Auto News 5

Plaintiffs seeking damages from Porsche SE have been blocked by a German court from accessing files from the investigation of former Porsche executives Wendelin Wiedeking and Holger Haerter.

Ferrari plans further hybrid models to follow the LaFerrari flagship to attract more wealthy buyers to the brand.

BMW is struggling to deliver spare parts on time because of a new supply-management system in Germany, which is forcing customers to wait for repairs.

Infiniti named Simon Cox to direct its new design studio in London. Cox was head of GM's advanced design studio in Coventry, England, between 1998 and 2010 and also worked for Ford.

Ferrari plans further hybrid models to follow the LaFerrari flagship to attract more wealthy buyers to the brand.

Ferrari plans further hybrid models to follow the LaFerrari flagship to attract more wealthy buyers to the brand.

Transport Canada has announced the recall of 3246 2013 Hyundai Santa Fe and 384 2014 Kia Sorento crossovers. On certain FWD vehicles equipped with a 2.4L engine, the passenger side axle shaft could fail. This could result in a loss of vehicle propulsion which could increase the risk of a crash or allow the vehicle to roll away if parked on a slope, despite the transmission shift lever being set in the PARK position.

Dealers will replace the right front axle-shaft assembly.

Source: Transport Canada

2013 Hyundai Sante Fe XL (Photo: Philippe Champoux)

2014 Kia Sorento (Photo: Mathieu St-Pierre)

From VW Motorsport

Volkswagen Motorsport's Andreas Mikkelsen and co-driver Mikko Markkula opted out of this week's Rallye Deutschland for medical reasons.

A medical exam before the start revealed Markkula had two broken vertebras, probably since Rally Finland, three weeks ago.

When Markkula complained of back pain after recce, his team took the decision to withdraw the No. 9 VW Polo R WRC from the event.

"Safety first", reminded VW Motorsport director Jost Capito. "So the team had to withdraw the car. We we're all very sorry, but we wish Mikko a speedy recovery."

Mikko Markkula, Andreas Mikkelsen (VW Motorsport)

We've all seen the bumper stickers and rear window decals: “It's not just a boy's game,” “Not my boyfriend's ride,” and the like, and I've come to realize it's not just a joke.

As a woman in the automotive world, I used to stick out like a sore thumb. Short, blonde, with glasses and the face of a perpetual 16-year-old, I've received a lot of raised eyebrows and snorts of dismissal from the men in my industry over the years. While they've now come to terms with my presence at track events and behind the wheel of 500+ horsepower vehicles, it took some serious time... and a hard skin on my part.

The fact is I'm no longer an abnormality. The allure of being a woman in the auto industry -- and I'm not talking about the “car girls” you see at auto shows wearing next to nothing and posing for pictures -- is strong amongst my generation (and younger) of women currently out there on the road.


I pride myself on being pretty up-to-date in the online automotive world, but it's only recently that I've discovered a massive all-female online community known as Pretty Little Drivers. With no requirements other than female body parts and a love of everything automotive, this international online community is a thousand strong on Facebook and has nearly 5,000 followers on Instagram (and they're growing daily). The interesting part? They only came into existence about three months ago, and their only form of advertising is word-of-mouth on the World Wide Web. Impressive? You bet.

As a new member of the group, I see daily photos posted by women who are proud of their cars and want to show them off. From base Civics to highly modified Nissan Skylines and jacked up pickup trucks, these girls drive everything and anything. I also read posts about car modification, mechanical issues/questions, upgrades, driving impressions, and general appreciation for their cars. It just warms my heart.

Even the bright pink VW Beetle with the fake headlight lashes, flowers on the dash and fuzzy pink dice makes me smile because the owner is so in love with her car and has gone to great lengths to make her “Betsy Beetle” look the way she does. Passion is passion, no matter how you look at it.

What does it all mean? Is it suddenly cool to be a woman in the automotive world like it was cool to be on the South Beach diet or to sport leg warmers and mullets? I don't think that's the case, but I do think it's not as frowned upon. Women are feeling more confident about “coming out” with their love for cars. We feel more secure in our automotive knowledge as it is that much more accessible now; we can be self-sufficient, self-taught, when it comes to cars.

I'm sure there are lots of state-specific groups like Pretty Little Drivers, and that's pretty amazing, too. I feel like this is so much more than a trend. With the possibility of a woman racing in F1, and girls like Maria Soklis as CEO of Kia, we're rising up behind the wheel and really making our mark on an industry previously “reserved” for the male of the species.

I'm trying not to be all rah-rah-women here, but screw it: Go us! In a way it's kind of sad that we have to prove ourselves the way we do in this industry, but at the same time I'm glad we are. We've been part of a horrible stereotype for far too long now, and it's women like the Pretty Little Drivers and IHeartCarGirls who are helping break that mould we've all been shoved into.

