Auto News 5

From press release

Team Rebellion Racing will not run its Lola-Toyota LMP1 prototype at Road America, round of the American Le Mans Series.

Rebellion Racing announced in June earlier this year that the team will design and build a new LMP1 car in partnership with ORECA for the 2014 season.

That project requires a commitment from the resources available to the team which has meant that the Team's racing schedule for the rest of 2013 has had to be revised.

Rebellion Racing will maintain their focus for the remainder of 2013 in competing in the FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC).

Photo: Rebellion Racing

As announced at the beginning of the year, Rebellion Racing will have a single car entered in the remaining 2013 FIA World Endurance Championship races, the next event of which is in Brazil for the 6 Hours of Sao Paulo at the end of August.

A consequence of this re-focussing is that the team will not race in any of the remaining 2013 ALMS races, with the exception of the final round at Road-Atlanta in October, where Rebellion Racing will be aiming to repeat their 2012 win of the “Petit Le Mans”. Rebellion Racing will run a single Lola B12/60 Toyota entry in the 1000-mile enduro.

BMW Canada yesterday unveiled pricing and specifications for the all-new 2014 BMW 4 Series Coupé, which will arrive in showrooms this fall and replace the 3 Series Coupé.

Ranging from $44,900 (428i) to $55,600 (435i xDrive), the 2014 BMW 4 Series Coupé offers a host of standard features including LED brake lights and taillights, LED ambient lighting, xenon headlights, 8-way power adjustable, heated leather sport seats with position memory on the driver's side, as well as 18'' or 19'' wheels.

Under the hood, the 2014 BMW 4 Series Coupé hides a 241-horsepower, inline 4-cylinder engine in all 428i models. Meanwhile, 435i models benefit from a 300-horsepower, inline 6-cylinder engine. All-wheel drive is available along with the choice of an 8-speed automatic transmission or a 6-speed manual gearbox.

Model	Base MSRP	0-100km/h	L/100km (city/highway/combined)
428i (auto.)	$44,900	6 seconds	8.7/5.4/7.2
428i (man.)	$44,900	6.1 seconds	9.0/5.5/7.4
428i xDrive	$49,000	5.9 seconds	9.4/6.1/7.9
435i (auto.)	$54,900	5.3 seconds	9.7/6.1/8.1
435i (man)	$54,900	5.6 seconds	10.3/6.6/8.6
435i xDrive (auto.)	$55,600	5.5 seconds	10.3/6.5/8.6
435i xDrive (man.)	$55,600	5.3 seconds	10.5/7.0/8.5

Photo: BMW

Renault-Nissan reached a major milestone earlier this month by selling its 100,000th electric vehicle. The lucky customer was American graduate student Allison Howard, who became the owner of a Nissan LEAF.

“The age of the mainstream zero-emission vehicle is here,” said Renault-Nissan Alliance Chairman and CEO Carlos Ghosn. “We expect demand to keep growing as the charging infrastructure develops, and we remain 100% committed to zero-emission technology for the long term.”

The Nissan LEAF ranks among the 10 best-selling vehicles in San Francisco, Seattle, Honolulu, and Norway. In other markets, Renault-Nissan offers various zero-emission models such as the Renault ZOE, Kangoo Z.E., Fluence Z.E. and Twizy.

Photo: Philippe Champoux

Nearly 18 months after the introduction of the EXP 9 F Concept at the Geneva Auto Show, Bentley has finally given the vehicle the green light for production, making it “the most luxurious and most powerful SUV in the market.”

As Bentley's 4th model, this yet-to-be-named SUV will be built at the Crewe assembly plant and generate over 1,000 jobs in the U.K. The automaker will invest ₤800 million (approx. $1.27 billion) over the next 3 years in research and development, as well as plant upgrades.

The Bentley SUV's technical specifications have yet to be announced.

Photo: Bentley

From GMM

F1 teams will only have themselves to blame if they are left without tires next year, according to a leading commentator.

Pirelli's increasingly vocal Paul Hembery has warned that the sport should "find someone else" if the rules and the criticism are not tempered to better treat F1's official tire supplier.

Marc Surer, a former driver from Switzerland who is now a prominent German-speaking commentator, said alternate marques like Michelin and Bridgestone could enter F1 "at short notice" to replace a departing Pirelli "if they wanted to".

But would they want to?

