Auto News 5

Hertz Global Holdings has too many vehicles and will gradually reduce its fleet over the next six months.

In 2007, the auto industry's last good year before the recession, General Motors outsold Ford Motor Co. in the United States by more than 105,000 units a month on average. In the past 12 months, the gap has narrowed to fewer than 25,000.

Twenty months ago, Alicia Boler-Davis was an assembly plant manager at General Motors. Today, the 44-year-old is one of the company's top 20 executives, reporting straight to CEO Dan Akerson.

A 1963 Ferrari 250 GTO recently sold for a record $52 million at a private auction. The mystery bidder remains unknown.

After winning the 1963 Tour de France Automobile thanks to Jean Guichet, this 250 GTO was purchased by car collector Paul Pappalardo in 1974 and immediately restored to compete in a number of races.

The previous auction record of $35 million was held by a 1962 Ferrari 250 GTO that was once driven by Stirling Moss.

Source : classicandperformancecar.com

Photo: Wikipedia

From GMM

Sergio Perez has added yet another dissenting voice to the debate about F1's controversial tire supplier.

Fernando Alonso and Mark Webber in Korea slammed Pirelli for providing poor quality, heavily degrading products, but it was McLaren's Perez who actually suffered a scary accident in the race when his tire exploded.

"Pirelli will put the puncture of Perez down to a lock-up but the reason the drivers are locking up is because there's no tread left," Webber had said.

As predicted, Pirelli chief Paul Hembery did blame the Perez incident on a bad lock-up, but he said Webber was wrong to point the finger.

"There are two issues here that Mark is conflating," he said.

"It (Perez's failure) was nothing to do with the delaminations earlier in the season," Paul Hembery told the Telegraph. "The other issue about degradation is the same old story. We are only doing what we were asked to do, which is to create two to three stops per race."

Sergio Perez back by foot during the Korean Grand Prix. (Photo: WRi2)

Sergio Perez, however, was making the link between Pirelli and compromised safety.

"At the end of the day nothing happened," the Mexican is quoted by the AAP news agency, referring to injuries. "But one day something will happen.

"Nothing happened so after today nobody will comment on the situation, but one day something will happen so we will regret it," said Perez.

Kevin Harvick's domination of the weekend at Kansas Speedway might be akin to the tale of a lame duck, Harvick, and a cooked goose, Kyle Busch.

Harvick, who is leaving Richard Childress at the end of this year, set a track record in Friday's qualifying then struggled in the two final practice sessions. But he rallied leading a race high 138-laps for his third win of the year keeping his hopes alive for a Sprint Cup Championship climbing to third in the standings 25 points behind series Matt Kenseth who finished 11th. Five-time champion Jimmie Johnson finished sixth despite an engine problem on the last lap and remains in second place now only three points behind Kenseth.

Kyle Busch had entered the race tied for fourth place with Harvick but crashed in practice on Saturday and was taken out in Sunday's race after an incident with Juan Pablo Montoya and he finished 34 falling to fifth in the standings 35 points behind Kenseth.

Photo: NASCAR

The combination of the new multi-zone technology Goodyear tire, a smooth track and a 40 degree (F) temperature change from a four-hour Thursday practice session.

“It was an interesting weekend to say the least,” Harvick said. “ Obviously everybody was battling the tires and the track, and I think it was like driving on a razor blade.

“We just talked about a lot of adjustments that we wanted to make, and kind of eliminated a few things here and there overnight. It was like driving two different cars. Out front it was not even close, and in traffic you were just another one of the cars and had a lot of trouble, so that made the restarts really important. Everybody would get really aggressive on the restarts and try to make up spots because that was the place that you had to do it.

To sit on the pole and win the race is obviously a great weekend, and controlling our own destiny by doing that, putting ourselves closer to where we need to be with the championship race. We'll just keep having fun and keep doing what we're doing.”

Kurt Busch, attempting to keep his second title hopes alive finished second 1.140 seconds behind Harvick and is seventh in the points 47th out of the lead. Jeff Gordon, the last addition to the Chase, finished third and moved into the fourth spot in the season standings 32 points out of first.

Gordon, the four-time champion, put the tire situation in perspective “To me it's really the surface. We're paving these racetracks with what we're paving new highways with. This is not a highway, it's a racetrack and it's a race car and a racing tire. It needs to be looked at differently. We have the same issue in Phoenix. Darlington, we've had the same issue, every repave that we've had over the last six, seven years.”

