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The failure of a Germany transport group to make a definitive ruling on the safety of the refrigerant HFO-1234yf gives European car buyers another reason to delay their purchases.

Audi is on pace to sell more than its stated goal of 150,000 cars and SUVs in the United States this year and will get a boost from diesel models reaching dealerships this month, a brand executive said.

Italian brake maker Brembo has bought the 30 percent of its Chinese joint venture it did not already own, the company said.

Working on the line at Volkswagen's U.S.

BMW has a good idea where it will sell the majority of its new i8 plug-in hybrid supercars. 'The U.S. will be by far the largest sales market for the i8,' the car's product manager, Hendrik Wenders, said.

Demographic trends unfolding in China could ultimately lead Africa to replace the world's most populous country as a global center of low-cost manufacturing, according to Ford's official futurist.

Visteon posted lower second-quarter profits, but the company raised its full-year forecast after CEO Tim Leuliette pointed to stronger operating earnings in all of the company's regions, including Europe.

The failure of a Germany transport group to make a definitive ruling on the safety of the refrigerant HFO-1234yf gives European car buyers another reason to delay their purchases.

Working on the line at Volkswagen's U.S.

Audi is on pace to sell more than its stated goal of 150,000 cars and SUVs in the United States this year and will get a boost from diesel models reaching dealerships this month, a brand executive said.

Demographic trends unfolding in China could ultimately lead Africa to replace the world's most populous country as a global center of low-cost manufacturing, according to Ford's official futurist.

Audi is on pace to sell more than its stated goal of 150,000 cars and SUVs in the United States this year and will get a boost from diesel models reaching dealerships this month, a brand executive said.

Working on the line at Volkswagen's U.S.

The failure of a Germany transport group to make a definitive ruling on the safety of the refrigerant HFO-1234yf gives European car buyers another reason to delay their purchases.

Working on the line at Volkswagen's U.S.

From GMM

Sitting out next year's F1 calendar is "not a good message" being sent by organisers of the Indian grand prix.

That is the warning of triple world champion Sir Jackie Stewart, following news India will not host a race next year before returning to F1 in 2015.

Amid the undoubted tax and customs issues, and the pressure on F1 chief executive Bernie Ecclestone to limit the calendar to 20 races next year, Indian organisers insist missing 2014 is simply "a scheduling matter".

"These kinds of adjustments take place all the time," said a spokesman for organisers Jaypee.

He explained that Ecclestone offered India a March date on the 2014 calendar, but with this year's race taking place in October, the two races would have taken place too closely together.

"We were then given the option of holding it in March in subsequent years," said the spokesman.

Photo: Buddh International Circuit

But Stewart, a veteran figure in the F1 paddock for almost five decades, indicated he thinks the real issue is about tax and customs.

"F1 has been able to handle the issue in every other country we go to -- whether it's Hungary, Korea, Singapore, Malaysia or China," the 74-year-old told the India-Asian News Service.

And Stewart said the situation, culminating in India skipping at least the 2014 schedule, could hurt the country's F1 foray.

"It is certainly not a good message the Indian grand prix is sending out to the motor sports world, and is not positive for India's image when questions are raised about it," he said.

Not only that, spectator numbers dropped from 95,000 for the inaugural race in 2011 to just 60,000 last year. And after October's race, 16 months will pass before India hosts the next grand prix.

"This year's race is crucial," Jackie Stewart agreed, "and if the race in 2015 gets the right promotion, there's no reason why it shouldn't again attract large crowds."

From GMM

Romain Grosjean is celebrating F1's August break as a new father.

The Lotus driver, whose wife Marion Jolles met 27-year-old Grosjean as a F1 reporter for French television TF1, confirmed the happy news this week.

"Our son Sacha was born on the 29th of July," he said on Twitter, referring to the very day after he finished sixth in the Hungarian grand prix.

After a wave of up and down form in 2013, Grosjean also qualified a season-best third in Hungary, while many applauded his feisty racing on Sunday.

Asked to name a highlight of 2013, he said: "Well, I would like to say the pass on Felipe (Massa) in Budapest, which at the time I thought may have been the best of my career so far, but of course with the penalty I suppose it's not the same.

"After our performance in the last few races, I honestly believe my first win is now just around the corner," Grosjean added.

