Auto News 5

Toyota released new images of the Yaris Hybrid-R, which is slated for an upcoming Frankfurt Auto Show launch. Inspired by the 3-door Yaris, the all-wheel drive Hybrid-R is powered by a 1.6 liter GRE (Global Racing Engine) engine, developed by Toyota Motorsport, mated to two electric motors.

Photo: Toyota

From Clarke Motorsports Communications/First Draft Media

Racers are always looking for an advantage; that certain edge that will lead them to victory lane. Heading into the Super Bowl of Stockcar Racing - the 21st Annual Autumn Colours Classic, presented by Lucas Oil Products - at Peterborough Speedway, drivers who battle Canada's toughest 1/3-Mile Oval will search for anything that will help them claim the year's biggest prize.

Now that the track's regular season of action has wrapped-up for 2013, drivers and race teams can focus their attention on finding the perfect set-up that will make them an Autumn Colours champion.

Even though the green flag is more than a month away, the home track stars hope they'll benefit from a season of turning laps around the tight bull ring on Mount Pleasant Road, west of the Liftlock City. Among the choice runners, fans will be keeping a close eye on the No. 22 Limited Late Model Ride of Chris Mitchell.

In contention for this year's track championship until the season's final checkered flag, the pilot of the Dent Dynamics/Rockstar Energy Drink/Race Toyota/Earl Ireland Auto Sales - hegottrucks.ca /ISL Insurance/Kawartha Metals/Klotz Race Fuels Toyota Camry by Dan McHattie Racecars will spend some extra hours in the shop, doing homework that will hopefully lead to another trip to victory lane in Central Ontario's marquee motorsports spectacular.

"We won here back in 2011 and just missed capturing the track championship this year, so our team obviously knows how to get the job done," said the speedster who hails from Peterborough.

"Winning Autumn Colours isn't as much about the paycheque as it is the trophy. We have other hardware on the shelf in the race shop, but there will always be room for another title from this event. I know the competition will be tough, but I'm hoping racing luck will be on our side."

Some of the Peterborough Speedway regulars expected to give Mitchell a run for the Limited Late Model title at the prestigious short track event include Kelly Balson, Cory and Jack Horner and 2012 track champion Bryan Sudsbury. While the locals will do their best to defend the home track honours, a list of invaders including Andy Kamrath, Thayne Hallyburton, Stompin' Tom Walters and last year's Limited Late Model winner Dwayne Baker will do what they can to take away the big prize.

Teams will get a chance to practice their race day set-ups during an open test Saturday, September 14th. The run-through - beginning at 9 a.m. - will precede a 250 lap endurance race, taking the green flag at 7 p.m. Autumn Colours events get underway with the first round of qualifying Friday, October 11th and continue throughout the Thanksgiving Weekend.

Maserati plans to unveil a limited-edition concept of its Quattroporte at the Frankfurt Auto Show. On sale as of early 2014, the Ermenegildo Zegna is named in honor of the famous luxury line of men's clothing. The two companies collaborated closely on the project.

The Zegna influence is most evident in the passenger compartment, where leather abounds in classical warm hues like moka and beige. A special effect paint finish that simulates the fluidity and purity of metal, by using ultra-fine aluminium pigments, is used for the exterior.

Maserati has not revealed planned production figures for the Quattroporte Ermenegildo Zegna.

Photo: Maserati

From GMM

At least for now, team owner Gerard Lopez insists he is committed to formula one.

In the past weeks, he has consistently played down the importance of the confirmed news that Lotus, the Enstone based team formerly known as Renault and Benetton, has debts of EUR 120 million.

He told Russia's f1news.ru that the actual number is not significant to Genii, the investment firm he leads.

So, asked if he is sticking with F1 and with the name Lotus, Gerard Lopez answered: "I think so. I have already said that we will stay in formula one as long as we are interested. That was the case two years ago, also last year, and nothing has changed. However, not everything depends on us. I cannot say what formula one will be like in three to five years.

"Our interest depends a lot on whether we are among the best teams in the championship. To win, to fight the best -- this is our main motivation to stay," he insisted.

