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General Motors CEO Dan Akerson could step down as early as next year though he has not formally notified the board of his plans and an official search for his successor has not yet begun, people close to the matter told Reuters.

General Motors CEO Dan Akerson could step down as early as next year though he has not formally notified the board of his plans and an official search for his successor has not yet begun, people close to the matter told Reuters.

A Vancouver resident inspecting the row of new

Ford may sell in Europe the five-door Ka unveiled by company executives in Brazil. Ford currently sells the three-door Ka based on the Fiat 500 in the region.

Subaru, about to achieve five straight years of annual sales records in the United States, will stop building Toyota Camry sedans at its Indiana assembly plant by 2017, according to local media reports.

TRW expects its business for highly advanced safety technology to boom as automakers push to launch cars that can drive themselves.

TRW expects its business for highly advanced safety technology to boom as automakers push to launch cars that can drive themselves.

Tesla says three employees at its California plant that builds electric Model S sedans were injured by hot metal from a casting press during an industrial accident.

Tesla Motors said it doesn't expect production delays of its Model S sedan after three workers were injured at its only assembly plant.

Tesla says three employees at its California plant that builds electric Model S sedans were injured by hot metal from a casting press during an industrial accident.

Toyota says it will not sell as many cars in Germany as it originally hoped this year after failing to keep up with demand for its hybrid cars in the market.

In an attempt to rival Google Glass, Nissan will unveil the 3E smart glasses on November 20th at the Tokyo Auto Show.

The automaker claims users will be able to access the internet, share photos and videos, display navigation data, and even get a personal health check.

The full specifications and capabilities of Nissan's 3E glasses will be revealed next week.

This follows the NISMO Smart Watch introduced by Nissan at the Frankfurt Auto Show in September.

Source : La Presse

The various performance tires in this review are all designed to provide superior grip, especially on ice. They are more suited for highway driving, which also means that they could lack traction in deep snow, although you won't feel it as much when driving AWD-equipped vehicles. Sporting the mountain/snowflake logo, these tires also meet Law 42 of the Quebec Highway Safety Code. They fit most luxury car models available on the market.

Check the table below to see how performance winter tires stack up against each other.

The IndyCar Series has decided to change the rules for testing and, for 2014, all teams will be given 18 test days, plus two extra days if they test Indy Lights drivers.

Those days will include all tests, including with engine manufacturers, teams, open sessions, straight-line sessions and full-sized wind-tunnel runs.

The first open test will be held at Barber Motorsports Park on March 17-18. The second will be on the Indianapolis Motor Speedway road course April 30 and the third Aug. 27 at Auto Club Speedway in advance of the season's final race.

Chevrolet and Honda will be permitted five test days, with mileage incurred by the team not part of the 10,000-mile season limit.

Will Power at Fontana. (Photo: IndyCar)

The various performance winter tires in this review are all designed to provide superior grip, especially on ice. They are more suited for highway driving, which also means that they could lack traction in deep snow, although you won't feel it as much when driving AWD-equipped vehicles. Sporting the mountain/snowflake logo, these tires also meet Law 42 of the Quebec Highway Safety Code. They fit most luxury trucks and SUVs available on the market.

Check the table below to see how these performance winter tires stack up against each other.

From GMM

Heikki Kovalainen may only have been Lotus' third choice as the 2013 successor for surgery-bound Kimi Raikkonen.

The Enstone based team will announce on Thursday that Finn Kovalainen, who has been Caterham's 'Friday' driver this season, will race in Austin and Brazil at the wheel of Raikkonen's number 7.

But it emerged this week that Nico Hulkenberg was also approached by Lotus, who found the German locked into the rest of his contract at Sauber.

And Michael Schumacher's manager Sabine Kehm told Bild newspaper that the seven time world champion was also approached by Lotus.

"It's not unusual that he was asked," she is quoted as saying. "Michael would be fit enough, but he is enjoying his new life."

Lotus E21-Renault. (Photo: René Fagnan)

Another retired F1 veteran, Rubens Barrichello, may have been yet another contender.

