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Honda celebrates decades of creativity and ingenuity with a remarkably simple ad. Head over to their UK Web site to view the thinking behind the products featured in the spot.

The new Mini is expected to become slightly longer. The car moves to a front-wheel-drive platform that will be shared with the BMW 1 series. The Mini is also expected to get all-new 1.5-liter three-cylinder gasoline and diesel engines.

One of the challenges General Motors faces to fix its money losing European operations is to ensure clear brand separation between Chevrolet and Opel/Vauxhall in the region.

From GMM

Lewis Hamilton says Pirelli's tires are ruining his shot at the 2013 title.

"I'm not really thinking about the championship now. There's really no point," said the Nurburgring pole sitter.

Earlier, having seen his Mercedes teammate Nico Rosberg win two of the past three grands prix, the Briton sounded optimistic he could chase down Sebastian Vettel's points lead after dominating qualifying on Saturday.

Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes AMG, in Montreal. (Photo: WRi2)

But then came Sunday, where it became clear the move from steel to kevlar-belted tires, and the clampdown on team tire-trickery, had hurt Mercedes considerably.

Hamilton said the 2013 tire situation is one of the things separating him from another prominent British sports star, Andy Murray, who has finally broken though to win Wimbledon.

"It is just him and the racket," said the 2008 world champion.

"So many elements come into motor racing. There is the electronics performing, the suspension, the frickin' tires, things that are out of my control," added Hamilton.

Now Pirelli is making yet another change for Hungary -- a new tire combining the 2012 construction with the 2013 compounds.

"We just have to hope and pray that they work on our car," Hamilton is quoted by the German news agency DPA.

Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes AMG, in Silverstone. (Photo: WRi2)

He is not confident.

"It would be good to get a win at some stage but at the moment it really doesn't feel like it's going to happen," said the 28-year-old.

But Hamilton said Fernando Alonso, despite a car development dip for Ferrari, should be more confident.

Asked if the title hunt is effectively over for all of Vettel's 2013 rivals, he insisted: "Definitely not for Fernando. Fernando's definitely within shooting range."

Alon Day and Maximilan Buck won FIA GT Series main race at Zandvoort, after championship leader Ortelli and Vanthoor took win in qualifying race.

On Saturday, Laurens Vanthoor (BEL) and Stéphane Ortelli (MON) led home a trio of cars separated by just over three seconds as they crossed the line. Championship leaders Vanthoor and Ortelli started the race third on the grid, and it was the Belgian's quick start that helped propel the #11 Belgian Audi Club Team WRT entry into contention for the lead alongside the front row starters Simonsen and pole-sitter Alvaro Parente (PRT).

Photo: Audi Motorsport

The trio went three abreast into infamous first corner, Tarzan, and Parente, in the middle of the trio, lost out as each driver attempted to find a line for the corner. The result was significant damage to the front end of the McLaren MP4-12c which caused the Sebastien Loeb Racing driver to retire further up the circuit; for his part in the incident, Simonsen would later be given a drive through penalty.

On Sunday, Alon Day and Maximilian Buhk took a maiden FIA GT Series victory in championship race. The HTP Gravity Charouz drivers led home championship leaders Stéphane Ortelli and Laurens Vanthoor's Belgian Audi Club Team WRT Audi R8 LMS ultra after taking the lead at the start of the race, winning by just over six seconds.

The victory was an important moment for Israeli motorsport, as Day's victory is the first for an Israeli driver in International racing scene.

Qualifying race:
1 - Ortelli/Vanthoor (Audi R8) - WRT - 33 laps in 1.01'01"018
2 - Day/Buhk (Mercedes SLS) - Gravity - 0"766
3 - Mayr-Melnhof/Rast (Audi R8) - WRT - 2"710
4 - Stippler/Sandstrom (Audi R8) - WRT - 3"129
5 - Bueno/Khodair (BMW Z4) - BMW Brazil - 6"517
etc.

Main race:
1 - Day/Buhk (Mercedes SLS) - Gravity - 35 laps in 1.27'51"001
2 - Ortelli/Vanthoor (Audi R8) - WRT - 6"667
3 - Stippler/Sandstrom (Audi R8) - WRT - 6"995
4 - Chandhok/Seyffarth (Mercedes SLS) - Seyffarth - 33"895
5 - Baumann/Proczyk (Lamborghini Gallardo) - Grasser - 40"127
etc.

