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From GMM

Kimi Raikkonen might already be regretting his impending return to Ferrari, according to a pundit.

The Finn had a particularly bad-tempered weekend in Abu Dhabi, starting with his no-show on Thursday and ending with a rare first-lap crash and rapid return to the airport in flip-flops.

Former driver Christian Danner, now a pundit for German television RTL, thinks Raikkonen is not simply annoyed at his situation at Lotus, but also with his impending move to Ferrari.

"Kimi is annoyed that his manager is sending him back to Ferrari," Danner told the German newspaper Bild. "He sees that Alonso at the moment is driving for the 'golden pineapple' at best -- far away from winning."

Danner thinks Raikkonen will also not be looking forward to the environment at Ferrari.

"Lotus gave him all the freedom he wants, and at the moment quite clearly a better car as well," he said. "What's he going to do when Luca di Montezemolo tells him he's going to too many parties?"

Motorhome Ferrari. (Photo: WRi2)

Danner's comments are interesting, but in light of Lotus' well-document financial problems, returning to Ferrari is probably a good move for Raikkonen -- particularly with 2014 tipped to be an engine-dominated championship.

Reports are also questioning the legitimacy of Lotus' new backers, Quantum, who promised to buy 35 per cent of the team months ago, but are still yet to deliver a single euro.

Germany's Sport Bild also claims Quantum chief Mansoor Ijaz has often been behind shady deals that ultimately did not happen.

And Livio Oricchio, the correspondent for Brazil's O Estado de S.Paulo newspaper, said the American-Pakistani was even in court last year, for not paying back huge loans.

Der Spiegel magazine reports that one possible solution for Raikkonen is that Bernie Ecclestone will direct Lotus' official prize-money straight to the 2007 world champion's account.

Indeed, the reality of Raikkonen's Ferrari return is that the Finn rightly wants to cash in on his status as one of the best drivers in F1.

Timo Glock was a paid driver for Marussia until the end of 2012, when he lost his seat to a 'pay-driver'. He is now a paid front-runner in the German touring car series DTM.

When asked about Raikkonen's threat to strike over his unpaid wages, Glock said: "It shows what really is going on in formula one.

"The sport needs to have a real think in order to keep itself alive," he told German radio Sport1.

"Apart from Ferrari and Mercedes, everyone is having difficulties," Glock continued. "They need to think about whether it's right that drivers aren't being paid."

Ferrari, meanwhile, is happy with its top lineup for 2014, with Alonso alongside another former champion.

"Kimi suddenly and unexpectedly became available in the summer. We had to take the opportunity. It was almost not a conscious choice we had to make," team boss Stefano Domenicali told Welt newspaper.

From GMM

Sebastian Vettel has urged the designer of his dominant Red Bull cars, Adrian Newey, to forget about switching to the world of competitive yachting.

Before meeting with British sailor Sir Ben Ainslie in Abu Dhabi last weekend, Briton Newey admitted he was interested in getting involved with designing an America's Cup boat.

"I can't imagine him doing that," new quadruple world champion Vettel told Austria's Servus TV.

"I've never seen him go boating -- he loves driving and has a lot of fun doing it," the German smiled.

"If he goes boating, he will always come back with a huge sunburn, which is not right," Vettel joked.

Adrian Newey detailing the RB9. (Photo: Red Bull Racing)

Sebastian Vettel might have delivered the comments in jest, but the message was dead serious -- Newey plays a crucial role in Red Bull's success.

"Maybe someday," Newey answered when asked if the America's Cup is in his plans, "but not in the near future."

He told Servus TV that the all-new rules for 2014 could shake up the pecking order in F1.

But the team's Dr Helmut Marko is much more confident.

"We have Adrian Newey!" he exclaimed.

"Whenever there is a change of rules," added Marko, "his cars are unbeatable."

From GMM

Max Chilton says it is "likely" he will stay at Marussia in 2014.

The team is known for regularly changing its usually heavily-sponsored drivers, but Briton Chilton thinks he will stay for a second season next year.

Perhaps that is because of his consistency. Germany's Auto Motor und Sport points out that, in Abu Dhabi, the 22-year-old beat Tiago Monteiro's old 2005 record for the most number (17) of consecutive finishes in a season.

