Auto News 5

In 2013, we said hello to the Chevrolet Corvette Stingray, AutoNation signs and several promoted executives.

Light-vehicle sales in the United States continued to climb in 2013, but the year's most stunning news was the executive reshuffling at the top of General Motors.

From the 2015 Ford Mustang to "Mad Men," the best of the advertising world in 2013.

Andy Granatelli, the most famous person in American racing in the 1960s, not a driver, died at the age of 90.

His company STP, an oil additive, owned and sponsored Mario Andretti's 1969 Indy 500 winning car. And the photograph of “the kiss” in victory lane is iconic.

STP was a long time sponsor of NASCAR's “King” Richard Petty.

Lost in the mists of history are Granatelli's technology leading edge Novis, including the aircraft turbine-powered “whoosh” mobiles because they made so little noise. Parnelli Jones was leading the 1967 Indy 500 with three laps to go when a transmission bearing broke. The turbine powered car also raced the 1968 Indy 500 in a Lotus 56.

In 1969 he brought a four-wheel drive which looked dominant but burned in a crash causing Andretti to drive a back up to his only Indy 500 win.

“So saddened at the passing of Andy Granatelli. A true icon of IndyCar racing and a very dear friend to the Andretti family..” Andretti tweeted.

Appearing on American television he became as famous as Andretti and Petty.

Richard Petty and Andy Granatelli. (Photo: Getty for NASCAR)

Granatelli adopted the slogan for the STP additive calling it the “Racer's Edge.” which was STP's slogan. STP's sponsorship of Richard Petty's cars was one of the longest in the history of NASCAR.

Indianapolis Motor Speedway President J. Douglas Boles on the passing of Andy Granatelli.

"Andy Granatelli - known appropriately as "Mister 500" - understood better than anyone the spirit and challenge of the Indianapolis 500 and had a remarkable ability to combine innovative technologies with talented race car drivers to make his cars a threat to win at Indianapolis every year," said J. Douglas Boles, IMS. "Andy leaves a legacy of historic moments that will live forever in Indianapolis 500 lore including his famous turbine that dominated the 1967 Indianapolis 500, the Lotus 56 of 1968, and giving the great Mario Andretti a kiss on the cheek in victory lane after his 1969 win. Our thoughts and prayers are with Andy's family, friends and legion of fans."

Pros: Packing world-class, track-validated engineering, the latest high-performance advancements and all-season motoring pleasure, the highly potent Porsche 911 Turbo hits model-year 2014 fully updated and available in both coupe and cabriolet configurations to meet the needs of any shopper. With numerous fuel-saving implements and 560 horsepower, this generation of 911 Turbo S is the most potent and fuel-efficient.

Cons: The 2014 Porsche 911 Turbo S's price isn't for most people's wallets, and limited cargo and rear-seat passenger space reduce functionality over comparably priced high-performance sedan models.


2014 Porsche 911 Turbo S Pricing: Pricing for the range-topping 911 Turbo S starts around $206,000 for the coupe, and around $221,000 for the Cabriolet. The Porsche Personalization Program is available for shoppers after further customization.

2014 Porsche 911 Turbo S Fuel Economy: Despite the high-output punch, the 911 Turbo S model range is rated to achieve a combined fuel-consumption figure of just 10.3L / 100km thanks in no small part to active aerodynamics, lightweight construction and numerous high-efficiency tweaks to the drivetrain.

Improvements and Changes: This next-generation 911 Turbo S is an all-new model, fully capitalizing on the 911's latest platform and engineering efforts.

Don't Miss: The 911 Turbo S's active aerodynamic elements. At selected speeds, the vehicle automatically deploys both front and rear spoilers to generate more downforce, increasing high-speed handling and stability. For shoppers after a high degree of personalization, a full line of genuine accessories is also available, matched by a clothing line and even a special travel club. It's all part of the ownership experience of one of the most legendary sports models on the road.

2014 Porsche 911 Turbo S Powertrain: Both Coupe and Cabriolet variants of this German rocket are powered by a 3.8 L flat six-cylinder engine bolted behind the rear axle. Utilizing highly advanced twin turbocharging technology and direct injection, 560 horsepower are on constant standby, ready to blast the 911 Turbo S to 100 km/h in as little as 3.2 seconds. Active All Wheel Drive (AWD) ensures fuss-free traction in all conditions, while the standard 7-speed Porsche PDK transmission with paddle shifters completes shifts at impossible speeds.