Championship:
1.Ortelli/Vanthoor 70 points; 2.Sandstrom/Stippler 60; 3.Buhk/Day 53; 4.Mayr-Melnhof/Rast 35; 5.Kox/Rosina 32; 6.Bueno/Khodair 28, etc.

From GMM

Mercedes is pushing to appear at next week's young driver test, despite its FIA ban as a result of the 'test-gate' scandal.

The German team initially accepted the Silverstone ban, when the test was set simply to be a three-day session exclusively for young, inexperienced drivers.

But that was before the tire-exploding British grand prix.

Since then, the FIA has opened up the test not only to young drivers, but also full race drivers, the trialling of the new Budapest 2012-2013 tire specification, and real car development.

"We received the penalty and there's no point complaining -- we accept we cannot participate in the young driver test," Mercedes director Toto Wolff told Germany's Deutschlandfunk radio.

"But now we don't know what format this test has," he added.

"If it is a tire test that concerns safety, then I think that all the teams, including Mercedes, should get the opportunity to determine if these tires will be on the cars or not, and whether there are safety risks or not," said Wolff.

Ross Brawn and Toto Wolff. (Photo: Mercedes AMG F1 Team)

Referring to the British grand prix, Wolff said F1 is "contemplating fairly dramatic events, where there is a safety risk.

"This is not something to take lightly," he insisted.

Meanwhile, having initially ruled out testing at Silverstone simply to test a new tire, Fernando Alonso is now saying he is ready to appear next week for Ferrari.

"It's now been confirmed that we can test updates and this makes it a much more sensible proposition," said the Spaniard. "If I get the call from the team, I'm ready to go."

Spain's Marca sports newspaper, however, quoted team boss Stefano Domenicali as saying that call will only be made "in the coming days".

If Alonso is not called up, Ferrari will reportedly field Felipe Massa, Pedro de la Rosa and Davide Rigon.

From GMM

Sebastien Buemi, a recent Toro Rosso driver and now Red Bull reserve, has tipped the world champions to sign Kimi Raikkonen for 2014.

After Mark Webber announced his impending switch to Le Mans, Red Bull narrowed down the shortlist for the Australian's successor to just three names -- Raikkonen, Daniel Ricciardo and Jean-Eric Vergne.

But even Ricciardo, the most consistent Toro Rosso performer of 2013, does not expect to get the nod.

"I would expect a world champion team to take a world champion driver," he is quoted by German website formel1.de.

Interesting smiles between the two drivers on the German podium, last Sunday. (Photo: WRi2)

Swiss Buemi, who next year will likely go wheel-to-wheel with Webber in endurance sports cars, agrees.

"The situation is not clear yet," he told 20min.ch.

"If a team has the chance to get Raikkonen, then it has to do that," Buemi acknowledged. "So he's really the favourite for the job."

France's RMC radio reports that Lotus team boss Eric Boullier was due to meet with Raikkonen's manager Steve Robertson this week.

The Enstone based team, including owner Gerard Lopez, is fighting hard to keep the Finn.

"All we have to do," Lopez told the Daily Record, "is prove it's the right team for him as a racer. He has to decide, and I think he will stay."

But if 33-year-old Raikkonen, who after Webber's departure will be the oldest driver in F1, does leave Lotus, strong rumours suggest the favourite to replace him is Nico Hulkenberg.

And Romain Grosjean is expected to be in the sister car in 2014.

Receiving a vote of confidence from Lopez, Lotus' team owner said of Frenchman Grosjean: "Vettel, Alonso and Raikkonen are three world champions, and Romain put himself right in the middle of them (at the Nurburgring)."

Garmin has developed a new navigation system that projects information onto your windshield, including estimated time of arrival, speed, traffic and safety camera alerts.

The device works wirelessly with compatible Bluetooth-enabled smartphones using Garmin StreetPilot for iPhone or NAVIGON mobile apps ($30 extra).

Priced at $129.99 USD, Garmin's head-up display unit has yet to be authorized for online purchase by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), but that shouldn't take long.

Canadian availability remains unknown

Photo: Garmin

Photo: Garmin

BMW Canada is recalling 15,294 vehicles, including the 2006-2007 3 Series, 5 Series, 6 Series, 7 Series, X3 and Z4, as well as the 2006 X5, due to an airbag problem.

In some cases, the front passenger seat occupant detection mat can fatigue over time. As a result, the passenger airbag could deactivate, illuminating the airbag warning lamp and the passenger airbag ON/OFF lamp. Failure of the passenger airbag to deploy during a crash (where deployment is warranted) could increase the risk of personal injury to the seat occupant.

