Auto News 5

For three straight years, Volkswagen turned skeptics into believers. Now some of those believers are skeptics again.

President Akio Toyoda says Toyota Motor Corp.

Mazda may not be a manufacturer that comes to mind where racing is concerned; however, you might be surprised to learn that there are likely more Mazda cars doing track events every weekend than any other brand.

Mazda is not only in the business of racing and track days. Selling cars, very attractive cars, is what they do best. Their recently launched Mazda3 and Mazda6 compact and midsize cars are among some of the most attractive in their respectable segments.

Building on their stellar looks, Mazda has juiced up a few examples with special paint schemes, as well as aftermarket brake and suspension kits. The resulting cars are more stock-plus rather than fully tuned. The idea here was to demonstrate the potential of Mazda's new lineup.

Few in-house tuners are as well known as MOPAR. Chrysler has known how to leverage this brand within a brand since its inception, and it has worked wonders.

To further add to the tuner's street cred, Chrysler is reintroducing the Shaker hood and the Scat Pack that includes a MOPAR cold-air intake, cat-back exhaust, and a performance-calibrated engine controller.

One of the coolest setups in the Chrysler booth was the race-service prepped RAM Promaster with Fiat 500 Abarth in tow. If ever a combination for weekend track fun there was, this is it.

Photo: Auto123.TV

From GMM

It is possible Fernando Alonso will not travel to Austin for this weekend's US grand prix.

The highly respected correspondent for Italy's La Gazzetta dello Sport, Pino Allievi, said Ferrari president Luca di Montezemolo "is not even remotely" contemplating the prospect of the Spaniard sitting out the race.

But, after his high-G bump over the Abu Dhabi kerbs a week ago, Alonso admitted he was in back pain, while his manager Luis Garcia Abad 'tweeted' an alarming photo of the driver strapped to a spinal board during a post-race hospital check.

Allievi said Ferrari "did not like" Abad's dramatic photo, adding another small piece to Alonso's growing rift with the Italian team.

Btu Alonso did have subsequent medical tests in Spain early last week, and according to Allievi "he is waiting until the beginning of this week" to be sure he will leave for America as scheduled on Tuesday.

"In the meantime, Fernando is completely resting in Spain," the veteran correspondent added.

Fernando Alonso, Ferrari F138. (Photo: WRi2)

Even if Alonso does travel to Austin, he would then need to pass the FIA's own medical checks on Thursday.

Allievi said that in the "unlikely" event that Alonso sits out Austin, his replacement will probably be the Ferrari-backed Frenchman, Jules Bianchi.

Bianchi's team, Marussia, "is bound to release (Bianchi) when the call comes from Maranello", he explained.

Ferrari's second choice is reportedly the veteran reserve driver Pedro de la Rosa.

From GMM

Red Bull's Dr Helmut Marko has joined his McLaren counterpart in criticising the official F1 feeder series, GP2.

The 2012 GP2 champion, Davide Valsecchi, has sat out the entire 2013 season so far as Lotus' reserve driver.

And Germany's Auto Motor und Sport reports that first and second in this year's series, champion Fabio Leimer and runner-up Sam Bird, have "no chance" of moving into F1 for 2014.

GP2 starting grid at Monza. (Photo: GP2 Series)

At the very same time, the completely separate Formula Renault 3.5 series has seen the McLaren-backed juniors Kevin Magnussen and Stoffel Vandoorne dominate in 2013.

And behind the McLaren pair this year was Red Bull's Antonio Felix da Costa, even though the energy drink company plucked Russian Daniil Kvyat straight out of GP3 to move into F1 with Toro Rosso for next season.

McLaren's Martin Whitmarsh recently said the Renault 'world series' is a "much higher quality championship than GP2".

Red Bull's Dr Marko agrees: "It (GP2) is far too expensive. It costs EUR 5 million per driver, while in GP3 it (the cost) is 600,000."

Helmut Marko also criticised the quality of the latest GP2 drivers, explaining that no Lewis Hamilton (2006) or Romain Grosjean (2011)-like standout has emerged recently.

Photo: World Series by Renault

The latest reports, meanwhile, suggest new Formula Renault 3.5 champion Magnussen is now on the verge of being confirmed as Sergio Perez's race replacement at McLaren for 2014.

Runner-up Vandoorne, meanwhile, is in McLaren driver Jenson Button's management stable.

But the 2009 world champion said: "F1 (in 2014) would be a year too early for Stoffel."

From GMM

A leading figure at Red Bull's title sponsor Infiniti has admitted Sebastian Vettel has been "too successful" this year.

Andy Palmer, the luxury Nissan division's marketing boss, said the ease with which the German has been winning in 2013 has been a questionable spectacle.