Less noticeable in 2013, however, has been Chilton's speed.

"I may have only outqualifed my teammate Jules (Bianchi) once, but I have outraced him at a few races now -- especially since the August break," he told F1's official website.

"Next year it's most likely that I will stay with Marussia -- but of course I have to get the deal done first," added Max Chilton.

Max Chilton. (Photo: Marussia F1 Team)

As we continue our mad week at the 2013 SEMA Show in Las Vegas, we happened upon a tastefully modified current-generation Euro-spec Volkswagen Scirocco R. Tastefully modified by whom you might wonder. Well, the good folks at HPA Motorsports have transformed the "tame" little 4-cylindering into a supercar, according to them -- and we'd have to agree.

Besides the gorgeous BBS rims we spotted on the Scirocco on display at the 2013 SEMA Show in Las Vegas, the vehicle is also outfitted with a number of handling and performance add-ons that'll see this little hot hatch reach the 300 horsepower mark (or 640 if you opt for the top modification package offered by HPA Motorsports). You don't just get more power (despite that being the most appealing thing), HPA also upgrades wheels, brakes and exterior body details to give it that go-faster look.

This particular Volkswagen Scirocco R was wrapped to allow a plethora of fans the ability to leave their mark on the hot hatch's skin. We were tempted to grab a Sharpie ourselves...

Check out our video below; live from the 2013 SEMA Show in Las Vegas, as we explore the Scirocco R by HPA Motorsports. And for more coverage of SEMA (and other great stuff), make sure you visit Auto123.TV.

During a recent interview broadcasted on Servus TV, Red Bull Racing chief designer Adrian Newey said that Lotus and Ferrari were simply lucky to score victories this season.

Servus is Red Bull's television channel in Austria.

After scoring wins in the early part of the 2013 season, Lotus and Ferrari declared that they had developed their cars to suit the original 2013 Pirelli tires better.

On TV, Newey claimed that they were just plain lucky.

“We had a big change over the winter, an unexpected change,” declared Newey.

“Pirelli introduced a new tire which was much more sensitive, it was very easy to overload it and because our car, a lot of its lap time is under braking and in the high speed corners, where you're putting a lot of load into the tires, we couldn't really exploit that without the tires going off very quickly.”

“So that tire change hurt us and helped some other people, such as Lotus, Ferrari perhaps. For me that was purely luck,” Newey added.

“I think Lotus and Ferrari are making big noises about how clever they were over the winter to read that far. But to be perfectly honest they were just plain lucky, we were a little bit unlucky, and of course the politics take over. So it's been a challenging year but a very rewarding one,” the British engineer said.

Lotus and Ferrari won three of the first five races but haven't scored any victories since. When Pirelli introduced its revised tires after the British race (tires that better suited the Red Bull RB9), Sebastian Vettel started winning again. In fact, the German won eight of the nine of the last races.

Well, we finally made it inside the convention centre at the 2013 SEMA Show in Las Vegas, and what is waiting there to greet us? Possibly one of the hottest Mk1 VW Golf's we've ever seen care of tuning house, Forge Motorsport.

What is it exactly? Well, besides complete car porn, it is a 1982 Golf (known as a Rabbit here in North America) that belongs to the Gloucester, England arm of Forge Motorsport. If you hadn't noticed it was special just by looking at it, let us go on. No need to talk about it what it was, here's what it is now: a 1.8L 20-valve beast that's been bored out to 2.0L and features a massive Garrett turbocharger.

Just an aside here; Garrett have been in the business of sucking, squeezing, blowing, and banging (in other words: turbos) since the 1930s. So, they kinda know what they're doing, and it shows in this prime example of the Forge Motorsport Mk1 Volkswagen Golf.

Now, back to the beauty at hand: With said engine nestled in the Mk1 Golf, it's good for 400 horsepower until the boost hits 1.8 bar then it's good for 500. Yup. 500. Add in a 6-speed manual transmission and limited slip... we told you this thing was hot.

Wanna know more about it? Check out our video on the Forge Motorsports Mk1 Volkswagen Golf at the 2013 SEMA Show at Las Vegas below. And for more great coverage of the SEMA event, make sure you visit Auto123.TV.