It really isn't just a boy's game, but we're happy to play nicely with them... if they behave themselves.

From Toyota Tires F1600 Press Office

The Toyo Tires F1600 Championship Series is headed to the beautiful Calabogie Motorsport Park this weekend for the Ted Powell Memorial Race, rounds 9 and 10 of the Championship.

This is the home event for Ottawa, ON resident and series point leader Zach Robichon who has a good lead in the Championship but is now feeling the pressure from Exclusive Autosport's Jack Mitchell, Jr and BGR Team Grote teammate Jesse Lazare.

The trio, joined by rookie Max Hanratty, put on two incredible races at the last event, passing for the lead several times a lap. We can expect much the same at Calabogie this weekend.

Second in A Class points is actually former Champion Shane Jantzi but he will be skipping this event but will be back for the next.

Craig Willis still sits atop the “B” Class Championship points standings but has seen his lead eroded with the form Mike Gayowski has shown, dominating the last event.

Gayowski will not be in attendance this weekend so series rookie Connor Wagland who has been a great addition to the series and has shown some good pace as of late will test Willis.

Amy Castell will be debuting a new ride as she has purchased the impeccably prepared Reynard of Paul Bollenbach, which should help her move further up the grid.

Returning to the series this weekend will be Kieran Murphy and Jean Guy Fournier so the grid should be in excess of 15 cars.

“We are very excited to be heading to Calabogie this weekend,” said Jason Sharpe, promoter for the series. “We have seen some absolutely incredible wheel to wheel racing all throughout the field the last two weekends. The points battles are getting tighter and this is our only trip here this season so it should make for some good battles,” he added.

Cars will hit the track on Friday for a full day of testing and the racing will begin with Round 1 on Saturday and Round 2 on Sunday afternoon.

Anti-climactic
Where to begin? As an enthusiast, I'm a fan of Mini and MINI products. I'm also a lover of wagon-like cars, crave AWD and just about anything with a good dose of power, performance and handling. Enter contestant No.1: the 2013 MINI John Cooper Works Countryman ALL4! A longer-named, sexier-looking, more-promising car, I'd not seen...

My anticipation was palpable. I was truly salivating at the thought of a week with this car. Seriously, I'd not been this excited about test-driving a car since the Golf R. Whereas the Golf blew my mind the MINI deflated my bubble in the saddest and wheeziest of ways.

The final experience is this: The John Cooper Works Countryman is damn fine to look at and loves to be pushed hard, but the 6-speed autobox is a crying shame, and the Countryman's added girth robs John Cooper from truly shinning.


What is a MINI John Cooper Works Countryman ALL4?
First, John Cooper Works is the optimum name in factory tuning when it comes to all MINIs. This shop's expertise goes way back. The current company belongs to BMW, as does MINI.

The 2013 MINI John Cooper Works Countryman ALL4 is the biggest, nearly most expensive MINI one can purchase, and it served as the base for MINI's return to the WRC (which sadly only lasted a year).

The Countryman is as close to a CUV as the brand has come since its rebirth nearly 15 years ago.

John Cooper Works is the optimum name in factory tuning when it comes to all MINIs. This shop's expertise goes way back. (Photo: Colin Styker)

Technicalities
The 2013 MINI John Cooper Works Countryman ALL4 is powered by a turbocharged 1.6L 4-cylinder engine. In all JCWs (save for the GP), it produces 208 hp. Torque numbers for the Countryman are 192 lb-ft with an overboost function that adds a further 15 lbs.

Transmission choices are a must-select 6-speed manual and a doesn't-belong 6-speed auto with ghastly flappy paddles. As the ALL4 tag suggests, this JCW is equipped with AWD.

The 2013 MINI John Cooper Works Countryman ALL4 starts at $38,500. My as-tested unit retailed for a whopping $48,695, which included the Sound, Premium, and Wired packages.

The Countryman ALL4 is powered by a turbocharged 1.6L 4-cylinder engine. In all JCWs (save for the GP), it produces 208 hp. (Photo: Colin Styker)

Driving the MINI John Cooper Works Countryman ALL4
First: The optional $1,300 automatic transmission should not be offered in the first place. I do understand it improves the take rate... Mr. Cooper himself would probably roll over in his grave knowing it were available. However wrong I think this is I cannot fault the box itself. It'll rev-match, shift, hold gears, and play along. Although, the paddles are straight from BMW's 2003 spare-parts bin. The buttons do both up- and downshifts; a big no-no in this car.

Next up: The 2013 MINI John Cooper Works Countryman ALL4 is fat -- real fat. At 1,480 kg (3,256 lbs), the Countryman tips the scale at a monstrous 270 kg (594 pounds!!!) over the “basic” JCW MINI.