Lotus E21. (Photo: René Fagnan)

Indeed, he said Lotus cannot be compared to Mercedes or Ferrari, given that Genii "do not sell cars".

F1, for an investment firm, "is a platform, not an advertising space", said Lopez.

"Generally, having a formula one team in itself is definitely not a project that can bring profits. For us it is enough that the team is just not unprofitable," he added.

For that reason, Gerard Lopez said, Lotus is not for sale.

"We do not hide that we are looking for partners, we talk about it openly, but we are not talking about a sale of the team. It's not the same thing," he insisted.

Former Indy car and Formula 1 champion, Jacques Villeneuve is involved in a new track project based in British Columbia, called South Okanagan Motorsports Club's Area 27.

In an article written by Andrew McCredie of the Vancouver Sun, the author explains that the project is a country club for driving enthusiasts.

The consortium is made of Villeneuve, South Okanagan Motorsport Club founders David King and Bill Drossos and Osoyoos Indian Band Chief Clarence Louie.

The location of the Area 27 facility is 20 kilometres north of Osoyoos in Oliver, the self-proclaimed wine capital of Canada, and sits on land owned by the Osoyoos Indian Band (OIB).

The consortium behind the proposal needs to sign up members to the private club. And while 300 is their target, the SOMC president says 200 will be enough to get Phase 1 of the planned four phases completed.

The concept will offer members to drive their performance cars on a purpose-built track, with on-site facilities to service, fuel, store and detail their machines.

Bill Drossos thinks the new track will be able to host four racing events each year, categories such as the NASCAR Canadian Tire Series, Canadian Superbike and vintage racing.

McCredie says the estimated cost of Phase 1, expected to take between six to eight months when approved, is $7.5 million. The overall budget is $10 million to $12 million. The group hopes the first cars will take to the track as early as the summer of 2015.

Formula 1 teams will travel to Italy this weekend to contest the famed Italian Grand Prix held on the toughest circuit of the season on engines.

Monza -- nicknamed the “Temple of Speed” -- represents the ultimate test for an engine's outright performance and reliability.

“Over three quarters of the lap is spent at full throttle and the maximum speed goes over 320 km/h four times each lap,” said Remi Taffin, Renault Sport F1's head of track operations.

Image: Caterham-Renault

“In fact the RS27 will be at full throttle for nearly 20secs in two sections of the track - twice as long as a drag strip. It is only the grip generated from the wings stop the cars from lifting - a small plane would take off in the time and the speed reached down the pit straight,” he added.

The single seaters will also be at the highest average speed of the year; very close to the 240 km/h mark.

The blue line represents the speed of the car. It's easy to see the 4 long straighaways. (Image: Caterham-Renault)

“Only three chicanes break the flow of the lap so drivers try to straightline them as much as possible, however this places its own demands on the engines as the drivers ride the kerbs, momentarily unloading the rear axle and making the engine hit the rev limiter. The phases of heavy braking and acceleration run huge loads through every part so we tend to use a new engine where possible,” he said.

“Even though the engine is running at full throttle for three quarters of the lap, fuel consumption is actually one of the lowest of the year and the race starting fuel load is one of the lowest of the season. It is actually the most fuel efficient of the year as the engine is working at a largely constant rev and the car is running a very low downforce package,” Taffin explained.

I had an interesting conversation with a Volkswagen rep over Californian wine while staying in Napa Valley, recently. I asked him if VW was “worried” about other car companies finally waking up to bringing affordable, well-performing diesel cars to North America. Since the German automaker has, essentially, held a monopoly over that market in NA for decades now, the idea of competition must make them a bit nervous, no?

No.

Don't think he was being all haughty about Volkswagen's superiority, he wasn't. The German juggernaut isn't worried because they hope companies like Honda, Mazda and Chevrolet will work with them to bring out more diesel buyers in general.

Instead of competition, VW sees the Chevy Cruze diesel, the upcoming Mazda6 diesel and the (hopefully soon) upcoming Honda Accord diesel as allies, a means to bringing more diesels to North America even if they aren't under the VW badge.

