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From GMM

Caterham will assess whether it made the right driver choices for 2014 at the end of the season, boss Cyril Abiteboul has admitted.

Rumours are doing the rounds that Caterham regrets ousting the experienced Finn Heikki Kovalainen in favour of so-called 'pay drivers'.

The rumours add that Kovalainen could soon replace the Dutch rookie Giedo van der Garde, even in 2013.

But Van der Garde insists he has a "watertight" contract for the whole year, adding on Wednesday: "I will finish the season."

Team boss Abiteboul seems to agree.

Photo: Caterham F1 Team

"I do not regret choosing two young drivers," he told the Dutch magazine Formule1.

"At the end of the season it will show whether we have done well, but they have not disappointed me.

"Maybe a little more experience would have done us no harm, but on the other hand a better car would also have helped them. The knife cuts both ways," added Abiteboul.

Hyundai teamed up with Galpin Auto Sports and The Walking Dead creator Robert Kirkman to transform its hot Veloster hatchback into a zombie-fighting machine.

This follows last year's highly modified, armour-clad Elantra Coupe.

The unique Veloster includes, among other weapons, a baseball bat with spikes mounted to the trunk, knife blades that pop out of the rear bumper, a double-barrel shotgun with mount, and a front bumper “horde plow.”

Inside, there are storage solutions for ammo, weapons and a first-aid kit, Hyundai says. Meanwhile, the cup holders have been replaced with machete holders on either side of the seats. After all, throwing a machete at zombies is much more effective than a cup of Tim Hortons coffee, don't you think?

The Veloster Zombie Survival Machine made its debut at Comic Con in San Diego.

Source : thedetroitbureau.com

The reigning triple world champion and current leader of the season, set the quickest time on the last day at Silverstone.

Sebastian Vettel shared his car today with the young Carlos Sainz Jr. The German finishes on top, leading the Sahara Force India of Adrian Sutil and Nicolas Prost's Lotus.

Nicolas Prost, Lotus. (Photo: WRi2)

To be noticed the good performance of the young Davide Rigon, signing the fifth fastest time ahead of Felipe Massa with the same Ferrari F138.

Suzie Wolff has impressed as well aboard the Williams, covering 89 laps she set the ninth time of the day.

Suzie Wolff, Williams. (Photo: WRi2)

Friday July 19, 2013, Silverstone

1 - Sebastian Vettel (Red Bull RB9-Renault) - 1'32"894 - 79 laps*
2 - Adrian Sutil (Sahara Force India VJM06-Mercedes) - 1'33"242 - 99
3 - Nico Prost (Lotus E21-Renault) - 1'33"256 - 83
4 - Carlos Sainz Jr. (Red Bull RB9-Renault) - 1'33"546 - 35
5 - Davide Rigon (Ferrari F138) - 1'33”592 - 19
6 - Felipe Massa (Ferrari F138) - 1'33”624 - 69
7 - Jean-Eric Vergne (Toro Rosso STR8-Ferrari) - 1'33"647 - 42
8 - Gary Paffett (McLaren MP4/28-Mercedes) - 1'34"294 - 77
9 - Susie Stoddart (Williams FW35-Renault) - 1'35"093 - 89
10 - Giedo Van der Garde (Caterham CT03-Renault) - 1'35"155 - 85
11 - Daniil Kvyat (Toro Rosso STR8-Ferrari) - 1'35"281 - 22
12 - Charles Pic (Caterham CT03-Renault) - 1'35"576 - 60
13 - Kimiya Sato (Sauber C32-Ferrari) - 1'35"642 - 67
14 - Rodolfo Gonzalez (Marussia MR02-Cosworth) - 1'36"339 - 24
15 - James Calado (Sahara Force India VJM06-Mercedes) - 1'36"451 - 5
16 - Jules Bianchi (Marussia MR02-Cosworth) - 1'36"744 - 39

* Unofficial results

Carlos Sainz Jr. (Photo: Red Bull Racing)

Tesla Motors has just opened a new service centre on Avenue de la Toison d'Or in Brussels, Belgium, as European deliveries of the Model S are about to begin.

Breaking ground in what is arguably Europe's political capital makes a lot of sense considering the strong proportion of Tesla Roadster owners over there. The pre-order sheet for the Model S is also getting quite lengthy.

As previously reported, the electric car maker is on a major roll. Following Brussels, Tesla plans to add service centres in London, Amsterdam, Copenhagen, Geneva, Frankfurt, Hamburg, Dusseldorf, Stuttgart, and Vienna. All of them should be operational by the end of 2013.