"From that point of view you could say Sebastian has been too successful," he told Autocar. "Wrapping up the championship with four races to run is maybe not good news for us from that perspective."

Sebastian Vettel, Red Bull, victory and title in India. (Photo: WRi2)

Even Dietrich Mateschitz, the Red Bull mogul and billionaire, admits the success of 2013 lacked the excitement of some previous triumphs.

"Obviously (that's true)," he told Austrian journalists, including for the Kleine Zeitung newspaper. "But it's not as though it's 'dinner for one' on New Year's Eve. It's still far from normal."

However, it is a fact that Mateschitz has been notably absent from the paddock in 2013 -- even when Vettel wrapped up his fourth consecutive title.

"Well, I'm almost 70," he said, "and we've been 19 years in formula one -- ten with Peter Sauber and now it's the ninth with Red Bull. You don't necessarily want to keep going to Shanghai and not see the sun for four days. I prefer to go up a mountain, collecting mushrooms, biking or whatever. Time is precious," added Mateschitz.

Need for Speed has just released Ken Block's Gymkhana SIX, featuring his 2013 Ford Fiesta ST RX43 racecar. Curious to see the prowess of Need for Speed's new racing advisor? Enjoy!

Nissan will unveil the BladeGlider Concept at the upcoming Tokyo Auto Show. Designed by Ben Bowlby, who's also responsible for the DeltaWing race car, this street-legal electric vehicle provides a "gliding" feel that combines the feeling of gravity-defying freedom and near-360 degree view of a glider with the pulse-quickening exhilaration of a race car.

The interior of the BladeGlider can accommodate three people: The driver's seat automatically slides laterally when you open the door, enabling easy access to the passenger seats.

Its tightly streamlined deltoid body comprises a tough and structurally optimized chassis wrapped in ultra-lightweight, yet strong and stiff, carbon fibre reinforced plastic (CFRP) finished in a pearlescent white colour that evokes the pristine freedom of a glider. Front track is just one metre wide.

What's more, when the BladeGlider matures into a production car, it could be Nissan's first use of in-wheel motors.

From GMM

The FIA is set to take a 1 per cent ownership stake in formula one.

Writing in the Guardian, leading F1 business journalist Christian Sylt said the move will be part of the sport's forthcoming stock market floatation.

It is the result of a deal between F1 chief executive Bernie Ecclestone and FIA president Jean Todt for the signing of the new Concorde Agreement.

"The FIA gets 1pc if F1 floats but the teams don't have shares," Bernie Ecclestone said.

F1 owner CVC's $12 billion valuation of F1 means the FIA's stake is worth $120 million.

But for the moment, the proposed float is on the back burner, while Ecclestone is caught up in the Gerhard Gribkowsky corruption affair.

Bernie Ecclestone and Jean Todt. (Photo: WRi2)

From press release

The Williams F1 Team is delighted to announce that Felipe Massa will join the team to drive alongside Valtteri Bottas for the 2014 season. The new line-up reflects Williams' determination to bring success back to the team.

Having competed in 12 FIA Formula One World Championship seasons, Felipe is an experienced talent and proven race winner, with 11 race wins and 36 podiums to his credit during a hugely successful career. He has frequently challenged for the Drivers' Championship, missing out by the narrowest of margins in 2008 and has also contributed to Ferrari's Constructors' Championships in both 2007 and 2008.

Felipe Massa. (Photo: Williams F1 Team)

After joining Williams as the team's Test Driver in 2010, Valtteri was promoted to a race seat in 2013 and has matured into an accomplished Formula One driver, impressing the team not least with his handling of the difficult conditions in Canada to put his Williams-Renault FW35 third on the grid.

The Williams F1 Team would like to take this opportunity to thank Pastor Maldonado for his efforts and contribution over the past three seasons, in particular delivering the team's Spanish Grand Prix victory last year. We wish him well for the future.

Sir Frank Williams, Founder and Team Principal: "We are delighted to be able to confirm our 2014 driver line-up and welcome Felipe into the Williams family. He is an exceptional talent and a real fighter on the race track; he also brings a wealth of experience as we begin a new chapter in our story. Valtteri is a valued member of the team and I'm pleased he was able to demonstrate his talent in tricky conditions in Montréal. There is much more to come from him."

Claire Williams, Deputy Team Principal: "This announcement is a key step towards our goal of returning Williams to the front of the grid, and part of our on-going plans to ensure we are stronger in 2014 and beyond. The stability of having both our drivers on multi-year contracts, Mercedes-Benz as our engine partner and a strong commercial base all contribute to the future success of the Williams F1 Team."

