Auto News 5

Wondering what Ford's view was on GM's decision to pull Chevrolet from Europe, I put the question to Ford of Europe Chief Operating Officer Barb Samardzich.

Wondering what Ford's view was on GM's decision to pull Chevrolet from Europe, I put the question to Ford of Europe Chief Operating Officer Barb Samardzich.

A final update of just-auto's list of concepts and production models which made their debuts at the 9 January press day of Autosport International 2014.

The press preview day for the Autosport International 2014 is 9 January. Each time a vehicle or concept world premiere is confirmed for this event, our preview list is updated.

The press preview day for the Autosport International 2014 is 9 January. Each time a vehicle or concept world premiere is confirmed for this event, our preview list is updated.

Hyundai targets sales gains in Europe next year but will not seek to maintain its market share at all costs, regional COO Allan Rushforth, said. Hyundai's strategy is to win repeat business, he said.

With the Q50, Infiniti is counting on a world-first technology for a serial production car #8211; steer-by-wire #8211; and the addition of its first diesel powertrain to lure European premium-car buyers from the dominant German brands.

The appointment of Mary Barra as GM's next CEO has been welcomed in Germany, home of the automaker's struggling Opel unit.

GM has given responsibility for its most profitable region -- North America -- to Alan Batey, a hard-charging 50-year-old Briton who has zoomed through the automaker's executive sales ranks over the past four years.

For those of us without a checkbook like Nigel Wright, watching your money is important -- and Mitsubishi's latest offering helps Canadian drivers do just that. It's called the Mirage, it's huge on low-cost transport, and it's not a mirage that its starting price is under $12,500, it has a 10-year, 160,000 kilometre powertrain warranty or that its mileage figures suggest you can go 100 clicks on as little as 4.4 litres.

The Mits Mirage is basic transportation, and evaluating it as anything else is missing the point. Besides, the shopper after a car like this one wants, arguably, three key things: a cheap price, low running costs, and that warm, snuggly feeling that arises from knowing you've scored a good deal.

As such, the Mirage will sell some copies to families and folks after a thrifty second-car runabout to use when the Sequioa or Tahoe's services aren't required or to any number of folk looking to downsize their ride, fuel bills, repair costs and car payments or to someone like my brother who drives a big, gas-sucking truck to support his outdoorsy weekend activities while cringing at the fuel burned on his work commute during the week.

There's another shopper the Mirage is going to be even more popular with. This shopper's favourite restaurant has a 99-cent menu; they're familiar with living on a shoestring budget; they're probably upgrading from a pair of Nikes and a bus-pass, because the Mirage will probably be their first car. If not, they've probably returned beverage containers and searched beneath sofa cushions for gas money in the not-so-distant past.

Yes, the Mitsubishi Mirage is going to be a hit with students. Students who will likely take their new Mirage on road trips, loaded to the brim with friends, gear, and supplies while searching out all sorts of new adventures.

I thought I'd head out on a college road trip of my own, even though I went to university nearly a decade ago and haven't set foot in the halls of higher learning edifice since then. I selected three friends to join me, and we packed up, set off, and headed from Sudbury to the most exciting of Canadian destinations: Sault St. Marie, Ontario.

The agenda? An evening in the hot-tub at the Water Tower Inn (which was, of course, broken), a night on the town, and a morning of breakfast and meeting a very special college car from another era.

Photo: Justin Pritchard

My passenger-buddies were initially reluctant about taking the little Mirage on such a big road trip; however, they, and I, learned a lot about Canada's thriftiest and best-backed subcompact in the process. Here are some notes.

Bigger than it Looks: It was anyone's guess how the Mirage's interior would accommodate Paul, Dave, Eddie and I, plus our overnight bags, and a large 20-pound pike mounted to a board (a gift for a friend's new garage) all at once. The 2014 Mitsubishi Mirage is bigger inside than it looks -- and though snug for four adults of average-ish size, it wasn't oppressively tight. Three cupholders and a rear-window cargo-cover shelf added to the at-hand storage and helped keep us organized on the go. Seats are flat and somewhat stiff, so a few stops to stretch were required. All of my passengers were surprised at the interior space, and especially headroom.

Great Lighting: Some after-dark driving revealed a very good headlight system, especially with the high beams engaged. The route is a drab, poorly lit stretch of boring asphalt on a good day., I appreciated powerful, saturating high-beam output during this mid-November road trip in limited daylight. The Mirage's high beams are bang-on in terms of output and dispersion.

