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A visit to Smart's car production plant in Hambach, France, offers a first-hand look at how the Daimler subsidiary gets two different cultures to work together.

With Europe's new car sales set to fall this year to levels not seen since the 1990s, pressure will increase on automakers' revenues and operating margins.

With a generous array of incentives, China's government expected to turn the country into the world's biggest market for electrified vehicles.

Ford Motor plans to hire 2,200 salaried workers this year in the United States as it continues to beef up payrolls to handle rising sales and production in North America.

South Korea's Halla Climate Control has decided to buy Visteon's automotive climate units, almost four months after the American auto-parts supplier announced the plan for combining the businesses to make them more competitive.

While the big theme was the beginning of the last test of the new body types before the 55th edition of the Daytona 500 there was plenty of news of all types in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series.

The trio of Joe Gibbs Racing Toyotas led the speed charts in the afternoon session of the test which saw 34-cars take the 2.5 mile oval. Denny Hamlin (at 195.712mph) who drafted with new teammate, Matt Kenseth (at 195.389mph) and Kyle Busch was just a tick off at 195.312mph.

At the end of the session Mark Martin, who was fourth fastest in another Toyota for Michael Waltrip Racing when all four Toyotas ran in a small pack.

Because of many factors, including but not limited to a dearth of spare parts for the Gen-6 new look cars, most of the drivers chose not to draft either in tandems or the big packs which made Daytona famous.

With a 500lb reduction in downforce for Daytona and Talladega the cars are supposed to be harder to drive. The cars also feature a rear spoiler that is 4 inches-by-53 inches compared to 3.5 inches-by-62 inches last year. Also to offset some of the weight gains due to the redesign of the car teams are allowed to incorporate carbon fiber into rear deck lids of the cars.

Photo: NASCAR

One of the previous Car of Tomorrow or Gen-5 car haters was triple-champion, Tony Stewart, who was very happy with the new car. “I'm glad we finally got away from the Car of Tomorrow that wasn't, I don't think, one of the best of ideas,” Stewart said. “... It is nice to get back to cars that look like production cars again.”

Still it's early days “there's a lot of work for the cars in general,” added said 2012 champion Brad Keselowski.

Hamlin left Daytona due be with the expectant mother of their first child.

In other news the simmering feud between Jeff Gordon and Clint Bowyer remains unsettled. The feud came to a boil at the penultimate race in Phoenix when the four-time champion intentionally wrecked Bowyer.

Coincidentally over the New Year's break they were on the same yacht owned by Hip Hop star Sean “P. Diddy” Holmes but didn't speak to each other.

“I was on the damndest boat you've ever seen in your life” Bowyer said during testing Thursday at Daytona International Speedway. “I think he (Gordon) was on that same boat. There was a big time being had. Yes, he was on there and I think it was on the same island.

“I'm pretty sure he was on there. It was pretty late, put it that way.”

But Bowyer was still angry even to talk about his feud when he added "yeah, we held hands and walked on the boat, discussed the past year and enjoyed ourselves throughout the whole vacation," Bowyer said sarcastically. "That was the one person that I definitely wanted to vacation with. Yes. I could not wait to get there for that very reason. Is that what you wanted me to say?"

Robin Pemberton, the NASCAR vice president of competition was satisfied with the first day.

“We've had some good tests this summer. Now we're in the final stages and letting the guys go to work today looked pretty good for what it was,” he said.

One of the mechanical changes seemed effective “we've been working on that for a year now, softening springs where the car will run faster by itself.

What we've learned is that we need to give (teams) them as much as they can to work with; it's not a new chassis. When we get to Charlotte next week we'll see the downforce come back and they'll hustle them around the track because the package is quite different (than Daytona).

But most, including driver Kasey Kahne who tweeted, want to see more cars draft.

Pemberton thought they will “we anticipate that they will want to run (draft) later in the day. I think it will benefit everybody to get some drafting.”

Samsung's transparent display technology will play a key role during the launch of the new Toyota Furia concept on Monday at the Detroit Auto Show.

The sedan will be revealed using a custom-built structure that houses 30 of Samsung's new 46'' transparent LCD panels, marking a first for an automaker at a major international auto show.