As for Kyle Busch, who seems snake bit by this track where his average finish is 23.3. Describing his weekend he said “the race track is the worst race track I've ever driven on. The tires are the worst even driven on and track position is everything. You get back in traffic - Kevin Harvick could pass me - he led the first 80 laps of the race, so I'd say it's pretty pathetic.”

From CRC

Antoine L'Estage and co-driver Craig Parry won the Pacific Forest Rally this weekend in Merritt, British Columbia, the fourth of six competitions in the Canadian Rally Championship.

The Rockstar team of L'Estage (St-Jean-sur-Richelieu, QC) and Parry (UK) won the first stage of the rally and never relinquished the lead, despite a late-stage charge by the Subaru Canada Rally Team of Patrick Richard (Squamish, BC) and co-driver Rob Fagg (UK).

Antoine L'Estage and co-driver Craig Parry (Photo: CRC Photo)

L'Estage's sixth win in 10 years of contesting the event, brings him within six points of the lead of the Canadian Rally Championship for drivers with two events left in the season, and sets up an exciting battle at the Rocky Mountain Rally (Invermere, BC) on November 1st/2nd, where another L'Estage-Richard first-second would bring the Championship to a final deciding round at the Rally of the Tall Pines (Bancroft, ON) November 29th/30th.

Richard and Fagg, Subaru Impreza STi (Photo: CRC Photo)

Richard and Fagg won five of the 14 stages in their Subaru Impreza STi, despite gearbox woes and brake trouble. L'Estage won all of the remaining stages, giving a margin of victory of 44.6 seconds after one hour and 19 minutes of timed competition, contested over two days.

The final overall podium saw the novice team of Taylor Nelson (Lethbridge, AB) and Remington Edwards (Edmonton, AB) bring their Subaru home to a comfortable third overall, a terrific result for a novice team.

Fourth overall went to the winner of the Production Four-Wheel-Drive class, for less-highly-modified cars, with novice driver Josh Shewchuk (Peachland, BC) and co-driver Keith Morison (Calgary, AB). The Alberta team of Wim Van der Poel and Bryan Lord rounded out the top five.

In the two-wheel-drive competition, two teams contesting the Canadian Rally Championship that had hauled from Ontario for this event both ran into trouble on the first day of the rally.

Matt and Dan Bobyn, VW Golf (Photo: CRC Photo)

Jeffrey and Emily Dowell (Mitsubishi Lancer), and Paul Hartl and Chuck Storry (VW Golf) both had off-road excursions on Friday and were unable to continue. This left the door open for Matt and Dan Bobyn (Calgary, AB) to take the class win in their VW Golf, taking a remarkable sixth overall in the process.

Twenty-four teams contested the rally, including 10 competing in the regional Championship portion.

The next event in the Championship is the Rocky Mountain Rally, to be contested near Invermere, BC on November 1st and 2nd. Featuring all-new roads, this will be the first time that this event will be run in the region.

2013 Pacific Forest Rally podium (Photo: CRC Photo)

Pacific Forest Rally 2013, Top 8:
1) Antoine L'Estage - Craig Parry (Mitsubishi Lancer EvoX) - 1h19'21,3"
2) Patrick Richard - Robert Fagg (Subaru Impreza WRX) - 1h20'05,9"
3) Taylor Nelson - Remington Edwards (Subaru Impreza WRX) - 1h32'50,6"
4) Josh Shewchuk - Keith Morison (Subaru Impreza WRX) - 1h35'21,9" (1st Prod.4-Wheel Drive)
5) Wim Van der Poel - Bryan Lord (Mitsubishi Lancer Évo.8) - 1h36'52,9"
6) Matt Bobyn - Dan Bobyn (Volkswagen Golf GTI) - 1h44'01,3" (1st 2-Wheel Drive)
7) Boris Djordjevic - Andrew Avery (Subaru Impreza WRX) - 1h42'09,2"
8) Krystian Ostrowski - Chris Galecki (Subaru Impreza WRX) - 1h43'33,4"

Even though Infiniti doesn't use the term, the Q50's Direct Adaptive Steering is “drive by wire” and represents the first time this technology has ever been offered on a production vehicle.

