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Jul
6th

AUTO123.COM – RSS 2013-07-06 00:00:00

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Adapted from GMM

Bernie Ecclestone admitted in the paddock of the German Grand Prix that he still doesn't know what is happening with the Spanish Grand Prix. He also revealed that he might buy the Nurburgring, and that F1 could visit the US as much as three times per year in the future.

Reportedly, a verbal agreement between the regional presidents should see Valencia and Barcelona annually alternate a single Spanish F1 race from now on.

The port city of Valencia, absent from the 2013 schedule, was set to kick off the arrangement in 2014, but the Circuit de Catalunya has already put tickets on sale for a Spanish grand prix next year.

"If they are doing that," Valencia vice president Jose Ciscar said, "you will have to ask Catalunya as to why."

Asked on Friday at the Nurburgring to clarify the identity of next year's Spanish grand prix host, F1 chief executive Ecclestone answered: "I don't know yet.

"We have to wait," he is quoted by the Spanish sports daily AS.

It is also likely the F1 community will have to wait to see what happens with the German Grand Prix.

Nurburgring
The fabled Nurburgring circuit.

Weighed under by financial problems and now for sale, this weekend's round at the famous track in the Eifel only survived on the 2013 calendar because the F1 chief executive heavily reduced his sanctioning fee.

Asked by Die Welt newspaper about the Nurburgring's future beyond the German grand prix on Sunday, Ecclestone answered: "It's quite possible that I'll buy it (the circuit).

"At least I'm thinking about it.

"If I do that, it would mean the German grand prix is secure in the future, taking into account of course the existing contracts with Hockenheim."

The 82-year-old Briton said he will make his final decision "in a few months".

"At any rate," Ecclestone insisted, "the German grand prix next year will be at Hockenheim.  There are binding contracts and I will keep to them."

The F1 supremo also said he is hoping "two new races" in America will complement the now annual Austin race, "namely in Long Beach and New York (New Jersey)".

And Ecclestone said F1 is also planning races in Thailand, as well as Baku -- the capital of Azerbaijan.

Austin, F1
Austin's COTA (Photo: WRi2)


Jul
6th

ALMS: Lucas Luhr ignores Lime Rock heat to score first 2013 pole

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The whole American Le Mans Series (ALMS) field battled torrid heat during qualifying ahead of the Northeast Grand Prix, at Lime Rock Park, but it was German Lucas Luhr who came out on top.

The 2012 champion and his teammate Klaus Graf amassed two wins this season, but have yet to start on pole.

ALMS, Lime Rock, Muscle Milk Racing
Photo: ALMS.com

In the absence of his title rivals from Rebellion Racing, Luhr comfortably posted the fastest lap of the session, aboard his HPD ARX-03c. Dyson Racing's Chris Dyson and Guy Smith completed the front row.

The third and only other car registered  in P1, the No. 0 DeltaWing driven by Andy Meyrick and Katherine Legge, posted the 12th fastest lap overall.

BMW Team RLL, led by John Edwards, swept the front row in GT, leaving Corvette Racing's Oliver Gavin with nothing but third place to start from.

BMW Team RLL, ALMS, Lime Rock
Photo: ALMS.com

Ryan Briscoe was the fastest man in P2, at the wheel of Level 5's first HPD ARX-03b, while Colin Braun (CORE autosport) and Spencer Pumpelly (Flying Lizards) led in PC and GTC respectively.


