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Eiji Toyoda, who spearheaded Toyota's expansion in the United States as the automaker's longest-serving president, died today at the age of 100.

Eiji Toyoda, who spearheaded Toyota's expansion in Europe and the United States as the automaker's longest serving president, died today. He was 100.

Eiji Toyoda, who spearheaded Toyota's expansion in the United States as the automaker's longest-serving president, died today at the age of 100.

Eiji Toyoda, who spearheaded Toyota's expansion in Europe and the United States as the automaker's longest serving president, died today. He was 100.

Eiji Toyoda, who spearheaded Toyota Motor Corp.'s expansion in the United States as the automaker's longest-serving president, died today at the age of 100.

Opel/Vauxhall says it hopes its Mokka subcompact SUV will rise to the top of Europe's fast-growing small SUV and crossover segment, but market watchers don't see it climbing that high.

In the spot "Trace Your Road" for the new IS Hybrid, Lexus invited some of its Facebook fans to participate in an augmented reality video game with former Formula One driver Jarno Trulli.

Bentley's ultra-luxury SUV will create a new segment when it begins sales in 2016, its global head of sales and marketing said.

Opel/Vauxhall says it hopes its Mokka subcompact SUV will rise to the top of Europe's fast-growing small SUV and crossover segment, but market watchers don't see it climbing that high.

In the spot "Trace Your Road" for the new IS Hybrid, Lexus invited some of its Facebook fans to participate in an augmented reality video game with former Formula One driver Jarno Trulli.

Opel/Vauxhall says it hopes its Mokka subcompact SUV will become market leader of Europe's fast-growing small SUV and crossover segment, but market watchers don't see it climbing that high.

Achieving scale is the only way to survive as a supplier in a fiercely competitive and globalized automotive market, a top executive at IAC Group said. 'Size means you have global presence.

In the spot "Trace Your Road" for the new IS Hybrid, Lexus invited some its Facebook fans to participate in an augmented reality video game with former Formula One driver Jarno Trulli.

From GMM

Red Bull has rejected a proposal that might have levelled the playing field for F1's struggling teams.

Next year, in-season testing will once again be allowed, but midfield teams Sauber and Force India admitted during a recent team managers' meeting that they probably cannot afford to attend every test day.

According to Germany's Auto Motor und Sport, Sauber proposed that, instead, they be allowed to substitute a test day for a day of wind tunnel testing with the actual race car.

"This was flatly rejected by Red Bull," said correspondent Michael Schmidt.

"The argument (made by Red Bull) is that they (Sauber) could learn more than on the track, and so they (Red Bull) would be forced to build a 1:1 model. Additionally, they (Red Bull) do not have a suitable wind tunnel."

Photo: Sauber F1 Team

Schmidt insisted, however, that Red Bull is not the only powerful team that is strenuously resisting the push for major cost cutting in formula one.

"The big teams protest so loudly that it's reminiscent of the orchestra that kept playing on the Titanic as it sunk," he said.

Finally, having resisted pressure to get on board until now, FIA president Jean Todt has reportedly signaled his intention to get to work on cost cutting.

"It seems the presidential election campaign also has its positive side effects," said Schmidt.

From GMM

Sebastian Vettel has admitted he will miss his teammate Mark Webber.

The pair, teamed together at Red Bull since 2009, have had an often fraught relationship that arguably broke down completely after this year's 'multi-21' affair.

"You can say what you want about our relationship," triple world champion Vettel told the Austrian magazine Sportwoche, "but in the end we pushed each other very hard.

"I will miss that," said the German, referring to Australian Webber's impending departure for Le Mans-style prototype racing with Porsche.

Sebastian Vettel and Mark Webber, Red Bull Racing. (Photo: WRi2)

Mark Webber admitted to the latest edition of F1 Racing magazine that he decided to call time on his grand prix career due to flagging motivation.

"I've been on the edge with F1, motivation-wise, for the past couple of years," he said.

Indeed, since they went head-to-head for the title in 2010, this season Vettel has clearly had the edge on 37-year-old Webber, who is now almost 100 points behind the championship leader.

But Sebastian Vettel insists Mark Webber still pushes him hard.

"There has always been two or three corners where Mark has me biting my lip," he said. "You try to figure out what he is doing, which keeps you busy enough."

The pair have often clashed in the personality stakes, but Vettel insists that "Even if it is perceived differently from the outside, it was important that I was always hungry".

Irvine, California - Here, in North America, we have yet to fully embrace the value of micro and subcompact cars. There are a number of reasons for this and they vary from a litre of fuel still being too inexpensive to driving on the highway along side full-size pickups for fear of being crushed like a bug.

