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Porsche has begun hiring 1,000 new workers as trial body production for the Macan small SUV they will build began at the Leipzig plant, south of Berlin in eastern Germany.

Mercedes-Benz sold 90,083 cars in February 2013, down from 95,647 a year ago but up 1.3% year to date to 184,978.

News 13 Mar, 2013

Pick up this week's issue to read our full F1 season preview, as well as all the news from the Geneva Motor Show

Pictures See all 9 pictures 28 May, 2014

News 13 Mar, 2013

Jaguar is planning a new XS compact saloon to rival the 3 Series, and we have the best pictures yet

Many vehicles are moving to smaller engines for improved fuel economy, and the 2013

Ford has announced that Ford of Britain chairman Joe Greenwell CBE has elected to retire effective end of April 2013. Mark Ovenden, currently managing director, will add the chairman's role to his responsibilities.

Toyota approved the biggest salary bonus in five years as a weakening yen boosts the value of exports, helping the world's largest automaker project the highest profit since 2008.

Audi is counting on its growing Q line of SUVs to help it drive past BMW brand to No. 1 in global luxury car sales by 2020.

Audi is counting on its growing Q line of SUVs to help it drive past the BMW brand to No. 1 in global luxury car sales by 2020.

Ford's product development team is facing its toughest challenge yet in developing a global design language: creating a Mustang that works outside North America.

Skoda has made its Octavia station wagon larger and roomier to fend off a growing number of competitors in the compact wagon segment.

Audi is counting on its growing Q line of SUVs to help it drive past BMW brand to No. 1 in global luxury car sales by 2020.

Penske's Will Power ended the first day of the IZOD IndyCar series' open test at Barber Motorsports Park at the top of the time sheet after dominating both morning and afternoon sessions.

The Australian's teammate at Penske Racing, Helio Castroneves was 0.07 second behind, while Andretti Autosport's James Hinchcliffe was third.

Mike Conway got the pace early on and took fourth in his first outing with his new squad Rahal Letterman Lanigan. EJ Viso (Andretti) completed the top 5 of the day.

Testing continues today, Wednesday.

Will Power, Penske Dallara-Chevy. (Photo: LAT/IndyCar)

Pos Driver Team/Car Time Gap Laps

1. Will Power Penske Dallara-Chevy 1m07.8625s 24
2. Helio Castroneves Penske Dallara-Chevy 1m07.9388s + 0.0763s 42
3. James Hinchcliffe Andretti Dallara-Chevy 1m07.9869s + 0.1244s 32
4. Mike Conway Rahal Dallara-Honda 1m08.1584s + 0.2959s 49
5. EJ Viso Andretti Dallara-Chevy 1m08.2190s + 0.3565s 31
6. Simona de Silvestro KV Dallara-Chevy 1m08.2301s + 0.3676s 56
7. Oriol Servia Panther/DRR Dallara-Chevy 1m08.2477s + 0.3852s 72
8. Scott Dixon Ganassi Dallara-Honda 1m08.2543s + 0.3918s 41
9. Josef Newgarden Fisher Dallara-Honda 1m08.3260s + 0.4635s 57
10. Simon Pagenaud Schmidt Dallara-Honda 1m08.3535s + 0.4910s 31
11. Ryan Hunter-Reay Andretti Dallara-Chevy 1m08.3557s + 0.4932s 54
12. Marco Andretti Andretti Dallara-Chevy 1m08.4123s + 0.5498s 27
13. Charlie Kimball Ganassi Dallara-Honda 1m08.4629s + 0.6004s 24
14. Alex Tagliani BHA Dallara-Honda 1m08.4798s + 0.6173s 45
15. Tony Kanaan KV Dallara-Chevy 1m08.4940s + 0.6315s 42
16. AJ Allmendinger Penske Dallara-Chevy 1m08.5098s + 0.6473s 40
17. JR Hildebrand Panther Dallara-Chevy 1m08.5250s + 0.6625s 28
18. Tristan Vautier Schmidt Dallara-Honda 1m08.5921s + 0.7296s 58
19. Takuma Sato Foyt Dallara-Honda 1m08.6877s + 0.8252s 57
20. Justin Wilson Coyne Dallara-Honda 1m08.8208s + 0.9583s 56
21. Graham Rahal Rahal Dallara-Honda 1m09.0141s + 1.1516s 52
22. Sebastien Bourdais Dragon Dallara-Chevy 1m09.0215s + 1.1590s 39
23. Dario Franchitti Ganassi Dallara-Honda 1m09.0381s + 1.1756s 52
24. Sebastian Saavedra Dragon Dallara-Chevy 1m09.4749s + 1.6124s 58
25. Ed Carpenter Carpenter Dallara-Chevy 1m09.7659s + 1.9034s 32
26. Ana Beatriz Coyne Dallara-Honda 1m12.0076s + 4.1451s 47