Las Vegas, NV - After a road trip from LA to Las Vegas (which you'll get to see photos on soon enough!), we've finally arrived in the desert heat only to find the streets of Sin City smouldering with so much automotive goodness we weren't quite sure where to look first.

2013 SEMA Show Photo Gallery: Day 1

The 2013 SEMA Show in Las Vegas has just begun, and the Auto123.com team is on hand to bring you the latest and greatest from the aftermarket, tuner world.

In this day 1 photo gallery installment of the 2013 SEMA Show in Las Vegas, we spotted some pretty sweet rides on the tarmac outside the convention centre. From a SPOON Honda to a Ford F-100 that had us weak in the knees, the car porn surrounding us is almost too much to handle.

Check out our extensive photo gallery of day 1 at the 2013 SEMA Show. And for more coverage including videos, make sure you head over to Auto123.TV.

We've been all about the performance upgrades and engine changes so far this week at the 2013 SEMA Show in Las Vegas, but the aesthetic bits and pieces are just as essential when it comes to creating a truly impressive vehicle that'll stand out from the pack.

Who better to do that then the powerhouse that is Rotiform? Responsible for creating some of the hottest wheels currently available on the market, we stopped to drool over some of their more prominent cars on the 2013 SEMA Show floor.

Over the years, Rotiform has continued to deliver wheel styles that tuners the world over drool over and desire. Two of their more popular models, the BLQ and NUE wheels, are perhaps the most recognizable (and pretty damn hot, if we do say so ourselves).

From BMWs to the glorious perppermint-green Porsche 964 we spotted on the show floor at the 2013 SEMA Show in Las Vegas, Rotiform wheels make a serious statement on any vehicle. How do they do that? Well, they know the history of the wheel, they understand the importance of it, and they understand the impact a good-looking wheel can have on the overall look of a car.

Add to that the fact that Rotiform wheels are also extremely functional, and well you've got yourself the complete package. We're sold.

Wanna see how hot these wheels can really look? Check out our live coverage of a few smashing examples of Rotiform wheels we discovered at the 2013 SEMA Show in Las Vegas below. And for more great coverage of SEMA make sure you check out Auto123.TV.

Reports published in Europe suggest that the McLaren Formula 1 team is considering Dane Kevin Magnussen to replace Mexican, Sergio Perez, in 2014.

What was just a rumour a few weeks ago has grown into something much more serious.

Sky Sports F1 has learned that the senior management of McLaren is seriously thinking about putting Magnussen in the new Mercedes turbo hybrid-powered car next season alongside veteran, Jenson Button.

Perez has struggled in his maiden season with McLaren. He's had some good races so far this season (even beating Button), but Sky Sports F1 says that “the feeling persists that the Mexican is not the driver McLaren thought he might be.”

Kevin Magnussen, McLaren MP4-28, at Silverstone. (Photo: WRi2)

After that crucial test, McLaren boss, Martin Whitmarsh, described Magnussen as "lightning quick."

McLaren initially considered placing the 21-year-old Dane at Marussia for him to gain valuable F1 experience without too much pressure, but now McLaren would seriously consider putting him in a McLaren-Mercedes in 2014.

However, what's unclear is if Perez brings sponsorship money to McLaren through Carlos Slim's Telmex mega telecommunication company.

What makes the ideal tuner car? Well, for starters it has to have a solid platform and engine, preferably RWD and it has to look good out of the box. So, that really only leaves one set of twins we can think of: the Scion FR-S and Subaru BRZ.

As we pound the pavement here in Las Vegas at the 2013 SEMA Show, it's clear to us that the FR-S and BRZ are clearly considered the new Honda Civics of the tuner world. They are the ideal candidates for modifications. Already revered for a number of reasons: handling, poise, balance in braking and steering, with just enough power to round it all out, the RWD twins are sure to be a hit for a few years to come.

Of course, the 2013 SEMA Show is all about improving on those elements, and that's precisely what a number of tuning houses have done, and their work is readily on display on the Sin City streets. While most of the mods we came across received big thumbs up from us, there were a few who took it just one step too far. Yes, there's such a thing as too much mod!