For those of you who have adapted to or have always loved small cars, you'll agree that your 1984 Chevette has nothing to do with your recently purchased Nissan Versa Note. Most of us forget that the only “reduced” aspect of these cars is its size, not its features, safety or driving pleasure.

On that final point is where I waltz in with my 2014 Nissan Micra. Although my drive was fairly brief, I seriously had a blast with the Micra; I drove it as thought I'd stolen it. The ride quality is surprisingly good, the 3-cylinder engine is peppy, and this little puppy's nimbler than its diminutive dimensions suggest. On top of that, I think it looks fab.


What is a Nissan Micra?
The Micra, Nissan's supermini, was once offered in North America from the mid-‘80s up until the very beginning of the 1990s or the end of the 1st generation of the car. The current Micra, the one I tested, was launched for the 2010 model year.

This car is on sale in over 160 countries, but is sadly not expected to come to us any time soon. The recent arrival of the Versa Note leaves little place in Nissan showrooms for two such small cars. As well, they both share many components.

The Micra, Nissan's supermini, was once offered in North America from the mid-‘80s up until the very beginning of the 1990s. (Photo: Mathieu St-Pierre)

2014 Nissan Micra Price and Specs
In the United Kingdom, the Micra is offered at a starting price of £9,950 or at 11,390€ in France. My tester was a 1.2L DIG-S model with all the trimmings which prices it at £14,050 or 16,000€ in each country respectively.

Obviously, these are astronomical sums for such a car on this side of the Pond. In order to be competitive, a base Micra could not sport a base price of more than $13,000 in Canada or the USA.

The 1.2L 3-cylinder provides 79 horsepower and 80 lb-ft of torque. A 5-speed transmission is standard while a CVT is optional.

The 1.2L 3-cylinder provides 79 horsepower and 80 lb-ft of torque. (Photo: Nissa)

Driving the Nissan Micra
As I've stated, I had a great time blasting around the streets of Irvine in this small car. Although this was the suggested urban route, roads like the eight-lane Sand Canyon Ave are large enough to fit 14 or more Micra's across, I got cozy with the Micra driving around Great Park on top of negotiating through traffic on Irvine Blvd.

Although streetlight racing is not the greatest idea with a 79-hp car, it did prove that without taking the throttle to the floor, I was easily capable of keeping up with anxious cabby drivers, F350 Super Duties and regular sedans.

Once back on the clutch, the engine sparks to life from its start-stop, and into 1st gear, the 2014 Nissan Micra slides off the line easily. The shifter's action is light and precise and that's a good thing as in order to stay within the power-band, the lever needs to move regularly.

The ride comfort and quality are impressively good, better than the Qashqai I also drove. The Micra's compliant suspension feels incredibly well-sorted and adapted to our roads. Despite the 3-pot and relative “cheapness” of the car, NVH was kept to a minimum unless the local authorities were chasing me...

Steering and brakes were also up to snuff. Seriously, in the drive department, nothing would need to be done for our market.

Despite the 3-pot and relative “cheapness” of the car, NVH was kept to a minimum unless the local authorities were chasing me... (Photo: Mathieu St-Pierre)

Inside and Out of the 2014 Nissan Micra
I am convinced that this little car would do some serious damage in the microcar segment. Granted, my tester was a fully loaded model, but replace the alloys by wheel covers, remove the fog lamps and the rear spoiler, and the 2014 Nissan Micra still stands tall.

I've long thought that the better designed small cars were the Kia Rio and Ford Fiesta, but the Micra could easily knock one of the two out...

More praise goes to the cabin. A number of the components are familiar such as the HVAC controls and steering wheel that are also found in the Cube. The result of decent fit and finish is a dashboard that is attractive and well laid out.

There's plenty of room for four adults, and the deep trunk is unexpectedly capacious.

In the cabin, a number of the components are familiar such as the HVAC controls and steering wheel that are also found in the Cube. (Photo: Nissan)

Comparing the 2014 Nissan Micra
The 2014 Nissan Micra would rival with the aforementioned Rio and Fiesta on top of the Hyundai Accent, Mazda2, Mitsubishi Mirage, Chevrolet Spark and Toyota Yaris, Honda Fit and, to a lesser extent, the smart fortwo.

I'm a big fan of the Fit and Rio, but I think the Micra could take them on.

From GMM

Lotus is weighing up between Nico Hulkenberg and Felipe Massa to complete its 2014 driver lineup.

Asked recently if - in the interests of continuity - Romain Grosjean will definitely be retained next year if Kimi Raikkonen departs, team boss Eric Boullier answered simply: "Yes."

