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Volkswagen continues an executive shake-up in Seat's top management with the appointment of a new sales and marketing chief.

UK car manufacturing fell 8.4% in May to 129,355, but still outperformed pre-recession levels, the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) said.

ASSOCIATE EDITOR JAKE LINGEMAN: This 2013 Mini Cooper John Cooper Works GP is the best Mini I've ever driven; it's also probably the most expensive.

Volvo has picked company veteran Hans Oscarsson to be its new chief financial officer. He replaces his boss, Jan Gurander, who is stepping down.

Upmarket small cars are at the forefront of a revival in the fortunes of troubled Peugeot, with the UK leading the way in Europe.

News 20 Jun, 2013

Volvo is developing a system that allows owners to send their car off to find a parking space by itself

Ford CEO Alan Mulally says "it's just a matter of time" until Ford uses China as an export hub. He also said Japan is manipulating the yen and its market is more closed than China's.

Ford CEO Alan Mulally says "it's just a matter of time" until Ford uses China as an export hub. He also said Japan is manipulating the yen and its market is more closed than China's.

From GMM

Pastor Maldonado insists he does not feel threatened by the rising form of his rookie teammate Valtteri Bottas.

Young Finn Bottas grabbed the headlines in Montreal recently when he qualified third, amid a profile already on the rise due to his form alongside Venezuelan Maldonado, the more experienced driver and 2012 Barcelona winner.

But Maldonado said on Wednesday: "The conditions benefitted Valtteri in Canada.

"It doesn't mean he's faster and I'm slower. Our car is quite difficult, but I don't need to prove anything to anybody," the 28-year-old, who like Bottas is yet to score a single point in 2013, is quoted by Brazil's Globo Esporte.

Photo: Williams F1 Team

Indeed, Maldonado argues that Williams is leaning on him too hard, due to Bottas' inexperience.

"They rely too much on me. In fact, I am responsible for all the technical testing of the car because I have more knowledge and experience with the team," said Maldonado.

His comments coincide with rumours Maldonado, backed by millions in sponsorship from PDVSA, has been earmarked by Lotus as a potential successor to the possibly Red Bull-bound Kimi Raikkonen.

Maldonado insisted: "It's not the time to plan where I will be in 2014. I sincerely hope to continue for a few more years at Williams. It is the team that gave me the opportunity to be in formula one, and I got my first and so far only victory with them.

"I believe we have the potential to win more with this team," he added.

Code of the Curve, indeed

Canadian Tire Motorsports Track, ON - When Porsche Canada asked me to join them at a local race track for a day of testing their latest 2013 model lineup, I wasn't about to say no. And when I found out the 2014 Porsche Cayman was going to be there, I was prepared to do anything in my power to get there and drive it.

Which is precisely what I did.

There's absolutely nothing cold-blooded about this new Cayman (which derives its name from the caiman lizard) from its looks to its handling abilities, this thing is hot.


What is the Porsche Cayman?
First introduced in 2005, the Porsche Cayman coupe is a rear-wheel drive, mid-engine sports car. Originally sharing the same platform as the Porsche Boxster, the Cayman offered up hard-top cruising where the Boxster didn't, and also offered up more storage space up front and in the back where the Boxster didn't.

Far from diluting the lineup, the Porsche Cayman adds a new level of driving dynamics to an already dynamic stable of vehicles. Abiding by Porsche's “code of the curve” the Cayman filled a gap between the 911 and the Boxster that no one really knew existed, but we're damn happy they filled it.

Technicalities
The 2014 Porsche Cayman S features a mid-mounted 3.4L flat-6, 3.4L good for 325 horsepower and roughly 273 lb-ft of torque attached to the ever-fantastic 7-speed dual clutch PDK transmission all pushed out the rear wheels and aboard a vehicle that only weighs 1,695 kg. Need I say more?

Wait, there are a few more important numbers: You'll see 100 km/hr from a standstill in just under 5 seconds and on the track you could potentially take the 2014 Cayman S up to 281 km/hr (believe me, I tried).