Affected vehicles will receive special extended warranty coverage of 10 years from first registration. Under this special coverage program, vehicles which experience this condition will have the occupant detection mat replaced.

Source: Transports Canada

Photo: Philippe Champoux

Here is the on-track schedule of activities of the 2013 Honda Indy Toronto held downtown Toronto this weekend.

This year will feature the first 'doubleheader' IndyCar race in the history of Toronto. The first racing event held on the streets of Toronto was in 1986 won by Bobby Rahal driving for team Truesports. 

Tickets are still on sale. Click here to visit the page.

On Friday, Ontario Honda Dealers will cover the cost of admission for everyone to check out the spectacle and excitement of the Honda Indy Toronto, in exchange for a donation to Make-A-Wish Canada.

Ryan Hunter-Reay, winner in 2012. (Photo: IndyCar)

TIME TABLE*

FRIDAY, JULY 12
7:30 - 8:00  Practice USF2000
8:05 - 8:35  Practice Pro Mazda
8:50 - 9:30  Practice Firestone Indy Lights
9:45 - 10:15  Practice Pirelli World Challenge
10:25 - 11:55  Practice IZOD IndyCar
12:10 - 12:40  Practice USF2000
12:45 - 1:15  Practice Pro Mazda
1:30 - 2:00  Practice Pirelli World Challenge
2:15 - 3:25  Practice IZOD Indy Car
3:40 - 4:10  Qualification Race #1 USF2000
4:15 - 4:45  Qualification Pro Mazda
5:00 - 5:40  Qualification Firestone Indy Lights
5:55 - 6:30  Qualification Race #1 Pirelli World Challenge

SATURDAY JULY 13
7:45 - 8:30  Qualification Firestone Indy Lights
8:45 - 9:25  Race #1 Pro Mazda
9:40 - 10:20  Race #1 USF2000
10:35 - 11:05  Qualification Race #2 IZOD IndyCar
11:15 - 12:30  Race - 50 laps Firestone Indy Lights
12:45 - 2:05  Race #1 Pirelli World Challenge
2:15 - 2:45  Demonstration Stadium Super Trucks
2:45  Pre-Race IndyCar
3:00 - 6:00  Race #1 - 85 Laps IndyCar (Green flag ± 3:40 PM)
5:45 - 6:30  Post-Race IndyCar

SUNDAY JULY 14
8:00 - 8:45  Qualification Race #2 Pirelli World Challenge
9:00 - 9:45  IndyCar Experience (2-Seater & Pace Car Rides)
9:55 - 10:35  Race #2 Pro Mazda
10:50 - 11:20  Warm-Up IndyCar
11:35 - 12:15  Race #2 USF2000
12:30 - 1:50  Race #2 Pirelli World Challenge
2:05 - 2:35  Demonstration Stadium Super Trucks
2:40  Pre-Race IndyCar
3:00 - 6:00  Race #2 - 85 Laps IndyCar (Green flag ± 3:40 PM)
5:45 - 6:30  Post-Race IndyCar

*Subject to changes

On July 18th, toy maker Lego will release the Back to the Future Time Machine set including the famous 1981 DeLorean DMC-12 as well as characters Doc Brown and Marty McFly. No pricing has been announced, but Lego fan sites peg the kit at around $50 USD.

Of course, there will be instructions on how to assemble the DeLorean time machine from each of the 3 movies: original, hover-converted, and railroad.

The Back to the Future Time Machine is the 4th Lego project achieved through crowdsourcing. The designer who submitted the idea, Mashahi Togami, will receive 1% of the profits for the Lego set's worldwide sales. However, he's already confirmed his intention to donate his entire earnings to the Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson's Research.

Wouldn't that be a cool Christmas gift for your kids... or the kid inside you?

Source : www.edmunds.com

Photo: LEGO

From GMM

In the fallout of Sunday's German grand prix, teams are assessing what impact the tire shakeup had on their performance.

After the tire-exploding British grand prix, the most obvious loser of the move from steel to kevlar-belted tires was Mercedes.

But, in fact, the German team had earlier pushed hard for the change. So, having won two of the previous three grands prix, why the Nurburgring struggle?

The answer could be in the FIA's clampdown on teams radically altering pressures and cambers, and switching the rear tires from the left and right sides.

Photo: Pirelli

Team boss Ross Brawn agrees: "I think the ability to swap tires was a good way of offsetting the stress of the tire," he is quoted by AFP news agency.

