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Japan's exports rose for a ninth consecutive month in November, with light-vehicle shipments to the United States rising 13 percent, a sign the weak yen and a recovery in global demand are energizing a major growth driver in the world's...

Nissan has announced the appointment of Paul Willcox as Chairman for Nissan's Europe region, bringing him back after a very brief stint with Volkswagen UK.

Mitsubishi Motors lifted its operating profit forecast for the current financial year by 20 percent, helped by a weakening yen, cost cuts and strong sales of the Outlander SUV plug-in hybrid.

The successor for the Acura TL sedan will be revealed as a prototype at the Detroit auto show in January.

Lamborghini has released the first details of the Huracán, its replacement for the Gallardo. The car will have its first public outing at the Geneva motor show in March.

BMW is planning to make three models at its new plant in Brazil: the 3 Series, X3 crossover and the Mini Countryman.

More than 500 workers of Ashok Leyland opted for a voluntary retirement scheme (VRS), bringing down the workforce by 10%, reports The Economic Times.

Citroën chose Paris and the famous Louvre museum as the site for the unveiling of the latest DS prestige model for the Chinese car market - the DS 5LS.

Western European car sales may improve by nearly 3 percent next year after November showed modest growth, LMC Automotive forecasts.

Western European car sales may improve by nearly 3 percent next year after November showed modest growth, LMC Automotive forecasts.

Lamborghini has crowned its

Nissan has appointed new regional bosses for Europe and the Africa-Middle East-India regions, tapping Paul Willcox for Europe and bringing in Takashi Hata from transmission maker Jatco to run the emerging market portfolio.

Nissan has appointed new regional bosses for Europe and the Africa-Middle East-India regions, tapping Paul Willcox for Europe and bringing in Takashi Hata from transmission maker Jatco to run the emerging market portfolio.

After a 10-year run and more than 14,000 sales, the Lamborghini Gallardo is being put out to pasture, and a faster, more nimble replacement, the Huracan, will arrive in the spring.

Toyota targets sales and profitability gains in Europe and Russia next year on the strength of its hybrid models, said Didier Leroy, Toyota Europe head.

From press release

The intense wheel-to-wheel action of Formula 1600 racing will be broadcast nationally by Move Motorsports and Fuel MediaLab.

Jason Sharpe of Move Motorsports (promoters of both the Toyo Tires F1600 Championship and Formula 1600 Super Series) and Joel Robinson of Fuel MediaLab (producers of the NASCAR Canadian Tire Series on TSN) have reached an agreement to produce a number of shows to be broadcast nationally during the 2014 season.

The broadcasts will cover a select number of events showcasing the entry-level formula to a large and passionate audience. It will include a high percentage of the on-track action but will also get behind the scenes in an effort to learn more about Canada's next wave of international racing superstars.


“Formula 1600 is the first step on the ladder to a career in racing,” said Jason Sharpe of Move Motorsports. “Half of our competitors are under the age of 18 and right out of karts. They are fearless and hungry for nothing other than victory. The other half have been doing this for years and their experience behind the wheel sometimes baffles the rookies and is the recipe for some epic battles. Canadians will be incredibly entertained by this show and as a bonus are getting the first look at the new breed of racing stars,” he added.

“In the twenty-five years I have been involved in televised auto racing, the Formula 1600 series has been one of the most exciting to watch,” said Joel Robinson of Fuel MediaLab. “It doesn't get better than seeing that group of thirty to thirty-five cars racing five-wide into turn one. I look forward to working with Jason and the team at Move Motorsports Management and showcasing this country's racing prospects to Canadian racing fans,” he added.

The events to be televised, network and broadcast schedule will be released early in the New Year.

From GMM

Sebastian Vettel's new teammate thinks the reigning quadruple world champion is still getting better.

Australian Daniel Ricciardo is replacing Mark Webber at Red Bull, but he said recently he hopes to be more competitive alongside Vettel than his retiring countryman.

"As strong as Mark is, Seb was better, " 24-year-old Ricciardo is quoted by Brazil's Totalrace.

"That was evident in the last two years. He (Vettel) is still very young, so we can ask the question of whether they were both at their peak when they were together," he added.

Daniel Ricciardo, Red Bull RB9. (Photo: WRi2)

Indeed, he thinks Vettel - who is two years older than Ricciardo - is still improving, despite his obvious dominance as the 2013 season concluded.

"I don't think he has reached his peak, which is a little scary for the other drivers, because he has been impressive. In fact, the more he wins, the more confidence he gets, and the easier it is for him," said Daniel Ricciardo.

Despite that, team boss Christian Horner is excited to see how Ricciardo - who is moving to Red Bull from the junior team Toro Rosso - fares alongside Vettel.

"I think Daniel is very fast. Let's see how fast he really is," he said.

