BMW) - Ganassi - 1'17"755
8.Pizzonia-Yacaman (Riley-Ford) - Shank - 1'17"822
9.Negri-Pew (Riley-Ford) - Shank - 1'17"839
10.Cameron-Nonnamaker (Riley-BMW) - Sahlen - 1'18"890
(...)

The "Pampas Bull", as he was nicknamed, has passed away on June 15th, at the age of 90.

Jose Froilan Gonzalez was known as Ferrari's first F1 winner, thanks to his 1951 British Grand Prix win over countryman Juan Manuel Fangio.

Gonzalez would win again before the end of his 26-race F1 career, once more at the British Grand Prix, in 1954. The same year, he finished second in the drivers' standings and won the 24 hours of Le Mans with Maurice Trintignant.

He retired from racing in 1960, at the age of 37.

Photo: Ferrari

Aboard his DTM Mercedes AMG C-Coupé, Christian Vietoris drove the fastest lap in qualifying at Lausitziring and thus secured his maiden pole position in the DTM.

The 24-year old completed his lap of the 3.478 kilometres long track in the Lausitz region in 1min17.715s. His team-mate Gary Paffett was 0.225 second slower and will be starting from second place alongside Vietoris on the front row.

For the first time since leaving Mercedes-Benz, Brit Jamie Green made it into the final qualifying heat and set the third fastest time with his Audi RS 5 DTM.

“For me, the first three races weren't ideal. Now, we are back, and that is nice. On Friday, I had my birthday, and it would be nice to score my first points of the season here,” said Green, who was on pole at Lausitz in 2005 and 2006, but didn't win.

Behind Green, Canadian Robert Wickens (Mercedes-Benz) will be starting from fourth place.

The third row of the grid also promises excitement, as the first and second placed drivers in the points' standings will be starting alongside each other. Canadian Bruno Spengler, aboard his BMW M3 DTM, will start fifth and Mike Rockenfeller (Audi) sixth.

Augusto Farfus (BMW) ended up tenth in qualifying, but will be starting from 15th place on the grid. As the Brazilian had used a set of tyres that wasn't allocated to his car in free practice on Saturday morning, he will be dropped five places.

Christian Vietoris, Mercedes C-Coupé (Photo: DTM.com)

Qualifying:
1. Christian Vietoris (Mercedes C-Coupé) - HWA - 1'17"715 - Q4
2. Gary Paffett (Mercedes C-Coupé) - HWA - 1'17"940 - Q4
3. Jamie Green (Audi RS5) - Abt - 1'18"028 - Q4

4. Robert Wickens (Mercedes C-Coupé) - HWA - 1'18"133 - Q4
5. Bruno Spengler (BMW M3) - Schnitzer - 1'17"967 - Q3

6. Mike Rockenfeller (Audi RS5) - Phoenix - 1'18"134 - Q3
7. Adrien Tambay (Audi RS5) - Abt - 1'18"161 - Q3
8. Edoardo Mortara (Audi RS5) - Rosberg - 1'18"205 - Q3
9. Roberto Merhi (Mercedes C-Coupé) - HWA - 1'18"335 - Q3

10. Pascal Wehrlein (Mercedes C-Coupé) - Mucke - 1'18"225 - Q2

etc.

Summer is nearly in full swing and there's arguably no better way to enjoy it on the road than a sleek and powerful convertible. Feeling the wind in your hair, the hot sun on your skin, and smelling the various perfumes of Mother Nature, you can escape the daily grind and live a life of adventure where the only things that matter are you, the car, and the road.

Whether you simply dream about it or actually plan to buy a new convertible, you should know that there are currently 45 drop-tops available on the market (not counting their many trim levels) from the cute and tiny Fiat 500C and smart fortwo cabrio to the stately and sumptuous Bentley Continental GTC and Rolls-Royce Phantom Drophead Coupé.

With so much selection, everyone can find a great cabriolet at any price. Auto123.com now presents a list of the top 10 convertibles for this summer (by definition, we excluded the upcoming Chevrolet Corvette Stingray Convertible, SRT Viper Roadster, and Lamborghini Aventador LP 700-4 Roadster).

