Auto News 5

From GMM

Lotus' 35 per cent team investor Quantum wants Nico Hulkenberg at the wheel in 2014, according to Germany's Auto Motor und Sport.

However, the Enstone based team is running out of time as it waits for the deal to be completed, and has set a mid-November deadline, the German trade magazine said.

"We did a triple audit and there is no financial problem with them," added the Enstone team's boss Eric Boullier. "But now it becomes extremely difficult to move money around the world."

If the deadline passes, Lotus will surely resort to signing Pastor Maldonado, whose PDVSA backing is estimated at up to a staggering EUR 41 million per year.

An insider is quoted as saying: "When will Pastor realise that everyone is only after his money, not him?"

Until Lotus gets its hands either on Venezuela's or Quantum's money, team owner Gerard Lopez is reportedly dipping into his own pocket.

"The budget will not be touched (reduced)," he is quoted as saying. "We want to finish second in the championship."

Lotus is currently fourth, but the difference between finishing behind Ferrari and Mercedes or ahead of them is reportedly EUR 15 million in Concorde Agreement cash.

That might help pay for German Hulkenberg, even if the Quantum deal fails.

Fernando Alonso, Nico Hulkenberg (Photo: Sauber F1 Team)

Team owner Lopez declared: "With Grosjean and Hulkenberg, we would have the best driver pairing for the future."

Quadruple world champion Alain Prost thinks it is ridiculous that F1's financial situation could lock the promising Hulkenberg out of the grid.

"You would like to see him have five offers on the table and he can choose the best one for him," said the Frenchman in Abu Dhabi.

"30 years ago," Prost told the German newspaper Welt, "a guy like Hulkenberg would have been snapped up by a top team."

Hyundai Canada announced a recall on 3,149 Genesis sedans from 2009-2012 due to a problem with the braking system.

Apparently, corrosion could occur in the braking system's hydraulic Electronic Control Unit. Over time, this could affect the ECU's operation, causing a low/soft brake pedal and reduced braking effectiveness.

Hyundai dealers will repair all affected units at no cost.

Source: Transport Canada

Photo: Sébastien D'Amour

Carl Edwards and Brad Keselowski stole the spotlight as they snared the front row for Sunday's NASCAR race in Texas.

So it was another Ford Fast Friday as they beat the times put down by the top three in points.

And it was a nail biter for Edwards who turned a lap of 196.114 mph around the mile and-a-half Texas Motor Speedway. “The late draw saved us there,” said Edwards.

“That wiggle, the car got loose off two and I definitely saw our whole hopes fade right there. I didn't think it was going to happen but then it went through three and four really, really well. I have to go back and watch but I don't know that anybody could have gone through much better. (...) Overall I think the car is a lot better than that lap even.”

Carl Edwards (Photo: Todd Warshaw/NASCAR via Getty Images)

Brad Keselowski the 2012 series champion, who failed to make the Chase, was only two thousandths of a second off of Edwards' pace at 196.100mph.

“I haven't looked at disappointments, I have looked at successes. If you spend your time focusing on your disappointments you will get more of them. I have been focusing on the successes and how to repeat them. Opportunities, successes, those moments where things have come together.

“You can't dwell on the things that haven't gone your way. You have to just acknowledge them and move on.”

Jimmie Johnson qualified third (195.943 mph) in a Chevrolet three positions ahead of Matt Kenseth in a Toyota (195.518 mph), who is tied with Johnson for the top spot in the series standings with three Chase races left.

Third-place Jeff Gordon, who trails the leaders by 27 points, earned the eighth starting spot, one position behind Hendrick Motorsports teammate Dale Earnhardt Jr.

Paul Menard (195.837 mph) qualified fourth, .008 second faster than fifth-place starter Kyle Busch (195.780 mph), who is fifth in the Chase standings, 36 points behind Kenseth and Johnson.

This was Edwards' first pole at Texas, his second of the season and the 13th of his career. Edwards is a three-time winner at TMS, tops in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series.

Alexander Rossi won race 1 in Abu Dhabi, as Fabio Leimer secured the 2013 championship.

After he inherited pole position following Marcus Ericsson's penalty on Friday, Alexander Rossi took a dominant win ahead of Jolyon Palmer and Ericsson, in the first of two GP2 rounds presented this weekend in Abu Dhabi, as the season ends.

Which is why all eyes were turned on the championship battle between Fabio Leimer and Sam Bird.

Fabio Leimer (Photo: GP2series.com)

The Brit lost all hopes of beating Leimer when his car stalled on the grid just before the start. Sure enough, as he was making his way from last to 10th, Leimer was putting himself out of reach even before Sunday's race 2 with a fourth-place finish.

Jon Lancaster and Tom Dillmann were involved a scary incident, which ended with two cars pilled on top of each other. Dillmann, who suffered a neck injury in the crash, will not be able to race on Sunday, but should be better soon.

From GMM

Pirelli's threat to quit formula one at the eleventh hour prior to the 2014 season has receded.

A week ago in India, the boss of F1's controversial official supplier, Paul Hembery, said Pirelli must be allowed to do more testing ahead of the next world championship.

"Based on the comments of our chairman (Marco Tronchetti Provera) a few weeks ago," he said, "there has to be some (more) running or we can't do the tires."

In the days since then, there seems to have been some movement beyond the teams' recent reluctance to help Pirelli with its 2014 preparations.

