Auto News 5

BMW announced this weekend that it would be replacing the title-winning M3 DTM with a new car next year. The 2014 contender, the M4 DTM, will be based on the M4 Coupé the Munich manufacturer recently launched.

"We are all really looking forward to the new BMW M4 DTM," declared BMW Motorsport director Jens Marquardt. "The BMW Concept M4 Coupé certainly looks fantastic. So will our DTM car for next season."

BMW M4 Coupé (Photo: BMW)

BMW re-entered the DTM touring car series last year after a 20-year absence with the 3-series based M3 DTM. By the end of the season, it had won all three championships - drivers, teams and manufacturers.

Harold Grohs scored the very first victory of the M3 in the DTM, back in 1987. Since then, the model went on to win 48 races. Bruno Spengler is the last driver to have taken the car to victory, this year in Spielberg.

The outgoing M3 DTM (Photo: DTM.com)

Model: 2007 to 2012 GMC Acadia

Vehicle Type: Crossover SUV

The Verdict: Where an upscale driving experience, plenty of on-board space and room for up to eight are priorities, the Acadia is worth a test drive, but shop cautiously and check any model for the common issues outlined below. A newer model -- or one with plenty of factory warranty remaining -- is your safest bet.

Price: Used Acadia's are somewhat rare in the used marketplace relative to their competition, although shoppers can expect to find units available ranging between $15,000 and $35,000, depending on mileage, features, and condition.

Photo: Sébastien D'Amour

What Owners Like: Plenty of on-board space, an upscale cabin, adequate performance, and flexible interior appointments are commonly praised by GMC Acadia owners. All-season confidence in AWD models and car-like dynamics were also highly rated.

What Owners Dislike: Lazy transmission programming, fuel mileage, and small at-hand storage bins were among the most common complaints. Others included a fussy navigation system, fussy Bluetooth system, and limited rear-seat comfort.

Photo: Sébastien D'Amour

History/Description: With the intention of putting GMC showrooms on the mental radar of family-minded crossover shoppers, the Acadia launched for model year 2007 with plenty of space, handsome looks, an upscale cabin, and the promise of good fuel mileage thanks to its modern V6 engine. Look for room for up to eight occupants, BOSE audio, dual sunroofs, heated leather, automatic climate control, OnStar, and plenty more.

Trim grades span from SLE to SLT from basic to loaded, respectively. A high-luxury Denali grade was available for several years, too.

Front-drive was standard, and automatic All-Wheel Drive (AWD) was optional. All models have a 3.6L V6 engine, which made 275 or 288 horsepower, depending on the year. All models were equipped with a 6-speed automatic. Consider the Acadia alongside competitors like the Honda Pilot, Nissan Pathfinder, Acura MDX, and Ford Flex.

Photo: Sébastien D'Amour

Common Issues: On a test drive, inspect the ceiling liner and footwell carpeting for signs of moisture resulting from a leaky sunroof assembly. This issue seems to have been corrected after 2008 and may be subject to a recall that will fix the issue, a leaking drain tube, free of charge. Ask your local GMC dealer for details.

A transmission that shifts harshly, slips or responds unfavourably to throttle inputs may require having its computer brain wiped out and reprogrammed by a GMC technician.

Have a mechanic inspect the underside of the used Acadia for signs of fluid leakage from the shock absorbers, transmission, engine timing covers, and AWD system, and to be sure the CV axle boots are in good shape.

A fairly well-documented problem with the Acadia is a timing chain wear issue, which could be expensive to fix should it occur, possibly causing engine failure. To protect yourself from this potentially big issue, opt for a model with as much of the lengthy GMC powertrain warranty remaining as possible, and be absolutely sure the model in question was treated frequently to high-quality oil changes. Note that 2007 and 2009 models commonly suffered from this issue.

Test drivers are also advised to confirm proper operation of the air conditioner, rear-seat climate control system, all entertainment-related electronics, and the rear liftgate.

Finally, pop the hood and have someone turn the steering wheel fully from one side to the other. You're listening for any questionable “overloaded” sounds from the power-steering system, which typically come just before power-steering system failure. Be sure to “feel” the power steering on your test drive to ensure it's smooth, and that the system is providing full power assist.