Photo: Sébastien D'Amour

From GMM

Mercedes has thrown its "full confidence" behind Toto Wolff, following reports he made disparaging remarks about his colleagues and bosses.

The German magazine Sport Bild this week claimed Wolff, Mercedes' new F1 co-owner and motor sport director, spoke negatively about Dieter Zetsche, Ross Brawn and Niki Lauda during a conversation in February with former HRT boss Colin Kolles.

Mercedes initially declined to comment.

But parent Daimler's head of global communications Jorg Howe has now been quoted as saying: "He (Wolff) has our full confidence and will continue his successful work.

"We know that formula one is a shark tank," Howe told Germany's Sport1. "If you are successful, you will be pelted with mud."

Toto Wolff, Mercedes AMG. (Photo: WRi2)

I know all too well that what I'm about to write will generate plenty of controversy. Anyway...

Last weekend, I attended the NASCAR Sprint Cup race at the New Hampshire Motor Speedway. Of course, NASCAR and Formula 1 are worlds apart, but there's something quite refreshing about the realization that you don't need to invest hundreds of millions of dollars in carbon fibre, super-computers, and ultra-sophisticated wind tunnels to get wild, action-packed races with intense battles.

Despite its ruggedly Spartan looks, a Sprint Cup car is fairly advanced, and uses a number of technologies from Formula 1. Having said that, it's not what I fell in love with recently.

Let me tell you about the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour (NWMT), which involves open-wheel stock cars powered by small-block V8 engines. This might shock you, but I got way more excited watching these machines than exotic racing series like the Ferrari Challenge or even the Porsche 911 GT3 Cup!

NWMT cars, aka Modifieds, are built on a highly rigid tubular chassis wrapped in plain sheetmetal. To prevent wheel damage and allow some contact between drivers, they feature nerf bars at both ends and on the sides, similar to older karts.

The mighty engines rely on good old Holley carburetors to crank out around 650 horsepower.

The incredibly wide slick tires are bolted to an asymmetrical suspension. Yep, since Modifieds only race on small, paved ovals, their left wheels are set farther off the centre of the car than the right ones.

The V8's massive torque is put to good use by way of a two-speed transmission.

I took a close look at the various parts, components and welds, and I can attest to their high levels of quality. There's no cheap stuff, here; only professional work.

With a relatively low weight of 1,200 kg (2,645 lbs), Modifieds deliver mind-blowing performance with the rear driving wheels spinning at full throttle.

A quick search online yields a large selection of used Modifieds still in great condition. Most of them are priced at around $20,000, which is very reasonable given their capabilities.

So, here's the recipe for success: a stock car, lots of power, minimal aerodynamics, and no driving aids whatsoever (especially of the electronic variant). It's funny, because I recall a certain Gilles Villeneuve saying the same thing 35 years ago...

Photo: Getty Images for Nascar

From GMM

At the end of a day billed by some as his audition for a Red Bull seat, Daniel Ricciardo topped the times at the Silverstone test.

But the Australian's best time was actually at the wheel of his usual Toro Rosso, while in the championship-leading RB9 he was slightly slower.

The 23-year-old, competing against Kimi Raikkonen for the departing Mark Webber's 2014 drive, also beached the Red Bull in the gravel at one point.

"The off was my mistake. Probably just pushing a bit too hard," Ricciardo said afterwards.

Daniel Ricciardo. (Photo: Red Bull Racing)

Asked if the pressure of the speculation had got to him, he insisted: "No, it's fun, it's exciting. I didn't take this day as a duel with Kimi. But I enjoyed it.

"I think this test is something for Red Bull to look at, but there's still the rest of the season with Toro Rosso to do, so I'll switch my focus back to that and won't get too caught up in any rumours," Ricciardo added.

"Whatever happens, happens. If I don't get the chance, at least this was a nice little bonus. If the decision was up to me, I'm ready," he is quoted by Italy's Autosprint.

His potential 2014 teammate Sebastian Vettel will be in the same car on Friday, and Ricciardo confirmed he will be "watching the times" with interest.

"I hope he won't make me look silly," he laughed.

Antonio Felix Da Costa. (Photo: WRi2)

It is expected that, should Ricciardo be called up to replace Webber, Toro Rosso will fill his spot at the Faenza based team next year with 21-year-old Portuguese driver Antonio Felix da Costa.