"You could use it in qualifying and then swap it, and have it in a different condition for the race."

That was banned for the Nurburgring - where pole sitter Lewis Hamilton and Silverstone winner Nico Rosberg struggled desperately - and beyond.

Lotus, on the other hand, appeared to be the big winner of the tire shakeup, enjoying a return to form in Germany, while the big loser was Sahara Force India, who had thrived on the previous tires.

"There will be some winners and some losers," deputy boss Bob Fernley told Sky. "For sure, we're a loser."

Photo: Sahara Force India F1 Team

There will surely be more winners and losers out of the next tire shakeup, when Pirelli will debut an all-new combination of its 2012 and 2013 tires in Hungary and beyond.

"It will help us more than others," predicted Sauber's Nico Hulkenberg, referring to Pirelli's reverting to the 2012 construction.

Germany's Auto Motor und Sport also quoted McLaren boss Martin Whitmarsh as admitting he hopes the change will help the struggling British team "quite a lot".

"Although in the meantime, we - like others - have adjusted to the new (2013) tires," he added.

From press release

Team Canada Scholarship announced the first four finalists, drivers who will be competing for one of the two seats available for this year's program.

The two drivers who will be selected to represent Canada at this year's Formula Ford Festival in the U.K. will come from the two levels of junior open-wheel racing.

The first selected group have been chosen from the US Formula 2000 series and the second group of finalists will be chosen from the Formula 1600 level, specifically, the Toyo Tires F1600 Championship and the Formula Tour 1600 Series.

The four drivers selected as finalists are: Garrett Grist, Scott Hargrove, Jesse Lazare, and Stefan Rzadzinski. Remarkably, all four drivers currently sit in the top six in points and all have made the podium at one point during the opening five rounds.

The Team Canada Scholarship enters their third year and is thankful for the support of sponsors and donations that help to fund the program.

The selection of the finalists from the F1600 category will be made in the coming weeks. The focus right now will be on the USF2000 drivers at the upcoming Honda Indy Car event on the streets of Toronto this weekend.

From GMM

Eric Boullier on Tuesday confirmed reports Nico Hulkenberg is a candidate to drive for Lotus in 2014.

That is because the Enstone based team is facing up to the very real possibility lead driver Kimi Raikkonen will switch to Red Bull.

We reported earlier that Frenchman Boullier, the Lotus team boss, is scheduled to sit down with Finn Raikkonen's management this week.

In the meantime, German Hulkenberg is technically a free agent, because - while he will continue to race for Sauber in 2013 - the struggling Swiss team reportedly breached contract by failing to pay him in May and June.

"I am in contact with Nico," Boullier, who reportedly also mentioned Paul di Resta, is quoted on Tuesday by France's L'Equipe.

Nico Hülkenberg. (Photo: Sauber F1 Team)

Still, Lotus has not given up on retaining Raikkonen -- and the inimitable Finn might not like the sound of comments made on Monday by Red Bull's Dr Helmut Marko.

First, Raikkonen does not like his decisions rushed, and Lotus is prepared to wait for him.

But Marko said Red Bull wants to settle the name of Mark Webber's 2014 successor "in the summer".

"Budapest is the beginning of the summer break. Spa at the end. So it (the decision) will fall some time in August," he told Austrian television Servus TV.

Marko is also insisting Webber's successor make a long-term commitment -- something Raikkonen might also baulk at.

"It shouldn't be for only one year, but for the next three years," said the Austrian. "Continuity has distinguished us as a team."

Further, Kimi Raikkonen despises media and sponsor work, while rumours suggest he also likes to spend precious little time with his engineers.

Marko, though, wants Sebastian Vettel's next teammate to do plenty of "simulator work" whilst working "awfully hard" with the team's technical boffins.

"There are many criteria that must be filled," he added.

Photo: Lotus F1 Team

Presumably, Marko wants Raikkonen to truly want the Red Bull seat, rather than slip into the sort of top team-complacency that at Ferrari ended his first F1 career.

"We have plenty of choice," said Marko. "There is Kimi and there are many others -- almost everyone would want to be with us.

"We need two strong drivers, so you also can win the constructors' championship. The opposite is Ferrari, who put everything on Alonso and the drivers' championship. But we want both," added Marko.

From press release

The Maritime Motorsports Hall of Fame announced the names of those members of the Maritime motorsports community whose accomplishments and/or contributions will be formally acknowledged as members of the MMHF Class of 2013.