NASCAR has reinstated driver Jeremy Clements upon the successful completion of stipulations following his indefinite suspension from NASCAR on Feb. 27 for violating the sanctioning body's Code of Conduct policy.

Clements will be on NASCAR probation until Sept. 13, 2013.

“During the course of an interview, Jeremy Clements made an intolerable and insensitive remark,” said Steve O'Donnell, NASCAR senior vice president of racing operations.

“NASCAR has a Code of Conduct that's explicitly spelled out in the 2013 NASCAR Rule Book. We fully expect our entire industry to adhere to that Code.”

On February Clements appeared on an ESPN interview, admitting a racial slur was involved.

“When you say 'racial' remark, it wasn't used to describe anybody or anything," Clements told ESPN.

“So that's all I'm going to say to that. And it really wasn't. I was describing racing, and the word I used was incorrect and I shouldn't have said it. It shouldn't be used at all."

In February on Clement's Facebook page there was a post attributed to him: “I apologize and regret what I said to the NASCAR writer and to NASCAR, my sponsors, my fans, and my team. NASCAR has a Code of Conduct that everyone must follow and I unintentionally violated that code. I will not get into specifics of what I said but my comment to the writer was in no way meant to be disrespectful or insensitive to anyone or to be detrimental to NASCAR or the NASCAR Nationwide Series. I will do what I need to do in order to atone for my error in judgment.”

“As part of the requirements for reinstatement, Jeremy Clements participated in an individualized program with Dr. Richard Lapchick and his staff at the Institute for Diversity and Ethics in Sports,” said Steve O'Donnell, NASCAR senior vice president of racing operations.

“In Dr. Lapchick's judgment, Jeremy has successfully completed the program. We're pleased that Jeremy has taken these important steps and will return to racing starting this weekend at Bristol Motor Speedway.”

From GMM

Bernie Ecclestone has admitted he advised Mercedes to lure Lewis Hamilton from McLaren.

Many were surprised when Lewis Hamilton decided to leave established top team McLaren for 2013 and beyond, but it now emerges that Paddy Lowe is set to follow suit.

"I told Mercedes, 'If you get Lewis, you'll get all the right kind of people for the future'," Ecclestone said in an interview with Bild newspaper. "They'll now get people who believe they are working on a winning team."

Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes W04. (Photo: Mercedes AMG F1 Team)

The downside, for McLaren, is having lost two of the most highly-rated figures - 2008 world champion Hamilton and technical boss Lowe - in the paddock.

"McLaren is not as strong now," agreed ex-McLaren driver Gerhard Berger, in a pre-season interview with Tiroler Tageszeitung newspaper. "Sergio Perez is not going to put Jenson Button under the same kind of pressure (as Hamilton did)."

And former Renault boss Flavio Briatore told La Gazzetta dello Sport: "McLaren without Hamilton is a lot weaker."

In order to determine whether your brakes need a check-up, some maintenance or a replacement, you must be able to recognize signs of wear or damage.

Obviously, your mileage is a pretty good indicator, although it all depends on your driving style. In general, brake fluid should be changed every 60,000 kilometres. Brake discs usually last twice as long as the pads that chew on them. Ask a technician at your local dealership for a precise measurement of the wear on your brakes.

A vibrating brake pedal often means that one of the components is warped -- probably a disc or a drum. You need to replace it immediately.

