The 2013 Geneva Motor Show will feature a new concept from Pininfarina, the famous Italian design studio. Called ''SERGIO'' in honour of the late Sergio Pininfarina, the vehicle will embody ''a modern vision in the name of exclusivity, innovation, and passion.''
Pininfarina released the following image to tease fans. Come back to Auto123.com in early March to get the full picture.
The storm is over, the clean-up is complete and nearly everything has been fixed or rebuilt. The time has come to get back to the way things were. In Toyota's case, the way it was means total domination.
Not that long ago, Toyota was sitting on top of the world and then the floor gave out from under them. Given their vast resources -- be it financial, engineering, development and testing -- they've emerged slightly scathed, but more determined than ever.
It may seem odd, if you follow me on Twitter or Instagram (@Matt_St_Pierre), that I'm praising Toyota and about to do more of it. It's really not that complicated: Toyota is huge and appreciated by countless consumers looking for an appliance to get from A-to-B. Yes, I had to throw that in.
Despite what I may think of many of their products (the Corolla in particular), my thoughts and feelings are dwarfed by the sheer volume of Toyota vehicles on the road.
In fact, Toyota garnered the second largest significant sales increase in Canada for 2012, behind only Honda, at a year-over-year jump of 18.8%. And this is, in my opinion, only the beginning of Toyota's return to a step on the Canadian sales podium, be it this year or next, at the latest.
As we all know, product is key and Toyota is delivering on its promise of 18 new cars and trucks in 18 months. The recent unveiling of the Corolla Furia at the NAIAS is but one example. And, might I add, if the production car looks like the Furia, I may have to change my tune on the Corolla... Nah, I won't.
The new RAV4 is here, the Prius line is complete, the Yaris sedan (ugly, dull duckling) is gone, the new Tundra is coming, and Lexus as a whole is looking good. I've nothing nice to say about Scion other than the FR-S is smokin'.
Am I trying to redeem myself? To make Toyota like me? No. My job is to evaluate aspects of the automotive industry, its products and technologies. At the moment, from where I stand (or sit), I'm seeing a surge building behind Toyota. My observation is simply based on their recent communications, for one, but more importantly, on their latest new cars.
The saying goes that “Chevy runs deep.” In many North American markets, blurting “Toyota runs deep” has just as much significance and worth. Therefore, Toyota has nowhere to go but up.
Consumers still believe in Toyota, and a myriad have owned many in a row. To them, Toyota cannot falter. I know Toyota will do everything in their power to avoid going back to 2009-2010, and this is why I believe that Toyota is a brand to watch over the next 18 months.
Bruno Senna will take part to the World Endurance Championship driving a works Aston Martin Vantage GTE.
The Brazilian driver, who has been racing in Formula 1 world championship for the past three seasons, will make his endurance debuts, sharing the second works Aston Martin Vantage with Frédéric Makowiecki and Rob Bell.
Aston Martin Racing's number one car will be driven by Darren Turner, Stefan Mücke and Peter Dumbreck. Both cars will compete in the GTE Pro class, while Aston Martin will also run two works Vantage in GTE Am.
The nephew of Ayrton Senna will also race in the 24 Hours of Le Mans.
Aston Martin Vantage GTE. (Photo: Aston Martin Racing)
The Audi A7 is a sleek and sexy ride based on the endlessly trendy concept of a “four-door coupe.” Standard, with a sweet little supercharged V6, and packed with high-tech, high-class and high-style hardware, the only thing this flexible posh-rocket was really missing was a goofy-fast, boosted V8.
“YAY!” shouted German car nuts across the internet at the recent announcement of Audi's RS7 Sportback -- which is now flaunting its wares at this month's autoshow circuit.
The important stuff? Well, to the delight of the collective drooling masses, Audi says their latest effort to peel off driver's faces will pack a 4.0L V8 with a pair of turbos good for 560 horsepower. That's more sauce than three Volkswagen Golfs!
Interestingly, thanks to the synergistic relationship between direct injection and turbocharging, the engineering team says the RS7's powerplant develops a “constant” torque output of 516 lb-ft between 1,750 and 5,500 revs.
To maximize throttle response and efficiency, the latest Audi RS engine uses inboard-mounted turbochargers that reside, along with their intercoolers, in between the cylinder bans. German car buffs will be familiar with this setup from past and current BMW V8 twin-turbo engines.
Not surprisingly, the Audi RS7 will pack standard Quattro AWD -- enabling 0-100 km/h in 3.9 seconds en route to a top speed north of 300 clicks. Push-button exhaust cutouts should help keep things very musical along the way. Sadly, you can't have your RS7 with three pedals as an 8-speed automatic is the only box available.