''This technology will be used to help create a unique dramatic effect for the Furia reveal as elements can be transmitted on the clear transparent panels to partially obstruct or completely block view of the vehicle until the panels are made completely clear to show the car'', said Brian Hords, Design Director at o2 Creative Solutions, the agency responsible for orchestrating the Furia's unveiling.

Photo: Toyota

From GMM

Williams Formula 1 team will give new recruit Valtteri Bottas at least half a season to get up to speed.

After a full season of preparation as the famous British team's reserve driver last year, practising on most Friday mornings at grands prix, 22-year-old rookie Bottas will make his full time race debut in 2013.

The young Finn can't wait.

"Well, it was mentally tough," he told the MTV3 broadcaster, referring to 2012.

"At the end of practice just when I had found a rhythm in the car I then had to give it back. And I knew that I would have kept improving if only I could have driven more," said Bottas.

"As I then watched the race, of course I thought about what I might have been able to do. It was not so easy. Especially the weekends where I could not drive at all -- they were very long," he smiled.

Valtteri Bottas, Williams. (Photo: WRi2)

The team, however, will be urging Bottas to be patient. Williams co-owner Christian “Toto” Wolff, who is also involved in the young driver's management, said the 22-year-old will enjoy some "puppy protection".

"He needs mileage and racing experience," he told Motorsport Aktuell, a Swiss weekly.

"He is very fast and extremely intelligent," Austrian Wolff insisted, "but we have to give him the right environment so that he can realise his potential.

"We can't assume that he will be on the second row in Melbourne, even if the car is capable of it," he continued. "I believe he can get the full potential from the car by the middle of the season."

On Thursday, the very first 2013 SRT Viper (#001) rolled off the assembly line and on to its proud new owner during a special ceremony at the Conner Avenue plant in Detroit. Chrysler chairman and CEO Sergio Marchionne and SRT brand president Ralph Gille attended the event.

Scott Thomas bought the car in June 2012 during a Barrett-Jackson auction in California. All the proceeds from his winning bid of US$300,000 went to the Austin Hatcher Foundation for Pediatric Cancer.

Marchionne also unveiled a plaque in honour of former Chrysler Group senior vice president Dan Knott, who passed away last year. There's a quote on it that reads: ''Today, we are a real car company again.'' Knott, who was instrumental in the development of past Viper generations, made the statement on August 22nd, 2010, the day the 2013 Viper program was approved.

Equipped with a 640-horsepower 8.4L V10 engine, the 2013 SRT Viper is priced at US$97,395. Deliveries will begin next month.

Ferrari enthusiasts can now go to the manufacturer's website and Facebook page to view the first official pictures of the Special Limited Series hybrid supercar that will debut later in 2013.

Accompanying these obscure images is an interview by The Official Ferrari Magazine with Roberto Fedeli, Technical Director, and Flavio Manzoni, Head of the Styling Centre.

Just enough to get all excited...

Photo: Ferrari

Photo: Ferrari

Hankook Tire announced plans for a high-tech Research and Development centre in Korea. The facility will be built by Foster+Partners, an architecture firm that's responsible for the famous Millau overpass in France and McLaren's production centre in the U.K., among others.

Featuring innovative design, the new R&D centre will put an emphasis on building the future, including a seven-story tire auto-stacking system and smart information system. It will also provide scientists and technicians with a dedicated environment to develop high-quality products.

Construction should be over by the end of 2015, with the site covering a total area of 99,175 square metres.

Nasser Al-Attiyah revealed that Sébastien Loeb have tested a buggy in december, and that he would like the frenchman to join his team for 2014 Dakar.

In an interview to french daily paper L'Equipe, the driver from Qatar, who currently runs in second position in the Dakar rally, revealed: "I invited Sebastien to visit me in Qatar. I have a buggy to have fun in the sand, and he tried it." That was not the buggy ran by Al-Attiyah and Carlos Sainz on this year's Dakar, but Nasser Al-Attiyah aims to sign the frenchman for his Dakar team for 2014.