Marc Surer pointed out that Pirelli's tenure since 2011, and the last few months in particular, have been characterised by extreme criticism.

"That was not very clever of the teams," Surer told Germany's Sport1.

"After all, F1 costs a tire manufacturer a lot of money, but if all they will get is bad publicity, then that is absolutely a deterrent," he concluded.

Photo: WRi2

A new Honda Factory Performance (HFP) Package will be available with the Honda Accord V6 Coupe -- at least in the U.S. It will be limited to 500 units and sold for $4,620 (not including installation).

Some of the goodies include:

• 19'' HFP alloy wheels with summer tires;
• HFP sport suspension;
• HFP front, side, and rear underbody spoilers;
• Red interior illumination;
• HFP floor mats and badges.

The HFP Package for the Honda Accord V6 Coupe is not just for show, mind you. Testers at Honda Performance Development (HDP) say it made the car feel faster, more confident and more stable on the track than the stock model.

Canadian availability has yet to be announced.

From GMM

Jean-Eric Vergne has admitted he would prefer to see teammate Daniel Ricciardo become the next driver at Red Bull Racing.

Although Red Bull, and the French driver himself, are not ruling out Vergne's chances, boss Christian Horner has effectively admitted that Ricciardo is fighting for the 2014 vacancy against Kimi Raikkonen.

Toro Rosso driver Vergne, 23, is quoted by Austria's Kronen Zeitung: "I think it's my teammate Daniel Ricciardo who should get the job, not Kimi Raikkonen. We are both doing a good job at Toro Rosso, and the team is getting better with every race."

Daniel Ricciardo tested for Red Bull last week, at Silverstone. (Photo: WRi2)

Vergne acknowledged that Australian Ricciardo has earned contention for the departing Mark Webber's seat alongside Sebastian Vettel.

But he also thinks that if Ricciardo does well at Red Bull, that will also reflect well on himself.

"If Daniel, who at the moment is doing better than me, is running alongside Sebastian Vettel, it will show the quality of the young (development) drivers of Red Bull. If it is said that I am not consistent, then I have to point out that after my sixth in Canada, I had two retirements due to mechanical problems," Vergne added.

An article in the latest edition of Italian magazine Italiaracing claims Kimi Raikkonen will ultimately line up at Red Bull next year, with Daniel Ricciardo replacing him at Lotus.

Still top dog
The Mercedes S-Class will soon enter its latest iteration for the 2014 model year -- and as it has for generations, the latest top-dog Benz introduces a mouth-whetting selection of new technologies, engineering efforts, and design touches that work towards German luxury sedan supremacy. Most notable for the latest model is a striking new cabin atmosphere, and a slew of autonomous driving functionalities that'll soon put test drivers like yours truly out of a job.


What is a Mercedes-Benz S-Class?
For generations, the S-Class has been Mercedes' affluence-targeting, top-line posh-rocket. Held by many as the benchmark in its class, it's a machine perpetually loaded with the automotive industry's latest and greatest -- all employed towards a memorable, high-luxury motoring experience. The stately Mercedes-Benz S-Class has just entered its latest generation, and proudly advances on all fronts as it hits dealers for 2014. Fans of high-end gadgets and interior design can safely start getting excited.

For generations, the S-Class has been Mercedes' affluence-targeting, top-line posh-rocket. (Photo: Justin Pritchard)

2014 Mercedes-Benz S-Class Price and Specs
On a global level, the new 2014 MB S-Class will be available with numerous options for diesel, gasoline, and hybrid power. Rear- or all-wheel drive variants are available, depending on shopper tastes, as are standard- and extended-wheelbase models. At launch in Canada, the 2014 Mercedes-Benz S-Class will be available in just S550 variant with standard or extended wheelbase, and standard 4Matic AWD. Other markets will get a diesel-powered hybrid -- a plug-in hybrid variant is planned as well.

On a day-long, pre-launch test drive of the new Mercedes-Benz S-Class, your writer noted onf the smoothest performance he'd ever experienced, alongside nearly starting low-end torque output from the twin-turbo V8 engine. Most shoppers should find the refined but very potent power output to be more than sufficient. Output is rated at 449 horsepower with mileage kept in check via features like Auto Stop, Direct Injection, and extensive use of lightweight construction materials.

The 2014 Mercedes-Benz S-Class goes on sale this fall.

