Auto News 5

Toyota outsold rivals GM and VW Group last year, regaining the global sales lead after losing it in 2011. Sales at Toyota, including deliveries from subsidiaries Hino Motors and Daihatsu, rose 23 percent to a record 9.

Toyota outsold rivals GM and VW Group last year, regaining the global sales lead after losing it in 2011. Sales at Toyota, including deliveries from subsidiaries Hino Motors and Daihatsu, rose 23 percent to a record 9.

Ford will post fourth-quarter results on Tuesday with the figures likely to show the lowest operating profit of the year. But those figures mask optimism coming from an unlikely place: Europe.

Ford will post fourth-quarter results on Tuesday with the figures likely to show the lowest operating profit of the year. But those figures mask optimism coming from an unlikely place: Europe.

Opel AG, the European unit that has been a drag on General Motors' profits, is getting a new boss from Volkswagen AG and new platforms from PSA Peugeot Citroen.

Auto show concept vehicles are sort of like presidential inaugural addresses: They outline a broad, shining vision of the future, but they're short on the details of how that vision will be executed.

With more new products coming, sales per dealership at U.S. Porsche stores should jump 30 percent during the next three years, says Michael Bartsch, COO of Porsche Cars North America.

Despite economic uncertainty and restructuring in their home markets, European automakers and suppliers delivered the best shareholder return in their industry segments last year.

People and businesses in northeastern Oregon opened their arms to 38 tourists who survived when the charter bus they were on last month skidded off an icy Interstate and into a ravine, killing nine passengers.

Auto show concept vehicles are sort of like presidential inaugural addresses: They outline a broad, shining vision of the future, but they're short on the details of how that vision will be executed.

Hyundai is trying to bring the venerable written CSI survey into the age of the cloud, Twitter and Facebook. The brand has devised a new method, using e-mail and three-day turnarounds, to change the way it determines customer satisfaction.

General Motors is suing a Davenport, Iowa, Chevrolet dealership to stop what the automaker calls a "widespread fraudulent and unlawful" scheme to falsely report retail new-vehicle sales.

There is an intense, behind-the-scenes race to find what automakers see as the cure to clunky infotainment systems: natural language.

Most prospective Malibu buyers at Castle Chevrolet in suburban Chicago quickly decide that they don't want to pay nearly $3,000 more for the Eco mild-hybrid version.

The 2013 Super Bowl next week will be super for automotive advertisers. As of late last week, eight auto industry players had confirmed plans to air 11 commercials during the big game for a total cost of an estimated $60 million.

A Philippine native, Eminiano Reodica Jr. went from working as a showroom attendant at General Motors headquarters in Detroit to owning the country's third-largest car dealership. Then the empire crumbled -- and Reodica vanished.

From Williams press release

The Williams F1 Team confirmed Monday morning that development driver, Susie Wolff will be continuing her role with the team during the 2013 Formula 1 season.

Susie Wolff, née Stoddart, joined the Williams F1 Team in April 2012 and has played a valuable role in helping to develop the Williams-Renault FW34 and FW35.

Susie Wolff aboard the Williams FW33. (Photo: Williams F1 Team)

Susie's level of involvement will increase during the 2013 season, with an increased programme in the team's simulator combined with a greater level of in-car testing. She will be the first to get behind the wheel of the FW35 when she drives the car at Idiada next month, and will do the majority of aerodynamic testing this season.

Prior to joining the Williams F1 Team Susie spent seven seasons driving in DTM driving for Mercedes, and was twice nominated for the prestigious BRDC Young Driver of the Year Award.

The Enstone, UK based Lotus F1 Team has unveiled Monday night their new, 2013 challenger called the E21.

The E21 is again powered by Renault Sport's 2.4-litre, normally aspirated V8 engine. It has been designed by the team led by technical director, James Allison.

Lotus E21

The team has retained the same pair of drivers as last year, Finland's Kimi Raikkonen and France's Romain Grosjean.

“The rules are very similar to 2012, lot of family resemblance. You can expect a lot of family resemblance, but the evolution is in the details. There is a significant increase in performance,” said Allison during the launch.

Lotus E21

The E21 did not feature a small piece of laminate - nicknamed a ‘modesty' or 'vanity' panel - to smooth the nose section and hide the infamous stepped nose.

“No, there's no pannel, because it weights a little bit. F1 is all about keeping the weight down. If we find some way to generate downforce with this pannel, we'll pop it on right away,” Allison added.

Lotus E21

Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing announced that it has reached an agreement with Mike Conway that will see the Briton race for the team at the Long Beach Grand Prix in April.

Conway, who was the event winner in 2012 with Andretti Autosport, will join regular driver Graham Rahal in a second entry for the prestigious Californian event.

Last year, Conway stunned everyone in the paddock when he decided to stop racing because he was no longer comfortable racing on ovals.

The team said that it is hoping to schedule a test for Conway prior to his Long Beach outing.

According to an article published on Sunday by the German publication, Der Spiegel, several Formula 1 teams are expriencing serious financial difficulties due to a drop in sponsorship revenue.

Der Spiegel claims that Lotus F1 Team, owned by Luxemburg financial investor Genii of Gerard Lopez, “has tens of millions of euros” in debt.

In an interview with Germany's Welt newspaper, published in November 2012, Lopez laid out many of F1's problems, including the scarcity of sponsors.

"We certainly want to stay in F1," Lopez said.

"Our involvement in F1 is only possible if the numbers add up. At the moment, they do. But if that is no longer the case, then we would have to think like business people and ask ourselves the question: 'Is this still interesting for us, or not?'” Lopez added.

The situation forced several teams to hire “pay drivers;” drivers who bring several millions of dollars in sponsorship.

Drivers who arrive with sponsorship money this season include Max Chilton (with insurance company Aon), Esteban Gutiérrez (Telmex) and Pastor Maldonado (PDVSA).

Der Spiegel writes that the Venezuelan, state-owned oil company PDVSA is giving team Williams $189 million euros over a 5-year period to get Maldonado into one of their cars.

The magazine concludes by saying that only four of the 11 F1 teams are financially healthy: Red Bull Racing, McLaren, Ferrari, and Mercedes AMG are free of financial problems.

The 24 single-seaters at the start of the 2012 Spanish Grand Prix, in Barcelona. (Photo: WRi2)