"We talked about sport in general, I know he would like to try to run the Dakar one day, but he was with his family and that was not the time to get further in this project. I would like to run maybe five buggies in next year's Dakar. Of course, I have good relationship with my country, but also with Red Bull that backs a lot of drivers. If he wants to drive one my cars, he is more than welcome..."

Sebastien Loeb. (Photo: Citroen Racing)

Sebastien Loeb also revealed his interest in the Dakar rally in the future, saying it would be a private entry, with no link with Citroën.

This year, Sebastien Loeb will run five WRC rounds, and he will take part to the GT Sprint Series championship in a McLaren ran by his racing team. He will probably develop the Citroen WTCC car, as the french constructor is set to join the championship in 2014.

Losing my driver's license would be worse than... I'd rather not say. This small piece of plastic is my livelihood, my work, my career: my entire being. I could not, nor would I, survive without it. I would end up a hermit living under a rock on the wrong side of the tracks near the bridge. I would all but die.

For many of you, your driver's license also represents your lifeline for getting to work, to picking up the kids, shopping, and more. And so, imagine one day being pulled over by a cop and being left stranded by the highway with a $1,000 worth of tickets because both your car and your permit have been removed. The questions! The fury! The anger!

Why did this happen? Because your license was suspended, but you were not aware it had happened.

Your driving record is not spotless, however, every ticket was paid or contested, all according to the rules set forth by the governing automotive body of your province. Every communication sent over the last while was addressed with either a check or some other form of compliant response. All except one, because it never made it to you.

That's right: The one, the most important notice that would have prevented what I could only call a catastrophe, never made it to its destination. This little piece of information was willingly given by said governing body.

So, as it stands, you're facing a $1,000 impound fee plus a $1,000 ticket, and all they can say is: Sorry, we'll send out the missing notice right away. Too little, too late.

What are you to do now? Go to court. Yes. Hire a lawyer in hopes of getting your money back only to hand it over to the lawyer, if you win. At this point, there is no alternative. The government has acted -- or failed in its actions -- deal with it.

The point of this story is that no one is perfect. I certainly am not, but the government is, despite the countless times they screw up. If you're not up to speed on what's going on with your permit, I strongly suggest that you request your driving record.

If you think you've accumulated a few points over the last few years, the next one could put you in the fifth row of your favourite form of public transportation.

Carlos Sainz (buggy) was forced to retire with a broken engine in the sixth leg of Dakar rally.

The Spaniard, who won the very first leg of the 2013 Dakar, was quite unlucky the next days, losing several minutes when searching for a way point on Sunday, then again when he suffered electrical issues aboard his buggy. Sainz was already running about 3h30 behind overall leader before Thursday's stage. He will now fly to Europe for the Rally Monte Carlo, where his employer Volkswagen is about to make its WRC debuts.

The sixth day of Dakar rally, from Arica to Calama, Chile, was dominated by Sainz's team mate (and boss) Nasser Al-Attiyah, who close the gap over Stephane Peterhansel (Mini), who still leads the race, 1mn20 ahead of the driver from Qatar.

Carlos Sainz' retirement is a big loss for the Team Qatar Red Bull of Nasser Al-Attiyah. (Photo: Dakar)

The 2013 Lexus ES 350 is as inherently soothing as that reliable leather sofa chair in your living room: that welcoming, supple embrace; the initial coolness of the leather against your skin; that puff of fragrant air that escapes under your weight. It's all there in this luxury sedan.


Relax
The 2013 Lexus ES 350 has comfy leather furniture, too; like, really, really comfy. The seats here are heated, chilled, and so aromatic they leave their scent on your clothing.

Add your favourite tunes to the sofa experience via a set of high-end headphones (or the 2013 Lexus ES 350 experience via the Mark Levinson stereo), and you're on your way to the ultimate in tranquil isolation.

Mark Levinson
Originally, the Lexus/Levinson partnership was intended to explore car audio systems built without cost as a constraint. The variant used in the 2013 Lexus ES 350 packs some serious power, and is ideal for those wanting to relax while having their favourite music blasted at their craniums. As with their at-home headphones, you'll hear details in your music you never knew existed.

But it's more than the seats and stereo that set ES owners up for a leisurely drive.