The steering wheel controls the front wheels without any direct mechanical link to those wheels.

“So many of the new technologies today are about safety and infotainment, this one is great because it directly enhances the driving experience,” says Tim Franklin, Senior Manager for Product Planning at Nissan Canada.

The Pieces
While the system is groundbreaking, the components that make it happen are all stuff we've seen before: sensors, ECUs, electric motors, etc.

As the driver moves the steering wheel, a sensor reads the angle change and then the ECU calculates the required tire movement.

Two electric motors mounted on the steering rack (one for each front wheel) power the tire movement.

The required force to move the tires is measured and sent as feedback to the ECU. The ECU then sends a simulated feedback to the steering wheel by the steering-force actuator. In this way the steering wheel always reflects the actual traction condition, and how easy or hard it is for the front wheels to turn in various road situations (high-speed turn, low speeds, wet pavement, gravel, snow, etc.).

This continuous feedback loop keeps the driver feeling connected to the road.

Franklin notes that most consumers might assume drive-by-wire steering is “video-game like.” It's not, says Franklin, because the Direct Adaptive System is a closed loop, with continuous feedback.

Photo: Infiniti

The Benifits
One of the main advantages of the system is eliminating “dirty noise” vibrations being transmitted back up the steering wheel. Obviously some road feel is good, but you always get some bad with the good. You don't get any bad vibrations with this system.

Another advantage is steering precision. In traditional systems, the steering rack is soft-mounted to the frame, via bushings. With the drive-by-wire, the rack is hard mounted, which increases steering control and precision.

Another advantage is faster steering response; there is virtually no lag between components.

The final advantage is that other features can be developed and added to the vehicle by leveraging the components and abilities of Direct Adaptive Steering.

One such feature is the ability to select several steering effort and response settings: Sport, Standard or Touring. There is even a Custom setting, where you can opt for a different steering effort (Heavy, Middle, Light) if you prefer a different one than the pre-sets.

Active Lane Control is another feature enabled by Direct Adaptive Steering, and Infiniti claims it's the world's first such technology. When engaged, as part of a suite of driver aids, a forward-facing camera mounted top centre in the windshield looks for lane markings and sends data to the ECUs, which automatically makes steering adjustments to keep you in the centre of the lane.

Franklin says the feature virtually eliminates the constant fine-tuning a driver subconsciously makes during long highway runs, and keeps the driver more relaxed.

While Direct Adaptive Steering debuted on the Q50 luxury sports sedan, Franklin says there is no reason the technology could not be utilized on a broad range of future vehicles.

In the unlikely event of a power supply disruption, an electric clutch defaults to engage the steering shaft, providing back-up conventional mechanical steering.

Tim Franklin, Senior Manager, Product Planning, Nissan Canada, is amped up about Direct Adaptive Steering, a technology he feels directly enhances the driving experience.

From GMM

Ross Brawn will hand over the reigns as Mercedes team boss to Paddy Lowe at the end of the season.

That is the claim on Monday of Germany's Sport Bild, reporting that 58-year-old Briton Brawn will possibly join 2015 McLaren engine supplier Honda.

Brawn was the boss of Honda's Brackley based works team until the Japanese manufacturer pulled out of F1 at the end of 2008.

He led a management buyout, winning the title with Jenson Button as 'Brawn GP' in 2009 and sold the team to Mercedes at the end of the season.

Correspondents Ralf Bach and Bianca Garloff said Ross Brawn told Mercedes chairman Niki Lauda of his decision to leave the team in Korea at the weekend.

Sport Bild said Lowe's arrival this season from McLaren was a trigger for Brawn's decision, and also that he did not fully support the change of structure involving Niki Lauda and Toto Wolff.


UPDATE

"I don't know where this story is coming from," Mercedes team chairman Niki Lauda told SID news agency. "Nothing has changed."

Niki Lauda did, however, admit that negotiations are currently taking place, but a decision will "definitely not" be made within the current season.

He said Mercedes wants to keep Ross Brawn on board, "but of course it's his decision".

Monticello, NY - I've got to hand it to BMW, where the 3 Series is concerned, high fives are due. Where the 5 Series wagon got flushed for all the wrong reasons, the 3 gets more than its fair share of all of the spoils.