So that leaves only the cockpit currently occupied by the Ferrari-bound Finn Raikkonen to fill.

The candidates are Hulkenberg - the impressive German who after moving from Force India last year is now seeking to jump from struggling Sauber - and the experienced Ferrari refugee Massa.

Brazilian Massa, 32, might have the edge.

Felipe Massa (Ferrari) has the edge on Nico Hulkenberg (Sauber) for the Lotus race seat. (Photo: WRi2)

According to O Estado de S.Paulo newspaper, Frenchman Boullier said recently that, "In 2014, experience will be more important than speed".

He is referring to the move from the current engine rules to next year's regulations surrounding the turbo V6s, which according to most of the sport's technical insiders is perhaps the biggest shift in the history of F1.

That is why, on the face of it, while the younger but hugely promising Hulkenberg perhaps should be the favourite, Massa's vast wealth of experience might have him in pole position for the seat.

A source close to Boullier told Brazilian correspondent Livio Oricchio: "The chances are 50 per cent apiece for Hulkenberg and Massa."

Oricchio said the prize on offer is a two-year contract with options.

And there may be another factor counting in Massa's favour -- money.

While definitely not a traditional 'pay driver', Massa would bring some weighty support to Lotus in the form of his well-connected manager, Nicolas Todt.

The son of FIA president Jean Todt, Nicolas has - according to Italy's Autosprint - already brought a sponsor to Lotus in the form of Swiss watchmaker Richard Mille.

Massa's continuity in F1 is also backed strongly by Bernie Ecclestone, who fears the absence of a single Brazilian on the grid could affect the success of the crucial Brazilian market, and the popular Brazilian grand prix.

"It would be surprising if (Ecclestone) has not talked to Eric Boullier and (Gerard) Lopez about his preference regarding the choice between Hulkenberg and Massa," said Oricchio.

Felipe Massa told Brazil's O Globo broadcaster this week: "We are negotiating (with Lotus). The Lotus is a very competitive car, which is what I want. It's a team that has a very important story with Brazil as well. They've had a hard time financially, so we are having many conversations to try to find a way not only for me to have a good car, but for Lotus as well."

Meanwhile, when asked about Massa's claim there has also been contact with McLaren, a spokesman for the British team told us: "We don't comment on media speculation with regard to rumoured driver movements."

Ford plans to install 200 additional charging stations at more than 50 of its facilities in the U.S. and Canada, including car plants, product development centres, as well as marketing and sales offices.

The automaker hopes to have all these new 220V charging stations operational by mid-2014. Ford employees will get the first four hours of charging for free; after that, they'll start paying. It's believed that this policy will encourage employees to move their vehicles so others can plug in.

Ford currently has about 1,700 charging stations at dealerships and company facilities in North America.

Source : autonews.com

Photo: Ford

The tire nominations for the forthcoming Grands Prix in Korea, Japan and India have been announced by Pirelli.

For Korea, the medium and supersoft tires will be used. The surface tends to be slippery, with a wide variety of corners and some heavy braking areas.

The medium tire copes well with the wide-ranging demands of the circuit, while the supersoft is capable of generating the highest possible levels of traction on the slippery surface.

At the Suzuka circuit in Japan, one of the most popular and historic tracks on the whole calendar, the P Zero Orange hard and P Zero White medium tires have been chosen.

These are designed to soak up the high-energy demands of rapid corners such as 130R and Spoon, which characterise the famous Japanese circuit.

In India, which was new to the Formula 1 schedule in 2011, the P Zero White medium and P Zero Yellow soft tires are nominated.

This combination has been selected to provide the best possible compromise between performance and durability at the Buddh International circuit, which is well-known for its big elevation changes and technically demanding corners.

September 17th, 1964 marked the world premiere of Goldfinger, the iconic James Bond movie which featured an Aston Martin DB5.

Instead of red, the producers opted to have the car painted in Silver Birch to make it look stealthier. The DB5 became just as popular as Goldfinger. In fact, it's still one of the most famous cars in the history of film.

James Bond's DB5 included:

• Bulletproof windshield, side glass, and rear window;
• Revolving licence plate for France (4711-EA-62), England (BMT216A), and Switzerland (LU6789);
• GPS dashboard with tracking device
• Armrest controls for smoke screen, oil slick, front wing machine guns, and rear bulletproof screen;
• Shifter-controlled passenger ejector seat;
• Tire slashers.

The success of Goldfinger and the DB5 was such that people forgot about Aston Martin's win at the 24 Hours of Le Mans with a DB1 driven by Roy Salvadori and some guy named Carroll Shelby.

Source : Wikipedia

Photo: RM Auctions