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From GMM

Nico Hulkenberg turned down an offer from Lotus to replace the surgery-bound Kimi Raikkonen for the remaining two grands prix of 2013.

German Hulkenberg, who currently drives for Sauber, is the hot favourite to replace Raikkonen full-time in 2014, but only if financially-struggling Lotus completes its crucial investment deal with the Quantum group.

If that deal collapses, as many insiders believe it will, Pastor Maldonado - who will not drive for Williams next season - is tipped to switch his lucrative PDVSA backing to the Enstone based team.

Nico Hulkenberg. (Photo: Sauber F1 Team)

Nevertheless, late on Tuesday Hulkenberg's manager Werner Heinz revealed that, in the past days, Lotus expressed interest in the 26-year-old racing in Raikkonen's place in Austin this weekend, and then the Brazil finale a week later.

"We were presented an offer that we are exploring now," Werner Heinz was quoted by the SID news agency.

"Within the next two days, a decision will be made. But this does not mean that Nico is leaving Sauber," he added.

Indeed, with apparently no guarantee of the full 2014 race seat, moving to Lotus now would appear to be a risk for the otherwise highly-rated Hulkenberg.

"It's a big risk," agreed German-language F1 commentator Christian Danner, according to Bild newspaper. "He would have to get used to a new car in the space of three practice sessions -- usually you need months."

After a short period of reflection, Heinz told Bild: "We had an offer from Lotus and we discussed it.

"We decided that Nico will do the last two races with Sauber."

Lotus reserve driver Davide Valsecchi, a F1 rookie and last year's GP2 champion, is now the favourite to replace Raikkonen in Austin and Brazil.

On November 20th during media days at the Los Angeles Auto Show, Chevrolet will unveil its all-new 2015 Colorado. Fans of the small pickup truck will be able to watch the event live on YouTube.

The 2015 Chevrolet Colorado is already hailed by the manufacturer as “the most capable, most versatile and most technologically advanced midsized truck in the market.”

Look for more details and plenty of pictures to come next week.

Photo: Chevrolet

At 20 years young, the Audi A8 is still wooing the masses with its curvaceous road presence and grace. With room for five, accessories and then some, you best believe this fine piece of German engineering is in it for the long haul.

Whether as driver or passenger, you'll be able to dabble in the exquisite craftsmanship and engulf yourself in life's finer pleasures in Audi's flagship sedan.

What is the Audi A8?
I once overheard a woman in California talking on her phone say: “Sometimes, Jen, you just need facelift, and it's OK to justify it. You'll be happier in the long run.”

When said Californian was talking about a facelift, I doubt she was referring to Audi.
In this case, the German automaker will satisfy customers due to the sedan's facelift, or refresh, for the 2015 model year.

Most noticeably, the front end is revamped with new Singleframe grille-which is dimensionally smaller than before -- and a revised headlight design. Around back, the taillights have a new swagger, too.


2015 Audi A8 Price and Specs
You're not without choices when it comes to 2015 Audi A8 engines. I had the chance to test out the 3.0L TFSI quattro V6, which in Europe is up from 290 horsepower to 310. It's most likely that our market will stick to the supercharged version of 333 horses that's currently available. Who wants to lose power anyway?! Torque will probably also stay at 325 lb-ft though.

Then I got behind the wheel of the 6.3L FSI L W12 quattro -- L means a long wheelbase, which adds another 13cm to its size.

The gusto produced from this bad boy is in the 500 horsepower range with 463 lb-ft of torque. Should you wish for the crème de la crème of A8 powerplants, you'll have to special order it. It's not as popular a seller as the rest of the flock. Rest assured, you can have your power and (sort of) use it, too.

It's an unfair comparison between the V6 and W12, because clearly they are for two different types of buyers. Then again, both are equipped with an 8-speed tiptronic transmission.

As a somewhat jet-lagged individual who walked off a plane and got straight into the 2015 Audi A8 V6, it had no problem waking me up in a hurry. It still has the gusto you'd want in a sedan of its size. Heck, if you want just shy of 200 more ponies, I'm all for it.

It's an unfair comparison between the V6 and W12, because clearly they are for two different types of buyers. Then again, both are equipped with an 8-speed tiptronic transmission. (Photo: Alexandra Straub)

Driving the 2015 Audi A8
It's a true testament to a car's execution when you have travelled for over 15 hours (including time waited in airports and flights) and you can get in the driver's seat and not feel completely overwhelmed. Yes, Audi is notorious for having a multitude of buttons, but that has changed over the years -- for the better.

Slipping in the 2015 Audi A8 cabin's supple leather seats, igniting its V6 powerplant and not having to stress out about which button does what on its Multi-Media Interface (MMI) was a treat.

On the autobahn -- in the speed-regulated zones, darn -- the electromechanical power steering offers the operator a connected feel without taking away its airy character traits.