My heart sank when the 3 GT was announced and unveiled at the 2013 Geneva Auto Show. I was slightly relieved upon further inspection at the Palexpo when I noticed that the 5 GT's bloating had gone. In fact, the 3 Series Gran Turismo is actually quite handsome by comparison.

The sad truth is that this is not a station wagon and that it's kinda better cause it's not a wagon. Now, I'm not talking for myself, but instead for the buying public looking for everything the 3 Series has to offer, but with more trunk space. The happy truth is that the 3 GT will likely find much favour with those who find the X1 to be too beluga-like and not BMW enough. I like it. Sadly.


What is a BMW 328i xDrive GT?
The Gran Turismo is not a SUV, a CUV, a wagon or even a hatchback. It is a little of all of these body styles. While the 5 GT is a near complete physical mess, the 3 GT is close enough aesthetically to the 3 which is bar none the most famous and revered line of Bimmers of all time.

The 2014 BMW 328i GT is meant to be an alternative to the family vehicle with a larger trunk complemented by a rear hatch, easing loading of strollers and other family travelling necessities.

The Gran Turismo is not a SUV, a CUV, a wagon or even a hatchback. It is a little of all of these body styles. (Photo: Mathieu St-Pierre)

2014 BMW 328i xDrive GT Price and Specs
The 2014 BMW 328i xDrive GT has a starting price of $48,990. The 28i designates the presence of the excellent turbocharged 241 horsepower 2.0L 4-cylinder under the bonnet. The 35i gains what remains one of my favourite 6-cylinder engines in the biz: the turbocharged 300-horsepower 3.0L. Its base price is $56,990.

Both versions feature BMW's rear-wheel biased xDrive AWD system and 8-speed automatic transmission. Brake Energy Regeneration and ECO PRO driving mode ensure maximum energy efficiency from this vehicle.

Packages differ between the US and Canada. For example, my tester sported the M Sport group, however, it is not available here. As best as I can spec it out, my 328i xDrive GT would work out to be a Sport Line with Executive package and tip the price scale at $60,500. The 19” wheels, delivered with the Sport Line in Canada, are the main extra.

The 28i designates the presence of the excellent turbocharged 241 horsepower 2.0L 4-cylinder under the bonnet. (Photo: Mathieu St-Pierre)

Driving the BMW 328i xDrive GT
Taking the keys to a BMW and driving away remains a special event, regardless of the series of letters or numbers that adorn it.

The 2014 BMW 328i xDrive GT quickly makes you forget what it is once underway, that is if there are no kids sitting on the rear bench. This fact proved to be the 2nd biggest selling point for this car. Once in drive, the 4-pot plays nice with plenty of low-end grunt and the plethora of gears manage engine revs for ideal torque delivery.

Always smooth, despite having only 4 cylinders, the engine delivers more than enough power for all driving instances. The ride is much the same. Even with an extra 150 kg (330 lbs), the 3 GT drives with the composure expected of BMW's bread-and-butter car. As well, no complaints from the peanut gallery where the brakes and steering are concerned.

In fact, the 2014 BMW 328i GT (like the 3 wagon -- gotta stay true to my first love) presents an excellent compromise where dad could go for a spirited drive through the neighboring countryside before picking up the kids from school. This is a win-win situation.

Once in drive, the 4-pot plays nice with plenty of low-end grunt and the plethora of gears manage engine revs for ideal torque delivery. (Photo: Mathieu St-Pierre)

Inside and Out of the 2014 BMW 328i xDrive GT
The “more room without sacrifice” recipe of the 3-series Gran Turismo continues onboard. Passengers, four in ideal conditions, are treated to plenty of elbow and legroom. Up front, the seats do a fantastic job of supporting all members.

The dashboard and its accompanying fit and finish are all presented in typical BMW fashion, with plenty craftsmanship and quality. Ergonomics along with driving position make the BMW a great place to spend many an hour driving.

The 1st biggest selling point for this car -- the main reason for considering this car -- is the larger trunk.

It is this trunk that broke the 5 Series GT's bodylines. On the 3 Series, BMW was more considerate of the car's delicate yet powerful lines when they raised the trunk lid and lightly extended the roofline. Although not as attractive (nothing beats the original long roof) as the Touring, the Gran Turismo has grown on me and will likely do the same to all.

Obviously, the Sport Line package with said 19” wheels makes it all better...