Oh, and it'll have a classy interior: big Bang and Olufsen stereo, and a bunch of advanced safety features, too.
When Caterham unveiled its 2013 car in the Jerez pitlane early on Tuesday, observers immediately spotted the 'step' nose and a new, brighter livery.
"Cool!" said Dutch rookie Giedo van der Garde when asked what he thinks of the new green hue.
"Last year it was a little too dark, which sometimes didn't look good on TV. We have had a good response so far," he told Dutch magazine Formule1.
The next most noticeable feature of the CT03 is its nose, still 'stepped' as in 2012 despite the FIA allowing teams to smooth it with a 'vanity panel' in 2013.
"This is the package we will bring to Australia," technical director Mark Smith is quoted by Brazil's Totalrace.
Giedo Van der Garde, Caterham CT03. (Photo: WRi2)
Van der Garde was happy with his first day of work on Tuesday.
"It feels different (compared to the 2012 car)," said the 27-year-old, who last year completed the championship as Caterham's Friday practice driver. "The front feels good, gives me a good feeling. But so far the back is not to my liking. I have nothing to complain about. We knew in advance that our expectations are not too high and we would not suddenly be right in the middle of the pack."
But Caterham has not sent out the best message of financial health by ousting its highly rated salaried driver Heikki Kovalainen.
Red Bull team boss Christian Horner told Finland's MTV3: "Kovalainen deserves to be in formula one in his own right. It's a shame that the financial situation is requiring teams to have drivers with a budget, but unfortunately that's the way formula one has been for at least 30 years."
However, Caterham team boss Cyril Abiteboul insisted: "Our team is in a healthy position."
"We are still a small team, but our goal is to be the most efficient team in formula one," he is quoted by Blick newspaper.
Photo: Caterham CT03
According to one publication, the CT03 is not lacking in innovation, with one aspect of its exhaust solution already raising eyebrows.
"There is one feature of the Caterham's exhaust that I don't think will be there when we get to Melbourne," Lotus' James Allison said.
Racecar Engineering magazine said the feature in doubt is a 'flow-conditioner' in the exhaust channel, which may fall foul of technical regulation 5.8.4.
Do you know about satellite radio? It is, in fact, nothing new as both Sirius and XM were launched roughly 12 years ago as competitors. With marginal to good success in time, Sirius eventually acquired XM in 2008, and the network is now known as SiriusXM.
Satellite radio offers the broadest possible choice of uninterrupted audio broadcasting in North America. Regardless of where the subscriber is located -- be it Nova Scotia or Southern California -- on a road trip from one end of the country to another, the same channel will stream nonstop.
This is the other undeniable advantage to satellite radio when compared to HD Radio and, especially, regular AM/FM radio.
I'm hooked on satellite radio, and there are many good reasons for it. First and foremost, it's all about the selection: I've got my favourites such as Lithium, Faction and Real Jazz. As I noted earlier, what I love best is taking the drive from Montreal to Toronto listening to some soothing jazz.
This brings a whole other dimension to long road trips if you don't regularly carry your music with you.
Photo: Sébastien D'Amour
My other favourite aspect is the clarity of the signal. Unless underground or stalled under an overpass, channels literally come in loud and clear. Like HD Radio (currently not available in Canada), the definition and depth of the sound projected by the speakers is far superior to anything that regular AM/FM signals could ever muster. Then, there's the absence of commercial advertising...
SiriusXM services up to 20 million subscribers thanks, in no small part, to its receivers being set up and integrated into new cars as part of the standard in-dash radio. Because of this, and the included 3 or 6 month complimentary subscription, consumers get hooked and keep coming back for more.
Currently, SiriusXM provides BMW, Ford, Hyundai, Toyota, and Volkswagen with programming. Recently, they added Chrysler to the list. You're not likely to find a new car that doesn't offer satellite radio anymore.
A number of years ago, I received an after-market receiver as a gift. For a number of reasons (including costs) I never got it installed in my then Volvo XC70. And this is the issue with the service...
The monthly subscription fee is $15.99, whereas the other two types of broadcasted audio entertainment are free. I've had numerous discussions with owners of new cars equipped with satellite receivers, and most have stated that they will not sign on once their trial period has expired. Should SiriusXM start including commercials in their broadcasts and lower the costs?
The programming and channel selections are so good that for, let's say, 5 minutes of advertising per hour and a monthly fee of no more than $9.99, subscriber numbers would increase -- same for renewals.