On a global level, the new 2014 MB S-Class will be available with numerous options for diesel, gasoline, and hybrid power. (Photo: Justin Pritchard)

Driving the 2014 Mercedes-Benz S-Class
Complaints during an initial test drive of the latest S-Class were minimal and limited mainly to a learning curve associated with the various high-tech features and their interaction with one another. Test drivers investigating the new 2014 Mercedes-Benz S-Class at dealers are advised to allocate perhaps 30 or 40 minutes to learning and experimenting with all features and systems. Further, despite the effortless thrust of the tester's powerplant, some performance buffs will wish for more steering feedback and engine sound to reach them when driving the S-Class hard. The performance-tuned AMG model should suffice when it hits dealers after the initial S-Class launch.

Despite the effortless thrust of the tester's powerplant, some performance buffs will wish for more steering feedback and engine sound to reach them when driving the S-Class hard. (Photo: Justin Pritchard)

Inside and Out of the 2014 Mercedes-Benz S-Class
I now have an answer for all the times I've ever visited a striking new luxury car cabin and wondered, “What's next?” in the world of posh car interiors.

Taking a bold forward step from the highly formal look of the last-generation S-Class, the new model's cabin serves as a rolling collection of design touches gleaned from the world of high-end interior design, architecture, fashion, and high-tech.

The ultra-lush cockpit is rich in detail, thick with wow-factor and revolutionary throughout. High-definition, fully animated displays, web access, and audio-system tweeters that spin and rise to action when switched on are just a few examples. The steering wheel, additionally, features a two-spoke design for an open look, and the instrument cluster and navigation/infotainment systems are assigned to a pair of widescreen displays that “float” within the dash.

Drivers can even set the ambient “smell” of the S-Class with four “mood scents,” as well as ambient mood lighting. Leather trim and metallic speaker elements used in the Burmester “High End” stereo system are all gorgeously detailed, too. You may feel like you're sitting in a 449-horsepower Gucci handbag.

Other must-try features include a reclining, ottoman-equipped rear massage seat, with a simulated “hot stone” massage available throughout the cabin (while driving, too). Should drivers become drowsy or distracted during their massage, an array of safety-net features can warn them of an intended lane departure, imminent collision risk or vehicle hiding in their blind spot, possibly activating self-steering or self-braking implements to correct the situation.

Ultimately, from driver or passenger seats, the atmosphere is one of relaxation and upscale luxury.

The ultra-lush cockpit is rich in detail, thick with wow-factor and revolutionary throughout. (Photo: Justin Pritchard)

Comparing the 2014 Mercedes-Benz S-Class
Considering a luxury flagship? Test drivers may find the Lexus LS 600h L quieter and smoother in the powertrain department, the BMW 650i Gran Coupe more athletic, and the Audi A8 more visually stunning as it rolls down the road.

Ultimately, the new 2014 Mercedes-Benz S-Class will set itself apart by way of its high-tech safety features, extremely refined and potent performance, and lush, one-of-a-kind cabin. After a day at the wheel, your correspondent found this to be the model's most dazzling asset. It represents, arguably, the largest single-generation evolution of S-Class interior design in the model's decades-long history.

A local stock car racer has been arrested by the police on suspicion of driving under the influence.

The 64-year-old man has not been arrested on the street but at the race track.

The Santa Cruz Sentinel wrote that the man, Leslie Charles Hunter was competing in a race at Watsonville Ocean Speedway in California when complaints were made by other competitors at 8:20 p.m. last Friday that he was driving recklessly.

Santa Cruz County High Patrol officer Jacob Gonzales responded.

Officer Gonzales told the Santa Cruz Sentinel that he found Hunter in the pit area after the race that he had just completed. Witnesses had complained that Hunter's driving was so erratic that it “forced other drivers off or to the side of the track.”

Fortunately no one was injured.

After an investigation, Hunter was arrested on suspicion of DUI and driving with a blood alcohol content level higher than 0.08 percent.

From Rolex Grand-Am

Rubens Barrichello, the most experienced driver in the history of Formula One with 322 career starts, will make his Daytona Prototype debut in next weekend's Brickyard Grand Prix.

The Brazilian will share Doran Racing's No. 77 3Dimensional.com Ford/Dallara with Floridian Doug Peterson.

Doran Racing's No. 77 3Dimensional.com Ford/Dallara (Photo: Rolex Grand-Am)

Barrichello is already a winner at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, winning the 2002 United States Grand Prix for Scuderia Ferrari.