The dashboard and its accompanying fit and finish are all presented in typical BMW fashion, with plenty craftsmanship and quality. (Photo: Mathieu St-Pierre)

Comparing the 2014 BMW 328i GT
The Gran Turismo line at BMW competes with many CUVs and wagons alike. The most obvious are the Audi Allroad, Infiniti QX50, and the upcoming Mercedes GLA-Class.

For my money, I'd always go for the Touring or, in this list, the Allroad. Nothing says brains like a good old station wagon. Discuss.

That is if you've got one in the market where you're selling your product.

Lucky for us North Americans, we have great history where the automobile is concerned. Domestic brands can pull out names from their vast inventories of trademarked words from the past and instantly spark up nostalgia. It doesn't always work though. Consider Chrysler and the warm reception for the Charger/Challenger duo and the rather hell-frozen-over acceptance of the new Dart...

However, this is not the point of this blog. The inspiration for this blog strangely came from Toyota's commercial for its newest Corolla. In it, we see various generations of the Corolla mixed in with the music styles of the time.



The first three generations rock, if you will, but there's only a very brief spot on the mid-'90s Corolla. In fact, little is shown of the car between 1988 and 2013. This is a period that Toyota would probably prefer we all forget, but the point is that they're showing the Corolla's roots.

The same idea was used in the Civic Nation commercials from a number of years ago. Many of the modded Civics were plain nasty looking but again, the point was made. This car has history and as a possible owner, you will belong to this elite and cool group. We all want to belong.

There are numerous other examples: Volkswagen Beetles routinely make appearances in VW commercials. Perhaps my favourite is the Porsche Panamera spot where the show begins with chassis number 356/2-040, which is the oldest original condition Porsche in the world. I love it when a car manufacturer reminds us viewers/consumers that they've been around and have proven their worth through the years. Then, there are those that do not have this history and thus must make their own as they go along.



Hyundai and Kia (Suzuki's dead, but would have fit into this category) are some examples of carmakers that are building a memoir as they progress. With the help of cool and unusual cars such as the Veloster and Soul, they are ensuring that we will have something to remember them by and feel nostalgic about in 30 years.

I say embrace your past while you still can! As car buyers evolve and become less interested in the car and more in connectivity, the fact that the Ferrari F40 was the first production car to reach 200 mph will matter very little, or not at all.

There are few manufacturers that can pull off a vehicle model that changes so sparingly over the years that one has a hard time distinguishing model year from model year. Porsche immediately comes to mind, their 911 is an automotive staple and one that's seen very few changes in its shape over the years. Even Ferrari tends to stick to a certain “routine” when it comes to their vehicles.

However, can a company like Jaguar really pull it off with a model like the XKR?

I drove my first XKR in 2007. It was brand new then. Truthfully, it's changed very little since then. I look at pictures of that red '07 XKR, and have to do a double-take and remind myself that my 2014 tester was black.

Is this a bad thing? I struggled with that notion for the entire week, and I'm still not sure I've made a clear decision about it.


What is the Jaguar XKR?
Jaguar introduced the XK grand tourer (GT) car in 1996 at the Geneva Motor Show. From its introduction, the Jaguar XK has been available as a coupe or convertible. The XK8 was the first Jaguar to feature an 8-cylinder engine. In 1998 a supercharged version was introduced.

The XK didn't see a redesign or upgrade for a decade until Ian Callum (also responsible for the Aston Martin DB7) took the helm and helped launch the XK into a whole new realm of sexiness for 2006. It's remained largely unchanged since then, receiving an ever-so-minor facelift in 2009 along with the introduction of the current 5.0L V8.

The XK8 was the first Jaguar to feature an 8-cylinder engine. In 1998 a supercharged version was introduced. (Photo: Olivier Delorme)

2014 Jaguar XKR Price and Specs
There's no denying there's a certain amount of exclusivity that comes with owning a 2014 Jaguar XKR, but that exclusivity comes at a price, $109,125 to be exact. I've no problem with Jaguar charging that much for their XKR, until I realize I could snatch up a used version for a fraction of the price (half or less. But I digress...