I think satellite radio is the best thing since horses were replaced by internal combustion engines to get buggies going.
Bernie Ecclestone has confirmed that F1's 2013 schedule will feature only 19 rounds.
Until New Jersey's demise, this year's calendar was set to have twenty grands prix.
Bernie Ecclestone, the F1 chief executive, opened up the twentieth slot to a potential new European venue, but he said on Tuesday that he could not now fill it "at this late stage".
"(I'm) disappointed it (the 20th race) didn't happen," he said in Dubai on Tuesday, where he announced the airline Emirates as a major new F1 sponsor. "(But) you can't suddenly slot it in."
However, the 82-year-old Briton was quoted by the Gulf News as saying 20 is the ideal number for future F1 calendars.
"Twenty races is more or less what we should aim for in a season," he said.
Bernie Ecclestone at the 2012 Indian Grand Prix starting grid. (Photo: WRi2)
Bernie Ecclestone said he was adamant Bahrain would host its grand prix as scheduled this year, because things seem "a little more peaceful" in the Kingdom in 2013.
Finally, he definitively dashed the hopes of a group of Canadian and American investors, who had hoped to buy up defunct HRT's assets and race this season.
On his first day of official running in 2013, Lewis Hamilton crashed the new Mercedes.
The 2008 world champion had done a few filming laps in the silver W04 on Monday, but Wednesday was his first real day of on-track work in the wake of his six years as a McLaren driver.
Briton Hamilton sped over the gravel at the end of the back straight, hitting the tyre wall head-on.
Photo: WRi2
A team spokesman said the cause was a braking problem.
"He managed to slow the car with the front brakes but was unable to avoid the barrier. Lewis is fine," he said.
It is another blow to Mercedes, after Nico Rosberg's debut running on Tuesday was cut short by an electrical fire.
Photo: WRi2
"This is really annoying," chairman Niki Lauda is quoted by Auto Motor und Sport. "Yesterday we lost almost the whole day of testing, today again ..."
James Jakes has signed a one-year deal to drive Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing's second car for the 2013 IZOD IndyCar season.
For the last two seasons, Jakes had been gaining experience as Justin Wilson's teammate at Dale Coyne Racing. This year, he is coming to RLL with the hopes of proving that he will be able to fight for top spots at every race.
"James is obviously an aggressive, competitive driver and I think that having both he and Graham on board raises the performance of the team as a whole," Bobby Rahal declared.
The RLL team will be out for the first time this year testing at Sebring later this month with Graham Rahal. Jakes will have to wait until Spring Training to make his debut with the team.
James Jakes, Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing. (Photo: IndyCar)
After six years of virtually identical cars - then named Car of Tomorrow now called Gen 5 - from 2007 NASCAR officials have decreed additional manufacturers identification will be required.
“We're adding the badge of the manufacturer to each side of the driver's name,” NASCAR President Mike Helton said on Tuesday in Detroit. “We believe this will help build the identity of the driver with the race car and their relationship with the manufacturer.”
Hot on the heels of the all-new Mercedes-Benz CLA, which starred in two Super Bowl ads last Sunday, the German automaker will unveil the CLA 45 AMG at the 2013 New York International Auto Show.
The announcement came from the Mercedes-Benz Facebook page, where an online contest has been launched to give two people an opportunity to attend the event.
No other details have been provided, but we know that the Mercedes-Benz CLA 45 AMG will exploit a 2.0L turbocharged four-cylinder with direct injection to produce close to 350 horsepower. Using a seven-speed dual-clutch transmission, it will reportedly sprint from 0-60 mph (96 km/h) in five seconds or less.
Volkswagen AG has approved plans to put a Bentley SUV into production. Code-named ''Falcon,'' it will be based on the EXP 9F concept unveiled at the Geneva Motor Show last year.
Bentley CEO Wolfgang Schreiber said that the SUV is expected to hit the market within three years at around €200,000 (approx. $270,000). The company projects annual sales of 5,000 units.
Look for a standard eight-cylinder engine, and possibly an optional 6.0L W12.
Lotus driver Romain Grosjean managed the best lap of day two in Jerez, Spain, as pre-season testing ahead of the 2013 season continues.
Romain Grosjean, Lotus E21 (Photo: WRi2)
Grosjean had the fastest pace of everyone both in the morning and in the afternoon, alternating short and long runs. A the end of the day however, his Lotus came to a stop between turns 3 and 4, which interrupted the session.
Lewis Hamilton post-crash (Photo: WRi2)
The biggest story of Wednesday still, was Lewis Hamilton's morning crash, after just 15 laps with his new team. The 2008 world champion's W04 suffered from brake problems.