Christian Horner said he doubts Ricciardo will clash with Vettel, despite the increasingly fractious relationship between the dominant German and Webber in past years.

"I think the relationship will be very different than it was with Mark," he said.

"Mark was at his peak when Sebastian came to the team, but Daniel is much younger and still learning. He will learn from Sebastian. The dynamics will be very different," added Horner.

Sebastian Vettel, Red Bull RB9. (Photo: WRi2)

Ricciardo, while insisting that he wants to beat Vettel, acknowledged that it might be a task too far when considering the world champion's top form.

He told Germany's Auto Motor und Sport: "If the car is good and he wins, that's what everyone expects of him.

"But no one is expecting me to come into the team and be the number 1 driver. That takes a little pressure from me," said Ricciardo.

"I want to come in and learn from the best, and then we'll see what happens. If you could offer to me right now that I'm second behind him at the end of the season but with the same number of wins, then I might accept that. But if he's world champion and I'm fifth, I'll just say 'f**k!" he grinned. I am prepared for a big challenge, but I am not prepared for him to kick my ass. I do hope I am closer to him than Mark was, but I don't want to promise all these big things and then be sh*t. We'll see what happens, but I am definitely positive," added Ricciardo.

An Australian entrepreneur and a Romanian engineer have designed and built the dream car of every five-year-old boy: a hot rod made of over 500,000 LEGO blocks. And it works!

Equipped with a compressed air system, 256 pistons, and four radial engines, this machine can reach speeds of up to 30 km/h.

Source: blog.caranddriver.com

Both Canadians Alex Guenette and Maryeve Dufault will be on hand starting this Friday to take part in the annual ARCA Racing testing session at the Daytona Superspeedway in preparation for the season opener in February.

For Guenette, it will be a first outing on the super-oval and the NASCAR Canadian Tire Rookie of the year is scheduled to take part in at least three races under the supervision of Mario Gosselin.

Alex Guenette at the annual NASCAR Night of Champion Touring Awards. (Photo: Alex Guenette)

The 17-year-old just came back from the annual NASCAR Night of Champion Touring Awards where he was also selected as the most popular driver in the NCTS championship.

As for Maryeve Dufault, she is back in action after more than a year hiatus in the ARCA Series where she will be joigning Strange Racing with which she will compete in every event of the upcoming 2014 season.

Maryeve Dufault. (Photo: ARCA)

Pros: The 2014 Acura TL is a midsize luxury sedan that offers typical Honda reliability, as well as a comfortable interior and dynamic handling. It comes with a long list of features, great V6 power, an excellent AWD system, and lots of everyday practicality.

Cons: Despite a few tweaks for 2014, the Acura TL still looks somewhat bland. Trunk capacity is below average, and its fairly tight opening makes it harder to load big or long objects. What's more, the plethora of buttons may overwhelm some drivers.


2014 Acura TL Price: There are no fewer than seven trim levels to choose from including the base TL ($39,990), TL A-Spec ($41,490), TL Tech ($43,590), TL SH-AWD ($43,990), TL SH-AWD A-Spec ($45,490), TL SH-AWD Tech ($47,590), and TL SH-AWD Elite ($49,590).

2014 Acura TL Fuel Economy: FWD models with the 3.5L V6 and 6-speed autobox average 8.6L/100km. Those with the Super-Handling All-Wheel Drive (SH-AWD) system and 3.7L V6 burn a bit more fuel -- 9.5L/100km, to be exact. You should note that premium gas is recommended.

Improvements and Changes: The 2014 Acura TL has barely evolved since its last major revision (for the 2012 model year). There's been a few cosmetic changes, and that's about it.

Powertrain: As mentioned earlier, two V6 engines are available with the 2014 Acura TL. The venerable 3.5L unit is rated at 280 horsepower and 254 lb-ft of torque, while the more modern 3.7L variant produces 305 horsepower and 273 lb-ft of torque. The former can only be mated to a 6-speed automatic transmission with paddle shifters, while the latter also offers a close-ratio, 6-speed manual gearbox.

Cargo Capacity: Base TLs have a 371-litre trunk (smaller than most rivals), while those with SH-AWD provide just 354 litres.

Safety: The 2014 Acura TL's safety arsenal includes ABS, brake assist, electronic brake force distribution, Vehicle Stability Assist with Traction Control, Hill Start Assist, and six airbags.

Comparing the 2014 Acura TL: Potential TL buyers may want to take a look at the Audi A4, BMW 3 Series, Cadillac CTS, Hyundai Genesis, Infiniti Q50, Lexus ES, Lincoln MKZ, Mercedes-Benz C-Class, and Volkswagen Passat/CC.

Photo: Acura

Reference : L'Annuel de l'automobile 2014