Qualifying results - ALMS Northeast Grand Prix (Lime Rock)
1.Graf/Luhr (HPD ARX-03c) - Pickett - 44"396
2.Dyson/Smith (Lola B12/60 Mazda) - Dyson - 45"243
3.Tucker/Briscoe (HPD ARX-03b) - Level 5 - 46"191
4.Tucker/Franchitti (HPD ARX-03b) - Level 5 - 46"428
5.Brown/Van Overbeek (HPD ARX-03b) - ExtremeSpeed - 46"729
6.Sharp/Cosmo (HPD ARX-03b) - ExtremeSpeed - 46"870
7.Bennett/Braun (Oreca FLM09) - CORE - 48"078
8.Junqueira/Ende (Oreca FLM09) - Rocketsports - 48"1889
9.Marcelli/Cumming (Oreca FLM09) - BAR1 - 48"403
10.Schultis-Van der Zande (Oreca FLM09 Chevy) - DragonSpeed - 48"422
11.Nunez/Booth (Oreca FLM09) - Preformance Tech - 48"564
12.Meyrick-Legge (DeltaWing LM12-Elan) - DeltaWing - 48"931
13.Guasch/Cheng (Oreca FLM09) - PR1 - 49"222
14.Drissi/Mitchell (Oreca FLM09) - BAR1 - 50"044
15.Mueller/Edwards (BMW Z4) - Rahal - 50"996
16.Auberlen/Martin (BMW Z4) - Rahal - 51"157
17.Gavin/Milner (Corvette ZR1) - Corvette - 51"490
18.Beretta/Malucelli (Ferrari 458) - Risi - 51"499
19.Magnussen/Garcia (Corvette ZR1) - Corvette - 51"537
20.Long/Kimber-Smith (Porsche 997) - 51"732
21.Sweedler/Bell (Ferrari 458) - Alex Job - 51"812
22.Goossens/Farnbacher (SRT Viper) - SRT - 51"916
23.Bomarito/Wittmer (SRT Viper) - SRT - 52"185
24.Henzler/Sellers (Porsche 997) - Falken - 52"199
25.Miller/Holzer (Porsche 997) - Miller - 52"254
(..)

Jul
6th

F1: Susie Wolff to test Williams at Silverstone

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From GMM

Susie Wolff will drive Williams' 2013 car during the young driver test at Silverstone later this month.

The news is being reported by Germany's Bild newspaper and the specialist Auto Motor und Sport, while her husband and Williams co-owner Toto Wolff confirmed: "She is tremendously glad about it."

Scotland-born Wolff, 30, is already the famous British team's test driver, but her participation at Silverstone - her first proper circuit test in a F1 car - was not assured until now.

The German publications said her test in the Renault-powered FW35 will be the first official F1 action for a female driver since Giovanna Amati in 1992.

Susie Wolff, Williams, Silverstone
Susie Wolff (Photo: Williams F1 Team)

Auto Motor und Sport said Wolff, a former DTM driver who until now has been limited to simulator and aerodynamic test runs, will drive on the first of the three-day test.

Meanwhile, Italiaracing reports that the FIA has backtracked on an earlier stipulation that race drivers will be limited to only tyre testing at the Silverstone test.

Earlier, it was thought only the inexperienced 'young drivers' will be allowed to focus on real car development.

The clarification follows Fernando Alonso's claim that he is not interested in simply testing tyres at Silverstone, because he is "not a Pirelli test driver".

An unimpressed Pirelli chief Paul Hembery hit back: "I'm sorry for him, but Vettel and the other drivers will be there," he is quoted by Italy's Tuttosport.


Jul
6th

F1 Germany: Sebastian Vettel loses home pole to Lewis Hamilton (+results)

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Sebastian Vettel (Red Bull) must have thought pole position for this weekend's German Grand Prix at the Nurburgring was in the bag, but that was only before Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes) stormed through the top of the timing sheet with a final run in Q3.

Where the German could only manage a 1min29.501sec, Hamilton pulled off a 1min29.398sec to give his team its sixth pole position of the season.

Hamilton's teammate, Nico Rosberg, who is usually also fighting for pole, has the unfortunate victim of Mercedes' mistake in Q2, when it thought Rosberg was safe with the time he had produced. The rest of the field improved enough to knock the German out of the final segment of the qualifying session.

He sits just outside the top 10 of the grid, in 11th.

Australia's Mark Webber (Red Bull) lines up third, beside 2007 world champion Kimi Raikkonen, who could score points in a 26th straight race tomorrow. His Lotus teammate, Romain Grosjean, fell just short of his time, which means he will start fifth.

The other Australian on the grid, Toro Rosso's Daniel Ricciardo qualified an impressive sixth, ahead of the two Ferraris, led by Brazilian Felipe Massa. Whether the Scuderia's strategy to not run for the pole will pay off Sunday remains to be seen.