This massive avoirdupois is immediately felt. The John Cooper Works Countryman still carves apexes with supreme precision through an electric steering system that responds telepathically to the driver's whims. The difference between the JCW Countryman and the JCW I drove a few years ago is how fast the car can intelligently enter a corner. The Countryman wants, but like a fat dog, it can't keep up... At least its brakes are up to snuff.

The weight also affects off-the-line acceleration, but (mercifully) the autobox doesn't. Seven seconds are required to hit 100 km/h on the way to a 205 km/h top speed. Passing is quickly dispensed with, but the leopard-like reflexes of what I've come to know as a MINI JCW are diluted and muffled under girth.

What JCW should have done here is endow the Countryman with a larger engine or more boost for more power to offset the weight.

The paddles are straight from BMW's 2003 spare-parts bin. The buttons do both up- and downshifts; a big no-no in this car. (Photo: Colin Styker)

Inside and out of the MINI John Cooper Works Countryman ALL4
I can best describe the experience with this car as going out with a dolled-up Alison Brie and only getting a peck on the cheek while holding her hand, and not being able to round third base and go home...

With the available, sick 19” Cross Spoke Crusher wheels, Oxford green paint job, and black sport stripes, this JCW is the hottest I've come across. Unfortunately, I didn't get to go to bed with her either, if you know what I mean.

The cabin is swank, rank with carbon-black leather with red stitching, and chili-red interior trim. The seats offer fair support and are comfortable. The rear bench is good for two adults, and the trunk is a good size.

The seats offer fair support and are comfortable. (Photo: Colin Styker)

Comparing the MINI John Cooper Works Countryman ALL4
I get that MINI has gone where no other Mini has gone before, and that's fine. However, I think the JCW moniker should remain reserved for cars that deserve these coveted letters.

For the price, the 2013 MINI John Cooper Works Countryman ALL4 lines up with the likes of the Subaru Impreza WRX and STI, and the Volkswagen Golf R. These cars more powerful and priced equally or cheaper and, although the JCW might be exclusive, you won't find thousands of Rs or STIs on the road, either...

From GMM

McLaren Formula 1 team has conceded it will probably chalk up a rare and unwanted statistic in 2013.

Not often does the great British team go an entire season without winning a single race, but managing director Jonathan Neale thinks that is likely this year.

Jenson Button won commandingly from pole in Belgium a year ago, but the 2009 world champion admitted this week that he is not returning to Spa "with the package to win".

And Neale told reporters during a Vodafone teleconference on Wednesday that the MP4-28 will probably go to the other eight races this year with the same slim chances.

Sergio Pérez, McLaren MP4-28 (Photo: WRi2)

Asked if the 2013 car will win a race this season, he said: "I think that will be a real challenge if I'm honest."

Neale said development of the MP4-28 has stopped, unless something is found that could also benefit the 2014 programme.

"There's four months to the end of the year and a lot of work to be done to get ready for next year," he added.

"So I think, inevitably, there will start to be an increasing focus on 2014."

Volkswagen has released the first pictures of its all-new Golf R, which will be unveiled on September 10th at the Frankfurt Auto Show. Equipped with a 2.0 litre turbocharged engine producing 296 hp, it can accelerate from 0-100 km/h in 5.3 seconds, or 4.9 seconds when equipped with the DSG transmission. The electronically-limited top-speed is 249 km/h (155 mph).

The new Golf R has fuel economy ratings of 7.1L/100 km as per European testing, and consumes 6.9L/100 km when equipped with stop/start function, regenerative braking and DSG transmission. First deliveries will commence at the end of 2013, but Canadian availability has not yet been published. If past trends are an indicator, few units will make it to Canadian shores.

Photo: Volkswagen

From GMM

Formula 1teams teams are braced for the "curveball" of an all-new tire supplier for 2014.

That was the admission on Wednesday of McLaren's managing director Jonathan Neale, even though he said the British team is "assuming" Pirelli will get an eleventh-hour extension to its contract.

But he admitted that assumption actually has little "foundation".

"If we were to get a late change from somebody else coming into the sport at short notice," Neale told a Vodafone teleconference, "of course we would work around that and work with whoever the FIA chose that to be."

It has been rumoured that, should the Jean Todt-led FIA launch a surprise tender process for 2014, Michelin might enter the race to return to the grid.

Neale admitted that, with the 2014 cars being designed around the basic data of the Pirelli tire, a last-minute change of supplier would be a spanner in the works.

"But it would be the same for everybody," he added. "So if somebody throws in a curveball at the last minute we'll all have to recover but there'll be some winners and losers in that."

Meanwhile, Neale applauded Pirelli's reaction to the tire -exploding crisis of the British grand prix, but said there is some concern about this weekend's high-speed circuit at Spa-Francorchamps.

Pirelli is supplying the hardest tires in its range to teams in Belgium.

