Auto News 5

Germany's automotive industry association, (VDA), is calling for any revamped European Union-US Free Trade Agreement (FTA) to concentrate on establishing common standards in a bid to slash billions of dollars from development costs.

News 15 Jan, 2013

The launch of the new Chevrolet Corvette Stingray is huge news in the States, but should we take notice?

America's colossal debt is the largest challenge facing Michelin in the US but also it biggest opportunity, said the tyre producer.

News 15 Jan, 2013

Skoda has revealed plans to build a bigger SUV to rival the seven-seat Hyundai Santa Fe from 2015

A more profitable lineup and lower costs protect Ford from persistent weakness in Europe and increased competition in the U.S. auto market, Ford executives said.

First Look: 2014 Cadillac ELR

The Chevrolet Volt we've always wanted.

The Chevrolet Volt was developed under intensely difficult conditions. Beyond the never-done-before complexities of its powertrain, the Volt had to come to market by a certain date, had to hit a certain price, and had to be as efficient as possible. Much as we like the car that resulted -- it was our 2011 Automobile of the Year -- we wondered how good it might have been had gestated a bit longer, cost a bit more, and enjoyed a bit more design freedom. With the Cadillac ELR, which debuts at the Detroit auto show and goes on sale later this year, we no longer have to wonder.

Photo Gallery: First Look: 2014 Cadillac ELR - Automobile Magazine

Photo Gallery: First Look: 2014 Cadillac ELR - Automobile Magazine

First Look: 2014 Cadillac ELR | Digg It | Add to del.icio.us

Daimler CEO Dieter Zetsche said the Mercedes brand must turn around its struggling Chinese operations to catch up with BMW and Audi.

Cadillac today unveiled the ELR sports coupe, a plug-in hybrid wrapped in a bold, flashy package that belies its green-car bona fides.

Hakan Samuelsson, the new Volvo CEO, was not at all what I expected when he turned up for his first Detroit auto show.

Maserati CEO Harald Wester gets mad when he hears that the new Quattroporte is based on Chrysler underpinnings.

GM failed to outsell Toyota's forecasted 9.7 million deliveries for 2012 while narrowly beating Volkswagen.

Chrysler's Jeep brand is working to find the right solution to produce vehicles in China and Russia, but has nothing specific to announce at the moment,Fiat-Chrysler CEO Sergio Marchionne said.

BMW Team RLL has announced it would contest the 2013 American Le Mans Series (ALMS) season with a pair of BMW Z4 GTE machines.

It had already been announced, back in December, that BMW was retiring the BMW M3 GT, to the profit of a Z4-based model. We now know the car developed for ALMS regulations will be called the Z4 GTE.

"With the BMW Z4 GTE, we are starting a new chapter in North America alongside BMW Team RLL," said BMW Motorsport Director Jens Marquardt.

Photo: BMW Team RLL

Bill Auberlen, Joey Hand, Dirk Müller, John Edwards and Maxime Martin have been given the task of piloting the cars. Edwards and Martin are the two latest additions to the BMW Team RLL family, Martin having been named official BMW Motorsport driver.

Edwards will take Hand's seat when ALMS races clash with the American's DTM schedule, whereas Martin was drafted in to replace Jörg Müller for the full 10-race season. Müller will still race for the team, but only at long distance events, such as Sebring and Petit Le Mans, just like Uwe Alzen.

The ALMS season starts March 16th, with the 61st 12 Hours of Sebring.

General Motors introduced the 2014 Cadillac ELR today at the North American International Auto Show. This electric luxury coupe is based on the Converj concept presented right here in Detroit four years ago.

The ELR's Extended Range Electric Vehicle (EREV) technology is enhanced with the industry-exclusive ''Regen on Demand'' system allowing the driver to temporarily regenerate energy from the car's momentum into electricity that can be stored in the battery pack for later use.

With battery power alone, the 2014 Cadillac ELR will deliver a GM-estimated range of about 35 miles (56 km). When adding the 1.4L gasoline-powered generator (a la Volt), that number will grow to approximately 300 miles (480 km). What's important to remember is that only the electric motors can drive the vehicle.

Total output is rated at 207 horsepower, along with 295 lb-ft of torque. A full charge will require roughly 4.5 hours using a 240V outlet, depending on the outside temperature.

Production of the 2014 Cadillac ELR will begin in the U.S. at the end of this year, and the car will go on sale across North America in early 2014 (other markets including China and Europe will follow). Pricing will be announced later.

Watch:

From press release

Reigning GP3 series' champion Mitch Evans, from New Zealand will contest the GP2 series with team MW Arden.

Eighteen-year old Evans secured 2012 GP3 title with Arden, scoring three wins, 4 poles and 6 podiums over the season.

Evans entered onto the European circuit in 2011 with MW Arden in the GP3 Series and finished 9th. In 2010, he won the Toyota Racing Series in New Zealand with 3 wins, 8 poles and 10 podiums at only 16 years old.

Pirelli announced at the start of the 2012 season that the winner of the GP3 title would be given a 200 000 euros prize fund if they then progressed onto GP2.

Mitch Evans, 2013 Champion GP3 Series. (Photo: GP3 Series)

Check out our first press day photo gallery from the Detroit Auto Show.