The team opted not to let him back out in the afternoon, just as it did with Nico Rosberg the day before when the German was stopped by electrical problems.
Nico Hulkenberg, Sauber (Photo: Sauber F1 Team)
Nico Hulkenberg clocked the fifth fastest lap. Sergio Perez, the man he replaced at Sauber, went seventh fastest in his first outing as a McLaren driver.
Luiz Razia, Marussia MR02 (Photo: Marussia F1 Team)
Meanwhile James Rossiter, the former Honda test driver who is now Force India's simulator driver, returned to the track in a Formula One car for the first time since 2008, completing 19 laps in Paul di Resta's VJM06.
Felipe Massa, Ferrari (Photo: WRi2)
Winter test session 1, Jerez, Spain, Day 2*
1 - Romain Grosjean (Lotus E21-Renault) - 1'18"218
2 - Paul Di Resta (Force India VJM06-Mercedes) - 1'19"003
3 - Daniel Ricciardo (Toro Rosso STR8-Ferrari) - 1'19"134
4 - Mark Webber (Red Bull RB9-Renault) - 1'19"338
5 - Nico Hulkenberg (Sauber C32-Ferrari) - 1'19"502
6 - Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes W04) - 1'19"519
7 - Sergio Perez (McLaren MP4-28-Mercedes) - 1'19"572
8 - Felipe Massa (Ferrari F138) - 1'19"914
9 - Pastor Maldonado (Williams FW34-Renault) - 1'20"693
10 - James Rossiter (Force India VJM06-Mercedes) - 1'21"273
11 - Giedo Van der Garde (Caterham CT03-Renault) - 1'21"311
12 - Luiz Razia (Marussia MR02-Cosworth) - 1'23"537
Paul Hembery, Pirelli's F1 boss, has revealed the Italian tire supplier is pushing for a longer-term contract beyond 2013.
Recently, the FIA has been tendering is contracts with F1's sole tire suppliers on a three-year basis, and Pirelli is now approaching the end of its first run.
Paul Hembery said Pirelli wants to stay on the grid beyond 2013, but is pushing for an even longer contract than three years.
"We will know soon if we get a new contract as the sole supplier in formula one," he is quoted by the German-language Speed Week.
"We would prefer a long term contract, say five years," he added, referring to the world of Nascar racing, where Goodyear's latest contract is for five years.
Asked when Pirelli needs an answer from F1 about the future, Hembery smiled: "Yesterday, ideally. Seriously, we have 600 professionals at work, and so if we're no longer in F1, then we have to see how we can use them elsewhere. Unlike last time, we don't want the decision in June or July -- it's just too late."
Photo: Pirelli
Complicating the matter further, added Hembery, is the switch to turbo V6 power for 2014.
"It is expected that the turbos will develop more torque, which influences the traction of the corners," he said. "More traction means more temperature, and we also need to know what to expect in terms of top speed so that we don't have problems with the integrity."
After a sneak peak of Pirelli's 2013 tires in Brazil late last season, the F1 field got their first real taste of this year's rubber at Jerez on Tuesday, as the official pre-season test period began.
Red Bull's Mark Webber - and many other drivers - complained about high wear, according to Germany's Auto Motor und Sport.
"You could see it with the naked eye, so sudden was the loss of grip," said the Australian. "The difference between a new and an old tire was very big. After a few laps, the times were falling off dramatically."
Webber added: "But Jerez is a bit different. You can have problems here that you don't have somewhere else."
Romain Grosjean agreed: "The asphalt here is very rough and the layout is hard on the tires, and the temperatures are also low."
General Motors says it is looking to build on the wave of growth in Russia as the country's automotive sector bucks the otherwise gloomy economic environment of neighbouring Europe.
Jaguar has been at a competitive disadvantage recently - while its cars may be some of the best-driving, best-looking, and best-priced in their categories, they were all only available with rear-wheel drive with a big V-8. Enter the 3.0 - essentially Jag's 5.0-liter supercharged V-8 with two cylinders lopped off. The new forced-induction V-6 is just as fantastic as the eight. Still intact from the powertrain's downsizing is the deep well of power at any speed--even if, unlike the V-8, the V-6 doesn't feel like it has the power of a freight train. Neither does it have the V-8's sonorous and addicting exhaust note, but it still sounds sweet, and appropriate for an $84,000 luxury sedan.
The Chinese auto industry is overdue for consolidation and General Motors, with local partner SAIC, is interested in acquiring ailing automakers, people familiar with the companies' thinking told Bloomberg.
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