These convertibles for the summer of 2013 are not necessarily the priciest or the sportiest, but they certainly stand out from the pack:

Mazda MX-5 (starting at $29 250)
Embodying the classic proportions and pure spirit of the roadster (precise handling, superior steering, rev-happy engine, etc.), the Mazda MX-5 is both one of the most affordable and most exhilarating convertibles out there. Buyers can even opt for a manual soft-top or a power retractable hardtop. While the car is tight for some and a little short on storage, if your focus is topless driving excitement, you're in for an absolute treat. In fact, the MX-5 might be the ultimate driver's car for the summer -- even on the track.

Photo: Mazda

Continue reading Top 10 Convertibles for the Summer of 2013

Carl Edwards served notice that Ford was wasn't lying down as he won the pole at Michigan International Speedway at 202.452 mph.

This season both Chevrolet and Toyota cars have monopolized victory lane in NASCAR's Sprint Cup series in every event except for Edwards' victory in Las Vegas.

Although Edwards is second in the series points; Jimmie Johnson - the current leader - could miss one race and still be ahead.

Photo: Ford

In the last week Roush Fenway Racing and Penske Racing, the leading Ford teams have started to work together to challenge the stranglehold its' rivals have.

“One week ago we talked about at Roush Fenway things we needed to do better as a group and working with the folks at Penske and we just started this ball rolling,” said Edwards.

“We just talked yesterday about it up at Ford World Headquarters. This is one lap and it is good. I am really happy. The process that is going to put us out in front of Hendrick Motorsports and the guys at Joe Gibbs Racing and the rest of these guys every Sunday, that process is just starting.”

Photo: Ford

Kurt Busch, who drives for the one-car Furniture Row Racing, put on another David-like performance putting his Chevrolet alongside Edwards' car.

“It was a great lap it's amazing how close it comes down after a two mile run,” said the 2004 series champ.

“Carl (Edwards) posted a fast lap early on.  I just wanted to go after it.  We just came up a tenth shy.  The good news is we keep unloading fast.  We are right there in the mix.

“All the guys back at the shop that are working on the pull down rig and all the simulation they are doing their job to the best that I have seen in this garage area.  We just have to keep it up.”

Kasey Kahne was third in another Chevy. “We picked up a little bit from where we were in practice,” he said. I was happy about that.  I knew Carl (Edwards) had a really good lap and we weren't able to get there.  We still had a good lap with our Farmers Insurance Chevy.

“We should end up in the top maybe three or four somewhere in there.  It's a great spot for Sunday.  Looking forward to the race, I don't know the track is really nice and it seems like it will move around some so it should be good.”

Paul Menard, in a Chevy, and Aric Almirola, in a Ford, rounded out the top five.  Matt Kenseth had the best Toyota of the day qualifying seventh.

Schmidt Motorsport Sage Karam ended-up the fastest of only 8 drivers on the grid and earned pole for the upcoming Indy Lights race at the Milwaukee Mile.

Karam was able to set an average speed of 146.798mph on his two-lap run, taking over from the current points leader Carlos Munoz.

Zach Veach was also faster than his teammate at Andretti's but was short by only 0.088mph and took second. Peter Dempsey (Belardi) will start third in Saturday event to be run at the famed oval.

Sage Karam (Photo: IMS Photography)

Qualifying Results - Milwaukee (Indy Lights)

Pos Driver Team Speed
1. Sage Karam Schmidt 146.798
2. Zach Veach Andretti 146.710
3. Peter Dempsey Belardi 146.043
4. Carlos Munoz Andretti 145.809
5. Jack Hawksworth Schmidt 145.798
6. Juan Pablo Garcia Moore 144.964
7. Gabby Chaves Schmidt 144.599
8. Jorge Goncalvez Belardi 143.187

International Automotive Components Group, backed by billionaire U.S. investor Wilbur Ross, filed with U.S. regulators on Friday to raise up to $115 million in an initial public offering of common stock.

Two of the automakers most closely associated with Detroit expressed support for the city, which announced plans to miss debt payments on Friday, making it the most populous city in the United States to default since Cleveland in 1978.

Underwriters Laboratories, the 119-year-old company that develops product safety tests, is strengthening its lithium-ion battery standards after a string of high-profile battery failures that shed light on the technology's weak spots.

In 1959, you could have headed to your closest Buick dealership to pick up an Opel.

Chrysler Group, aiming to burnish its credentials with auto enthusiasts, is launching the first nationwide advertising for its SRT performance brand.

Nissan celebrated its fourth-straight win of the '88 IMSA Camel GT series.