Instead of splitting an already small market percentage amongst the different diesels that will be available on the market in the near future, VW just wants to make that percentage grow overall. Instead of 3.4% diesels in Canada, let's make it 10.1% spread across a few different brands. That's the goal here.

Why? Because North America truly is a fabulous market for diesels, we've just not opened our eyes wide enough to the idea yet. Just like that dreadful word “wagon,” we've got to warm up to the idea of diesel and how good they can truly be -- and the fact that they aren't just for pickup trucks and commercial vehicles.

Our aversion to diesel always kind of baffled me. It used to be a cheaper gas option, lasts longer in the tank, and the torque is generally quite fun - so what's the problem? The engine is a bit loud? So what. The gas can smell a bit rank while you're pumping? Keep gloves in your car or carry hand sanitizer in your glove box. The exhaust is dirty and causes the rear bumper to turn black? Um, nope, not anymore. Manufacturers have gone to great lengths to develop clean diesel that not only keeps your car exterior clean, but the environment, too.

As a final thought, the Volkswagen gentleman I was having this conversation with said that one other reason VW truly isn't worried, and is more excited about the prospect, about other manufacturers offering diesel models is their variety of diesels. They've got six different models available with diesel engines. Perhaps that monopoly's not quite over after all. In fact, 75% of diesel passenger cars and SUVs carry a VW badge in the US. If you add Audi and Porsche, that number jumps to well over 80%.

Here's to diesels for all; time to wake up and smell the burning lowered-sulfur.

Photo: Alexandra Straub

The IndyCar Series has confirmed that veteran Ryan Briscoe has been asked to join Graham Rahal to conduct test on the Indianapolis Motor Speedway road course on September 4th.

As we had already revealed, this test has been organised by the IMS and the IndyCar Series to gather information about the track's different configurations as part of the planning process for what is estimated to be a $100 million upgrade program.

The IMS officials as well as IndyCar are in the process of evaluating the idea of holding an IndyCar event on the road course.

Meanwhile, Graham Letterman Lanigan Racing will be testing Indy Lights frontrunner Jack Hawksworth at the Sebring road course on September 17th.

With two races remaining Hawksworth is currently fourth in the Indy Lights standings, albeit just nine points behind current leader Sage Karam.

Graham Rahal at Indianapolis. (Photo: IndyCar)

Bentley will be adding a member to the Continental GT family next September 10th at the Frankfurt Auto Show, the GT V8 S, available in both coupe and convertible versions. It's powered by a twin-turbo 4.0 liter V8 that produces 528 hp and 680 lb-ft torque at 1,700 rpm. The engine is mated to a close-ratio 8-speed ZF automatic transmission.

The Bentley Continental GT V8 S goes from 0-100 km/h in 4.5 seconds (4.7 for the convertible) and has a top speed of 309 km/h (308 km/h for the convertible).

The first deliveries of the Bentley Continental GT V8 S are planned for early 2014.

Photo: Bentley

Photo: Bentley

From GMM

Mario Andretti, F1's world champion of 1978, has backed Red Bull's decision to sign Daniel Ricciardo.

Some, including the German newspapers Welt and Bild, have criticised the signing of young "nobody" Australian Ricciardo over a champion candidate like Kimi Raikkonen.

But Andretti insisted: "I can understand the decision absolutely. They have this training team, Toro Rosso, that has already created Sebastian Vettel.

"So why would they have a training team if not for situations like this?" said the 73-year-old, referring to Mark Webber's departure for Le Mans.

"This is a great signal to all young racing drivers that there is a way without having a big name," Andretti told Welt.

Daniel Ricciardo. (Photo: Red Bull Racing)

And, anyway, some take serious issue with the description of 24-year-old Ricciardo as a "nobody".

"He is one of the most talented drivers," said Colin Kolles, who was Ricciardo's first F1 team boss at HRT.

"His driving style is similar to the young Fernando Alonso and Ayrton Senna," he added.

However, even if Ricciardo does live up to that promise, it is unlikely he will be fully up to speed by the very first race of 2014 in Australia.

Dr Helmut Marko has said the Australian will be given a grace period of "three to five races", by which time he will be expected to get "at least enough points for the constructors' championship".