Ten new inductees will join those already enshrined in hallowed hall during a formal celebration to be held November 16 in Moncton.

Congratulations to the Class of 2013:

From New Brunswick:
Richard Boyd - Drag Racing
Roy Blakeney - Motorcycle Competitor
Frank McKenzie - Stock Car Competitor
Gerald Wheaton - Stock Car Competitor

From Nova Scotia:
Steve Henderson - Stock Car Competitor/Owner/Builder
Francis McCarthy - Sports Car Competitor/Promoter
Jack Way (posthumously) - Drag Racing/Stock Car
Bob Yuille - Stock Car Competitor

From Prince Edward Island:
Joseph Bolger - Motorcycle Competitor/Creator
Scott Livingston - Motocross/ Stock Car Competitor

These ten inductees bring the total number of honourees in the Maritime Motorsports Hall of Fame to 82.

The eighth annual Induction Ceremony will be held on November 18 at the Future Inns Hotel & Conference Centre in Moncton.

Tickets are $80 per person and can be purchased by calling 506-756-2110. An induction celebration breakfast buffet will be held November 17 at the Maritime Motorsports Hall of Fame in Petitcodiac.

A 39-year-old gentleman driver sadly lost his life in an accident that happened Saturday morning at the Mont-Tremblant circuit located in the Laurentians, north of Montreal.

An article posted on the Point-de-vue Mont-Tremblant web site says that the driver of a Porsche 911 GT3 - a genuine race car fitted with all the safety equipment, including the steel roll cage - apparently lost control of his car when exiting corner 6 during a day of “lapping” where owners of sports cars can drive their cars at speeds on the circuit.

The safety crew immediately went on the scene of the crash and performed the resuscitation manoeuvres until the arrival of the ambulance. The injured driver was taken to the Sainte-Agathe-des-Monts hospital where he was pronounced death.

The driver from Eastern Townships had solid track experience under his belt and knew the Mont-Tremblant circuit. On the motorsport forums, witnesses say that the crash was the consequence of a driver error and not a mechanical failure. Our sincere condolences go out to the members of the deceased's family.

From GMM

F1 is reacting quickly to the incident on Sunday that could have cost a television cameraman his life in the Nurburgring pitlane.

As it happens, the British cameraman for Bernie Ecclestone's company FOM, who was struck at high speed by the bouncing wheel of Mark Webber's Red Bull, is doing well.

"The person concerned is expected to make a full recovery," read a FOM statement.

Red Bull, fined EUR 30,000 for releasing Webber from the pitstop with the unsecured wheel, sent an employee to the hospital in Koblenz to visit the injured cameraman, Paul Allen.

Paul Allen. (Photo: Williams F1 Team)

The Red Bull member gave the recovering Allen a poster signed by the entire team.

"He is a true Englishman, in a good mood," Dr Helmut Marko told Austrian television Servus TV on Monday. He knows about the risk -- we don't have to worry about him, he's fine. He is sure that he will be back in Budapest."

As ever in modern F1, however, the incident has sparked an immediate safety debate, and it is expected that everyone in pitlane could soon have to wear a helmet.

Red Bull has been analysing what went wrong.

"The safety pins on the wheel were not engaged," said Marko, "but in the rush the mechanic mistakenly pressed the button which switches the signal to green."

A meeting to analyse the incident in detail was scheduled for Milton-Keynes late on Monday. "We have cameras that analyse each pitstop to hundreds of seconds," Marko revealed.

"I am sure that in Budapest we will have a system that responds to such incidents as best as is humanly possible," he said.

Busy pitlane during the practices. (Photo: WRi2)

And Germany's Bild newspaper said FIA race director Charlie Whiting is overseeing the development of a standard system linking the wheel nuts to a traffic light.

Another immediate change is that F1 chief executive Ecclestone has banned his television crews from stalking the actual pitlane.

"In future," British reports quote him saying, "all our camera crews will only be allowed to film from the pitwall."

Nissan, aiming to boost sales and awareness of the Leaf electric vehicle, plans to install more than 100 public DC quick chargers at dealers certified to sell the EV in 21 U.S. markets.

VW Group's Seat division is asking workers to take turns to stay at home to cope with weak demand. Seat wants to halt production for 16 days on one of its lines between September and December and stop production for 35 days next year on another line.

Mercedes-Benz priced two of its hottest models last week, the 2014 SLS AMG Black Series and the C63 AMG Edition 507. The gullwing will come in at stratospheric $276,800.