Get the CVT for Highway Cruising: The CVT isn't a favourite transmission, though the tester benefitted from its presence. With no gears to shift, the CVT puts the 1.2L 3-cylinder engine's 74 horsepower to optimal use, enabling shift-free acceleration up to highway speeds, enhanced refinement, and the ability to spend more time at lower revs. Best thing? Hills. With an automatic, a little car like this would excessively hunt to find the right gear on any grade, like Goldilocks evaluating bowls of porridge. With the CVT, revs smoothly ramp up as needed, speed is maintained well, and refinement is maximized.

Decent Highway Ride and Steering: Rough roads in town can coax some harshness and noise from the Mirage's suspension, though on well-maintained highways it feels relatively solid and robust -- not flimsy and delicate. Further, a heavy “notch” in the on-centre steering position means the Mirage “locks” onto its line when drivers point it straight ahead, helping it feel like a bigger, heavier, and more planted machine at speed.

Decent Mileage in less-than-ideal Conditions: I didn't achieve the sub 4L/100km rating promised by Mitsubishi of their latest gas-saver, though with 800 pounds of passengers, plus their stuff, rolling at 115 km/h on winter tires on a windy day, my trip average mileage landed at 6.5L/100km, which isn't bad at all.

Complaints: A few gripes came to light during the trip, too. First, there's no arm-rest, which sucks is you have arms. Second, the engine sounds unpleasant and protests if you need to give it the boot and open it right up. Finally, a whistling noise, which we figured was probably the sound of wind going around a body panel gap, was apparent for some of the drive.

Photo: Justin Pritchard

From GMM

F1's reigning champions Sebastian Vettel and Red Bull have broken ranks and slammed the new 'double points' finale.

Germany's Sport Bild reports that Red Bull voted against the highly controversial change agreed in the strategy group and F1 Commission meeting on Monday, which is being introduced after Vettel utterly dominated the 2013 season.

Next year, while the winner of classics like Monaco and Monza will collect just 25 points, victory in the Abu Dhabi finale will attract 50 points, with the FIA explaining that the move is to "maximise focus on the championship until the end of the campaign".

Sebastian Vettel, winner in Korea, in 2013. (Photo: WRi2)

German Vettel slammed the new rule.

"Imagine there is suddenly double points in the last Bundesliga match," he told Sport Bild.

"This is nonsense, and punishes those who have worked hard for the rest of the season. I like the old traditions of formula one and don't understand this new rule," added Vettel.

Sport Bild reports that, while also against the wishes of Abu Dhabi's rival race promoters, the rule was pushed through by Bernie Ecclestone and Jean Todt, and teams including Ferrari and Mercedes.

"We were against it," confirmed Red Bull's Dr Helmut Marko, "but our team boss Christian Horner was overruled. At first the double points was planned for the last four races, but that would have made the rest of the world championship almost meaningless."

On Wednesday NASCAR chairman and CEO, Brian France, named Brent Dewar as chief operating officer.

Previously he'd been senior vice president global Chevrolet, responsible for leading GM's volume brand across four regions and 130 markets. But he comes from the background of the general manager of the C6 Corvette which went on to LeMans 24 Hours titles.

“In Brent Dewar, we will add a seasoned leader with deep experience in the automotive sector, plus intimate knowledge of and passion for NASCAR as well as various other forms of motorsports,” Brian France said. “Brent brings creativity, drive, intelligence, operational acumen and a clear understanding of our assets and challenges to NASCAR. He's a leader who's naturally collaborative, an essential trait as we work more closely with the OEMs, teams, tracks, broadcast partners and others to grow the sport over the next decade.”

Brent Dewar. (Photo: NASCAR)

“When Dewar was at Chevrolet, he took an analytical approach to the business as the chief marketing officer. “We were pretty aggressive about making sure the investment was something we wanted to make,” Dewar said. “We did ROI research on the fan base and we learned early that this [NASCAR] is a great place to invest because of the fan loyalty.

“In my position here, I get to work with great teams and great people, and my hope is to be able to move the ecosystem forward.”

As the new COO of NASCAR, Dewar hopes to hit the ground running, and there is much he hopes to accomplish in his first 100 days.

“I'm still working with Mike Helton on instituting competition reform, and they will be rolled out at the beginning of the year, and that's exciting,” he said. “We also have industry initiatives that are close to my heart: the digital and social communications.”