“Here, let me get that for you”
The engine in the 2013 Lexus ES 350 starts with the press of a button. Lights, wipers, climate control, high-beams, and even distance-guided cruise-control are all sensor-driven and auto-regulating. Steering is light as a feather. Xenon lights mean your eyes do little work to see up the road after dark. Memory seating negates the need to readjust your seat if someone else has been driving your car. The list goes on.

Translation? The 2013 Lexus ES 350 requires nothing of you.

Simply slip the transmission into “DRIVE,” steer a little here and there, and the car handles everything else. You can sit and drive, and relax and reflect, enjoy a personal getaway or some socialization with passengers.

The better part of the 2013 Lexus ES 350's relaxation-inducing features can, nowadays, be had in a Kia Optima. That's why, aside from features alone, this recently revised front-drive Lexus cruiser does the all important job of setting the stage for an unwinding drive.

The engine in the 2013 Lexus ES 350 starts with the press of a button. (Photo: Justin Pritchard)

Setting the stage
The presentation of the new-for-2013 cabin is rich, three-dimensional and (as Lexus tends to be) trimmed and assembled impeccably. Switches and controls all feel substantial, nighttime lighting is soft and elegant, and you'll feel like you're sitting in the business centre of a luxury hotel.

A full multimedia and navigation hub, commendable by voice or a console-mounted track-knob, help here. You can control hundreds of infotainment functions with little more than a few millimeters of index-finger movement.

The 2013 Lexus ES 350 is less busy looking than a 5 Series, more high-tech looking than an E-Class, and more upscale than a TL. Even the ceiling liner is made from something with a level of tempting suppleness somewhere between butterfly wings and baby seal fuzz. One passenger even asked, “Oh my goodness...have you TOUCHED this?!”

I had.

The presentation of the new-for-2013 cabin is rich, three-dimensional and (as Lexus tends to be) trimmed and assembled impeccably. (Photo: Justin Pritchard)

Cruising
On smooth pavement, the ride in the 2013 Lexus ES 350 is whisper quiet and soft, with a touch of firmness around the edges. It's gentle and forgiving, but doesn't make you feel like you're riding along on a glob of Cool Whip. Only the soft hum of spinning tires and the occasional lick of wind disturbs the experience of being disconnected from everything around you -- though some rougher roads do invade the cabin.

A 3.5L V6 sends the better part of 270 horsepower to the front wheels. The 2013 Lexus ES 350 hauls along aptly, and torque-steer scarcely presents itself as anything more than a slight tightening of the steering wheel.

Unleashed at full throttle, the engine makes a pleasingly powerful, but tastefully restrained sound as the power comes on hard towards redline. Highway passing can be handled confidently, especially with “SPORT” mode engaged for sharper (and quicker responding) throttle pedal inputs.

Combined fuel mileage over the course of my 1,800 kilometre test, including plenty of highway cruising at a good clip, landed at an appreciable 8.5L/100km.

A 3.5L V6 sends the better part of 270 horsepower to the front wheels. (Photo: Justin Pritchard)

A chill car
My only gripe was a too-vague steering feel at highway speeds, which can make the 2013 Lexus ES 350 feel less locked on the road and more like its floating loosely over it. A sports car this is not, and most drivers will take no issue with the latter.

Ultimately, this is one of the most uneventful, unstimulating cars I've ever visited -- and those looking for the ultimate in vehicular relaxation should consider it a priority test drive. Pricing for the 2013 Lexus ES 350 is around $52,000 with all the toys.

From press release

Hyundai Motor Co. has bolstered its nascent World Rally Championship (WRC) programme with the appointment of WRC veteran Michel Nandan as Team Principal.

The Frenchman, who has held key technical positions on the world rally stage since the mid-1990s, joins Hyundai at an exciting time in the manufacturer's WRC programme.

Hyundai announced its intentions to enter the World Rally Championship at the Paris Motor Show in September last year and is now developing a WRC-specification of its new i20 model with the objective of competing in the entire 2014 championship.

Michel Nandan, Hyundai i20 WRC. (Photo: Hyundai)

The South Korean car manufacturer has also established a bespoke motorsport subsidiary, Hyundai Motorsport GmbH, under which the company's WRC programme will be run. Gyoo Heon Choi has been named the President of Hyundai Motorsport GmbH.