The two drivers met briefly nearly 10 years ago at the Ferrari Challenge World Finals at the Mugello Circuit in Italy.

"Rubens signed my helmet, and it's still hanging on my wall," Peterson said. "I've been a huge fan of his forever and ever - I watch all the Formula One races, and have for many years. He's a super, stand-up guy. I don't know him, but I've met him a couple of times and I'm really looking forward to running with him and Kevin (Doran)."

When Peterson learned that Barrichello was looking for a co-driver for Indianapolis, he contacted team owner Kevin Doran and lined up sponsorship from his company, 3-Dimensional Services. They will drive Doran Racing's DP for the first time on Tuesday at a private shakedown run at Putnam Park in Greencastle, Ind.

Barrichello's Indianapolis victory was one of 11 in Formula One competition. He finished second in the World Championship in 2002 (winning four races) and in 2004, driving behind champion teammate Michael Schumacher for Ferrari. He also finished third in 2001 for Ferrari and in 2009 for Brawn GP.

After retiring from F1 after the 2011 season, he ran the IZOD IndyCar Series in 2012 for KV Racing Technology, with his best finish fourth at Sonoma.

He now races in Brazil's Stock Car V8 series.

Former Sauber F1 driver, Japanese Kamui Kobayashi crashed a Ferrari F60 F1 car in the streets of Moscow.

The hugely popular Japanese who lost his Sauber seat last year today is a sports car driver for Ferrari.

He was demonstrating an F1 car for the famous Scuderia in Moscow last weekend. Kobayashi was caught out during his last run of laps by a track made particularly slippery as the rain came down hard at that moment and he ended up in the barriers.



"The track was very slippery," he said, "and there was a marked bump at that point, which is why I hit the barrier.

Ferrari told that the F60 was badly damaged, much to the ironic delight of the F1 Clienti department mechanics, but they set about their tasks with gusto and in around 20 minutes, they had readied a second car, thus ensuring that Kobayashi and the Scuderia were able to produce the best possible finale, as the Japanese driver did one final lap of honour against the backdrop of the walls of the Kremlin and St. Basil's Cathedral.

From Maritime Pro Stock Tour

Fredericton, New Brunswick's Shawn Tucker took the lead on lap 226 and drove his No. 52 Rockico Equipment Chevrolet Impala to the checkered flag at the IWK 250 presented by Steve Lewis Auto Body at Riverside International Speedway on Saturday night.

Tucker held off hometown favourite Donald Chisholm and NASCAR Sprint Cup Champion Brad Keselowski for the win in front of a capacity crowd. Rounding out the Top Five was Kent Vincent (Crapaud, PE) and Austin Theriault (Mooresville, NC).

The day started with an intense round of qualifying where 34 cars were racing for only 30 starting spots. Atlantic Tiltload Time Trials saw Chisholm take the top spot after laying down a fast lap of 14.399 seconds.

The King Freight Dash Winner was Jonathan Hicken (Brudenell, PE) which won him the honour of starting the prestigious event from the pole position. The Dartmouth Dodge Heat Race winners were Cole Butcher (Porter's Lake, NS), Brad Eddy (Lower Sackville, NS), and Dylan Gosbee (Cornwall, PE).

A 15-lap Dartmouth Dodge B Feature was run to determine the final qualifying positions and saw Denver Foran (Edmonton, AB) awarded the spot. The final four qualifying positions were awarded via provisionals and went to Steve Ross (Waverley, NS), Brad Mann (Glen Levit, NB), Jason Carnahan (Stilesville, NB), and Terry Dougay (Albany, PE).

Keselowski led 152 laps to take home the Linde Most Laps Led Award. Butcher finished the race in seventh position which was just enough to receive the Exide Batteries Rookie of the Race Award. Ross gained 12 positions over 250 laps to finish as the Absolute Traffic Hard Charger Award winner in 17th position.

The Parts for Trucks Pro Stock Tour sees a rare off weekend next weekend but will be back in action for its only visit to beautiful Prince Edward Island the following week. Don't miss the EXIT Realty PEI 100 on Saturday, August 3rd at Oyster Bed Speedway located just outside Charlottetown.

Visit www.maritimeprostocktour.com for complete event details and coverage.

From GMM

A lack of sponsors are keeping former podium-getters Vitaly Petrov and Kamui Kobayashi out of formula one.

