Auto News 5

Audi is sticking to its goal of selling 2 million vehicles annually by 2020, CEO Rupert Stadler says. The automaker plans to invest 11 billion euros between 2013 and 2015 in a bid to become the global No. 1 premium brand.

Automotive News Europe needs your help to find the Rising Stars in the European automotive industry.

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.

Jimmie Johnson's drive for a sixth NASCAR Sprint Cup Champion took a big leap forward while Kevin Harvick took home the victory flag in Phoenix.

The five-time champion avoided two near disasters while his main rival, Matt Kenseth's car handled like evil. “We haven't had a day like this all year,” Kenseth said after finishing 23rd, his worst race in the Chase, falling 28 points behind Johnson with one race to go.

Johnson, on the other hand, avoided two possible disasters finished third behind teammate, Kasey Kahne, and needs to finish 23rd or better at Miami Homestead Speedway to clinch the title.

Jimmie Johnson ahead Matt Kenseth. (Photo: NASCAR)

Concerning the first incident “the opening lap was kind of crazy,” Johnson said “just glad my car went straight. It wouldn't turn.”

Continuing to describe his day which started from the pole. "The one with the 22 (Joey Logano) didn't worry me too much. I felt like I had enough room, and then the way the car was sliding to save it.” About halfway through the race, on a restart with cars going three-wide was a bigger problem. Harvick, Edwards and Johnson at turn one not giving much quarter.

Edwards, in the middle, went up the track narrowly avoiding Johnson who had to take evasive measures. “The one with the 99 (Edwards), two different points as I saved it the car pointed back at the fence, and I thought I was going to hit it,” said Johnson.

And speaking of luck Harvick who had fuel issues himself was handed the win when then race leader, Carl Edwards ran out of fuel on the penultimate lap. It was Harvick's fourth victory of the year and fourth at the one-mile track.

As the race played out final pit stops for fuel would determine the winner. Crew chiefs were desperately calculating fuel and time in the pits. More fuel would guarantee a finish, but, would take too long. Too little gas meant they would end the race on fumes like Edwards. In the end it was Harvick's team who got it right.

Kevin Harvick, winner with Chevrolet. (Photo: NASCAR)

“With the way that the strategy and everything worked out today, you just had to play your cards right off the bat, and those guys got a little bit lucky with the way that the strategy worked out,” Harvick said. “But our car was fast enough to work through traffic and keep ourselves in contention even with the other guys on the other side of that strategy, and we were able to be there at the end. Everyone was able to put just enough gas in the cars to make it to the end, and our guys got it right and the other guys were a little short

Matt Kenseth, looking at the big picture with seven wins with his new team philosophically took the defeat in stride.

"I'm disappointed, obviously with the way our season has gone and kind of being in the championship hunt, you hope to go down to Homestead and race for it on performance,” said Matt Kenseth.

With one race to go it's Johnson's title to lose as he takes that 28-point lead over Kenseth and 34 points over Harvick but he's not over confident.

"Everybody is so eager to predict the champion... but you have to play the game, you have to run the race. Anything can happen,” said Jimmie Johnson.

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!

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."

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.

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)

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

For this year's 2013 SEMA Show theme, Kia went with music. Music is a very powerful medium, and Kia has attempted to channel its power through a few of its new redesigned Souls.

Depending on the Soul (Amped, DJ Booth, Vans Warped Tour or The Voice) speakers, amps, and huge-screen TVs were used to project the idea behind each individual car on display at the 2013 SEMA Show in Las Vegas.

As for any modded car, funky paint jobs and large wheels were also part of the Kia outfit at the 2013 SEMA Show.

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.

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.

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.

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?

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

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

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."

There's a lot of leap-frogging going on in the car world today as manufacturers seek to outdo the competition. This is greatly assisted by the fact that technologic advances constantly outpace model updates, often leaving the soon-to-be-updated product looking slightly past its best-before date. The new 2014 Nissan Rogue is a perfect example of this. A wave of new technology, coupled with greatly improved levels of quality has, in my opinion, propelled the Nissan compact crossover towards the role of segment leader.


What is a Nissan Rogue?
The Nissan Rogue made its debut at the 2007 North American International Auto Show in Detroit (MY2008) and quickly gained popularity. In fact, the Rogue is now the No. 1 selling vehicle in the Nissan lineup for North America, and sales are up 10% for 2013.

The Rogue also boasts the second-highest loyalty of all Nissan models as 40% of its customers repurchased another.