Romain Grosjean and Eric Boullier, Lotus. (Photo: WRi2)

Indeed, while earlier it was believed Grosjean's erratic form might cost him his race seat, boss Eric Boullier thinks Lotus has "a future contender for titles" on its hands now.

"It gives me great pleasure to see him learn from those (bad) experiences and to really start delivering the kind of results we've always known he is capable of," he said after Hungary.

"He knows that if he wants to be winning races and fighting for championships then he must deliver this kind of quality drive at every grand prix," Boullier added.

As for his wife and his newly-born son, Frenchman Grosjean told his 165,000 Twitter followers that "All the family is doing very well".

From GMM

Leading figures of Sauber's Russian rescue deal have played down reports of a delay that means vital money is not yet flowing to the embattled Swiss team.

The German newspaper Die Welt claimed this week that Russian president Vladimir Putin is stalling over the final signature.

Sauber could, therefore, still run off the road because Ferrari is reportedly threatening to cut off its supply of customer V8 engines if a EUR 9 million bill is not paid imminently.

Central to the entire Russian deal is the scheduled debut of teenage Russian driver Sergey Sirotkin, and his manager Nikolay Vetrov confirmed the holdup.

"Yes, we have not had time to implement the whole of the planned ambitious programme," he told the f1news.ru website, "but otherwise everything is going according to plan.

"I just spoke with (team boss) Mrs (Monisha) Kaltenborn, and she said, literally, that this (Die Welt) article is not even worthy of a comment. There is no doubting the realism of these plans," added Vetrov.

17-year-old Sirotkin's father Oleg is also closely involved in the Sauber deal, as director-general of the National Institute of Aviation Technologies.

Photo: Sauber F1 Team

He also confirmed the delay in the Sauber deal.

"Indeed, we are still in the implementation phase of our agreement of intent," he said. "We are preparing all the relevant documents, and it takes quite a long time.

"We have a plan, we're moving on it, we are somewhat behind in some areas, somewhat ahead in others. What I would say is that this procedure is more technical than political. In general, we do not see any big problems, but there will be a slight shift in the timing. Of course, I want everything to happen tomorrow, but we need patience on all sides and everything will be fine -- that's my point of view."

When asked by Blick newspaper about the Die Welt report, Sauber spokesman Hanspeter Brack answered: "There are some articles that are not even worth the denial."

Toyota Canada is recalling 26,830 Tacoma pickup trucks equipped with an Access Cab because the fasteners within the driver and front passenger seat belt assemblies could loosen if the access doors are repeatedly and forcefully closed over an extended period of time.

Should the fasteners loosen completely, the seat belt may not properly restrain the occupant, which could increase the risk of injury in a crash or sudden stop.

Toyota dealers will therefore replace the fasteners or the seat belt assemblies as necessary.

Source: Transport Canada

Photo: Rob Rothwell

August is vacation time for many people, and for a few years now it has also meant a well-deserved break for everyone involved in the F1 circus. Design offices and engineering shops must close for about a month and let employees catch their breath before diving into the second half of the season.

I hear some fans complaining about it and lamenting the fact that the Belgian Grand Prix is too darn far away. For them, a world without F1 doesn't make sense.

However, I can assure you this four-week hiatus is crucial. With 20 races in just 36 weeks, plus all the time spent developing the new cars and putting them to the test during the winter, F1 teams inevitably grow tired at some point.

The 2013-2014 off-season will be even more intense, you know, with the arrival of turbo- hybrid V6 engines. Integrating the different energy sources to achieve maximum performance will be an extremely challenging and time-consuming process. In all likelihood, a number of teams will line up for the first Grand Prix of 2014 with a fast, yet unreliable car.

Most F1 enthusiasts who have listened to the new engines are very disappointed with its sound effects, comparing them to either a vacuum cleaner, a lawnmower or a blender -- nothing that even remotely resembles a spine-tickling V10 engine revving at nearly 20,000 rpm. Everyone will have to get used to hearing a duller, more muffled sound coming from these big turbocharged V6s with fairly complex electrical components.

Whether you like it or not, the future of F1 depends on these so-called “clean” powerplants that will burn a maximum of 100 kg of fuel per Grand Prix. This decision comes after two of the three F1 engine suppliers (Ferrari, Renault, and Mercedes) urged the FIA to make the new units as close to production engines as possible.

Let's just wait to hear them from trackside before making a final judgement, shall we? Maybe the sound won't be so bad after all...

Photo: René Fagnan