After losing his Caterham seat and also the services of former manager Oksana Kosachenko, Russian Petrov has revealed he is now working with a new manager "from the West".

And the former Renault driver told Russia's Championat he is already in talks with several teams.

"They said that they are willing to cooperate, willing to negotiate," he revealed. "But to continue these talks, I need some support."

Another driver currently on F1's sidelines is Kamui Kobayashi, the hugely popular Japanese who lost his Sauber seat a mere five races after standing on the podium.

Kamui Kobayashi driving the Ferrari F10. (Photo: Ferrari)

Today, he is a sports car driver for Ferrari, and whilst demonstrating a F1 car for the famous marque in Moscow last weekend, he lost control and crashed.

Still, he yearns for real F1 action again.

"At the moment," said Kobayashi, "there are many teams who prefer to choose their drivers based on how much money they can bring, rather than on their ability on track. I hope this trend will change, because my aim is to be back there as soon as possible and I am working hard to succeed."

From GMM

Sergey Sirotkin, set to smash the record next year as the youngest ever F1 racer, has hit back at claims he is a "pay driver".

The 17-year-old's father is a key figure among the Russian entities that have bailed out the ailing Sauber.

Currently just ninth in the Formula Renault 3.5 series, behind highly rated drivers like the McLaren-backed Kevin Magnussen, and the likely next Toro Rosso driver Antonio Felix da Costa, Sirotkin's fast-track to the grid has earned him the 'pay driver' label.

Sergey Sirotkin. (Photo: Renault Sport)

"That is completely wrong," Sirotkin told Basler Zeitung newspaper.

"There is much more to it. We are talking about a big project, where another driver could have been selected. It's not an investment in me, it's about the big picture," he insisted.

"It's not that I'm going to drive in F1 for fun, I have been selected because of my performance. I want people to respect what I do. It's about the promotion of formula one in Russia. And it's also quite normal that the driver also brings a sponsor, just as Fernando Alonso brings Santander bank to Ferrari," added Sirotkin.

But some of the criticism of Sirotkin's 2014 move to Sauber is also because of his age -- currently, he is still just 17, too young to apply for a road drivers' license in Russia.

Asked if he is arguably too young for F1, he admitted: "Yes, that's right. It may be that I'm not 100 per cent ready, but I still have half a year to prepare.

"That should be enough," Sergey Sirotkin added. "Maybe our results in the World Series are insufficient, but you can still see that we have the speed. We just need a little bit more luck in the races."

One of those questioning Sirotkin's preparedness for F1 is Jenson Button, who in the past has admitted that, at 20, he himself made his debut too early.

Jenson Button, McLaren. (Photo: WRi2)

"I began racing at 8," the Briton is quoted by Russia's Championat, "but even at twenty, realistically speaking, it was too early. I had to learn about the sport from the inside.

"On the one hand, it's good, but on the other hand, you can't hide.

"I think another year in the junior categories would have helped me come to formula one much more prepared," added Button.

"I was not ready at 17. Maybe he is, I don't know, but he needs to be careful. Formula one is a tough business."

From GMM

Bernie Ecclestone has agreed a deal with Dietrich Mateschitz for a grand prix at the renovated and relaunched Red Bull Ring in 2014.

The energy drink company, headed by Austrian billionaire and F1 team owner Mateschitz, stunned the formula one world with the news that was delivered via a brief statement early on Tuesday.

Austria last hosted a grand prix, held at the same Spielberg circuit then known as the A1-Ring, in 2003.

"Dietrich Mateschitz and Bernie Ecclestone have reached an agreement to the effect that formula one will return to Styria next year," Tuesday's statement read.

However, subsequent media reports, including by the German news agencies SID and DPA, clarified that the race will in fact only take place on July 6 next year if "all necessary regulatory approvals" are given.

Aerial view of the Red Bull Ring.

Nippon Steel and Sumitomo Metal and Toyota have agreed to raise steel sheet prices by about 10 percent for April-September as the yen falls, the Nikkei reported.

To those of you complaining about how overheated the collector-car market seems to be, with everything even remotely cool testing (and breaching) pre-lotto-winning budget territory (and we're right up there with you), here's a possible antidote: a...

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The base version of the 2014 Mitsubishi Outlander Sport will cost $19,470, not including destination.

Mini has released three concept camping cars based on Mini models, each offering a huge variety of outdoor gear.