"I think for this weekend all the teams will be reasonably alert that we are high load at Spa," said Neale.

"Pirelli are being rightly cautious about making sure that the teams operate within certain restrictive windows on tire pressures and cambers etc. and we're supportive of that process," he added.

On August 1, we announced that Ford was modifying the 2014 F-150, to run on natural gas, to be introduced to the US market. Last week, the manufacturer confirmed that the model would also be sold in Canada in the fall.

Equipped with a 3.7-litre V6 engine, the 2014 F-150 can be modified to run on natural gas for an average cost of $7,500 to $9,000 USD.

“Businesses and fleet customers have been asking Ford to make the F-150 available with CNG capability to take advantage of this fuel's low price and clean emissions,” said Jon Coleman, Ford fleet sustainability and technology manager.

Over the next year, Ford will offer eight other natural gas fueled models along with the pickup:

• Transit Connect (multiple versions)
• Transit (multiple versions)
• E-Series (multiple versions)
• F-Series Super Duty pickups
• F-350, F-450 and F-550 chassis cab
• F-650 stripped chassis
• F53 and F59 stripped chassis
• 2014 F-150

Photo: Ford

From VW Motorsport

Volkswagen Motorsport's Andreas Mikkelsen and co-driver Mikko Markkula opted out of this week's Rallye Deutschland for medical reasons.

A medical exam before the start revealed Markkula had two broken vertebras, probably since Rally Finland, three weeks ago.

When Markkula complained of back pain after recce, his team took the decision to withdraw the No. 9 VW Polo R WRC from the event.

"Safety first", reminded VW Motorsport director Jost Capito. "So the team had to withdraw the car. We we're all very sorry, but we wish Mikko a speedy recovery."

Mikko Markkula, Andreas Mikkelsen (VW Motorsport)

Transport Canada has announced the recall of 3246 2013 Hyundai Santa Fe and 384 2014 Kia Sorento crossovers. On certain FWD vehicles equipped with a 2.4L engine, the passenger side axle shaft could fail. This could result in a loss of vehicle propulsion which could increase the risk of a crash or allow the vehicle to roll away if parked on a slope, despite the transmission shift lever being set in the PARK position.

Dealers will replace the right front axle-shaft assembly.

Source: Transport Canada

2013 Hyundai Sante Fe XL (Photo: Philippe Champoux)

2014 Kia Sorento (Photo: Mathieu St-Pierre)

Nissan has announced that its latest generation of Titan pickups will be equipped with the new Cummins V8 5.0-litre Turbo Diesel engine. Nissan and Cummins collaborated on the development of this most recent powertrain.

Presently in its final stages of development, these engines, with over 300 HP, will be more powerful than those offered with the current model. The V8's towing capacity and mileage will rival any North American-built truck.

“We are very excited to partner with Nissan on the introduction of a Cummins V8 5.0L Turbo Diesel to the North American pickup truck market,” said Dave Crompton, Vice President, Cummins Engine Business. “This new engine will offer the right balance of power, performance and fuel economy while delivering the dependability that a customer expects of a Cummins engine. This will be a great package.”

Nissan has not yet specified the date of the engine's release on the market.

Photo: Nissan

Volkswagen has released the first pictures of its all-new Golf R, which will be unveiled on September 10th at the Frankfurt Auto Show. Equipped with a 2.0 litre turbocharged engine producing 296 hp, it can accelerate from 0-100 km/h in 5.3 seconds, or 4.9 seconds when equipped with the DSG transmission. The electronically-limited top-speed is 249 km/h (155 mph).

The new Golf R has fuel economy ratings of 7.1L/100 km as per European testing, and consumes 6.9L/100 km when equipped with stop/start function, regenerative braking and DSG transmission. First deliveries will commence at the end of 2013, but Canadian availability has not yet been published. If past trends are an indicator, few units will make it to Canadian shores.

Photo: Volkswagen

On August 1, we announced that Ford was modifying the 2014 F-150, to run on natural gas, to be introduced to the US market. Last week, the manufacturer confirmed that the model would also be sold in Canada in the fall.

Equipped with a 3.7-litre V6 engine, the 2014 F-150 can be modified to run on natural gas for an average cost of $7,500 to $9,000 USD.

“Businesses and fleet customers have been asking Ford to make the F-150 available with CNG capability to take advantage of this fuel's low price and clean emissions,” said Jon Coleman, Ford fleet sustainability and technology manager.

Over the next year, Ford will offer eight other natural gas fueled models along with the pickup:

• Transit Connect (multiple versions)
• Transit (multiple versions)
• E-Series (multiple versions)
• F-Series Super Duty pickups
• F-350, F-450 and F-550 chassis cab
• F-650 stripped chassis
• F53 and F59 stripped chassis
• 2014 F-150

Photo: Ford