I absolutely adore the engine the 2014 Jaguar XKR's 5.0L V8 supercharged powerplant pushes out a fantastic 510 horsepower and 461 lb-ft of torque - and it all comes thundering out the rear wheels and out the quad exhaust pipes that love to gurgle, fart and pop. Handled via a 6-speed automatic transmission (which can be fiddled with via the steering-wheel mounted paddle shifters), the power can be quite shocking. But I'll get to that.

You'll see 100km/hr from a standstill in just 4.8 seconds. Jaguar claims the big cat will only sip 11.8L/100km but I was seeing numbers closer to 15-16L.

The 2014 Jaguar XKR's 5.0L V8 supercharged powerplant pushes out a fantastic 510 horsepower and 461 lb-ft of torque. (Photo: Olivier Delorme)

Driving the 2014 Jaguar XKR
Here's where all aspects of design, interior looks, aging and all that other BS quickly slip away. Hit that heart-pulsing start/stop button, hear the V8 literally roar to life, dial it into “S” and go. Just go. Everything else will be forgotten, I promise you that.

For that reason alone, I think Jaguar can get away with having a largely unchanged vehicle like the XKR for nearly six years. If it ain't broke, don't fix it, right? Well, it ain't broke. Not yet. And sure they're releasing phenomenal cars like the F-Type, but that doesn't mean they shouldn't stick to a staple model, like the XKR.

I absolutely adore how easy it is to swing the rear out with the 2014 Jaguar XKR. There's something gloriously naughty about it all when you're behind the wheel of a car that comes from such a posh lineage. Like taking a shot of JD at your grandmother's tea party, the Jaguar XKR can be a brash hooligan when asked (and you'll ask often, trust me).

Hit that heart-pulsing start/stop button, hear the V8 literally roar to life, dial it into “S” and go. (Photo: Olivier Delorme)

Inside and Out of the 2014 Jaguar XKR
While it is outdated, it's still quite pleasant inside the XKR's cabin. Driver amenities are plenty, and the seating position is great.

I did manage to squeeze a baby seat in the suggestion that is a backseat, but no passenger (no matter how small) was comfortable in front of him, unless his legs were crossed and right up against the seatback.

Trunk space is cavernous thanks to the fastback design. The 2014 Jaguar XKR easily swallowed up the 4moms stroller plus all the bits and bobs needed for a weekend at the grandparents.

No one wants to hear me rant about Jaguar's onboard entertainment and navigation system, again, so I won't. It's also largely unchanged (sadly) and just as useless as its always been. Enough said

Trunk space is cavernous thanks to the fastback design. The 2014 Jaguar XKR easily swallowed up the 4moms stroller. (Photo: Olivier Delorme)

Comparing the 2014 Jaguar XKR
As much as I adore the XKR, it has some pretty steep competition that I feel would win out more often than not. Take for example the newly redesigned BMW M6 or the (cheaper and more practical) Audi RS5. Each of these offers up the prestige, luxury and power of the Jaguar XKR in a much more updated and current design both inside and out.

From GMM

Organisers of the Korean grand prix will escape sanction, even though a fire vehicle was deployed onto the racing line during Sunday's race.

The future of the Yeongam race was already under a dark cloud before the bizarre incident, in which leader Sebastian Vettel was stunned to find himself bearing down on a 4x4.

"I think it was a Hyundai or Kia SUV," said the German. "You want the number plate? It was not Bernd Maylander's, so it was not the safety car."

Korean officials had made a mistake, but it is not quite as serious an error as it first appeared.

Indeed, race director Charlie Whiting admitted that, although surprised to see the 4x4 on the track, he had in fact just ordered the deployment of a fire vehicle to help extinguish Mark Webber's worsening fire.

Fire truck as a safety car in Korea. (Photo: WRi2)

"We assumed they would send out the car that was in turn 3, because that's where the burning Red Bull was," Whiting told Germany's Auto Motor und Sport.

"It wouldn't even have had to go on the track," added the Briton. "But for some reason they sent the car that was in turn 2.

"I would say it was a classic misunderstanding," Whiting said.

"When I saw the car on the screen, I immediately deployed the safety car," he explained. "Not because of the fire, but because of the car."

Because it was more a 'misunderstanding' than a grave error, and because the marshals acted correctly in warning drivers with white flags, the Korean race promoters will not be penalised by the FIA.

Ferrari boss Stefano Domenicali said the mistake was excusable.

"As this is their only race per year, they are probably just missing some experience," he said.

