Auto News 5

Spyker, renowned in the Aughts for their unique sense of Netherlandian zaniness, has been treading the comeback trail this year after founder and CEO Victor Muller's ill-fated adventure in Saab ownership.

Twenty years after Isuzu's VehiCross debuted as a concept at the Tokyo motor show, two men who helped design the influential little SUV have been reunited.

Twenty years after Isuzu's VehiCross debuted as a concept at the Tokyo motor show, two men who helped design the influential little SUV have been reunited.

Car companies are competing fiercely to fill showrooms with the most fuel-efficient vehicles possible, knowing that a mile or two per gallon could make or break a new model.

Twenty years after Isuzu's VehiCross debuted as a concept at the Tokyo motor show, two men who helped design the influential little SUV have been reunited.

In car-crazy Detroit, a booming auto industry means more than a paycheck and benefits. For thousands of people who make their living off of cars, it also means again having the cash to baby their vintage Mustangs and Corvettes.

Twenty years after Isuzu's VehiCross debuted as a concept at the Tokyo motor show, two men who helped design the influential little SUV have been reunited.

Twenty years after Isuzu's VehiCross debuted as a concept at the Tokyo motor show, two men who helped design the influential little SUV have been reunited.

Twenty years after Isuzu's VehiCross debuted as a concept at the Tokyo motor show, two men who helped design the influential little SUV have been reunited.

Twenty years after Isuzu's VehiCross debuted as a concept at the Tokyo motor show, two men who helped design the influential little SUV have been reunited.

Twenty years after Isuzu's VehiCross debuted as a concept at the Tokyo motor show, two men who helped design the influential little SUV have been reunited.

Twenty years after Isuzu's VehiCross debuted as a concept at the Tokyo motor show, two men who helped design the influential little SUV have been reunited.

In car-crazy Detroit, a booming auto industry means more than a paycheck and benefits. For thousands of people who make their living off of cars, it also means again having the cash to baby their vintage Mustangs and Corvettes.

Car companies are competing fiercely to fill showrooms with the most fuel-efficient vehicles possible, knowing that a mile or two per gallon could make or break a new model.

Hyundai Motor, ending distribution ties with Chrysler Group, plans to establish its own new-car dealer network in Mexico, signaling the big Korean auto group plans to broaden its presence in Latin America.

Hyundai Motor, ending distribution ties with Chrysler Group, plans to establish its own new-car dealer network in Mexico, signaling the big Korean auto group plans to broaden its presence in Latin America.

Brazilian Augusto Farfus led an all-BMW front row during qualifying ahead of this weekend's DTM race at the Nürburgring, round 7 of the 2013 season. 23-year-old Marco Wittmann will start alongside him.

Marco Wittmann, Augusto Farfus, Miguel Molina (Photo: DTM.com)

In the championship fight between BMW's Bruno Spengler and Audi's Mike Rockenfeller, both rivals had a tough session. In the end, it was Spengler who came out on top, but not by much. The Canadian will start only 10th, and Rockenfeller just behind him in 11th.

Mercedes' Gary Paffett, who lies third in the standings, albeit 10 points down on Spengler, lines up fifth.

Miguel Molina was the best-placed Audi driver in third, sixth thousands short of Wittmann.

Edoardo Mortara (Audi) completes the top five. Daniel Juncadella (Mercedes), Robert Wickens (Robert Wickens), Christian Vietoris (Mercedes) and Mattias Ekström (Audi) the top 10.

Tomorrow's race will cover 49 laps of the 3.629-kilometre Nürburgring.

Bruno Spengler, BMW M3 DTM (Photo: DTM.com)

Qualifying results - Nürburgring (DTM)

1. Augusto Farfus (BMW M3) - RBM - 1'23"296 - Q4
2. Marco Wittmann (BMW M3) - MTEK - 1'23"445 - Q4
3. Miguel Molina (Audi RS5) - Phoenix - 1'23"451 - Q4
4. Edoardo Mortara (Audi RS5) - Rosberg - 1'23"648 - Q4
5. Gary Paffett (Mercedes C-Coupé) - HWA - 1'23"514 - Q3
6. Daniel Juncadella (Mercedes C-Coupé) - HWA - 1'23"617 - Q3
7. Robert Wickens (Mercedes C-Coupé) - HWA - 1'23"688 - Q3
8. Christian Vietoris (Mercedes C-Coupé) - HWA - 1'23"688 - Q3
9. Mattias Ekstrom (Audi RS5) - Abt - 1'23"803 - Q3
10. Bruno Spengler (BMW M3) - Schnitzer - 1'23"822 - Q3
11. Mike Rockenfeller (Audi RS5) - Phoenix - 1'23"555 - Q2
12. Jamie Green (Audi RS5) - Abt - 1'23"574 - Q2
13. Timo Glock (BMW M3) - MTEK - 1'23"665 - Q2
14. Adrien Tambay (Audi RS5) - Abt - 1'23"684 - Q2
15. Pascal Wehrlein (Mercedes C-Coupé) - Mucke - 1'23"687 - Q2
16. Joey Hand (BMW M3) - RBM - 1'23"737 - Q2
17. Filipe Albuquerque (Audi RS5) - Rosberg - 1'23"914 - Q1
18. Timo Scheider (Audi RS5) - Abt - 1'24"091 - Q1
19. Dirk Werner (BMW M3) - Schnitzer - 1'24"198 - Q1
20. Martin Tomczyk (BMW M3) - RMG - 1'24"225 - Q1
21. Roberto Merhi (Mercedes C-Coupé) - HWA - 1'24"359 - Q1
22. Andy Priaulx (BMW M3) - RMG - 1'24"505 - Q1