Thanks to Audi's drive select, you have the ability to toggle between driving modes, whether sportier for the twisty roads, more comfortable for highway driving or a balance between the two for city/highway commuting.

Slipping in the 2015 Audi A8 cabin's supple leather seats, igniting its V6 powerplant and not having to stress out about which button does what on its Multi-Media Interface (MMI) was a treat. (Photo: Alexandra Straub)

Inside and Out of the 2015 Audi A8
In the A8 vehicle segment, it's all about junk in the trunk. Whether you have the pleasure of being the driver or even better being a passenger, the depth of the luggage compartment has been increased by 10cm. While that might not sound like something to write home about, trunk space was also upped by 20 litres, so you can fit five more milk jugs or anything else that your heart desires.

If you're not fitting gear into the trunk, how about placing some libations into the available integrated coolbox in the rear?

Furthermore, allow your ears to be serenaded with the mellifluous music emitted from the Bang & Olufsen surround sound system. With 19 speakers and an impressive 1,400 watts, it sure beats listening to nothing -- and by nothing, I mean the cabin is so quiet at highway speeds you could hear a pin drop.

In the A8 vehicle segment, it's all about junk in the trunk. Whether you have the pleasure of being the driver or even better being a passenger, the depth of the luggage compartment has been increased by 10cm. (Photo: Alexandra Straub)

Comparing the 2015 Audi A8
The extra-large premium sedan segment is full of industry heavy hitters. Take the new Mercedes-Benz S-Class and the BMW 7 Series. Offering a host of technical gadgetry in an uber comfortable package, it's going to get interesting in this area of the market.

The 2015 Audi A8 will arrive on Canadian soil in 2014.

Hyundai-Kia gets through quite a few vehicles at its Namyang R&D facility. Dave Leggett visited a purpose-built vehicle recycling facility where old workhorses are pulled apart for 'regeneration'.

Tesla CEO Elon Musk said there ''definitely'' won't be a recall of the company's Model S sedan as the electric-car maker waits to see if U.S. regulators investigate crash-related fires involving the vehicle.

Tesla CEO Elon Musk said "there definitely won't be a recall" of the company's Model S sedan as the electric-car maker waits to see if federal regulators investigate crash-related fires involving the vehicle.

Richard Cordray, director of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, said he wants more 'openness and transparency' for the agency's oversight of auto lending, but added that the agency still has strong concerns about how dealerships...

Madness at the Extremes: 2014 Porsche 911 Turbo and Turbo S

By all rights, we're not sure that a 520- or 560-hp Porsche 911 needs to exist.

By all rights, we're not sure that a 520- or 560-hp Porsche 911 needs to exist. That's a lot of might for a rear-engine car once known for playing spin-the-bottle with inexperienced drivers. But the 911 Turbo (and now, Turbo S) has always been about extremes, and the new 991-chassis edition has more breadth than ever, serving up a serene about-town yin to the mad-king-o'-the-autobahn yang.

Photo Gallery: Madness at the Extremes: 2014 Porsche 911 Turbo - Automobile Magazine

Photo Gallery: Madness at the Extremes: 2014 Porsche 911 Turbo - Automobile Magazine

Madness at the Extremes: 2014 Porsche 911 Turbo and Turbo S | Digg It | Add to del.icio.us

The average fuel economy of new trucks, cars, SUVs and vans sold in the United States during October rose 0.2 mpg from September, to 24.8 mpg, according to a monthly report from the University of Michigan Transportation Research Institute.

Lotus canand#8217;t sell its road cars in North America anymore (

Dealers experienced less employee turnover and hired more woman and young people in 2012.

News 12 Nov, 2013

Exclusive images show bold shape for new Volkswagen Tiguan SUV. Release date: early 2015

News 12 Nov, 2013

Order books are open for the Audi A3 Cabriolet, with the price starting from £25,790

The Volkswagen Passenger Cars brand delivered 4.88m vehicles from January to October this year, up 3.4%, with October sales up 2% to 511,400.

Group 1 Automotive Inc. said today that it has purchased three dealerships in Arlington, Texas.

Isuzu Motors' group net profit climbed 35% year on year to a record JPY56.80bn for the April-September period, due to a weaker yen and solid truck demand in Japan, Southeast Asia and the Middle East.

Jaguar explained its lineup for 2014 on Tuesday. There aren't too many changes for the new model year, but there are a few. The XF gets a new package that includes blind spot monitor, adaptive front lights, and intelligent high beams.

Chrysler says it has developed a tank to store compressed natural gas that mimics human lungs and will allow the cheaper fuel source to more easily be used in automobiles.

News 13 Nov, 2013

Exclusive images show look of posh new Audi A0. City car based on VW up! could be on sale in 2015

The debut of every new