Photo: Sébastien D'Amour

Velocity Worldwide's Jordan Taylor (Corvette DP) refused to open the door when reigning champion Scott Pruett (BMW/Riley) came knocking, 35 minutes remaining into the Grand-Am race at the Kansas Speedway.

In the end, Taylor and co-driver Max Angelelli won from Pruett and Memo Rojas by half a second, which means they now lead the championship standings with two races left on the calendar, albeit only by two points. Ozz Negri and John Pew (Ford/Riley), who suffered a severe practice crash Friday, fought back to finish third.

Unfortunately for GT pole sitter Alex Tagliani, whose teammate Jeff Segal left the pits with the fuel hose still attached, Alessandro Balzan picked up his first win in the series, co-driving the No. 63 Scuderia Corsa Ferrari 458 Italia with Leh Keen.

IndyCar veteran Tagliani was replacing Max Papis aboard the No. 61 R.Ferri/AIM Motorsport Ferrari 458. The Canadian led a total of 47 laps, but the penalty resulting from the messy pitstop was too much to overcome for Segal.

Patrick Long and Patrick Lindsey took second in the No. 73 Park Place Motorsports Porsche GT3.

Joel Miller (Mazda 6) converted his fifth GX pole of the season into a fifth win, with the help of co-driver Tristan Nunez.

Jordan Taylor, Corvette DP (Photo: Grand-Am.com)

Race results - Kansas Speedway (Grand-Am)
1 - Angelelli-Taylor (Corvette DP/Dallara) - Taylor - 123 laps
2 - Pruett-Rojas (Riley-BMW) - Ganassi - 123
3 - Negri-Pew (Riley-Ford) - Shank - 123
4 - Barbosa-Fittipaldi (Corvette DP/Coyote) - ActionEx - 123
5 - Frisselle-Frisselle (Corvette DP/Coyote) - ActionEx - 123
6 - Hartley-Mayer (Porsche 997) - Starworks - 123
7 - Cameron-Nonnamaker (Riley-BMW) - Sahlen - 123
8 - Fogarty-Gurney (Corvette DP/Riley) - Stallings - 122
9 - Potolicchio-Valiante-Sarrazin (Corvette DP/Coyote) - 8Star - 122
10 - Nonnamaker-Nonnamaker (Riley-BMW) - Sahlen - 121
11 - Balzan-Keen (Ferrari GTS3 458) - Corsa - 118
12 - Lindsey-Long (Porsche 997) - Park Place - 117
13 - Assentato-Lazzaro (Ferrari GTS3 458) - AIM - 117
14 - Edwards-Liddell (Chevy Camaro) - Stevenson - 117
15 - Sellers-Boden (Audi R8) - Fall-Line - 117
16 - Tagliani-Segal (Ferrari GTS3 458) - AIM - 116
17 - Auberlen-Della Lana (BMW M3) - Turner - 115
18 - Lally-Potter (Porsche 997) - Magnus - 112
19 - Marsal-Johnson (BMW M3) - Turner - 111
20 - Miller-Nunez (Mazda 6) - Speedsource - 109
21 - Pumpelly-Norman (Porsche Cayman) - BGB - 103
22 - Dalziel-Popow (Riley-Ford) - Starworks - 102
23 - Taylor-Westbrook (Corvette DP) - SpiritOfDaytona - 100
24 - Di Guida-Bourdais (Corvette DP/Coyote) - 8Star - 92
25 - Wilson-Yacaman (Riley-Ford) - Shank - 91
26 - Long-Tremblay (Ferrari GTS3 458) - Speedsource - 45
27 - Curran-Said (Corvette Z06) - Marsh - 24

DP championship
1. Taylor-Angelelli 269; 2. Fittipaldi 267; 3. Popow-Dalziel 266; 4. Gurney-Fogarty, Barbosa 265; 6. Rojas-Pruett 264.

GT championship
1. Balzan 279; 2. Potter-Lally 278; 3. Liddell-Edwards 276; 4. Assentato-Lazzaro 269; 5. Dalla Lana 263; 6. Long-Lindsey 259.