Perhaps a few of the most intriguing numbers attached to the Porsche Cayman S are its cost-to-own digits, because there aren't as many as you might expect. With a starting price of just $76,560 owning a Cayman S is conceivable for more than just a select few -- which makes this sporty model even more appealing.

The 2014 Porsche Cayman S features a mid-mounted 3.4L flat-6, 3.4L good for 325 horsepower and roughly 273 lb-ft of torque. (Photo: Philippe Champoux)

Driving the Porsche Cayman S
From the moment I sat behind the wheel of my bright Racing Yellow (complete with matching yellow seat belts) 2014 Porsche Cayman S in the pits at the Canadian Tire Motorsports Track, I knew I was in for a treat.

Having just stepped out of a Porsche 911 Carrera 4, the difference in handling, weight and dynamics was immediately clear. And I actually preferred the feel of the Cayman S.

Light and nimble, the 2014 Cayman S will go where you want and need it to with the slightest input to the steering wheel. Throttle response is also spot on, and thanks to the PDK transmission it'll keep you in the juicy part of the powerband, no matter what you ask of it. Cornering is slick and precise, with just the right amount of grip or tail snap when asked. This two-seater coupe begs to be driven hard, so how could I resist?

While paddle shifters are available with the PDK in the 2014 Porsche Cayman S, I chose to let the transmission handle all the gear selections for me, and was never disappointed. Seamless cog swaps meant I could focus on the correct line on the track, cutting my apexes and hammering down as soon as I reached the back straight. Yes, this thing is fast.

Well-balanced to the point where only the G-force meter lets you know what's really going on, the 2014 Porsche Cayman S is as composed on the track as it would be on the city streets. And that flat-6 wail at wide-open throttle? Well, I'm pretty sure you'll never get sick of hearing that.

Light and nimble, the 2014 Cayman S will go where you want and need it to with the slightest input to the steering wheel. (Photo: Philippe Champoux)

Inside and Out of the Porsche Cayman S
Some criticize the exterior look of the 2014 Cayman S with its pout-y rear end, but I think it's fantastic. As per the norm, the Cayman is instantly recognizable as a Porsche. With the classic headlights and fog light housing, the 2014 Cayman S is curvaceous in all the right spots, and angular where needed.

Inside, standard Porsche fare ensues. Very customizable, Porsche offers a long list of extras that can push your personal Porker into a whole new level of cool (as well as price bracket). For example, the colour-matched seatbelts found in my 2014 Porsche Cayman S were an extra $400, which I suppose in the grand scheme of things isn't that much, but still.

Very customizable, Porsche offers a long list of extras that can push your personal Porker into a whole new level. (Photo: Philippe Champoux)

Comparing the Porsche Cayman S
The 2014 Cayman S is in very good company amongst the likes of the BMW M3 Coupe and Lotus Evora. When it comes to track-ready performance and luxury amenities, there's also the Audi TT RS. The Porsche carries the loftiest price tag of the bunch but I think it's a warranted difference.

From GMM

Former F1 driver Allan McNish thinks the world of Le Mans would welcome Mark Webber with open arms in 2014.

With his Red Bull deal expiring, and the world champions weighing up the candidates to replace him, 37-year-old Australian Webber has been linked with Porsche's return to prototype sports car racing.

Photo: Porsche

"If Mark did decide to come we would all embrace him with open arms - until the first corner," Scot McNish, who raced in F1 with Toyota in 2002, joked to the Huffington Post.

"He wouldn't want it any other way," smiled McNish, now a top Le Mans driver for Audi.

"He's a hard charger, he's intelligent, he's a thinker, he's a nice person, he'd be good in the paddock," McNish said of Webber, who raced at Le Mans late last century with Mercedes.

The fabled 24 hour Le Mans race takes place this weekend, and McNish thinks the event can compete head-to-head with formula one.

"I think sports cars has offered manufacturers a place where they can develop a technology at a good, sensible cost," he said.

"They can race in a high profile race, Le Mans, which matches any F1 race without question and it's got a world championship. Look at Renault -- they've won the F1 world championship for quite a few years but no one knows. They all think it's a Red Bull."