And Red Bull team boss Christian Horner said he excuses the mistake altogether.

"I was actually relieved that a fire extinguisher was finally on the way to our car," he said. "It seemed to be burning for an age."

Following his serious accident at the end of the second IndyCar race in the streets of Houston, Dario Franchitti has sustained a concussion and two fractures according to the medical staff at Memorial Hermann Texas Medical Centre.

As his car ran into Takuma Sato's DW12, Franchitti was launched airborne and into the catch fencing where his car rolled then bounced back into the middle of the track.

The Scot was brought to a medical center where he was assessed and found to have suffered a concussion, a fractured vertebra that will not require surgery, and a fractured right ankle.

Meanwhile, officials have confirmed that 14 spectators were injured when a piece of catch fencing that was torn loose during Franchitti's accident landed in a nearby grandstand.

From GMM

Paul di Resta has admitted he is staring into an uncertain future in formula one.

Since debuting for Sahara Force India in 2011, the 27-year-old Scot has been pushing for a move to a bigger team.

But he may now be facing a challenge simply to stay on the grid, after crashing out of Sunday's Korean grand prix.

It was the latest in a sequence of driver errors for di Resta, who has struggled particularly after Pirelli's mid-season tire construction change.

"I'll hold my hands up, it's me who has made the mistake. I apologise to the team," he told reporters in Korea.

Not only that, but with the move to heavier engines in 2014, tall drivers like di Resta are suddenly even less attractive to teams trying to field cars under the minimum weight.

"It is a concern for a driver like me," said Paul di Resta.

Photo: Sahara Force India F1 Team

Asked about his chance of simply staying at Sahara Force India next year, he admitted: "It's a bit of a waiting game."

Deputy team boss Bob Fernley told Speed Week: "The driver question is not in my hands.

"It's up to Vijay Mallya and the shareholders. We will sit down in peace after the Indian grand prix and talk about the drivers for 2014," he added.

Meanwhile, di Resta's cousin Dario Franchitti broke two vertebrae, an ankle and suffered a concussion in a huge Indycar crash in Houston on Sunday.

Team Penske's Will Power won the second race of the Houston double-header this Sunday but runner-up Scott Dixon (Ganassi) is now the new IndyCar Series' leader after yet another disastrous run for Helio Castroneves.

But the afternoon was marred by a massive last-lap accident involving Dixon's teammate Dario Franchitti and AJ Foyt's Takuma Sato.

Franchitti was running behind Takuma Sato's car when the former Formula One driver lost control of his car. That is when the Scot hit the back of Sato's DW12 and found himself in the air and along the fence, causing tremendous damage to the Ganassi car and sending several large pieces of debris in the direction of a nearby grandstand.

Franchitti remained in the wreckage until the medical team could extract him. He was taken directly to a nearby hospital for further evaluation.

Power took the lead from Dixon early in the race and, despite Dixon's best efforts; the Australian retained his advantage right to the end.

Dixon's second place gives him the lead of the IndyCar championship after Helio Castroneves had yet another terrible afternoon at the race track finishing more than 28 laps down.

Andretti Autosport's James Hinchcliffe was back in good form after a terrible time Saturday by finishing third. Justin Wilson (Dale Coyne) and Sebastien Bourdais (Dragon Racing) rounded out the top five.
The race was interrupted eight times by caution periods, most coming from spins or single-car accidents.

Results - 90 laps:
Pos   Driver   Team/Engine   Time/Gap
1. Will Power   Penske/Chevy  1h52m28.9525s
2. Scott Dixon  Ganassi/Honda  +0.8286s
3. James Hinchcliffe  Andretti/Chevy  +4.3629s
4. Justin Wilson  Coyne/Honda  +5.0234s
5. Sebastien Bourdais   Dragon/Chevy  +8.0120s
6. Simon Pagenaud   Schmidt/Honda  +11.0712s
7. Oriol Servia   Panther/Chevy   +14.0815s
8. Charlie Kimball  Ganassi/Honda   +15.1566s
9. Mike Conway  Coyne/Honda   +15.5568s
10. Simona de Silvestro   KV/Chevy  +31.3618s
11. Tristan Vautier  Schmidt/Honda  +32.9460s
12. Sebastian Saavedra  Dragon/Chevy   +38.3799s
13. Josef Newgarden  Fisher/Honda  +1m19.5633s
14. Takuma Sato  Foyt/Honda  +1 lap*
15. Dario Franchitti  Ganassi/Honda   +1 lap*
16. EJ Viso  Andretti/Chevy  +1 lap*
17. James Jakes  Rahal/Honda   +1 lap
18. Graham Rahal  Rahal/Honda   +2 laps
19. Luca Filippi   Herta/Honda   +2 laps
20. Marco Andretti  Andretti/Chevy  +2 laps
21. Ryan Hunter-Reay  Andretti/Chevy  +3 laps