Jenson Button (McLaren) and Nico Hulkenberg (Sauber) made it to the top 10, but sat out Q3 to preserve their tires.

Amusingly, in the second McLaren, Sergio Perez qualified only one place ahead of fellow Mexican Esteban Gutierrez, who drives for his former team, Sauber.

Neither Williams cars made it out of Q1, but Pastor Maldonado must have been relieved just to be on track, as his KERS mysteriously went out in smoke, earlier this morning while the car was in the garage. Valtteri Bottas lines up one place in front of the Venzuelan, in 17th.

At the very tail of the field, Charles Pic (Caterham) beat Jules Bianchi (Marussia) as the fastest back-marker.


Qualifying results* - German Grand Prix (Nurburgring)
1.Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes W04) - 1'29"398 - Q3
2.Sebastian Vettel (Red Bull RB9-Renault) - 1'29"501 - Q3
3.Mark Webber (Red Bull RB9-Renault) - 1'29"608 - Q3
4.Kimi Raikkonen (Lotus E21-Renault) - 1'29"892 - Q3
5.Romain Grosjean (Lotus E21-Renault) - 1'29"959 - Q3
6.Daniel Ricciardo (Toro Rosso STR8-Ferrari) - 1'30"528 - Q3
7.Felipe Massa (Ferrari F138) - 1'31"126 - Q3
8.Fernando Alonso (Ferrari F138) - 1'31"209 - Q3
9.Jenson Button (McLaren MP4/28-Mercedes) - no time - Q3
10.Nico Hulkenberg (Sauber C32-Ferrari) - no time - Q3
11.Nico Rosberg (Mercedes W04) - 1'30"326 - Q2
12.Paul Di Resta (Force India VJM06-Mercedes) - 1'30"697 - Q2
13.Sergio Perez (McLaren MP4/28-Mercedes) - 1'30"933 - Q2
14.Esteban Gutierrez (Sauber C32-Ferrari) - 1'31"010 - Q2
15.Adrian Sutil (Force India VJM06-Mercedes) - 1'31"010 - Q2
16.Jean-Eric Vergne (Toro Rosso STR8-Ferrari) - 1'31"104 - Q2
17.Valtteri Bottas (Williams FW35-Renault) - 1'31"693 - Q1
18.Pastor Maldonado (Williams FW35-Renault) - 1'31"707 - Q1
19.Charles Pic (Caterham CT03-Renault) - 1'32"937 - Q1
20.Jules Bianchi (Marussia MR02-Cosworth) - 1'33"063 - Q1
21.Giedo Van der Garde (Caterham CT03-Renault) - 1'33"734 - Q1
22.Max Chilton (Marussia MR02-Cosworth) - 1'34"098 - Q1

*Unofficial results

Jul
5th

Santander Consumer USA, lender behind Chrysler Capital, plans IPO

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Santander Consumer USA, which formed Chrysler Capital this year in partnership with Chrysler Group, filed plans to raise at least $50 million in an initial public offering and said it plans to pursue deals with other automakers.
Jul
5th

4th of July Car Show at CBS Studios: Cars and stars align with fireworks for a fabulous Fourth

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The fourth annual show on the Fourth of July was the best-ever for
Jul
5th

June 2013 Auto Sales

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June 2013 Auto Sales
June 2013 Auto Sales - Automobile Magazine
Hear the pickups roar.

Robust construction activity helped drive pickup sales higher -- up by 24% over last year -- which in turn helped propel overall auto sales beyond even the sunny expectations of industry watchers. The suddenly booming housing market is only the most obvious sign of increased economic activity. New-car buyers shrugged off a dip on Wall Street, and flocked to dealerships. Overall new vehicle sales jumped 9% compared with the previous June, reaching their most torrid pace of 2013, an annualized selling rate of nearly 16 million units. That number hasn’t been seen -- or even fantasized about -- since 2007. Better still for the auto industry, consumers are paying more for cars, as they gravitate toward feature-loaded models. Incentives, meanwhile, are down.