Allan McNish driving the impressive Audi R18 e-tron quattro at Le Mans. (Photo: Audi Motorsport)

McNish also said Le Mans has become a "viable" option for drivers of F1 pedigree like Kamui Kobayashi and Bruno Senna, and questioned whether formula one has taken the right direction with its tyre-dominated racing.

"It's very odd the way it is in formula one now," he said.

"I was looking at the laptimes from the Bahrain GP and noticed that they were basically the same as our race laptimes there -- for a car that is 300kg lighter. I think F1 has tried quite hard over the past few years to become a spectacle, to get the fans to enjoy wheel to wheel racing. I think it's positive to do that but they might have gone a little bit too far," added McNish.

Three Audi R18s locked the top three positions in the first qualifying session ahead of 24 Hours of Le Mans, with the first Toyota already four seconds adrift.

Audi R18 e-tron quattro (Photo: Audi)

Loïc Duval, who will race the No. 1 car alongside Tom Kristensen and Alan McNish, set his best lap in 3m22.349, beathing last year's time by 1.5 seconds.

He leads his teammates Gene, Di Grassi and Jarvis, and Lotterer, Fassler and Treluyer. The fastest Toyota, driven by Wurz,, Lapierre and Nakajima, is fourth, four seconds slower than the best Audi.

As expected, the best independant LMP1 car is the Rebellion's Lola Toyota of Jani, Prost and Heidfeld, ahead of the second ToyotaTS030 Hybrid.

Toyota TS030 Hybrid (Photo: Toyota)

In LMP2, it was the G Drive's Oreca Nissan driven by Martin, Rusinov and Conway that emerged fastest ahead of the Morgan Judd driven by Gachnang, Mailleux and Lombard.

There was a big fight in GTE Pro, and the works Aston Martin Vantage of Makowiecki, Bell and Senna was the fastest car of the class.

Aston also dominated in GTE Am, with the best lap time set by Nygaard, Poulsen and Simonsen.

The second qualifying session will start at 7pm Thursday.

Qualifications 1:
1. Duval/McNish/Kristensen (Audi R18 e-Tron) - Audi Joest - 3'22"349 (1st LMP1)
2. Gené/Di Grassi/Jarvis(Audi R18 e-Tron) - Audi Joest - 3'24"341
3. Lotterer/Fassler/Treluyer (Audi R18 e-Tron) - Audi Joest - 3'25"474
4. Wurz/Lapierre/Nakajima (Toyota TS030 Hybrid) - Toyota - 3'26"676
5. Prost/Jani/Heidfeld (Lola B12/60-Toyota) - Rebellion - 3'30"423
6. Davidson/Buemi/Sarrazin (Toyota TS030 Hybrid) - Toyota - 3'30"841
7. Belicchi/Beche/Cheng (Lola B12/60-Toyota) - Rebellion - 3'32"167
8. Leventis/Watts/Kane (HPD ARX 03c-Honda) - Strakka - 3'36"547
9. Martin/Rusinov/Conway (Oreca 03-Nissan) - G-Drive - 3'39"535 (1st LMP2)
10. Gachnang/Mailleux/Lombard (Morgan-Judd) - Morand - 3'40"741
(...)
27. Makowiecki/Bell/Senna (Aston Martin Vantage V8) - Aston Martin - 3'55"658 (1st GTE Pro)
(...)
36. Nygaard/Poulsen/Simonsen (Aston Martin Vantage) - Aston Martin - 3'58"661
etc.

From GMM

Jenson Button thinks the economy and an 'after you' style of racing in 2013 has hurt ticket sales ahead of the British grand prix.

Writing in the Independent this week, F1 business journalist Christian Sylt said lower than usual ticket sales for the weekend's Silverstone race is because fans have rebelled against price increases.

A circuit spokesman admitted sales "aren't that strong".

Some of the other reasons for the slump could be because Button and Lewis Hamilton are unlikely to win, and also because ticket holders were actually turned away from qualifying last year amid the weather chaos.

Photo: McLaren F1 Team

Jenson Button thinks the economy is one definite factor.