Dewar said that his relationship with NASCAR has given him the chance to see how France runs the company. He said he's excited to bring his enthusiasm for racing to his new position.

“Working closely with NASCAR over the last year, I've been very impressed by Brian's vision for NASCAR's future and the talented people he has put in place to achieve that vision,” said Dewar. “I have great passion for racing, and I look forward to adding my experience, ideas and relationships throughout racing to help the team drive NASCAR's growth and position it for a bright future.”

Swedish researchers say fuel prices should be about 3.5 times higher -- based on a 900% increase in carbon taxes -- if the country is to achieve a vehicle fleet independent of fossil fuels by 2030, as it was envisioned four years ago.

"We want to make it clear what needs to be done in order to achieve the government's vision of a vehicle fleet that is independent of fossil fuels," Eva Samakovlis, researcher at Sweden's National Institute of Economic Research, told the Dagens Nyheter newspaper. "These are drastic measures that come with large economic costs and that can be hard to implement."

Sweden is already one of the countries with the highest fuel prices; a single litre costs the equivalent of about $2.35. A 900% tax hike would push prices beyond $7.00.

Source: caradisiac.com

Hyundai's new Intrado concept, which will make its debut at next year's Geneva Auto Show, is the Korean company's first prototype to embody its ''Fluidic Sculpture 2.0'' design language (first shown on the 2015 Genesis).

The fuel cell technology at work in the Hyundai Intrado is similar to the current Tucson FCEV's, but smaller and lighter.

The Intrado is a 5-door crossover with outrageously sized wheels, boomerang-shaped taillights, and styling cues inspired from the world of aeronautics. In fact, the name of the concept refers to the underside of an aircraft's wing.

More details to come in the weeks leading up to the Geneva show in March.

Source: Motor Authority

From GMM

Sauber has hit back at speculation about its future by revealing it is well on track to debuting an all-new 2014 car.

Having lost the talented Nico Hulkenberg to his former team Sahara Force India, Hinwil based Sauber - after its financially-embattled 2013 - is now only in the company of Caterham with its two vacant race seats for next season.

"Never in Sauber's 21-year grand prix history has not even one of its drivers for the following season been known by this time," the respected Swiss correspondent for the well-connected Blick newspaper, Roger Benoit, said.

On Wednesday, however, Sauber beat the other teams to an important piece of news about 2014, revealing that the FIA's mandatory static and dynamic tests have all been passed by the new C33 chassis.

The 2014 car is therefore "officially homologated", Sauber announced via Twitter on Wednesday.

Sauber added: "The rear crash test, which is not part of the chassis homologation, will take place separately at a later date, as usual."

From GMM

Paul di Resta has admitted that his formula one career appears over.

The Scot is being sued in London's High Court by former manager Anthony Hamilton, and during testimony on Tuesday, the 27-year-old admitted he is unlikely to return for a fourth season with Sahara Force India in 2014.

"They (Force India) may be interested, they may not," di Resta told the court.

"I believe they are in talks with Sergio Perez. It's looking likely that I will not be driving. The only team that really has any possibility is Sauber, (but) there has been nothing other than a chat with my manager. I am speaking to Mercedes-Benz for DTM," he added.

Paul di Resta, who outscored his teammate Adrian Sutil in 2013, drove for Mercedes throughout his earlier DTM career, becoming the German touring car series' champion in 2010 before entering formula one.

Sergio Perez. (Photo: WRi2)

The FIA has decided to open a new selection process to identify a candidate team to participate at a competitive level in the FIA Formula One World Championship from the start of the 2015 or the 2016 season up to 2020 inclusive.

The overall long term interests of the Championship will determine which candidates are selected.

The precise terms of this selection process, together with the applicable selection criteria, deadlines, legal requirements and other conditions, will be communicated to candidates who have registered a formal expression of interest with the FIA's Secretariat before 5pm CET Friday January 3rd, 2014, together with an initial administration fee of US$5,000.

By way of indication only, the FIA anticipates that full applications will need to be submitted by February 10, 2014, leading to a decision on February, 28 2014.

In the event that no applicant is considered suitable by both the FIA and the commercial rights holder, no additional team will be selected.

From GMM

Heikki Kovalainen says there is no guarantee Kevin Magnussen will thrive at McLaren, insisting 2014 could make or break the Danish rookie.

The famous British team, for whom Finn Kovalainen drove alongside Lewis Hamilton in 2008 and 2009 before losing his seat, recently made the surprise decision to oust Sergio Perez in favour of the 21-year-old Magnussen.