Check out our Scion FR-S and BRZ sight-seeing at the 2013 SEMA Show in Las Vegas below. And for more videos and live coverage of the SEMA Show, make sure you check out Auto123.TV as well.

On November 19th at a VIP customer and media event, on the eve of the Los Angeles Auto Show, Jaguar will unveil the new F-Type Coupe. Based on the C-X16 Concept of two years ago, this all-aluminum model will arrive in showrooms next spring. Pricing has yet to be announced.

The first picture released by the company shows the Jaguar F-Type Coupe's panoramic glass sunroof. We'll have to wait two more weeks to get more shots and find out the technical specs.

Photo: Jaguar

Things continue to heat up as we traverse the streets of Vegas at the 2013 SEMA Show. We happened across one of the coolest cars around (in our opinion), a Local Motors Rally Fighter.

Local Motors is a company that relies heavily on crowd sourcing to create its off-road (but street-legal) monster, the Rally Fighter. We here at Auto123.com were lucky enough to try our hand at one, and we have to say this thing is as mental to drive as it looks. The Rally Fighter looks the way it does because the adoring internet public made it so. Pretty cool? We'd say so.

As far as owning your own, sure you can do that. It is legal, after all, and even insurable for daily driving. Local Motors even offers an online build-your-own Rally Fighter on its website now. So get picking! You can make your Rally Fighter as unique as you with a plethora of vinyl wraps to choose from. Why vinyl? Well, it saves on weight (about 12 lbs thanks to no paint) and is easier to maintain in the long-run for all the off-roading you'll surely want to do behind the wheel.

Definitely one of the cooler discoveries this week at the 2013 SEMA Show in Las Vegas, check out our video on the Local Motors Rally Fighter below. And for more coverage of SEMA (and other great stuff), make sure you visit Auto123.TV.

From Ford

When the cars of the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series take the track on Nov. 17 for the Ford EcoBoost 400 season finale, they will be led by a one-of-a-kind Mustang that is a featured star in the upcoming Hollywood movie and Electronic Arts video game entitled "Need for Speed."

The "Need for Speed" Mustang was created solely for the movie and features a custom-designed wide body created specifically for this new role with unique 22-inch alloy wheels, capable of supporting 900 horsepower, and larger intakes to feed its supercharged V-8 engine.

Also keeping the engine cool is the enlarged lower grille with corner air intakes to cool the front brakes.

Designers also worked on reducing aerodynamic drag by using low profile mirrors and extended rocker panels. The splitter was also redesigned to provide better handling at high speeds.

The rear spoiler and diffuser were created to improve airflow, reducing drag and giving additional traction for high-speed acceleration.

Among the 50+ vehicles shown by Ford at this year's SEMA Show in Las Vegas is a life-size Hot Wheels version of the Ford Transit Connect cargo van. Featuring a number of custom accessories, the vehicle sports the traditional blue and orange colours of the popular toy cars.

Inside the Ford Transit Connect Hot Wheels are two 18'' tablets, a 55'' television screen, Recaro sports seats borrowed from the Focus ST, and even a built-in Hot Wheels drag strip.

Sporting a wide body kit, 20'' wheels, and gullwing doors, the Ford Transit Connect Hot Wheels is powered by a 2.5L 4-cylinder Ti-VCT engine. It will go on sale next year... as a 1:64 scale model, obviously.

Photo: Ford

Honda selected SEMA as its venue of choice to unleash the 2014 Civic Coupe and Si on the world. Although we're not quite certain that the “new” Civic Si is a step up from the 2013, we still have to hand it to Honda for putting some cool cars together at their booth.

Photo: Matt St-Pierre

By far the one deserving of the most attention is the 1,000+ hp 2014 Honda Odyssey built by Bisimoto.

HPD or Honda Performance Development unveiled a few cars of its own including a supercharged CR-Z. On top of the blown engine, the car also gets a few suspension tweaks and a sport exhaust. Output is now rated at 187 horsepower, drastically increasing the car's appeal.

Acura holds a small portion of the Honda's real estate and the Street Performance ILX is the one to stare at. Wrapped in a 3M Copper metallic wrap and sporting a supercharger, this is the coolest ILX we've ever laid eyes on.