* Not running at finish

Retirements:
Ed Carpenter   Carpenter/Chevy  61 laps
Helio Castroneves  Penske/Chevy  53 laps**
Tony Kanaan  KV/Chevy   32 laps

From GMM

Romain Grosjean will almost certainly keep his place at Lotus beyond this season.

The Frenchman, however, had to be reminded to show his always-present smile on the podium in Korea, after a team orders dispute with his bosses.

Grosjean, who has struggled at times in the last two seasons, had outclassed his highly-rated teammate Kimi Raikkonen in Korea, and was set to finish second behind Sebastian Vettel.

But he made a mistake at the safety car restart, handing second place to the Ferrari-bound Finn.

Team boss Eric Boullier revealed Grosjean "begged for some team orders" to be handed the place back, but was not given the answer he was hoping for.

However, although it was Raikkonen who ultimately delivered the higher finishing place, Boullier told France's RMC: "I want to especially acknowledge Romain, who did an outstanding weekend."

Eric Boullier and Romain Grosjean, happy after the Korean Grand Prix. (Photo: WRi2)

Despite Sunday's events, he insisted Raikkonen is not receiving preferential treatment, even though the Finn is mathematically still in the hunt for the drivers' title.

"There is no number 1 and number 2," Boullier said. "Romain is free to race."

Told that Grosjean appears to have calmed down in recent months and is on a run of good form, Boullier agreed: "He is very serene.

"It has been six races in a row now that he is on the same level as his teammate, so he really is there," said the Frenchman, who also doubles as Grosjean's manager.

Asked if Grosjean still needs to prove himself in order to secure his seat for 2014, Boullier answered: "Obviously, if he continues like this, there is nothing (for him to prove). I think he will have even more than next year (in F1)."

Supercar maker Koenigsegg will launch a new halo car in prototype form by the end of this year. Bloomberg Businessweek reports that it will be called One:1, referring to its incredible power-to-weight ratio: 1,400 hp in a 1,400 kg package!

Computer simulations indicate that the One:1 will hit 449 km/h, and will be the fastest car from 0-200 km/h, 0-300 km/h, and 0-400 km/h. It will also come to a full stop from 300 km/h in just 6.66 seconds.

Koenigsegg One:1

Koenigsegg didn't reveal the price, but expect a number that's “substantially higher” than the $1.4-million cost of the Agera S. Each of the six units planned for production has already found a buyer.

Sources : Autoweek, Businessweek

Here is the video of Sebastien Loeb's crash during the last day of the Rallye de France-Alsace, for his last WRC appearance.

Nine time rally world champion was holding the third position overall, only 2,5 seconds behind Jari-Matti Latvala's Volkswagen who was leading after Saturday's stages. On the first kilometers of the very first stage on Sunday, Loeb and codriver Daniel Elena went off aboard their Citroën DS3, which ended up on the roof. No one was injured in the accident.

Sebastien Ogier (Volkswagen) won the rally after he secured the world championship title after the Power Stage helded on Thursday.

The Blue Oval's first moving assembly line opened exactly 100 years ago, on October 7th, 1913, at the Highland Park assembly plant in Michigan. Henry Ford apparently got the idea from a previous tour of meatworks in Chicago and Cincinnati.

While rudimentary, this assembly line revolutionized automobile production, allowing the company to build a single unit in just six hours instead of twelve. Further upgrades in the ensuing months resulted in the Ford Model T being completed in a mere 93 minutes.

With the use of a winch, cars were pulled along the assembly line and thus came to the workers instead of the other way around. Ford not only increased its production capacity from 100 to 1,000 units a day, but also reduced the cost of a Model T from $850 to $260.

Source : liberation.fr

Photo: Wikipedia