"I'm still surprised by the team's decision," Mexican Perez, who it is believed will switch to Force India for 2014, told Brazil's Totalrace this week.

"I didn't know the news was coming and, in fact, my contract was already signed. So I was surprised. Time will tell if it was the right decision," added Perez, referring to McLaren's signing of the new Formula Renault 3.5 champion Magnussen over him.

Finn Kovalainen, who is also hoping to find a race seat for 2014, told the Finnish newspaper Turun Sanomat he also cannot be sure that McLaren's gamble on Magnussen will pay off.

"There are two possibilities: Kevin will do well, or he will do badly," said the 32-year-old, who despite his experience struggled late in 2013 when he replaced Kimi Raikkonen in the competitive Lotus cockpit.

"It is difficult to say which one of the possibilities is the most likely," added Kovalainen, referring again to Magnussen's chances.

"McLaren seems to really believe in him, but I don't really know him, other than knowing that he is fast and a good driver," he continued.

Kevin Magnussen, McLaren. (Photo: WRi2)

McLaren is hoping Magnussen can emulate the feats of its impressive 2007 rookie Lewis Hamilton, but Kovalainen warned that the team's most recent experiment with a new driver - Perez - appeared not to pay off.

"Hamilton was able to fight for the podium from the first race, but in the past season Sergio Perez has not met expectations," he explained.

"They were expecting they could polish the diamond, but it didn't turn out like that. In any case, McLaren is a very strong team with excellent facilities and vast resources, so at least in theory they can create the conditions to solve all of a driver's problems. There is no guarantee that Magnussen will succeed, but at least he will have a great chance," added Kovalainen.

Let's review the top 5 key moments, or most memorable events of the 2013 Formula 1 season which saw German Sebastian Vettel capture his fourth world title for Red Bull Racing.

5
Singapore Grand Prix - Sebastian Vettel proves he's (by far) the best
Red Bull Racing's Sebastian Vettel massacred the opposition as he scored a crushing victory on the streets of Singapore. Vettel started from pole and led all 61 laps in a Renault-powered RB9 that was sometimes two seconds a lap faster than any other car.

Sebastian Vettel, Red Bull, in Singapore. (Photo: Red Bull)

4
Brazilian Grand Prix - Jenson Button scores the best finish of the year for McLaren
By finishing fourth at Interlagos, Jenson Button scored the best finish of the season for the mighty McLaren team. That concluded the worst even season for the British team, failing to score a single podium for the first time since 1980, the year Ron Dennis took over control of the team.

Jenson Button, McLaren MP4-28, Brazil. (Photo: McLaren)

3
British Grand Prix - A race marked by the blowout of five tires
Nico Rosberg scored victory for Mercedes AMG but the Silverstone race will be remembered for the dramatic fact that five drivers had their Pirelli tires blowout and several more narrowly avoiding having the same disaster.

In an effort to reduce their excessive tire wear, some teams were found to have been running the uni-directional tires the wrong way round and at camber angles up to four degrees.

Felipe Massa, Ferrari, Silverstone. (Photo: WRi2)

2
Mercedes illegal tire test
Certainly the most bizarre affair of the season. The F1 paddock discovered in Monaco that Mercedes AMG held a secret Pirelli tire test in Barcelona the week following the recent Grand Prix, which is forbidden under the current regulations. Mercedes booked the test without other teams' knowledge and used blank driver helmets. The FIA reprimanded the team and Pirelli for carrying out the test, and Mercedes was also banned from the upcoming Young Driver Test at Silverstone.

Pirelli tires on the Mercedes. (Photo: WRi2)

1
Malaysian Grand Prix - Multi-21
Undoubtedly the most controversial affair of the year. Sebastian Vettel deliberately ignored the Red Bull team orders (Multi-21), attacked and passed race leader, his teammate Mark Webber. Meanwhile, Mercedes told its drivers, Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg, to slow down and not to attack each other and not fight for third place. After obeying the team orders, Rosberg told to the team “Remember this one...”

Mark Webber and Sebastian Vettel duringthe post-race press conference in Malaysia. (Photo: WRi2)

For those of us without a checkbook like Nigel Wright, watching your money is important -- and Mitsubishi's latest offering helps Canadian drivers do just that. It's called the Mirage, it's huge on low-cost transport, and it's not a mirage that its starting price is under $12,500, it has a 10-year, 160,000 kilometre powertrain warranty or that its mileage figures suggest you can go 100 clicks on as little as 4.4 litres.