Felipe Massa: "Williams is one of the most successful and important teams of all time in Formula One. When I was a kid, I always dreamed about racing for Williams, Ferrari or McLaren and I'm glad to be signing with another icon of the sport following my time at Ferrari. It is also nice to remember that some of the best Brazilian drivers raced for Williams and cemented a strong national link with the team."

Valtteri Bottas: "I'm very happy to be staying with the team as I embark on my second season in Formula One. I have known everyone here for many years, firstly as a test driver and now as a race driver, so it feels like home. I have faith in Williams and I know we can do so much better in the future than our current performance shows. I am looking forward to having Felipe as my teammate. I would also like to thank everyone at Williams, especially Frank, Claire and the senior management for their on-going trust in me."

After three Tesla Model S sedans caught fire in a span of six weeks, the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) is apparently considering launching an investigation.

The first incident was reportedly caused by metallic debris on the road, whereas the other two are harder to explain, although both occurred after a crash.

None of the fires resulted in injuries, and the Model S owner involved in the last one even came to Tesla's defence, saying he could have been seriously injured in another vehicle. In fact, he had ample time to get his papers and a pen from the glove box before his car caught fire.

Model S. (Photo: Tesla)

The NHTSA will contact local authorities “to determine if there are vehicle safety implications that merit agency action,” The Detroit Bureau reports. 

Meanwhile, Tesla's stock on the NASDAQ has fallen from a $194.50 peak in late September to just $139.77 at the end of the trading day last Thursday. 

Sources: The Detroit Bureau and Boursier.com

Ninety-five years ago today, the Armistice between the Allies and Germany was signed aboard French Marshal Ferdinand Foch's private train, parked in a railway siding in the forest of Compiegne. The cease-fire went into effect at 11 a.m. on November 11th, 1918 (local time), and bells started tolling across France to announce the good news.

Although the Armistice ended the actual fighting, it took six months of negotiations to conclude the peace treaty, the Treaty of Versailles, on June 28th, 1919.

World War I lasted more than four years and killed 9.5 million soldiers (including 68,000 Canadians), not to mention an extra 18.5 million civilians.

Sources: 45e Nord and Wikipedia

If you're a regular on Auto123.com, you've likely read my name a few times and know what I do for this site. If not, read this blog and consider it an introduction. Pleased to meet you.

I'm not the sole in-house auto critic for Auto123.com. You may have read or already follow Miranda Lightstone. Although we both essentially do the same job, we both took very different paths to get here.

If you're a budding auto journalist or would like to try your hand at what we do, here's a brief breakdown of said path (according to me).

In my case, I was born with 20W50 in my veins (so typical of a car guy to say...). From day one, I was all about cars. I read and bought books (internet was but an idea when I purchased my first Guide de l'Auto in 1983), and to my mother's great chagrin, there was no deviating from this obsession of mine.

As schooling progressed, I became more interested in the written word and by CEGEP (yes, I live in Quebec) and University shortly thereafter, I was collecting credits in any and all types of writing classes. Although I never made it to the end of my B.A. (stay in school kids!), I acquired a taste for scripting and knew only that I wanted to speak cars -- write cars -- nothing but cars.

In order to put my hand where my mouth was, I plunged headfirst into auto mechanics. I'd decided to talk the talk by walking the greasy yet challenging walk. After a 16-month intensive course, I was an apprentice Auto Tech, with some ASE training -- and proud of it.

Through a series of acquaintances and friends, I worked my way up the ladder as a volunteer, a data entry guy, a news writer, and then as auto journalist. Passion, knowledge, patience.

Creative writing, working on my own cars (some show winners -- no word of a lie) and fully immersing myself into the crafts of writing and getting grime under my fingernails all played a role in giving me what I believe to be a well-rounded, purpose-built background in order to do this job.

In the process, I worked for a television station for a number of years, participated in numerous radio interviews, and was also published in some newspapers.

As for Miranda, rumour has it that she was wrapped in the finest Connelly leather the second after she was born. This explains her propensity for expensive automobiles, me thinks...

Her interest in automobiles also stemmed from her past. Make sure you read her story, too.

Photo: Sébastien D'Amour

From GMM

Ferrari held a farewell party for the departing Felipe Massa at Mugello at the weekend, and the Brazilian warned Raikkonen to be fighting fit for his duel with Fernando Alonso next year.

"Kimi and Ferrari know each other very well already," Massa is quoted by La Repubblica.

"But he is not very familiar with Fernando, so I think he should go in the gym and get ready," he smiled.

"Fernando is a very strong driver, very strong.  It will not be easy for him (Raikkonen)," added Massa.

Photo: Williams F1 Team

The Auto Bild (Germany) and Italiaracing publications are reporting that Massa's deal to move to Williams next year, to replace Pastor Maldonado, is now effectively done.