Hyundai is no stranger to the world of WRC, having participated in the competitive motorsport series from 2000 to 2003. Now, Hyundai is raising the bar for its return to WRC, running an in-house team operating out of custom-built headquarters in Alzenau, Germany, just outside of Frankfurt, where Hyundai's European HQ is situated.

As the 2013 WRC season gets underway, Hyundai is embarking on a year of preparation for its return to the world rally stage with the intensive development of its WRC-spec i20 under Michel Nandan's experienced direction. An interim version of the i20 has already begun testing in Korea to enable Hyundai to undertake component and suspension analysis with further tests scheduled throughout 2013.

Italian Guido Forti, the owner of a Formula 1 team in the '90s, has sadly passed away at the age of 72.

Forti started to be involved in motorsport back in the '70s when he ran Teo Fabi in Formula Ford.

He then entered teams in Formula 3 and Formula 3000 series, running young talents such as Franco Forini, Enrico Bertaggia, Emanuele Naspetti and Gianni Morbidelli.

Pedro Diniz, Forti F1, 1995 (photo: Archives)

In 1995, he fitted Ford-Cosworth engines to its modified F3000 cars and stepped up to Formula 1. His small team entered 23 Grands Prix in 1995 and 1996 with Roberto Moreno, Pedro Diniz, Luca Badoer and Andrea Montermini.

Forti's best result in F1 was a 7th place finish in Australia with Diniz.

M-Sport lost the official support of the Ford Motor company late last year, but managed to be supported by Qatar this season. The team unveiled the new colors of its Ford Fiestas RS that will compete in the World Rally Championship.

Mads Ostberg will be number one driver of the team managed by Malcolm Wilson this serason.

Malcolm Wilson and Mads Odsberg. (Photo: M-Sport)

The Norwegian will be joined bu Russian driver Evgeny Novikov in the second Ford Fiesta. Nasser Al-Attiyah will join the team for selected rounds this year.

Former Citroen driver Thierry Neuville and former IRC rally champion Juho Hanninen will race for the M-Sport Junior Team.

Photo: M-Sport

German car manufacturer Mercedes-Benz has released two studio shots of its new, 2014 V6 Formula 1 engine.

Photo: Mercedes-Benz

The new V6, 1.6-litre engine is turbocharged, and will feature direct fuel injection as well as ERS, Energy Recovery Systems. It has been designed by Mercedes' engine department, Mercedes-Benz High Performance Engines located in Brixworth, UK.

Andy Cowell, managing director of the company confirmed that the turbocharger is capable of spinning at 125,000 rpm.

The engineer also confirmed that the new V6 motor will produce about the same 750 bhp figure of the current normally aspirated, 2.4-litre V8 engine. However, a large pourcentage of that power will come from the ERS.

Photo: Mercedes-Benz

The current KERS (Kinetic Energy Recovery System) currently produces 80 horsepower for 6.7 seconds per lap, while the new ERS will deliver 161hp for 33.3 seconds per lap.

From GMM

Mikko Hirvonen, the 2012 world rally championship runner up, believes countryman Kimi Raikkonen would have kept improving had he stayed in rallying.

Finn Raikkonen, F1's 2007 world champion who has driven for top teams McLaren and Ferrari, finished the 2012 season in third place as he made his return to the sport.

In 2010 and 2011, following his split with Ferrari to make way for Fernando Alonso, the now 33-year-old opted to try his hand at world rallying.

Kimi Raikkonen and Mikko Hirvonen, back in 2011. (Photo: WRC)

Speaking about Raikkonen's competitive return to F1 last year with Lotus after two seasons away, Hirvonen said: "Well, it was not really a surprise."

"This man knows how to drive F1 (cars). When I heard he was going back, I thought that if the car is good, he will survive -- and Kimi did very well," he told Turun Sanomat newspaper.

But Hirvonen thinks Raikkonen would have kept improving had he stayed in rallying.

"The results would certainly have improved, but how much would have depended on how much enthusiasm Kimi had for practicing and testing. But his pace would definitely have improved in the third season," he added.