For this year's SEMA Show in Las Vegas, Kia introduced five special editions of the Soul that pay tribute to the world of music with their unique accessories, flashy visual treatments, and powerful audio systems.

Amped Soul
Popular Mechanics has energized this Kia Soul with oversized JBL speakers, four 12'' Infinity subwoofers, as well as LED ambient lighting. The car also sports a white body, black tinted windows, and 22'' Forgiato custom three-piece wheels in gold finish.

Photo: Kia

Vans Warped Tour Soul
Here, Popular Mechanics wanted to embody the youthful and fun spirit of the Vans Warped Tour. Behold the custom paint job -- inspired by the colours of the music and extreme sports event -- with eye-catching air-brush artwork. The side windows have been replaced with custom-built fibreglass body panels housing eight 8'' Infinity speakers. There's a 50'' flat screen on the roof, a barbecue in the back, LED lights, and 20'' wheels.

Photo: Kia

DJ Booth Soul
Designed by RIDES magazine, the Soul DJ Booth has no roof so the DJ can rise up and stand on a custom diamond-plated stage (which replaced the rear seats) and start spinning on the pro-grade Pioneer CDJs and mixer. The interior features black leather, graphite suede, and turquoise stitching, along with a Maschine Mikro production studio moulded into the passenger dash. A Pioneer sound system with five amplifiers, three component speakers, two 10'' and two 12'' Champion Series subwoofers, and a sound bar housing four coaxial speakers amps complete the package.

Photo: Kia

The Voice Soul
As an homage to the popular reality TV competition on NBC, RIDES magazine customized the exterior of this Soul with a bright red airbrushed The Voice logo on the side, incorporating vinyl on the window portion, as well as the inspiring words “I Want You” illuminated in the lower grille. Inside, an iPad Mini connected to a 40'' LED TV allows aspiring artists to use the preloaded The Voice app to sing their heart out.

Photo: Kia

Music Memorabilia Soul
RIDES magazine transformed the Soul into a music museum on wheels, with memorabilia spanning rock, hip-hop and EDM (Electronic Dance Music) history. You'll find a signed Slash guitar, a G-Unit sneaker signed by 50 Cent, a Jimi Hendrix gold album, and a signed John Legend microphone, all of which are displayed in hand-built Plexiglas enclosures in the trunk, rear windows, and rear hatch insert.

Photo: Kia

From GMM

Pirelli is close to finalising a new deal to continue supplying tires in formula one beyond the end of its 2013 contract.

However, while it was believed the new deal beginning in 2014 would last for five years, Germany's Auto Motor und Sport reports that a contract of that length might run into legal trouble in the absence of an official tender.

So, Pirelli chairman Marco Tronchetti Provera was quoted by La Gazzetta dello Sport this week as saying: "We have asked for an exclusive agreement for three years.

"We are in the final stages now. There is no pressure, but we have a very close collaboration with the federation, because the tires are used according to our instructions."

Photo: Pirelli

Recently, both Tronchetti Provera and Pirelli's F1 chief Paul Hembery warned that the Italian marque could quit F1 at the eleventh hour because of the teams' reluctance to cooperate in tire development testing.

Tronchetti Provera said in Milan on Wednesday: "We expect it to be formalised that tests will be done with a 2013 car, and that tests may take place during the season."

To Auto Motor und Sport, Hembery explained: "To prepare for the (pre-season) tests in Bahrain, we need tests in December and January with the 2013 cars."

But at the moment, the rules forbid testing with 2013 cars. Auto Motor und Sport said Mercedes' Niki Lauda in Abu Dhabi worked hard to convince rival teams to help the sport's tire supplier.

"We need to help them if we want to prevent a repeat of the tire dramas of this year," said the great Austrian. "It is in everybody's interest. We will have a 2013 car ready for Pirelli when they want it, and the others should do the same."

Microsoft has narrowed its list of external candidates to replace CEO Steve Ballmer to about five people, including Ford CEO Alan Mulally and former Nokia CEO Stephen Elop, according to sources familiar with the matter.

Dodge and Mopar are bringing the Shaker hood back from the dead at the 2013 SEMA Show.

Dodge has rolled out several nameplates from Chrysler Group's muscle car past. Now it's resurrecting a telltale shake and adding an electronically controlled rumble.