Indeed, while Marko has revealed Ricciardo's contract is for "at least three years", Italy's Autosprint said the deal would include an initial assessment at the mid-point of next season.

One thing Ricciardo can bank on, however, is a pay rise.

Andrew Heathcote, rich list editor at the Australian business magazine BRW, said the driver's current $600,000 salary will rise to "about $2 million" now that he is at Red Bull.

That is an awful lot cheaper than Raikkonen, but another factor may also have played against the laconic Finn.

"A very important consideration is the new set of rules next year," Marko told Austria's Servus TV.

"This requires a lot of work with the technology and in the simulator, for both drivers. This made a difference for Daniel," he said, perhaps hinting that blase Raikkonen's work ethic would not have been as good.

Finally, Red Bull designer Adrian Newey played down the saga about Ricciardo's wide hips, insisting the 24-year-old will fit in the 2014 car.

"Actually it's slightly easier now," said the Briton, "as he is not as tall as Mark."

McLaren Young Driver and Formula Renault 3.5 championship contender, Stoffel Vandoorne spent the weekend of the Belgian Grand Prix as part of the McLaren team.

The Belgian, who won the F4 Eurocup 1.6 in 2010 and the Formula Renault 2.0 Eurocup in 2012 had a chance to be part of the McLaren family at Spa-Francorchamps.

Vandoorne was introduced to McLaren Matt Bishop by former F1 driver Alex Wurz two years ago. Then, Bishop had talks with team engineers Sam Michael and Phil Prew about this upcoming racer.

Stoffel Vandoorne. (Photo: McLaren)

“Early 2012, Matt invited me to the McLaren Technology Centre and introduced me in person to Sam and Phil - just a general chat. Then, at the end of 2012, when I won the Formula Renault 2.0 championship, Sam called me and asked me if I wanted to join the McLaren Young Driver Programme. I said yes, of course!” Vandoorne said in a McLaren feature.

“Over the six months I've been with McLaren I've made big progress in the fitness side, and I'm confident that I can improve even further from now on too. Also, on the technical side, it's really good to be having discussions with the McLaren engineers - to really learn about race engineering - as well as to just chat about racing with them in general,” the Belgian added.

He also confirmed that his career is now managed by Richard Goddard, Jenson Button's manager.

“Like almost every single-seater racing driver, they want to be an F1 world champion,” Vandoorne continued.

“At the moment that's still quite far away for me, I know that, but I'm trying to work my way up there. I'm currently driving in World Series by Renault 3.5, which is a very good formula. And this season is going quite well for me so far. So, hopefully, one day I'll be able to take the step up to F1 and then be able to fight for an F1 world championship. But I'm certainly not under-estimating what a big task that will be,” he said.

Sam Michael and Stoffel Vandoorne. (Photo: McLaren)

In his first season in the Formula Renault 3.5 series, Vandoorne is competing against another member of the McLaren programme, Kevin Magnussen.

“Kevin and I have had some really good battles on track this season, and we're each other's main rivals at the moment, and I have a lot of respect for him. He's a very good driver. And, yes, probably it's going to be a McLaren Young Driver who's going to be the winner of the Formula Renault 3.5 championship this year, which is great for McLaren. Hopefully that'll be me, of course!”

“I'm only in my first year in the Formula Renault 3.5 championship, my goal is absolutely to win races and to try and win the championship first time out. At the moment I'm lying second in the championship table, but there's still a lot to play for,” Vandoorne concluded.

The Frankfurt Auto Show will be the scene, next September 10th, of the world-premiere launch of the Porsche 918 Spyder. The plug-in supercar, which develops 887 hp, and can reach 100 km/h in 2.8 seconds (for a top speed of 340 km/h) has astounding fuel economy ratings of 3.0 and 3.3 L/100 km.

Porsche will also be presenting the new-generation gasoline-powered, hybrid, and diesel Panamera. The Porsche 911 50th Anniversary Edition will also be among the featured vehicles.

Photo: Porsche

Democratic proposals to widen the scope of the Department of Energy's loan program for advanced cars could falter in the face of Republican opposition in Congress.