"To sell out here would be very impressive but are there that many people who can afford to come?" he is quoted by the Guardian newspaper. "I don't think people are walking away from the sport. If you look at every sporting event, it is not as strong as maybe it was last year. That is just the way the world is at the moment."

A factor specific to F1, however, could be the questionable spectacle of the 2013 formula, caused mainly by drivers having to race off the pace to look after Pirelli's fragile tires.

"I agree that some of the racing hasn't been action-packed," Button said.

"It has been a lot more 'After you, sir, because I am looking after my tires'. But there have been good races," he insisted.

Audi will reportedly launch a 650-horsepower Quattro Concept based on the A5 coupe at the Frankfurt Auto Show this fall. The car will use lightweight materials such as magnesium, carbon fibre and aluminum to tip the scales at just 1,315 kg (2,900 lbs).

Originally introduced at the 2010 Paris Auto Show, the Audi Quattro Concept will apparently replace its 380-horsepower, 2.5L, five-cylinder engine with a tuned version of the RS7's 4.0L twin-turbo V8 that allows 0-60mph (0-96km/h) acceleration in 3.4 seconds, according to several sources.

The new Audi Quattro Concept is also said to feature variable displacement technology for improved fuel economy. Should it enter production, this car could retail for $150,000, right in the R8's ballpark.

Source : www.thedetroitbureau.com

Photo: Matthieu Lambert

From GMM

Nico Hulkenberg has admitted for the first time that moving from Force India to Sauber over the winter may not have been the "right decision".

Until now, the 25-year-old German has defended his move on the basis that Swiss team Sauber, currently in a performance slump, has the potential to revive its podium-winning form of 2012.

Nico Hulkenberg, Sauber C32-Ferrari. (Photo: WRi2)

But, now with more of a third of the 2013 season in the past, Hulkenberg has acknowledged Sauber is in "a difficult situation" with its C32 car, while Sahara Force India is in the top-five of the championship, ahead even of McLaren.

"Of course this is not what I had imagined, and not what the team imagined," Hulkenberg told Speed Week.

"Clearly we are not where we want to be and where we should be. But unfortunately that's formula one -- when you make decisions, there is never a guarantee that it's going to be the right one. What we have to do now is to keep looking ahead and get the best out of the season."

Nico Hulkenberg admitted that being passed or beaten by a Sahara Force India in 2013 hurts.

"To be honest it hasn't happened on the track, but due to strategy or in the pits, of course it does (hurt). I would like to have a faster car."

Photo: Sauber F1 Team

Meanwhile, Jenson Button has said that, amid McLaren's slump, it is no surprise Sahara Force India has raced past the British grandee.

"Part of their car is from us, part is from Mercedes, so they are going to do well," he told British newspapers.

Are you currently shopping for a fun little car that will give you plenty of bang for your buck? There is great selection out there, so allow Kelley Blue Book to make your choice easier with its top 10 coolest new cars under $18,000 for 2013, led by the Hyundai Veloster.

“Quite frankly, automakers keep making it easier to pay them less,” said Jack R. Nerad, executive editorial director and executive market analyst for Kelley Blue Book's website. “While many inexpensive cars are decidedly uncool, the world's manufacturers are putting more personality and distinction into their lower-priced offerings. Not only have small cars never looked so good, but they have also never been more filled with cool content.”

So, what are the top 10 fun-to-drive and fun-to-own cars in 2013? Here's the list:

• 1. Hyundai Veloster
• 2. Ford Focus
• 3. Kia Soul
• 4. Honda Fit
• 5. Dodge Dart
• 6. Mazda Mazda3
• 7. Fiat 500
• 8. Volkswagen Jetta
• 9. Honda Civic
• 10. Chevrolet Spark

Photo: Marie-Andrée Ayotte

Renault-Nissan's new Common Module Family (CMF) is “an engineering architecture that covers Renault-Nissan Alliance vehicles, from one or more segments, based on the assembly of compatible Big Modules: engine bay, cockpit, front underbody, rear underbody and electrical/electronic architecture.”