A spongy pedal (with reduced tension, and longer travel required to achieve the same results) can signal various problems including worn-out pads, bad brake adjustment or deteriorated brake fluid. By mixing with oxygen, this liquid oxidizes and compresses, so you must flush it and add fresh fluid.

Worn-out brake pads can produce grinding noises. Before you get to that point, however, a warning will appear on your dashboard -- if your vehicle is equipped with brake-wear sensors -- in which case you have to get new pads with integrated sensors.

You'll easily spot a brake pad with diagonal wear lines or a smeared disc during a visual check after the wheel has been removed. Replacing the damaged part becomes necessary.


Tips for longer-lasting brakes
Inspect the various components of your braking system at every oil change -- don't wait for signs of brake power loss! It's also a good time for a clean-up which includes:

• Removing dust;
• Removing rust off the disc's outer edge;
• Sanding your brake pads to make them more even and abrasive;
• Polishing the braking surface on the disc.

Lubricating key components is another way to optimize braking performance. Two specific areas need lubrication:

• The metallic parts surrounding the pads, as well as the mounting points on the calipers;
• The caliper mounts.

As for drum brakes, adjusting the shoes usually makes them much more effective.

What you need to know
Front brakes require more frequent maintenance since they work to slow down about 70% of a vehicle's mass. Prices vary significantly depending on the quality and sophistication of the brake components (materials and design). Naturally, performance-oriented parts will prove more expensive to maintain and replace.

Auto123.com takes a look at the five newcomers to Formula 1 this season, and rates their chances ahead of this weekend's season curtain raiser, the Australian Grand Prix.

Giedo Van der Garde, Esteban Gutierrez, Max Chilton, Jules Bianchi, Valtteri Bottas. (Photo: WRi2)

Valtteri Bottas
Team: Williams F1 Team
Car: Williams FW35 Renault
Born: Nastola, Finland
Age: 23

Finland's latest star had the status of a legend even before he'd taken to the track as a Williams race driver after AUTOSPORT magazine begun the #BOTTAS Twitter phenomenon. However, Bottas appears to be the most promising of all the newcomers, as he does not fall into the category of ‘pay driver' like his contemporaries; he brings a sizeably smaller budget than Bruno Senna who he replaced at Williams, so if Sir Frank and the team - men and women who if you cut them bleed petrol - did not believe he could deliver the results that the new Renault-powered FW35 seems capable of, he would not be in the car.

Season objective: Live with teammate Maldonado, and continue the Williams revival.

Esteban Gutierrez
Team: Sauber F1 Team
Car: Sauber C32 Ferrari
Born: Monterrey, Mexico
Age: 22

Esteban Gutierrez comes into the sport with the tag “the chosen one”; at just 22 then, a sense of expectation comes placed on the young Mexican's shoulders to emulate the successes of his compatriot, Sergio Perez. However, whilst Perez - at least before he signed for McLaren - was noted for his consistency, despite finishing a respectable third in GP2 last year, one word blighted Guiterrez's season; inconsistency. If he can get on top of this aspect of his driving and combine it with the speed that he so obviously has, then expect another Formula 1 star to be born. Main sponsor Telmex - and its owner, Carlos Slim who is worth an estimated $75.5bn - will be watching closely.

Season objective: Mix his natural speed with consistency, and manage to be ahead of highly regarded team-mate, Nico Hulkenberg on a few occasions.

Giedo Van der Garde
Team: Caterham F1 Team
Car: Caterham CT03 Renault
Born: Rhenen, Netherlands
Age: 25

At 25, the first Dutch Formula 1 driver since 2007 is the oldest of 2013's newcomers. However, this is the least of his problems as Caterham seems to have produced an underwhelming car this season and the team has admitted it will not see the step forward it so badly needs to clearly place itself ahead of Marussia until the European season begins. Despite this, van der Garde has acquitted himself well within the team by smoothly making the transition from test-driver to race-driver and in the process, and has shown himself to be media and fan friendly as he is always good for a soundbite.

Season objective: Work hard with the team's underwhelming CT03 to stay ahead of Marussia; a difficult task considering they seem to have the momentum at the moment.