Corvette Racing's new C7.R made its first public appearance, Saturday during a motorsports gathering at Laguna Seca.

Factory driver Tommy Milner performed two demonstration laps of the Laguna Seca Raceway aboard the camouflaged racer, which is set to debut in January, at the inaugural race of the new United SportsCar Racing series, the 24 Hours of Daytona.

"The Corvette Celebration at Laguna Seca was the perfect setting to provide a glimpse of things to come by doing a few laps with the new Corvette C7.R race car," Mark Kent, Director of Racing for Chevrolet is quoted saying by Racer.com.

So far, only Porsche officially unveiled the car it will use during the first season of the USCR.

Corvette C7.R, Laguna Seca (Photo: Chevy Racing)

Robert Wickens (Mercedes) was unmoved by the changing weather conditions at the Nürburgring. The Canadian took advantage of it to score his first win in the DTM series.

Perfectly executed pit stops and great race craft served Wickens well. The 24-year-old from Guelph, Ontario, beat pole sitter Augusto Farfus (BMW), who dropped back at the start but came back strong to claim second position, ahead of Christian Vietoris (Mercedes).

Robert Wickens, Mercedes AMG C-Coupé (Photo: DTM.com)

Championship leader Mike Rockenfeller's (Audi) early switch from slick to rain tires helped him recover from an early off to fourth at the finish.

The results at the Nürburgring helped Wickens and Vietoris move into third and second spots in the standings respectively. Vietoris now trails Rockenfeller by only 35 points, and Wickens by 36. Nevertheless, the German extended his lead, as Bruno Spengler (BMW), who used to be second in the title hunt, failed to score altogether.

Robert Wickens (Photo: DTM.com)

Spengler could only salvage 14th from an early collision. His deficit to the leader is now 39 points.

Drivers only completed 47 of the 49 laps, since the race reached its time limit before the scheduled distance was completed, as it often happens in wet conditions.

Photo: DTM.com

Race results - DTM (Nürburgring)
1 - Robert Wickens (Mercedes C-Coupé) - HWA - 47 laps 1.15'33"710
2 - Augusto Farfus (BMW M3) - RBM - 2"158
3 - Christian Vietoris (Mercedes C-Coupé) - HWA - 9"749
4 - Mike Rockenfeller (Audi RS5) - Phoenix - 20"524
5 - Martin Tomczyk (BMW M3) - RMG - 27"104
6 - Adrien Tambay (Audi RS5) - Abt - 27"523
7 - Marco Wittmann (BMW M3) - MTEK - 29"540
8 - Miguel Molina (Audi RS5) - Phoenix - 33"037
9 - Jamie Green (Audi RS5) - Abt - 39"972
10 - Pascal Wehrlein (Mercedes C-Coupé) - Mucke - 40"486
11 - Filipe Albuquerque (Audi RS5) - Rosberg - 40"908
12 - Edoardo Mortara (Audi RS5) - Rosberg - 42"629
13 - Mattias Ekstrom (Audi RS5) - Abt - 46"303
14 - Bruno Spengler (BMW M3) - Schnitzer - 51"991
15 - Dirk Werner (BMW M3) - Schnitzer - 57"649
16 - Andy Priaulx (BMW M3) - RMG - 1'21"517
17 - Gary Paffett (Mercedes C-Coupé) - HWA - 1 lap
18 - Timo Glock (BMW M3) - MTEK - 1 lap
19 - Roberto Merhi (Mercedes C-Coupé) - HWA - 1 lap

Retirements
Lap 29 - Daniel Juncadella
Lap 8 - Timo Scheider
Lap 1 - Joey Hand

Championship
1.Rockenfeller 106; 2.Vietoris 71; 3.Wickens 70; 4.Spengler 67; 5.Farfus 66; 6.Paffett 57; 7.Wittmann 39; 8.Ekstrom 38; 9.Werner, Hand 26.

From ALMS.com

Sports car racing fans in North America will have a “one-stop shop” for news and information on all series sanctioned by the International Motor Sports Association (IMSA) in 2014, as officials announced today that IMSA.com will be its new online hub.