It is believed the deal will include the sponsorship of the Brazilian oil company Petrobras.

But Felipe Massa insisted: "I will go on as a driver, not to plug the holes in someone's balance sheet."

We're still a bit shell-shocked from the gems found on the floor at the 2013 SEMA Show in Las Vegas. It seems everywhere we look there's something better, something more powerful, more stunning to look at or just more incredible than the last car we drooled over. Well, few were as drool worthy as the 1965 Mustang Fastback “Blizzard” we spotted at the 2013 SEMA Show in Las Vegas.

What makes the 1965 Mustang Fastback “Blizzard” so impressive? Well, for starters it was bred from the stables of the custom car-build house, Ringbrothers. They chose the 2013 SEMA Show in Las Vegas for the unveiling of one of the most powerful custom-built Mustang Fastbacks to ever hit the convention centre floor.

What makes this stunning 1965 Mustang fastback so attractive to visitors at the 2013 SEMA Show in Las Vegas isn't just the pristine white paint job (from which it got its “Blizzard” name), but has more to do with the NASCAR engine beneath its hood. Built by Wegner Motorsports, the 427cid V8 is good for 710 horsepower that's handled via a Bowler 5-speed transmission and sent to the rear wheels (where else would it be sent?!).

The specs on this Ringbrothers 1965 Mustang Fastback “Blizzard” are so exhaustive, we could spent pages listing all the modifications. Instead, we invite you to check out the car porn video below of the white beast on the showroom floor at the 2013 SEMA Show in Las Vegas.

For more great coverage including photo galleries and many more videos, make sure you head over to Auto123.TV.

Performance enthusiasts, rejoice: Next week at the Los Angeles Auto Show, Subaru will host the world premiere of the all-new, US-spec WRX, as well as a design concept model.

The company provided no information about either vehicle, although it did release this partial image of the WRX.

Excited yet?

From GMM

Two candidates have emerged as possible replacements for the surgery-bound Kimi Raikkonen at Lotus for the remaining two grands prix of the year.

If the 'Quantum' investment arrives at the Enstone based team, German driver Nico Hulkenberg is Lotus' preferred choice to succeed Raikkonen permanently for 2014.

But given Raikkonen's premature exit, does he have a chance to switch from Sauber a couple of races early?

"Not likely," Hulkenberg's manager Werner Heinz told Bild newspaper. "No one has talked with us about that."

In reality, the hot favourite is Lotus' reserve driver Davide Valsecchi, who since winning last year's GP2 title has been waiting patiently for his chance.

Davide Valsecchi, Lotus E21. (Photo: WRi2)

However, the Italian was surprised when a correspondent for the Italian magazine Autosprint phoned him on Sunday.

"I don't know anything," said Davide Valsecchi. "I haven't heard anything from the team and I was not at the factory last week. Not even the people I talk to regularly at Enstone said anything."

Valsecchi said he will travel to Austin, as per his existing arrangements, on Tuesday.

"If something happens, I'm ready," he insisted.

From GMM

Daniil Kvyat has qualified for his F1 super licence.

Energy drink company Red Bull has named the Russian teenager as Daniel Ricciardo's successor at Toro Rosso for 2014.

But the marque wants to give Kvyat an early start by sending him out for Friday morning practice sessions this weekend in Austin, and the following week in Brazil.

Until now, the only spanner in the works has been the new GP3 champion's lack of a F1 super licence, the mandatory FIA credential needed by drivers in order to participate in official race weekend sessions.

Daniil Kvyat, Toro Rosso. (Photo: WRi2)

Red Bull therefore arranged a test in a two-year-old Toro Rosso for Kvyat last week at the Misano circuit in Italy, so that he could collect the necessary 300 kilometres of running in front of an FIA observer.

Before the test, Marko told Russia's f1news.ru: "It's all organised. Everything will be fine."

Indeed, the Red Bull-connected Speed Week magazine reports that Kvyat did the 300km last Friday at a representative race pace.

"We're going to America!" he told his 8,700 Twitter followers the next day. "I will spend the weekend with the team and participate in the first free practice," Daniil Kvyat added in Russian.

Ford went all-out for the 2013 edition of the SEMA Show. Altogether, their real estate at the Las Vegas Convention Center was the largest of them all.

From Ford Out Front to their huge booth in the Central Hall, they have more cars and activities going on than any other make.

Among the modded Mustangs and F-Series pickups, Ford had a number of Transit Connect vans in various states of physical tune; it's pretty amazing to see what can be done with a people and cargo carrier.

The star in Ford's booth at the 2013 SEMA Show in Las Vegas was the Focus ST. Personally, I'd take them all -- especially the Gulf livery one.