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It's funny to think of any automobile as an upgrade from the 557-hp, $164,000 Mercedes-Benz CL600 coupe. That might be the best way to describe the

It's funny to think of any automobile as an upgrade from the 557-hp, $164,000 Mercedes-Benz CL600 coupe. That might be the best way to describe the

It's funny to think of any automobile as an upgrade from the 557-hp, $164,000 Mercedes-Benz CL600 coupe. That might be the best way to describe the

It's funny to think of any automobile as an upgrade from the 557-hp, $164,000 Mercedes-Benz CL600 coupe. That might be the best way to describe the

It's funny to think of any automobile as an upgrade from the 557-hp, $164,000 Mercedes-Benz CL600 coupe. That might be the best way to describe the

It's funny to think of any automobile as an upgrade from the 557-hp, $164,000 Mercedes-Benz CL600 coupe. That might be the best way to describe the

It's funny to think of any automobile as an upgrade from the 557-hp, $164,000 Mercedes-Benz CL600 coupe. That might be the best way to describe the

It's funny to think of any automobile as an upgrade from the 557-hp, $164,000 Mercedes-Benz CL600 coupe. That might be the best way to describe the

It's funny to think of any automobile as an upgrade from the 557-hp, $164,000 Mercedes-Benz CL600 coupe. That might be the best way to describe the

GM is counting on a new V-6 engine built in a retooled New York plant to put the 2014 Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra on the shopping lists of pickup buyers looking for fuel economy.

Steady sales and demand have Ford thinking its downward revision of the estimated fuel economy of its C-Max will have little impact on its hybrid-only nameplate.

In the four years since General Motors emerged from bankruptcy, its bread-and-butter Chevrolet brand has cycled through four main advertising agencies, three promotional tag lines and a long string of marketing executives.

Jaguar and Lexus are using the Frankfurt auto show to send a message to their German rivals: the premium compact SUV segment is about to get even more competitive.

Daimler plans to build a new Mercedes factory in Brazil to benefit from growing demand for compact cars in the country, CEO Dieter Zetsche said.

Daimler plans to build a new Mercedes factory in Brazil to benefit from growing demand for compact cars in the country, CEO Dieter Zetsche said.

Jaguar and Lexus are using the Frankfurt auto show to send a message to their German rivals: the premium compact SUV segment is about to get even more competitive.

On September 8th 2000, Katsuhiko Kawasoe, Mitsubishi General Manager, resigned after having acknowledged 3 weeks earlier that he had hidden, for over 20 years, more than 64,000 complaints regarding defective vehicles. There were no recalls emitted for these vehicles.

A huge scandal broke in Japan, and the manufacturer was obliged to recall over 700,00 vehicles, carrying a 512 million franc price tag at the time, or more than 120.5 million dollars. Administrative sanctions were brought upon Mitsubishi.

Source : lapresse.ca

Photo: Sébastien D'Amour

From Grand-Am.com

MONTEREY, Calif.  (Sept. 7, 2013) - Richard Westbrook hopes Spirit of Daytona's success at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca will help turn around what has been a disappointing season for the team.

On Saturday, the defending winner captured his second consecutive TOTAL Pole Award at the 2.238-mile circuit in qualifying for Sunday's Continental Tire Sports Car Festival powered by Mazda.

Westbrook lapped the 2.238-mile road course in 1 minute, 21.557 seconds (98.787 mph) to give the No. 90 VisitFlorida.com/Go-Pro Corvette DP its first pole of the season, edging out Max Angelelli in the No. 10 Velocity Worldwide Corvette DP by a mere 0.021 seconds.

“I like this place,” Westbrook said after winning his fourth career pole - and second in two attempts at Mazda Raceway.

“It was not easy for us here last year, but the competition is so much stronger this year, you really have to work to get an advantage. We're not happy with the way this season has gone; it's been really tough for everyone. I'm proud of the way the team has bounced back. Tomorrow is very important for us.”

Westbrook's co-driver is Ricky Taylor, whose younger brother Jordan Taylor is teamed with Angelelli on the all-Corvette DP front row.

Richard Westbrook, Corvette DP (Photo: Grand-Am.com)

Dane Cameron qualified third in the No. 42 Team Sahlen BMW/Riley co-driven by Wayne Nonnamaker. He will be joined on the second row by Indy 500 winners Dario Franchitti and Scott Dixon in the No. 02 Cessna BMW/Riley.

The top 10 contenders for the DP championship are separated by only five points with two races remaining, led by Angelelli and Jordan Taylor.

Other contenders include Christian Fittipaldi and Joao Barbosa, who start fifth in the No. 5 Action Express Corvette DP; defending champions Scott Pruett and Memo Rojas, starting seventh in the No. 01 Telcel/TELMEX BMW/Riley; Alex Gurney and Jon Fogarty, starting eight in the No. 99 GAINSCO Auto Insurance Corvette DP; and Ryan Dalziel and Alex Popow, starting ninth in the No. 2 Starworks Motorsport/Soloson BMW/Riley.

In qualifying for the production-based GT class, John Edwards captured his third pole of the season with a lap of 1:27.529 seconds (92.05 mph) in the No. 57 Stevenson Auto Group Camaro. Edwards edged out road course veteran Boris Said, who will start from the outside of the front row in the No. 31 Marsh Racing Corvette.

“We've got a really good car on (new) sticker tires,” Edwards said. “Our goal for tomorrow is to get better on older tires.”

A recall has been launched for 7,261 for Toyota Highlander HV (2006 to 2010) and Lexus RX 400H (2006 to 2008) due to possible failure of a control board that is part of the hybrid system inverter assembly.

On certain vehicles, the control board could fail while the vehicle is underway, causing various warning lamps to illuminate, and possibly triggering the vehicle to enter fail-safe driving mode.

This could result in reduced engine power, possibly causing the fuse of the power supply circuit to blow. The resultant loss of vehicle propulsion may increase the risk of accidents.

Dealers will inspect and, if necessary, replace the Intelligent Power Module.

Source: Transport Canada

Photo: Justin Pritchard

Photo: Matthieu Lambert

From GMM

Jean Todt has indicated Pirelli is staying put as F1's official tire supplier.

Although the Italian marque has inked contracts beyond its 2013 tender with all the teams and Bernie Ecclestone, rumours have indicated FIA president Todt actually wants the French marque Michelin to return next year.

F1 chief executive Ecclestone at Monza made his feelings very clear, revealing that Pirelli's new contracts are in fact for a longer-than-expected six year period.

And the 82-year-old said he would not support Michelin's desire to return to F1 and supply tires with an 18-inch low profile.

"It would look like a bicycle tire on a formula one car," Ecclestone told the British broadcaster Sky, "so I'm very much against that."

And it seems Frenchman Todt is also now ready to accept that Pirelli is staying.

"I understand that (the teams) want to stay with Pirelli," he is quoted by the Telegraph on a visit to Monza for the Italian grand prix.

"I will go with the consensus.  I am reading that I want Michelin because I am French, but I never read that (as Ferrari boss) I was the only one of the top teams to stay with Bridgestone when Michelin came into the sport.

"I was still French then," Todt smiled.

So he told Reuters that the matter of F1's tire situation beyond 2013 will probably not be put up for grabs after all.

"If everybody says we are very happy, then what is the point going to a tender?" said Todt.