Safety: Advanced airbags, potent brakes and the industry's most advanced stability and traction control systems all work to help maintain driver control in all driving conditions. Xenon and LED illumination ensure optimal visibility in all situations, while distraction-busting Bluetooth ensures drivers can stay safely connected on the go. Further, the Porsche Side Impact Protection System, or POSIP, utilizes protective implements in the doors, as well as and two side-mounted airbags, for optimal protection in side impact collisions.

Comparables: The Porsche 911 Turbo S range competes with popular models from exotic manufacturers like Lamborghini, Ferrari and Aston Martin, as well as the similarly potent Nissan GT-R, Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG and others.

Photo: Porsche

From press release

Rob Huff has signed to race for Starworks Motorsport in selected rounds of the 2014 International Motor Sports Association (IMSA) TUDOR United SportsCar Championship (USCC).

Huff - the 2012 WTCC Champion - returned to the endurance racing scene in December, helping Rotek Racing to an emphatic win in the 2013 25 Hours of Thunderhill in California. Fresh from victory lane, the Newmarket-domiciled racer is set to return to American shores to pilot a Starworks ORECA FML09 LMPC car in selected rounds of the inaugural USCC season, as part of an all-star driver line-up featuring British GP2 Series runner-up Sam Bird.

Rob Huff. (Photo: BAM Motorsports)

The OCC LASIK-backed driver is set to join the squad for the ‘Roar Before the Rolex 24 Hours of Daytona' test (3-5 January). The three-day event will serve as a precursor to the legendary 24-hour enduro at Daytona International Speedway (25-26 January), the ‘Mobil 1 12 Hours of Sebring' (15 March) and additional races at Watkins Glen and ‘Petit Le Mans' later in the year.

The campaign will add to a packed and wide-ranging 2014 programme for Huff that encompasses a full-time FIA World Touring Car Championship (WTCC) campaign with LADA Sport LUKOIL.

The 2012 WTCC Champion has been eager to develop a career in sprint and endurance sportscars alongside his WTCC commitments, having been inspired by his recent success in the 2013 25 Hours of Thunderhill and additional outings at Bathurst in Australia.

And with wealth of talent from the Formula 1, Indy Car and Le Mans fraternities operating together at state-of-the-art facilities in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, competing under the Starworks banner is an enticing and invigorating prospect for Huff.

From GMM

Sebastian Vettel will only be an undisputed F1 "legend" if he wins at the wheel of a less competitive car.

That is the view of Fernando Alonso, who was Red Bull driver Vettel's championship runner-up in 2010, 2012 and 2013.

"I think when Vettel has a car like the rest in the field, if he wins, he will be greatly acknowledged and be one of the legends of formula one," Ferrari's Alonso is quoted as saying in Spanish-language media reports.

"But if someday he has a car like that of the other drivers and is fourth, fifth or seventh, then his four titles will be bad news for him because people will view these last four years in an even worse way," he added.

"I think there are some interesting years ahead for Sebastian," Fernando Alonso is quoted as saying.

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

Chinese electric car maker Kandi has just launched a unique carsharing service based on the concept of vending machines.

Through a partnership with Geely, residents of Hangzhou can rent a car for approximately $3.40 an hour. Eventually, 750 rental points could be implemented across the city, with a total of 5,000-10,000 cars available.
Kandi and Geely even plan to design a new vehicle together.

China is hoping to have more than two million electric cars on the road by 2020.

Source : techno-car.fr

On December 30th, 1936, employees at the Fisher Body factory, represented by the United Auto Workers (UAW), went on a sit-down strike. They were soon followed by all of GM's other six plants in Michigan.

The workers said that they would not return to work until all GM plants across the U.S. become part of a national collective bargaining agreement.

In the next year the UAW saw its membership grow from 30,000 to 500,000 members. Members came from other car manufacturers such as Ford, causing the entire industry to rapidly unionize.

Source : wikipedia.org

Photo: Wikipedia

Photo: Wikipedia

From GMM

Felipe Massa insists he was "as fast, if not faster" than Fernando Alonso in qualifying trim this year.

Ultimately, the Brazilian scored less than half the points of his high-profile teammate, and finally lost his Ferrari race seat.

Massa will drive for Williams in 2014.

"I know they are going through a tough phase," he is quoted by Finland's Turun Sanomat newspaper, "but I think that with the changes they're making, they can go back to what they were doing a few years ago.

"I want to be a part of that process (at Williams)," said the 32-year-old. "The Mercedes engine should be very competitive, so I think we will have a good package at our disposal to fight for points on a regular basis and move steadily closer to the top."