The newly acquired domain will be the online home of United SportsCar Racing, which debuts next year as a result of the merger between the GRAND-AM Rolex Sports Car Series and the American Le Mans Series (ALMS) presented by Tequila Patrón.

IMSA.com also will include content for all IMSA-sanctioned development series, including the Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge and Cooper Tires Prototype Lites powered by Mazda, as well as access to four IMSA-sanctioned single-make series, Ferrari Challenge, Lamborghini Super Trofeo, Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge by Yokohama and Ultra 94 Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge Canada by Michelin.

“The strategic acquisition of IMSA.com enables us to simplify access to digital content for all of our series through one portal,” said IMSA Chief Executive Officer Ed Bennett. “As we continue to build an exciting future for sports car racing in North America, this website will be a primary access point for our fans all over the world. After all, the first letter of IMSA stands for ‘International.' We expect it to be a daily stop for fans everywhere.”

IMSA.com will offer dynamic video and news content, social media interaction, photography and live event coverage such as live timing and scoring for every on-track session. The website's “IMSA TV” feature will offer selected live video streams and full-race replays 24 hours after FOX Sports' initial telecast of each event.

The new website is currently under construction and will launch in full later this year. Current visitors to IMSA.com will arrive at a landing page providing options to visit GRAND-AM.com, ALMS.com or UnitedSportsCar.com.

The site is being built and will be maintained by New York-headquartered McMurry/TMG, the country's largest content marketing agency. McMurry/TMG previously built and maintains ALMS.com as part of an overall digital partnership with the ALMS. NASCAR Digital Media, which manages NASCAR.com, has been a strategic partner throughout the entire process.

From GMM

Red Bull has signed Daniel Ricciardo to replace his departing Australian countryman Mark Webber in 2014.

That is the claim of Germany's Sport Bild, whose correspondents Bianca Garloff and Ralf Bach said the news about Sebastian Vettel's new teammate will be announced at the Belgian grand prix in a week.

"Unfortunately, I cannot say any more than that we will make an announcement at Spa," said the energy drink-owned outfit's Dr Helmut Marko.

23-year-old Ricciardo's move to Red Bull ties in with reports Kimi Raikkonen is returning to Ferrari.

It's easy to picture Daniel Ricciardo in Red Bull overalls (Photo: WRi2)

Australian Ricciardo told Sport Bild just before the summer break that, if selected to race alongside Vettel in 2014, he expects to get along with the reigning world champion.

"I know Seb quite well," he said, "as I was the reserve driver in 2010.  I was out for dinner with him a few times and we get on really well."

Ricciardo admitted, however, that he is not immediately expecting equal status with his German stablemate.

"Of course not at the start of the season," he said, "but I'm in formula one to be the best."

The Woodward Dream Cruise is technically a one-day event -- the third Saturday of every August. But everybody knows

The Woodward Dream Cruise is technically a one-day event -- the third Saturday of every August. But everybody knows

Jacked-up trucks, Land Rovers, dune buggies and actual Jeep products from all eras make great Woodward cruisers, and they're out in force on the Avenue today for the 2013 Dream Cruise.

Jacked-up trucks, Land Rovers, dune buggies and actual Jeep products from all eras make great Woodward cruisers, and they're out in force on the Avenue today for the 2013 Dream Cruise.

The Woodward Dream Cruise wouldn't be the same without the word "dream." Here you'll see some of the wildest vehicles built anywhere on the planet.

The Woodward Dream Cruise wouldn't be the same without the word "dream." Here you'll see some of the wildest vehicles built anywhere on the planet.

Classic hot rods and muscle cars are lousy at the Woodward Dream Cruise, but at least they're fast. Well, old fast. As much as we harken back to the

Candy-apple, cherry, fire-engine and deep red classics came out early Saturday morning at the Woodward Dream Cruise.

Classic Mopars are out in force at this year's Woodward Dream Cruise, including all your favorite A-, B- and E-body musclecars from what was then Highland Park.

BMW is studying expanding its North American manufacturing footprint with an assembly plant in Mexico.

Chrysler Group's Ram Rumble Bee concept truck could be the first vehicle in the history of the auto industry that comes with a genuine insect as standard equipment.