The Brazilian mischievously posted a photo of himself driving a 1977 black and gold Lotus on Twitter, with the caption: "Anyone remember this?"

But in the end, 32-year-old Kovalainen was chosen by Lotus, with team boss Eric Boullier quoted by Italy's Autosprint: "Don't forget that he has won a grand prix."

Not only that, Kovalainen has driven on Pirelli's sensitive 2013 tires, while Caterham - like Lotus - is powered by a Renault engine.

And in 2007, the Finn made his debut for Enstone based Renault.

"A lot of the same people are still there," Finnish commentator Oskari Saari told MTV3. "In a way, it's the same team."

Former F1 driver Mika Salo, who was the first to mention his countryman as a candidate, said Austin and Brazil is Kovalainen's chance to stake a claim for a 2014 seat -- even at Lotus.

"I don't know what the (financial) situation is at Lotus now," said Salo, "and whether he stands a chance. But he definitely would not hurt the situation if he managed to score two podiums."

While there are fewer winter tire models than summer/all-season tire models on the market, finding the right tire for your winter driving habits is very important.

Once again, PMCtire.com's winter tire rankings are based on 11 different criteria including durability, handling on ice and snow, pricing, and ride quality in the most extreme road conditions. We have evaluated and reviewed more than 150 winter tire models available in Canada, allowing you to make an educated purchase decision.

Note that we've added a sixth category this year: studded winter tires.

Methodology
As in years past, our rankings are based on several information sources, including personal and professional road tests, feedback from customers, articles by renowned auto journalists, and a number of consumer reviews from various North American websites and message boards. Obviously, the rating system may differ from one tester to the next since everyone has their own personal expectations and driving habits.

Here are our 2013 winter tire rankings:

• Top winter tires for cars
• Top performance winter tires for cars
• Top winter tires for trucks/SUVs
• Top performance winter tires for trucks/SUVs
• Top winter tires for commercial vehicles

*You'll notice that the gap between models is often small. That's mainly because the technology used by tire companies in the design and manufacturing process is similar.

Ford has just unveiled its Ka concept, a small city car aimed at emerging markets such as South America and South Asia, which will collectively make up 44% of the global B-segment (sub-compact vehicles) by 2017.

Designed with many features normally reserved for more expensive cars, the Ford Ka offers a roomy interior with comfortable seating for five, air conditioning, and a host of useful technologies such as a central docking station for mobile devices and Ford SYNC. It also promises class-leading fuel economy.

Ford has not talked about North American availability at this point.

Photo: Ford

The various truck tires in this review are all designed to provide adequate grip on snow, ice, or a combination of both. As such, all of them meet winter driving requirements. With the mountain/snowflake logo, they also meet Law 42 of the Quebec Highway Safety Code. They fit most light-duty trucks and SUVs available on the market.

Check the table below to see how winter tires stack up against each other.

Veteran IndyCar racer Dario Franchitti has announced his immediate retirement from racing on medical advice following his Houston IndyCar crash.

The Scott had sustained spinal injuries, concussion, and fractures to his ankle after his car flew into the catch fencing in the accident last month.

“Since my racing accident in Houston, I have been in the expert care of some of the leading doctors and nurses, all of whom have made my health, my safety and my recovery their top priority,” said Franchtti in a press release.

“I am eternally grateful for the medical care I have received over the last several weeks. I'd also like to thank my family and friends for their unbelievable support.

“One month removed from the crash and based upon the expert advice of the doctors who have treated and assessed my head and spinal injuries post-accident, it is their best medical opinion that I must stop racing. They have made it very clear that the risks involved in further racing are too great and could be detrimental to my long term well-being. Based on this medical advice, I have no choice but to stop,” Franchitti explained.

The Ganassi driver said that he was exploring ways to remain involved with the sport in the future.

Some statistics of Dario Franchitti:

IndyCar champion: 2007/09-11
Indianapolis 500 winner: 2007/10/12
Combined IndyCar/CART Champ Car stats:
Starts: 266
Wins: 31
Podiums: 92
Poles: 35
Fastest laps: 23