Photo Gallery: June 2013 Auto Sales - Automobile Magazine

Photo Gallery: June 2013 Auto Sales - Automobile Magazine


Jul
5th

June 2013 Auto Sales

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June 2013 Auto Sales
June 2013 Auto Sales - Automobile Magazine
Hear the pickups roar.

Robust construction activity helped drive pickup sales higher -- up by 24% over last year -- which in turn helped propel overall auto sales beyond even the sunny expectations of industry watchers. The suddenly booming housing market is only the most obvious sign of increased economic activity. New-car buyers shrugged off a dip on Wall Street, and flocked to dealerships. Overall new vehicle sales jumped 9% compared with the previous June, reaching their most torrid pace of 2013, an annualized selling rate of nearly 16 million units. That number hasn’t been seen -- or even fantasized about -- since 2007. Better still for the auto industry, consumers are paying more for cars, as they gravitate toward feature-loaded models. Incentives, meanwhile, are down.


Photo Gallery: June 2013 Auto Sales - Automobile Magazine

Photo Gallery: June 2013 Auto Sales - Automobile Magazine


Jul
5th

AutoWeek – Latest Car News Feed 2013-07-05 16:30:00

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Robby Gordon edged out Jeff Gordon and Kevin Harvick to win the
Jul
5th

Great Americans: 1964 Lincoln Continental: We pick our favorite American cars for the July 4 weekend

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My love for big-body cars comes from a confluence of movies, music and TV including and#8220;Boyz in the Hood,and#8221; and#8220;Menace II Society,and#8221; and#8220;
Jul
5th

Great Americans: 1955 Chrysler C-300: We pick our favorite American cars for the July 4 weekend

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Whenever I'm asked what my favorite car is, it's impossible for me to single out a specific model. A huge list pops up in my head and I end up having a big debate with myself as I rattle off different exotics and classics.
Jul
5th

Great Americans: Ford Model T: We pick our favorite American cars for the July 4 weekend

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Asking me to pick my favorite American car is the exact same thing as asking me to look at American cars on eBay and Bring a Trailer continuously for days at a time. But, my boss did it anyway.
Jul
5th

GERMANY: Lanxess opens first factory in Russia

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Lanxess has opened its first Russian factory. Subsidiary Rhein Chemie's Lipetsk facility makes polymer bound rubber additives for Russia and the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS), primarily for the automotive and tyre industries.
Jul
5th

Daily automotive news and comment – from just-auto.com 2013-07-05 11:53:00

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Nissan Motor premium brand Infiniti has named a new head of marketing for Europe, the Middle East and Africa (EMEA).
Jul
5th

SWEDEN: Volvo Cars claims animal and pedestrian detection global firsts

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Geely's Volvo Car Group is claiming world firsts for animal and night pedestrian detection technology due to make its debut in the redesigned XC90 crossover due out at the end of 2014.
Jul
5th

UK: Nissan Note assembly preparation costs EUR148m

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Nissan Motor's EUR147.5m (US$191.31m) spend at its Sunderland plant in north east England for European assembly of the redesigned Note includes axles, cylinder heads, camshafts and petrol engines for the new car, the automaker said.
Jul
5th

BELGIUM: EU Commission to investigate Slovenia state aid to Renault

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The European Commission is to investigate a grant given by Slovenia's government to a Renault unit to see if rules on state aid have been breached.
Jul
5th

Great Americans: Jeep Grand Wagoneer: We pick our favorite American cars for the July 4 weekend

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Let me tell you about American ingenuity and engineering know-how and stick-to-itiveness.
Jul
5th

UK: Western Europe car sales down 6.1% in June

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Car sales in Western Europe fell by 6.1% in June, according to data released by LMC Automotive. LMC said the June result was similar to May: the month's year-on-year results generally remain negative while the SAAR "appears to be more solid".
Jul
5th

Hyundai i30 Tourer video: withstanding the playground

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Hyundai i30 Tourer
Videos 5 Jul, 2013

The Hyundai i30 Tourer is pushed to its limits in a junior school in this video

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