Audi is set to take next week's Frankfurt auto show by storm. It is unveiling the new 700-hp

Audi is set to take next week's Frankfurt auto show by storm. It is unveiling the new 700-hp

2013 Porsche 911 C4S to the Nurburgring

A fast family vacation.

Fourteen years ago, I was 24-years old and traveling on my first trip to Europe. I flew into Brussels, rented an Opel Astra 1.4-liter hatchback, and immediately drove to the Nurburgring. I was instantly addicted to the brilliance of the legendary track that Jackie Stewart called "The Green Hell." I have subsequently returned to the 'Ring many times over the next 14 years. For my tenth visit, I decided it was time to travel with my family to the area of Germany that I love so much.

Photo Gallery: 2013 Porsche 911 C4S to the Nurburgring - Automobile Magazine

Photo Gallery: 2013 Porsche 911 C4S to the Nurburgring - Automobile Magazine

2013 Porsche 911 C4S to the Nurburgring | Digg It | Add to del.icio.us

2013 Audi Sport Quattro Concept First Look

Another take on a modern Quattro coupe.

Fear not, Quattrophiles. Despite the cancelation of several sports car projects -- (including the wild, Le Mans prototype-based R20) and a sudden shakeup of Audi's executive roster, the possibility of a modern ur-Quattro coupe revival isn't dead. As evidenced by the new Audi Sport Quattro concept, which debuts at the 2013 Frankfurt motor show, the project is still alive, but with a few new twists.

Photo Gallery: 2013 Audi Sport Quattro Concept First Look - Automobile Magazine

Photo Gallery: 2013 Audi Sport Quattro Concept First Look - Automobile Magazine

2013 Audi Sport Quattro Concept First Look | Digg It | Add to del.icio.us

2013 Porsche 911 C4S to the Nurburgring

A fast family vacation.

Fourteen years ago, I was 24-years old and traveling on my first trip to Europe. I flew into Brussels, rented an Opel Astra 1.4-liter hatchback, and immediately drove to the Nurburgring. I was instantly addicted to the brilliance of the legendary track that Jackie Stewart called "The Green Hell." I have subsequently returned to the 'Ring many times over the next 14 years. For my tenth visit, I decided it was time to travel with my family to the area of Germany that I love so much.

Photo Gallery: 2013 Porsche 911 C4S to the Nurburgring - Automobile Magazine

Photo Gallery: 2013 Porsche 911 C4S to the Nurburgring - Automobile Magazine

2013 Porsche 911 C4S to the Nurburgring | Digg It | Add to del.icio.us

Audi Sport Quattro Concept First Look

Another take on a modern Quattro coupe.

Fear not, Quattrophiles. Despite the cancelation of several sports car projects -- (including the wild, Le Mans prototype-based R20) and a sudden shakeup of Audi's executive roster, the possibility of a modern ur-Quattro coupe revival isn't dead. As evidenced by the new Audi Sport Quattro concept, which debuts at the 2013 Frankfurt motor show, the project is still alive, but with a few new twists.

Photo Gallery: Audi Sport Quattro Concept First Look - Automobile Magazine

Photo Gallery: Audi Sport Quattro Concept First Look - Automobile Magazine

Audi Sport Quattro Concept First Look | Digg It | Add to del.icio.us

2013 Porsche 911 C4S to the Nurburgring

A fast family vacation.

Fourteen years ago, I was 24-years old and traveling on my first trip to Europe. I flew into Brussels, rented an Opel Astra 1.4-liter hatchback, and immediately drove to the Nurburgring. I was instantly addicted to the brilliance of the legendary track that Jackie Stewart called "The Green Hell." I have subsequently returned to the 'Ring many times over the next 14 years. For my tenth visit, I decided it was time to travel with my family to the area of Germany that I love so much.

Photo Gallery: 2013 Porsche 911 C4S to the Nurburgring - Automobile Magazine

Photo Gallery: 2013 Porsche 911 C4S to the Nurburgring - Automobile Magazine

2013 Porsche 911 C4S to the Nurburgring | Digg It | Add to del.icio.us