Da Costa also tested for Red Bull on Thursday, and said afterwards: "I got out of the car and said 'I'm ready, I want that'."

From GMM

Bernie Ecclestone insists CVC, the owners of formula one's commercial rights, are "very happy" to keep him in charge of the sport.

That is despite the fact the 82-year-old has been formally charged with bribery by prosecutors in Germany, who allege he blackmailed the now-jailed banker Gerhard Gribkowsky to undersell the rights to CVC.

After news of Ecclestone's indictment broke, CVC issued a terse statement saying it will "monitor" the situation.

"An oath of loyalty sounds different," the major German newspaper Die Welt surmised.

Michael Schmidt, of Auto Motor und Sport, agreed: "It (CVC's statement) does not sound like unconditional support."

Additionally, FIA president Jean Todt is quoted as saying: "He (Ecclestone) is employed by CVC, so it's their decision.

"The responsibility for the future of formula one is more about CVC than about Bernie," he is also quoted as saying by Neue Zurcher Zeitung.

Also monitoring the situation is BayernLB, the Munich bank that Gribkowsky was representing when Ecclestone allegedly bribed him.

A spokesman for the bank said: "We are following events closely."

Bernie Ecclestone's birthday party in 2012, in India. (Photo: WRi2)

In the meantime, Ecclestone's troubles are the big talking point behind closed doors in F1 circles.

Bild newspaper correspondent Helmut Uhl wrote: "Team bosses, sponsors, big companies such as Ferrari, Red Bull and their partners are wondering: is Ecclestone still viable as formula one boss?"

The Daily Telegraph's Tom Cary said: "In most sports it would be difficult to imagine a chief executive remaining in power with these sorts of charges swirling about. But formula one is not most sports -- and Ecclestone is not most men."

Indeed, Ecclestone insists he has CVC's backing.

"I have heard from them and they are very happy as I am for me to continue to run the business," he is quoted by the Daily Express correspondent Bob McKenzie.

"Nothing has changed. Nothing affects how I look after the best interests of F1. No one has said anything to the contrary," added Ecclestone.

For now, F1's competing teams are quiet, but the first comment has been made by Sauber team boss Monisha Kaltenborn, according to Neue Zurcher Zeitung newspaper.

"In general," she said, "such headlines are not good for formula one."

Honda plans to bring hybrid variants of its Fit subcompact to the United States with the car's redesign, as the Japanese automaker wagers that its new hybrid drivetrain will challenge Toyota's dominance in the field.

Toyota won tentative final approval of a settlement, valued at as much as $1.63 billion by plaintiff lawyers, with U.S. consumers who claimed that recalls related to sudden, unintended acceleration caused their vehicles to lose value.

Detroit, cradle of the U.S. auto industry, became the most populous American city to file for bankruptcy, seeking court protection from creditors.

I hate writing columns like this, the kind where one media calls out another's mistakes. There but for the grace of God go I and all thatand#8230;

Panasonic agreed to plead guilty to price-fixing allegations involving automotive parts sold to Toyota, Honda, Mazda and Nissan, the U.S. Justice Department said. Panasonic will pay about a $45.

SiriusXM Radio selected ATandT to provide mobile connectivity for the U.S. telematics system it is developing for Nissan Motor Co. in North America.

2014 Bentley Flying Spur First Drive

Crewe's Chinese Box.

Traveling in a foreign country means quickly reading the signs. Figuring out the cultural nuances, merging with the flow, keeping up with the people. That goes double when the cultural crash course is taking place at 65 mph. Now imagine driving in China. You can't decipher the signs, the traffic flow is a raging torrent, and you're keeping up with people more accustomed to merging into bicycle traffic.

Photo Gallery: 2014 Bentley Flying Spur First Drive - Automobile Magazine

Photo Gallery: 2014 Bentley Flying Spur First Drive - Automobile Magazine

2014 Bentley Flying Spur First Drive | Digg It | Add to del.icio.us

Chrysler Group expects to be producing over 400 new Jeep Cherokees a day at its Toledo Assembly Complex within three weeks, and plans to be operating with a full second production shift by the end of August, plant officials said today.

Word was getting out that Ford was readying a new Mustang for 1992.

Things were looking up for Packard in 1949.

GM is preparing to put its full-sized pickup trucks on a severe diet to meet future government fuel-economy standards and stay competitive with rival Ford, according to several people familiar with its plans.

Land Rover has just built a one-off Defender truck for marine explorer and conservationist Monty Halls.