Jules Bianchi
Team: Marussia
Car: Marussia MR02 Cosworth
Born: Nice, France
Age: 23

Until the penultimate day of the last Barcelona test, it did not seem that Jules Bianchi was going to be on the 2013 Formula 1 grid. He'd lost out to Adrian Sutil in what was definitely not a shoot-out for the second Force India seat, and another year as a reserve driver seemed the likely option for F1's third Frenchman. However, fate - and one of Luiz Razia's sponsors failing to meet a payment deadline - saw him elevated at short notice to the position of race driver at Marussia; so much so, his helmet still had the ‘Ferrari Driver Academy' stickers when he took to the car for the first time on Saturday. Bianchi comes highly rated from Force India where he was their third driver last season due to his speed and technical ability, and a driver is not part of the Ferrari Driver Academy unless they are seriously talented. He's good, and that's what Marussia need right now.

Season objective: Prove to the world that the faith placed in him by Marussia, Ferrari and Force India is justified and help push the team forward ahead of Caterham. Then there is the small matter of securing Ferrari engines for Marussia in 2014...

Max Chilton
Team: Marussia F1
Car: Marussia MR02 Cosworth
Born: Reigate, England
Age: 21

Despite providing a healthy budget, there still remain some questions around whether Max Chilton is in F1 due to his talent, or the much needed healthy sponsorship package he brings to Marussia given that he has never won a championship in a lower category. However, the youngest driver on the grid will be out to rectify such claims in his rookie season and should he be able to do so, then his friendly attitude and evident hard work he put in over the winter will attract sponsors and push Marussia further towards breaking into the mid-field.

Season objective: To not be beaten by Bianchi and shake off the ‘pay-driver' tag.

Yup, I'm at it again and I can't nor am I willing to stop it. Every time I visit the Old Continent, my eyes are flooded with wagons of all types, shapes, sizes, and standings. The bottom line is: Wagons have been given a bad rap in North America, and they don't deserve it.

If you think station wagons are uncool, but are down with the likes of the Toyota RAV4, Honda CR-V or Mitsubishi Outlander, we need to sit down and have a talk. Really.

Here's my list of wagons that were either unveiled or present on the 2013 Geneva Auto Show floor. There's no particular order except where my description clearly stands out as being loaded with lots of praise.

Volkswagen Golf Variant
The new 7th generation Volkswagen Golf is already making waves, and was named Car of the Year in Europe by a group of big-shot auto journalists. The real winners are you and I because the redesigned Golf Variant (aka wagon) takes on a stouter appearance, along with rechiseled lines. The pic here shows the ultimate, the most fantastic, version and it is the (deep breath) Golf Variant R-Line 2.0 TDI 4MOTION. This one has a 6-speed manual box! Go ahead; tell me it's not cool.

Photo: Mathieu St-Pierre

Continue reading Matt's Top Station Wagons

From GMM

A trio of experts do not believe Sebastian Vettel will switch to Ferrari any time soon.

One of them is the reigning world champion's own boss, Red Bull magnate Dietrich Mateschitz.

"Right now it's not a problem," the Austrian billionaire told Salzburger Nachrichten newspaper.

For now, Mateschitz has Sebastian Vettel under contract, but he acknowledged that the lure of Ferrari might one day become too strong.

"If he doesn't want to be with us anymore, it would be absurd to try to keep him because of a contract," he admitted. "I have to say that, if I was a driver, my wish would be to drive for Ferrari."

Ferrari and Red Bull, ready for 2013. (Photo: WRi2)

Former F1 driver Gerhard Berger agrees that Vettel should be in no current mind to switch from Red Bull.

"One of Vettel's qualities is his brain," the former McLaren and Ferrari driver told APA news agency.

"As long as Red Bull gives him the conditions he has now, it would be crazy if he thinks about something else. It is a hundred times better to be world champion five times with Red Bull than never with Ferrari."

F1 chief executive Bernie Ecclestone, who is famously close to backgammon partner Vettel, couldn't agree more.

"Seb could stay at Red Bull his whole career," he told Bild newspaper.

"He's happy there, they build him a top car every time. I would be shocked if he left," added Ecclestone.