Hyundai launched its HCD-14 Genesis concept today at the 2013 North American International Auto Show in Detroit.

Inside, the driver-focused cockpit prioritizes dramatic sculpture over infotainment button overload, the company stresses. As such, the clean dashboard features state-of-the-art driver eye-tracking and 3D hand-gesture recognition technologies to recognize driver commands without the use of manual controls.

As far as exterior styling is concerned, one notable change is the rear-hinged configuration of the rear doors that makes the cabin of the HCD-14 Genesis even more inviting and spacious when all the doors are open.

The front grille is finished in brushed metal, and the large-diameter wheels are made from a mix of premium lightweight alloys with carbon fibre surrounding the voided areas of the wheel design.

Under the hood, there's a 5.0L Tau V8 engine mated to an 8-speed automatic transmission with paddle shifters on the steering wheel.

Many of the HCD-14 Genesis concept's bold design elements and advanced features could one day be found in the more upscale Hyundai models.

It happens at work; you see a handwritten note left lying on a desk, you read it. So, when Nissan left their Note exposed at the Detroit Auto Show this week, we had to take a look.

Without an official unveiling ceremony (as of this writing, anyhow), we know very little about the 2014 Nissan Note, except that it looks pretty cool and very much like the Note which already graces the streets elsewhere in the world.

Since we can only comment on the exterior design, we'll say this: It follows the design cues we've come to know from Nissan with the same squat, chopped off look of Nissan's latest Versa hatchback. And the front end of the 2014 Nissan Note definitely has styling bits taken from its big brother, the Quest, with the same lobster-claw headlights and chromed grille.

As far as engine and other specs go, we can only speculate on the Note carrying figures and stats close to the Versa, and we'll be able to update you come tomorrow when Nissan officially unveils their new hot hatch.

The Note's starting suggested retail price or MSRP is of $13,348.

Photo: Nissan

While fans are watching NASCAR; NASCAR is watching what fans tweet or otherwise share on social networks. On Monday NASCAR in partnership with Hewlett Packard launched its' Fan and Media Engagement Center in Charlotte, NC.

According to NASCAR “This first-of-its-kind resource will enable NASCAR to better serve its industry, partners and fans through a cutting-edge technology platform that facilitates near real-time response and analytics of traditional, digital and social media.”

Photo: NASCAR Media IMC

“As data comes in, whether it's social media, digital, traditional media, it might be a TV piece or something on the radio or something that's print-related, it'll help us understand what's happening out there from a fan perspective or media perspective,” NASCAR chief marketing officer Steve Phelps told the Charlotte Observer. “We'll have an understanding of what's being said about NASCAR, whether it's negative or positive. It'll be able to allow us to react in almost real time to what's happening.”

“The Fan and Media Engagement Center build has been a thorough process more than a year in the making, and we are excited to see it come to life,” France said in a press release. “We believe this tool has the potential to be the best of its kind in sports - the first ever to combine not only social, but also traditional and broadcast media analysis. We'll be able to use this to help our industry and business partners and better connect with NASCAR fans across the world. It's another example of our commitment to innovation.”

Calling the center is “a showpiece on the 8th floor of NASCAR Plaza,” where NASCAR's Digital team operates. Physical features of the FMEC include all-glass walls, a monitor bank of 13 47-inch HP displays, and the latest in touchscreen and AV technology. Behind the scenes, HP's custom-developed technology and services, based on its Autonomy analytics solutions, is the engine that processes a massive amount of data into relevant, actionable insights.

Photo: NASCAR Media IMC

“The FMEC is the culmination of a collaboration between NASCAR and HP,” said Salameh, vice president - Americas region, Communications, Media and Entertainment Industry, Enterprise Services, HP. “HP's integrated solution not only benefits NASCAR's complex ecosystem by allowing real-time data capture and analysis across a wide variety of media, traditional as well as digital, tailored to specific audiences within the industry.”

The FMEC will also provide NASCAR the ability to monitor, analyze and better understand the current media reaction in order to respond more effectively and efficiently to fans and respond more rapidly to national, local and global media.

As a Canadian favourite, the Toyota Corolla is a common sight on our streets. We've all come to recognize the look of Toyota's best-selling model. Well, Toyota is about to change all that with their Corolla Furia Concept, unveiled at the Detroit Auto Show.

Designed around Toyota's theme of "Iconic Dynamism," the Corolla Furia was conceived to appeal to younger consumers with a much more athletic and attractive front end, as well as a more aggressive stance atop 19" alloy wheels.

Flared wheel arches, a black-out front grille, LED headlights and taillights, as well as carbon fibre accents combine to launch the Corolla Furia Concept into a realm of cool rather unknown to the Toyota staple.

Based on the size numbers provided by Toyota for the Corolla Furia, it's longer than the current Toyota Matrix but not as tall. The low-slung look is definitely a nod towards a sportier feel, as is the wider stance (1,805mm). The wheelbase of the Corolla Furia concept is also larger than that of the current Toyota Matrix.

While Toyota hasn't revealed engine specs for the Corolla Furia, we think it's safe to say the same 1.8L powertrain we're already familiar with in the current Corolla will cross over, and as Toyota is known for its hybrid innovations, we're sure one of those will wiggle its way into the lineup too.