Once again the Gen-6 NASCAR Sprint Cup cars proved that they were faster than the previous iteration as Joey Logano laid down a record lap of 203.949mph in a Penske Racing Ford Fusion.

Despite the record speed - the ninth fastest pole winning speed in Sprint Cup history - it wasn't pleasant for Logano as he had to wait for 28 rivals to go out on the two-mile oval in qualifying at Michigan International Speedway.

Joey Logano (Photo: JoeyLogano.com)

“I don't know if that speed will hold up,” Logano said as he anxiously awaited as his rival went out one-at-a-time. “I think it should hang in the top-five, I hope.”

It was Logano's sixth career pole, first at Penske Racing. And, that fostered hope of making the Chase if he can win from the pole. “We are 27 points out I believe and that doesn't sound like a lot but the amount of cars that are in between us is a lot,” Logano said.

“You have to pass a lot of cars and that is the difficult part. Like you said, one win is not going to be enough right now. You have to have a win and points or two wins.”

Joey Logano, Ford Fusion (Photo: JoeyLogano.com)

Kurt Busch's year of redemption and near miss of Victory Lane continued as he was second fast at 203.695 mph. And just as Victory Lane has eluded him so did the pole.

“I thought we had enough to get the pole but Logano hit it perfect,” Kurt Busch explained. “We're really happy with the outside of the front row. It was an extremely fast pace. The track was really quick.”

Jimmie Johnson, the third fastest qualifier at 203.470, also exceeded the previous record  of 203.241 mph established by Marcos Ambrose for the Quicken Loans 400 in 2012. 

Twenty-five drivers exceeded 200 mph as the fastest track in NASCAR keeps getting faster. A total of 13 drivers went over 200 mph during qualifying last June.

Austin Dillon, subbing for the injured Tony Stewart this weekend at MIS, will be making his third appearance with a different Sprint Cup team this season. Not a problem for the youngster who has also competed with Circle Sport Racing and Phoenix racing.

“I think it's cool to be able to say that I've driven for multiple different people,” he explained Friday after qualifying 27th. “The great thing about it is that you learn a lot of running with different guys and learn how things are supposed to be done and what it really takes to be a team leader.”

Rounding out the top-ten are Mark Martin, Jeff Burton, Juan Pablo Montoya, Dale Earnhardt Jr., Denny Hamlin, Brad Keselowski and Kyle Busch.

The very same Porsche 956 that Stefan Bellof took around the Nürburgring Nordschleife in a record 6min11.13seconds, the chassis 956-007, returned to the famous track earlier this month with Bellof's former teammate, Derek Bell, at the wheel.

Derek Bell, Porsche 956 (Photo: Karsten Denecke)

As history knows, the young German would die two years after setting the record, during an endurance race at Spa-Francorchamps.

But his 1983 record around the Nordschleife still lives to this day.

Here is a tribute video by the Nürburgring's media service honouring Bellof's - and his record's - memory.



Source: Nürburgring.tv

BMW's Augusto Farfus, who claimed pole position ahead of this weekend's DTM race at the Nürburgring, has decided to start on the option tire, which is the softest alternative.

His second-place starting teammate Marco Wittmann picked the option as well. So did Audi's Miguel Molina, who qualified third. Canadian Bruno Spenger (BMW) selected the hard slick.

Wittmann, Farfus, Molina (Photo: DTM.com)

Here is the list of which tire every driver picked:

Bruno Spengler (BMW) - Option
Dirk Werner (BMW) - Standard
Gary Paffett (Mercedes) - Standard
Roberto Merhi (Mercedes) - Standard
Edoardo Mortara (Audi) Standard
Filipe Albuquerque (Audi) - Standard
Augusto Farfus (BMW) - Option
Joey Hand (BMW) - Standard
Christian Vietoris (Mercedes) - Standard
Robert Wickens Mercedes) - Option
Mattias Ekström (Audi) - Option
Jamie Green (Audi) - Standard
Martin Tomczyk (BMW) - Option
Andy Priaulx (BMW) - Option
Daniel Juncadella (Mercedes) - Option
Pascal Wehrlein (Mercedes) - Option
Mike Rockenfeller (Audi) - Standard
Miguel Molina (Audi) - Option
Marco Wittmann (BMW) - Option
Timo Glock (BMW) - Option
Timo Scheider (Audi) - Standard
Adrien Tambay (Audi) - Option