But Ferrari justified Massa's exit on the basis that he was not able to support Alonso's quest for the world championship on a consistent enough basis.

Felipe Massa and Fernando Alonso. (Photo: Ferrari)

Felipe Massa, however, thinks he stacked up well against the Spaniard in 2013.

"Of course, Fernando is a very strong racing driver," he admitted, "especially in the first few rounds of the championship.

"Qualifying has not been as important to the championship as it has been, but I was at least as fast, if not faster, than Alonso," Massa claimed.

"But with the other factors - the strategy, traffic, pitstops and all of those things - I really was not very lucky. And when Fernando is going for the championship, and I am not, then he had the advantage for strategy and it affects your ability to drive for the top positions," he added.

Interestingly, Massa named having to give up the win at Hockenheim in 2010 as the lowest point in his eight-year Ferrari tenure.

"I got a team order and had to obey it," he said. "It was very bad from both a professional and a personal point of view.

"Of course, my accident in Hungary in 2009 was a very negative event, because I could have died. But I don't remember when I hit the part from Rubens Barrichello's car. I know what happened and of course I remember taking a long time to recover, but I don't remember the accident.

"So, it doesn't hurt me as much as the memory of what happened in Hockenheim."

From GMM

Alain Prost has admitted he would like to still be a formula one driver, ahead of the switch to radical new engine rules for 2014.

The quadruple world champion, known during his career as 'the professor' due to his technical meticulousness, said the move to turbo V6 and 'greener' energy recovery systems, following years of frozen V8 rules, "fascinates me".

Frenchman Prost, now 58 and an ambassador for the world champion engine supplier Renault, won his last title in 1993, when Williams utterly dominated with its highly sophisticated 'active suspension' car.

"We're going back the essence of competition, which we had lost a little over the past years," he is quoted by France's autohebdo.fr.

"For the past few seasons, I have never said 'It would be nice to be driving now', but for 2014, I really would like to be," added Alain Prost.

Photo: Renault Sport F1

Chinese automaker Qoros, which made its debut with the Qoros 3 at the 2013 Geneva Auto Show, will return for the 2014 edition to unveil a brand new car.

We have two images of what is considered to be the 5-door variant of the 3. The latter was designed to rival the Volkswagen Passat.

Technical specs have yet to be released.

Source : caradisiac.com

Photo: Qoros

Photo: Qoros

Adapted from GMM

Michael Schumacher continues to fight for his life "hour by hour" after a high speed skiing crash.

The day after the German's helmeted head struck a rock whilst he was skiing with his son in the French alps, grave-faced doctors at a hospital in Grenoble delivered an update to massed ranks of mainstream reporters.

"For the moment we cannot say what Michael Schumacher's future is. We can say that his condition is life-threatening," one doctor admitted in French.

The doctors revealed that an initial operation relieved the effects of brain bleeding, but "sadly" they also noticed "various bilateral lesions".

"I did tell you there were a number of serious lesions, but I am not going to tell you any details," Professor Stephan Chabardes said. "The impact was on the right side - he fell on his side. At the time of the accident he was agitated, but not responding to questions. He did not have a normal neurological reaction."

Another doctor said the former Mercedes and Ferrari driver had obviously crashed at high speed, and that if he had not been wearing a helmet "he definitely would not have got to here".

"We believe that taking into consideration the very violent shock, his helmet did protect him of course. Somebody having this kind of accident without the helmet would not have got to here", said Professor Jean-Francois Payen from the Grenoble hospital.

They said they knew Schumacher was initially conscious after the fall, but did not respond normally, and he had fallen into coma by the time he arrived at hospital.

Due to the brain injuries, the seven time world champion's body temperature is now being kept artificially low, and he is under a general anaesthetic.

"He is in a critical state in terms of cerebral resuscitation," said a doctor. "We are working hour by hour."

Mitsubishi Motors Corp. has delayed the U.S. launch of its Outlander plug-in hybrid until 2015, two years after its global debut, because of bottlenecks in battery production.

Honda is set to break a size record in that most American of pageants, the Tournament of Roses Parade.

From GMM

Michael Schumacher has been injured while skiing in France, media reports said on Sunday.

The incident occurred off-piste at the Meribel ski resort, where the seven time world champion has a chalet.

Former Ferrari and Mercedes driver Schumacher, 44, was wearing a helmet while skiing with his 14-year-old son when he fell and struck his head on a rock.