The Mits Mirage is basic transportation, and evaluating it as anything else is missing the point. Besides, the shopper after a car like this one wants, arguably, three key things: a cheap price, low running costs, and that warm, snuggly feeling that arises from knowing you've scored a good deal.

As such, the Mirage will sell some copies to families and folks after a thrifty second-car runabout to use when the Sequioa or Tahoe's services aren't required or to any number of folk looking to downsize their ride, fuel bills, repair costs and car payments or to someone like my brother who drives a big, gas-sucking truck to support his outdoorsy weekend activities while cringing at the fuel burned on his work commute during the week.

There's another shopper the Mirage is going to be even more popular with. This shopper's favourite restaurant has a 99-cent menu; they're familiar with living on a shoestring budget; they're probably upgrading from a pair of Nikes and a bus-pass, because the Mirage will probably be their first car. If not, they've probably returned beverage containers and searched beneath sofa cushions for gas money in the not-so-distant past.

Yes, the Mitsubishi Mirage is going to be a hit with students. Students who will likely take their new Mirage on road trips, loaded to the brim with friends, gear, and supplies while searching out all sorts of new adventures.

I thought I'd head out on a college road trip of my own, even though I went to university nearly a decade ago and haven't set foot in the halls of higher learning edifice since then. I selected three friends to join me, and we packed up, set off, and headed from Sudbury to the most exciting of Canadian destinations: Sault St. Marie, Ontario.

The agenda? An evening in the hot-tub at the Water Tower Inn (which was, of course, broken), a night on the town, and a morning of breakfast and meeting a very special college car from another era.

Photo: Justin Pritchard

My passenger-buddies were initially reluctant about taking the little Mirage on such a big road trip; however, they, and I, learned a lot about Canada's thriftiest and best-backed subcompact in the process. Here are some notes.

Bigger than it Looks: It was anyone's guess how the Mirage's interior would accommodate Paul, Dave, Eddie and I, plus our overnight bags, and a large 20-pound pike mounted to a board (a gift for a friend's new garage) all at once. The 2014 Mitsubishi Mirage is bigger inside than it looks -- and though snug for four adults of average-ish size, it wasn't oppressively tight. Three cupholders and a rear-window cargo-cover shelf added to the at-hand storage and helped keep us organized on the go. Seats are flat and somewhat stiff, so a few stops to stretch were required. All of my passengers were surprised at the interior space, and especially headroom.

Great Lighting: Some after-dark driving revealed a very good headlight system, especially with the high beams engaged. The route is a drab, poorly lit stretch of boring asphalt on a good day., I appreciated powerful, saturating high-beam output during this mid-November road trip in limited daylight. The Mirage's high beams are bang-on in terms of output and dispersion.

Get the CVT for Highway Cruising: The CVT isn't a favourite transmission, though the tester benefitted from its presence. With no gears to shift, the CVT puts the 1.2L 3-cylinder engine's 74 horsepower to optimal use, enabling shift-free acceleration up to highway speeds, enhanced refinement, and the ability to spend more time at lower revs. Best thing? Hills. With an automatic, a little car like this would excessively hunt to find the right gear on any grade, like Goldilocks evaluating bowls of porridge. With the CVT, revs smoothly ramp up as needed, speed is maintained well, and refinement is maximized.

Decent Highway Ride and Steering: Rough roads in town can coax some harshness and noise from the Mirage's suspension, though on well-maintained highways it feels relatively solid and robust -- not flimsy and delicate. Further, a heavy “notch” in the on-centre steering position means the Mirage “locks” onto its line when drivers point it straight ahead, helping it feel like a bigger, heavier, and more planted machine at speed.

Decent Mileage in less-than-ideal Conditions: I didn't achieve the sub 4L/100km rating promised by Mitsubishi of their latest gas-saver, though with 800 pounds of passengers, plus their stuff, rolling at 115 km/h on winter tires on a windy day, my trip average mileage landed at 6.5L/100km, which isn't bad at all.

Complaints: A few gripes came to light during the trip, too. First, there's no arm-rest, which sucks is you have arms. Second, the engine sounds unpleasant and protests if you need to give it the boot and open it right up. Finally, a whistling noise, which we figured was probably the sound of wind going around a body panel gap, was apparent for some of the drive.

Photo: Justin Pritchard