Impressive; and these figures will no doubt increase with the introduction of the second-generation Rogue. Why? Well, because the lovable Rogue is about to get a whole lot more lovable!

The Nissan Rogue made its debut at the 2007 North American International Auto Show in Detroit (MY2008) and quickly gained popularity. (Photo: Nissan)

2014 Nissan Rogue Price & Specs
The 2014 Nissan Rogue comes in three well-equipped trim levels the S, SV, and SL. New for 2014 is the option of 3rd row/7-passenger seating (available on the S and SV Family Package trim). While perhaps more suited to young children or the occasional short haul, this does rather dramatically alter the usefulness of this vehicle.

While the New Rogue appears to the eye to be considerably larger than the outgoing model, this is partly an illusion. Yes, while slightly wider (+ 1.5”) and taller (+ 1.2”), with a tad longer wheelbase (+ 0.6”), overall length has actually decreased by an inch.

Overall weight is up marginally, although Nissan kept this increase down to a minimum with the use of lightweight materials. The 2014 Rogue now sports an aluminum hood, a composite tailgate and lightweight front & rear bumpers.

Fuel economy figures are listed as 7.9L/6.0L/100km (FWD City/Hwy) and 8.2L/6.2L/100km (AWD City/Hwy).

Pricing has not been announced yet, but we can expect it to be highly competitive with the competition.

New for 2014 is the option of 3rd row/7-passenger seating (available on the S and SV Family Package trim). (Photo: Nissan)

Driving the 2014 Nissan Rogue
The second-generation Rogue carries over the same 2.5L 4-cylinder QR25DE (albeit with a few efficiency tweaks), mated to a next-generation Xtronic CVT developing 170 hp and 175 lb-ft of torque. This tried & trusted powerplant offers more than adequate performance for a vehicle of this size (it's quite lively!), and although I'm not a huge fan of CVT units, this is undoubtedly one of the best I've experienced to date.

Technological improvements play a rather large role in the 2014 New Rogue and, together with comfort improvements, this is perhaps what sets it ahead of its present competition. With features like Hill Start Control/Intelligent AWD with Hill Descent Control, the 2014 Rogue now boasts Active Ride Control (to help smooth out bumps), Active Engine Braking (which automatically “downshifts” the CVT, slowing the vehicle with less effort), and something called Active Trace Control (a system which uses both inner/outer brakes to optimize driving lines through corners).

On the road, the 2014 Nissan Rogue feels greatly improved. Much of this comes from the above-mentioned technological advances, although a certain amount must be contributed to the increased comfort levels of the Rogue's interior. It truly is a pleasant environment in which to travel, and I'm sure this plays a large part in the overall enjoyment of the vehicle.

Yes, what was once thought of as a small, affordable CUV, the Rogue now feels more luxurious & mature, and yet still sprightly, maneuverable, and easy to park.

The second-generation Rogue carries over the same 2.5L 4-cylinder QR25DE (albeit with a few efficiency tweaks), mated to a next-generation Xtronic CVT developing 170 hp and 175 lb-ft of torque. (Photo: Nissan)

Inside and Out of the 2014 Nissan Rogue
Premium is a word heavily used by Nissan today, and it is certainly applicable to the New Rogue. Soft-touch materials are found throughout the cabin and creature comfort levels border on the exceptional. One particular case in point; the soft padding on the door armrests, which appears to be made from material-wrapped memory foam. A small detail perhaps, but for those of us with somewhat boney elbows, it is nothing short of pampered luxury.

Nissan paid close attention to what its customers want and need. One area which perfectly demonstrates this, and should be of particular appeal to us Canadians, is the Quick Comfort heated seats. These maximize the heat temperature range and direct the heat to the area's most sensitive: the lower femur & lower hip areas. Studies have proven these to be the areas most affected by cold, so it makes perfect sense to direct the heat there first. Again, a somewhat simple idea, but one which customers will certainly benefit from in the winter months.

Soft-touch materials are found throughout the cabin and creature comfort levels border on the exceptional. (Photo: Nissan)

Comparing the 2014 Nissan Rogue
The Nissan Rogue is certainly not without competitors. Naturally, the Honda CR-V, Toyota RAV4, Ford Escape and Mazda CX-5 instantly spring to mind.In my opinion, Nissan has just moved the goal posts in this segment. In fact, with the technological advances, luxury features and now a 7-passenger option, I'm tempted to suggest that buyers perhaps further up the salary ladder may wish to consider visiting their local Nissan dealer.

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.