The German was airlifted to hospital, according to resort director Christophe Gernignon-Lecomte.

"He was in shock, a little agitated, but conscious," he is quoted by RMC Sport.

"It could possibly be a cranial injury but it is not very serious."

Earlier reports suggested Schumacher, who was transported from Moutiers hospital to Grenoble, had suffered a serious head injury.

But after speaking to his manager Sabine Kehm, the major daily Bild reported: "There is no danger to his life!"

Kehm said: "We ask for your understanding that we cannot give continuous information about his health. He was wearing a helmet and was not alone."

As the Formula 1 world prepares for the new 1.6-litre V6 era, Renault Sport's Remi Taffin revealed efficiency was key in developing the now defunct 2.4-litre V8.

In an effort to cut the costs of racing, engine development was frozen in 2007, one year after the start of the V8 era. Each engine also had to run for multiple races, some times up to 2,500km.

Efficiency therefore became the best way to improve performance.

"We could have thought about it at the start of the V8 era," the French manufacturer head of track operations is quoted saying by Motorsport.com, "but at that point we were focused on gaining horsepower.

"(When development was frozen) we went horizontal rather than vertical. We looked at where the energy produced went, for instance.

"More than 50 % (of it was) dissipated in the exhausts. We asked ourselves if we could use this energy."

Renault V8 in the back of a Red Bull RB9 (Photo: WRi2)

The answer was yes, through many small improvements.

"We worked on the throttle timing (and) at the way we use the engine modes, (we) have increased the capability of running lower water, oil flow and higher water and oil temperatures and have improved the fuel efficiency.

"The changes were not extreme, but the results were."

Indeed, Renault-powered cars went on to 59 wins, 65 pole positions and 55 fastest laps in the 8 years of the V8 era.

Former Formula 1 world champion, Michael Schumacher injured himself at 11:07 this morning while skiiing in Mebirel, France and the CHU hospital of Grenoble said late Sunday night that Schumacher was now in intensive care.

Schumacher fell while out skiing off-piste with his 14-year-old son, Mick, and other friends. Schumacher was luckly wearing a helmet but his head hit a rock hidden under 40cm of fresh snow.

An emergency evacuation followed, with the former F1 driver airlifted off the slopes by helicopter while still conscious.

Late Sunday night, the CHU of Grenoble indicated that Schumacher was fighting for his life in intensive care in a ‘critical state' and suffering from a brain haemorrhage.

His wife, Corinna, and son, Mick, and daughter, Gina-Marie, were all in the hospital, according to the local sources, including Le Dauphiné Libéré newspaper.

From Audi

Le Mans prototypes, DTM and GT sport - Audi fans will be treated to plenty of motorsport again in the 2014 season. In the FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC) Audi Sport Team Joest will be battling to defend the title.

To do so, the squad based in the Odenwald region will be competing in all eight races with two further developed Audi R18 e-tron quattro cars running with laser light for the first time. At Le Mans, the team is going to reinforce its line-up with a third R18.

Mike Rockenfeller, Audi RS 5 (Photo: Audi)

The DTM is playing an important role for Audi Sport again as well. Audi Sport Teams Abt Sportsline, Phoenix and Rosberg are part of the action again, fielding a total of eight Audi RS 5 DTM cars. Following Mike Rockenfeller, Mattias Ekström and Timo Scheider have been confirmed as drivers as well.

In GT sport the brand with the four rings will be featured in its customary international style, competing with customer teams and the Audi R8 LMS ultra in the 24-hour races at Daytona (USA), the Nürburgring (Germany) and Spa-Francorchamps (Belgium).

In addition, the focus on the USA has been intensified. With a new GTD version of the R8 LMS the first teams have already submitted their registrations for the new North American sports car racing series United SportsCar Championship (USCC).

New as well is Japan being featured on the racing calendar of the Audi R8 LMS Cup for the first time.

Robert Kubica has just been spotted a the wheel of a Ford Fiesta RRC, testing ahead of the 2014 European Rally Championship (ERC) season opener, the Jänner Rallye.

After making his debut in the top category of the World Rally Championship (WRC) at last year's Rally GB, the Pole signed with M-Sport to drive a Fiesta RS WRC in 2014.

The former F1 driver is entering the Austrian based Jänner Rallye as a warm-up for the Monte Carlo, round one of the 2014 WRC season.

Countryman Maciek Szczepaniak will co-drive for Kubica.



Source: Rallye-Addict.com