The CMF will be deployed across five continents in more than 10 countries through 2020. The first deployment of CMF, for the compact and large car segments, will cover 1.6 million vehicles per year and 14 models: 11 from Renault and three from Nissan (including the next-generation Rogue).

This will generate for the Renault-Nissan Alliance an average 30-40% reduction in entry cost per model, and a 20-30% reduction in parts cost.

Photo: Renault

The DMCC (Drift Mania Canadian Championship) added a ProAm amateur category to its championship back in 2010 in order to ensure a steady flow of new participants. It helps new drivers test their skills against each other without breaking the bank.

In general, the cars are less powerful as the drivers are competing at a lower skill level than the Pro racers. The Pros garner most of the media attention as they are frequently in the spotlight.

However, a newcomer to the ProAm series managed to gain some attention by capturing the pole position in the first race of the 2013 season, leading to an impressive second-place finish in the season opener.

Trois-Rivières, Quebec native Martin Langlois is a machinist by trade, and he singlehandedly performs the majority of pre-race chassis and engine modifications. Langlois took a few minutes of his time to tell us his story.

Marie-Laurance Paquin (MLP): Where does your passion for this sport come from?

Martin Langlois (ML): My passion for motorsports mainly comes from my family. As a kid, I always tagged along with my dad at various rally events. I immediately modified the first car I ever owned. I went out and bought my Silvia (Nissan 240SX) five years ago. The first few months I only drove it on the street, before slowly transforming it into a track car. It's exactly the same car that I'm driving in this year's series.


MLP: Were any modifications made to the car over the winter?

ML: I put in a lot of work last winter to modify the suspension. The engine remains as is because I firmly believe that the way the car handles is what really counts. The Nissan Silvia is a popular car for drifting. I think that the time I spent modifying the suspension to get the jump on my competitors is time well spent.


MLP: Is it your goal to participate in the Pro series in the near future?

ML: Everything depends on this year's results. It certainly would give me a boost if I manage to climb on the podium a few times, and the prize money is certainly interesting, too. It would help me raise the money I need to modify the engine in order to be more competitive.


MLP: Which engine are you using now?

ML: I've got a SR20DET under the hood. I replaced the original turbocharger for a twin-scroll GT3071R, boosting the output to 500 hp, which is approximately 400 to 430 hp at the wheels.

MLP: What's your objective for the current season?


ML: Last year was my first on the circuit, and I never got the chance to climb on the podium. I had quite a few mechanical issues, and was stressed out to the point that it affected my confidence. I worked on the mental aspect of the sport last winter and I'm looking to “kick butt” this season!


MLP: Who are your toughest opponents?

ML: Eric Belanger, who (I'm surprised) didn't qualify today. He's a great driver. Maxime Cyrenne and Michel Pelchat are also worth mentioning.

Photo: Joel Couture

Red Bull Stratos and space dive hero Felix Baumgartner recently experienced the thrill and amazing sensations provided by a Formula 1 race car.

Baumgartner, who stunned the world when he set the world record for skydiving an estimated 39 kilometres (24 miles), reaching an estimated speed of 1357.64 km/h (843.6 m/h), or Mach 1.25, on 14 October 2012, and became the first person to break the sound barrier without vehicular power on his descent.

In this video, the Austrian put his trust in the hands of Red Bull Racing's Sebastian Vettel and David Coulthard, swapping the speed of sound for the sound of speed in a three-seater F1 car as it flies around the Paul Ricard Circuit in southern France.

After having been forced to withdraw from the IndyCar Series due to a lack of funds, Dreyer & Reinbold has confirmed that it will be back in motrosport, but this time it will run a car in the Global Rallycross event of the Los Angeles X Games in August.

That is the result of getting back together with James Sullivan's SH Racing and GRC Olsbergs to run the 'star car' at the X Games event on the first weekend of August.

The team's driver has not yet been announced.

Those squads have been involved together before, having fielded Tomas Scheckter's Indy 500 entry in 2011. This year, SH Racing has worked with Indy winner KV Racing Technology and Tony Kanaan.