Auto News 5

Renault CEO Carlos Ghosn said the European auto market won't recover before 2020 unless governments take action to make their economies competitive.

News 30 Jan, 2013

Check out the latest issue for our exclusive test of the all-new Range Rover

An hour before the awards ceremony was set to begin, Toyota Korea was told that its Camry would be crowned the 2013 Korea Car of the Year, a stunning feat for a foreign brand.

News 30 Jan, 2013

The OFT has scrapped plans to hold a full inquiry into whether petrol and diesel prices in the UK are being manipulated

News 30 Jan, 2013

The all-new Audi A3 Cabriolet will be based on the forthcoming A3 saloon

Fiat reported a 29 percent gain in fourth-quarter profit, boosted by record sales of Jeep models and a narrower loss in Europe.

Opel has received more than 20,000 customer orders since October for the new Adam minicar, a crucial product for the money-losing brand. Opel and GM need the Adam to be a success if it is to turn around its European business.

Fiat reported a 29 percent gain in fourth-quarter profit, boosted by record sales of Jeep models and narrower losses in Europe.

Toyota Motor is recalling almost 1.3m cars globally for two separate defects, including 752,000 Corolla and Corolla Matrix vehicles in the US, to fix airbags that could be deployed inadvertently, the automaker said on Wednesday. The second recall is to check Lexus IS wipers.

Mazda Motor Corporation will establish a new affiliate company in Thailand - Mazda Powertrain Manufacturing (Thailand) - and construct a transmission plant with an annual production capacity of approximately 400,000 units in the Chonburi province of Thailand at a cost of JPY26bn (US$285m).

The 1988 Chicago Auto Show showcased the beginnings of a comeback for U.S. automakers, battered by imports throughout the decade.

The Treasury Department needs a 'concrete plan' to unwind the 2009 bailout of Ally Financial, the former auto-finance arm of GM, an administration watchdog says in a new report. Taxpayers still own 74 percent of Ally, which owes $14.

Labor tensions at France's automakers took a turn for the worse as Renault workers protested over planned cuts and PSA/Peugeot-Citroen's restructuring plan hit a legal setback.

German trade union IG Metall wants GM to guarantee no Opel employee at the Bochum car plant will join the ranks of the unemployed once production ends.

Fisker Automotive, the plug-in hybrid maker that's seeking a partner or a buyer, hired a turnaround special to help manage day-to-day operations during negotiations.

From GMM

Red Bull's Dr Helmut Marko has hit back at rumours team boss Christian Horner could be defecting to Ferrari.

It recently emerged that Briton Horner, the 39-year-old who has sat at the helm of the Milton Keynes based team as Sebastian Vettel raced to triple consecutive titles, visited Maranello.

Now, it subsequently became clear that Horner was not the only F1 figure at Ferrari's headquarters, as Bernie Ecclestone, Martin Whitmarsh and Niki Lauda met to discuss the Concorde Agreement with Luca di Montezemolo.

But that didn't silence every rumour about Horner's future.

Photo: WRi2

Marko, however - Red Bull team owner Dietrich Mateschitz's right hand man on F1 matters - insists Christian Horner is firmly under contract.

He told Sport Bild: "How could Christian be negotiating in Maranello if we've just extended his contract until 2017?"

That is bad news for Ferrari - and every other team - for another reason, given that Horner and F1's lauded designer Adrian Newey traditionally renew their contracts in unison.

From GMM

The Nurburgring has not given up on hosting this July's German grand prix.

Amid the circuit's financial troubles, F1 chief executive was quoted on Sunday in the German press: "We do not accept it (the Nurburgring's proposal) as financially feasible and therefore end the negotiations".

But Nurburgring Automotive GmbH chief Jorg Lindner is not giving up.

He told the Rhein Zeitung newspaper on Tuesday: "We have the exclusive rights to formula one at the Nurburgring, and we insist on it."

Bernie Ecclestone said on Tuesday: "I am doing my best to make sure we have an event in Germany.

"At the moment I can't say whether it will be Hockenheim or Nurburgring," he told the Associated Press.

Start of the 2011 German Grand Prix, at the Nurburgring. (Photo: WRi2)

Toyota Canada will voluntarily recall approximately 140,553 Corolla and Matrix vehicles from the 2003-2004 model years because the airbag control module may have been manufactured with application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs) that are susceptible to internal shorting.

If this occurs, there is a possibility that the ASICs could become damaged. In some instances, the front airbag(s) and/or seatbelt pretensioners could inadvertently deploy.

Meanwhile, 16,756 Lexus IS sedans from 2006-2012 will be recalled due to a windshield wiper arm nut that may not be tight enough. Should wiper movement be restricted by an external load, such as snow buildup, one or both of the wipers could become inoperative.

Affected owners will receive a notification letter via first class mail starting next month. Any authorized Toyota or Lexus dealership will fix the problem at no charge.

The new Ferrari Formula 1 car will be launched on Friday at Maranello, its name is now known, it will be called F138.

The name has been chosen to combine the current year (13) and the number of cylinders (8), due to the fact this will be the last year a V8 engine configuration will be used in F1.

Starting 2014, the Formula 1 will be powered by a V6-turbo engine.

This season, Ferrari will run its 59e single-seater. The team recalls that it is the only one who have taken part in every year of the championship and holds all the records in terms of titles won (31, 15 Drivers' and 16 Constructors'), Grand Prix wins (219), pole positions (207) and fastest race laps (228).

On press day at the 2013 Montreal Internaional Auto Show, I was reminded of a fact that I've been well aware of for a while: Although a full-fledged certifiable petrol-sexual, gearhead, dye-in-the-wool carguy, my days are numbered. I'm a dinosaur.

It becomes all the more real when, at a medium-size auto show such as Montreal's gig, all manner of anti-me technology-ladden cars oozing with futuristic bits are assembled under one roof.

As I perused the show floor, demo and real EV charging stations, displays on EV technology, numerous electric cars, hybrids and the like were everywhere. From the very small (like the smart fortwo electric drive) to the Nissan LEAF and others, it's nearly impossible for consumers (the buying public) to ignore their existence.

As the years and months roll by, what was once considered the near future, is clearly now the present. Electric car charging stations are no longer a foreign idea as they can be found on a regular basis in the midst of our daily routines. We found out firsthand while completing our EV comparo test.

As well and as with most major auto shows in the World, sections or entire pavilions are dedicated to the technology, to this not-so-new way of life. Beyond that, save for an exception or two, most of those who will have wandered the halls of the Palais des Congres for the Montreal International Auto Show, or any other North American show, are likely to have noticed that small cars are taking bigger chunks of real estate in manufacturer booths.

Photo: Colin Styker

EV technology is evolving at a rate of speed on par with all forms of electronics. A year ago, I would tell those who would listen to stall their EV purchases for a few years as supply and demand would bring initial costs down to a more affordable level. No need to wait anymore as the U.S.-built Nissan LEAF challenges the notion of overly priced and electric. As far as reliability is concerned, I wouldn't be too worried...

We've also found out firsthand, on a number of occasions, that electric does not equal boring, either. And if electric is not your bag, know that a new study of the global auto industry's patent activity has revealed a 182% increase in patents related to alternative power and technologies since 2006. No need to fret then; that is, unless you're me.

As for me, I'll either have to keep my old Volkswagen Jetta until I croak or learn to live without doing oil changes...