Together with McLaren, Pirelli is set to test over 1000 kilometres at Vallelunga in Italy, and some tire testing at Interlagos will also take place later this month.

"We will be bringing a couple of sets of tires of the prototype for next season to the Brazil race," Hembery said, "for P1 (first Friday practice).

"We're hoping to do a couple of tests in December and January with an old-generation car and there's been some good ideas going forward as to what we could do during the pre-season itself," he added.

The Italian company has already signed deals for 2014 and beyond with the teams and Bernie Ecclestone, and the FIA has given the green light for a new contract.

Asked to comment on the current status of Pirelli's F1 deal for 2014, Hembery said in Abu Dhabi: "It's done really.

"There's one last piece to be done with the FIA. The lawyers are dealing with that -- when you get lawyers involved with anything it tends to add time to whatever you're doing. So it's just rumbling along," he added.

2014 Chevrolet Cruze

It’s easy to forget about the 2014 Chevrolet Cruze -- but it’s not quite so easy to dismiss it from consideration.

New For 2014

The addition of a diesel engine option is the biggest change for the 2014 Chevrolet Cruze, but the Cruze also receives a few minor cosmetic revisions, including a pair of new paint colors.

Photo Gallery: 2014 Chevrolet Cruze

2014 Chevrolet Cruze | Digg It | Add to del.icio.us

2014 Acura ILX

The ILX shares underpinnings with the Honda Civic, but the Acura has its own merits.

New For 2014

Acura has added more standard features in a bid to make the 2014 Acura ILX more upscale and sophisticated. These include an eight-way power driver's seat, heated leather seats, upgraded seventeen-inch wheels, a new subwoofer, active noise cancellation, leatherette door liners, and a multi-angle rear camera. Its price increases by $1000.

Photo Gallery: 2014 Acura ILX

2014 Acura ILX | Digg It | Add to del.icio.us

2014 Acura MDX

The redesigned MDX comes in front- and all-wheel-drive configurations.

New For 2014

The 2014 Acura MDX is built on a new platform and has a new V-6 engine. It also gets a host of fresh standard features, including keyless entry, remote start, LED headlights, a 432-watt sound system, and acoustic glass. Front-wheel drive joins Acura's SH-AWD all-wheel-drive system (for Super Handling All-Wheel Drive) as a choice for the new model. The 2014 Acura MDX starts at $43,185.

Photo Gallery: 2014 Acura MDX

2014 Acura MDX | Digg It | Add to del.icio.us

To understand why automakers are gung-ho about free trade talks between the United States and Europe, consider this number: $550 million.

Auto sales in the United States rose 10 percent in October, returning the industry to double-digit increases after a September slump. But on a seasonally adjusted annualized basis, October trailed September's tepid performance.

Just ahead of the Tokyo Motor Show,

Ford was the top selling automaker in Canada in October and year to date, while General Motors outsold Chrysler in Canada last month, with sales at both Ford and GM jumping 10 percent.

Motor City Blogman: Outlaw Car Phones and Texting, Now

Stop the distracted driving.

Last January, eighty cars and trucks piled up on a stretch of Ontario’s Highway 401 east of Oshawa. A week later, fifty more vehicles collided on eastbound 401 near Woodstock, on the western edge of the province. Both these catastrophes were blamed on snow squalls, but they’ve earned 401 a poor reputation for safety.

Photo Gallery: Motor City Blogman: Outlaw Car Phones and Texting, Now - Automobile Magazine

Motor City Blogman: Outlaw Car Phones and Texting, Now | Digg It | Add to del.icio.us

Daimler AG's Mercedes-Benz sold 4,895 of its $29,900 CLA coupe in the car's first full month of availability, helping the brand post a 25 percent October gain and double its luxury-vehicle lead in the United States.

Hill Holliday Chairman Mike Sheehan, who led the effort to create the One Fund Boston charity that's raised $72 million for bombing victims, thinks Chevy and MLB went overboard canceling the promotion in which fans were supposed to hold signs...

DETROIT -- Combined U.S. sales by the Detroit 3 rose 14 percent last month, helped by strong demand for sedans and pickups and an increase in showroom traffic after the partial government shutdown ended.

2013 Cadillac ATS - Too Sporty?

Did Cadillac push the ATS too far?

As professional auto enthusiasts, we're almost required to demand that every car should provide performance and driving dynamics above all else. The 2013 Cadillac ATS answers that call and then some. It is, perhaps, the most overtly sporty vehicle in its segment. In fact, some of us are starting to wonder if it focuses too narrowly on being sporty at the expense of being a well-rounded luxury car.

Photo Gallery: 2013 Cadillac ATS - Four Seasons Update - September 2013 - Automobile Magazine

Photo Gallery: 2013 Cadillac ATS - Four Seasons Update - September 2013 - Automobile Magazine

2013 Cadillac ATS - Too Sporty? | Digg It | Add to del.icio.us

General Motors sales in October rose 16 percent while it continued to flex pricing muscle, fueled by strong sales of pickups and SUVs. GM delivered 226,402 light vehicles last month.

Videos 4 Nov, 2013

Are winter tyres needed on a 4x4 car? We find out in this exclusive video

The Nissan Leaf was Norway's top-selling car in October for the first time, extending a streak of success for electric vehicles after Tesla Motor's Model S led September sales, official statistics showed.