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From press release

The Sports Authority of Thailand and the organisers of the 2013 Race Of Champions have announced that the event cannot take place as planned on December 14-15 due to the current political situation in Bangkok.

Our thoughts are with the Thai people during this difficult period and we wish that a peaceful solution will soon be found.

The Race Of Champions has been held all over the world for 25 consecutive years and we are currently looking at options of repeating the success of last year's event in Bangkok on another date.

Romain Grosjean, winner in 2012, in Bangkok. (Photo: Race of Champions)

Few can argue with the overwhelming value of a minivan when it comes to affordably moving around families, their things and their pets. Sliding doors, plenty of space for the money, and plenty of versatility make a minivan a machine that's ready for anything -- including growing up with and adapting to the family that's made it their own.

The minivan segment isn't a huge one -- especially in light of the relatively recent influx of trendy crossover SUV models flooding the market. Still, numerous affordable, used minivan options exist. So, here's a look at a few of the most popular in terms of what owners say they love, and the more commonly reported problems they say you should watch out for.

Remember: Standard minivan checks should include the tires, brakes, liftgate struts, and power sliding doors (if equipped) on any model you're considering.

2005 to 2010 Honda Odyssey

2007 Honda Odyssey (Photo: Honda)

The Draw: Honda's knack for interior space optimization, reliability, and safety hit the minivan scene with this generation of the brand's popular Odyssey minivan. Standard V6 power and plenty of trim grades mean selection will be plentiful, and all models get over 4,170 litres of maximum cargo space. Owners comment positively on spaciousness, comfort, power output, and even fuel mileage. A useful navigation system and power sliding doors are among the most loved features.

What to Check: Confirm proper operation of the power-sliding doors and power liftgate, if equipped. Any strain or non-operation should be called into pricing negotiations or repaired. Listen to and “feel” the transmission for any signs of shuddering as you drive gently up to highway speeds. This sensation could be a precursor to a failing torque converter or transmission mounts. Don't buy an Odyssey with this shuddering sensation without having a mechanic investigate. Finally, ensure the steering wheel maintains consistent, easy effort throughout its entire range of travel. Any “binding” or “lumps” in power steering effort could indicate a problem with the power-steering pump.

2007 Honda Odyssey (Photo: Honda)

Continue reading Popular Used Minivans at a Glance

2014 Chevrolet SS Review

The 2014 Chevrolet SS evokes the era of full-size Chevys with muscular V-8s.

A ghost is haunting Woodward Avenue late on a Saturday night, disturbing the silence that stretches all the way from downtown Detroit through the economic wasteland near Hamtramck to the slumbering suburbs above 8 Mile. Few cars are on the road. A Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution heading northwest around Pontiac is clearly just going home, and yet its driver can't resist the challenge when an unfamiliar-looking large sedan rolls up next to him in a low gear. He takes off hard at the next stoplight and probably thinks he's escaped when it comes up behind him, roaring and pulling hard past his front fender at 80 mph. This happens three or four times until he finally lowers his window, astonished, and asks, "What is that thing?" It's the 2014 Chevrolet SS -- a big, rear-wheel-drive Chevrolet sedan with a 415-hp V-8. It's a ghost.

Photo Gallery: 2014 Chevrolet SS Review - Automobile Magazine

Photo Gallery: 2014 Chevrolet SS Review - Automobile Magazine

2014 Chevrolet SS Review | Digg It | Add to del.icio.us

The fifth owner of the 2005 Porsche Carrera GT in which "Fast and the Furious" actor Paul Walker and the car's owner and driver, Roger Rodas, were killed appears to have been IndyCar driver and avid car collector Graham Rahal.

Always Evolving's Porsche Carerra GT -- recognizable for its unusual red color and black wheels -- is a difficult car to drive for even professionals, with one top driver calling its handling and#8220;scary."

You know the headline: and#8220;Fast and the Furiousand#8221; star Paul Walker died Saturday when the driver of the red

Renault is preparing to resume the export of car parts to Iran pending "clarifications" on the easing of trade sanctions against the country.

Silicon Valley moves more quickly than Detroit. Late this summer, after nearly five years and a dozen software iterations, the 1 billionth Android device was activated, roughly matching the total number of cars in service on Earth.

Honda's newest assembly plant was seven years in the making, twice delayed and may be the last greenfield car factory in Japan for a long time.

From press release

Kurt Busch will have a new car number to go with his new team in 2014.

Busch will campaign the No. 41 Haas CNC Chevrolet for Stewart-Haas Racing in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series next season, starting in February at Daytona International Speedway. He'll make the transition after a little more than a year driving the No. 78 Chevy for Furniture Row Racing, helping the Colorado-based team to its most successful season with a 10th-place finish in Sprint Cup points.

Photo: NASCAR

Busch has driven (in order) Nos. 97, 2, 22, 51 and 78 in NASCAR's top series. Next season, the 2004 Sprint Cup champion will don a number that transposes the digits of team owner Tony Stewart's flagship No. 14, the longtime number of his childhood hero, A.J. Foyt.

In an interesting twist, Busch will sport the same car number of long-ago rival Jimmy Spencer, who dramatically sparred with Busch at Bristol and Indianapolis in his days driving the No. 41 for Chip Ganassi.

From press release

Former World Championship Grand Prix race winner Doriano Romboni passed away on Saturday afternoon at the Santa Maria Goretti hospital in Latina, after suffering an accident during the Sic Supermoto Day.

The event, which was stopped after Romboni's death, was to honour the late Marco Simoncelli, who died during a MotoGP race in 2011.

Marco Simoncelli (Photo: MotoGP)

Federazione Motociclistica Italiana President Paolo Sesti commented: "After the tragic accident which claimed the life of Doriano Romboni we have cancelled the event as a sign of mourning and respect for Doriano and his family, to whom we show our support at this difficult time.

"In losing Doriano we lose a generous rider, a highly valued personality and a great coach, who was dearly loved and appreciated by everyone involved in international motorcycling."

Auto123.com's thoughts are with the family and friends of Doriano Romboni.

From press release

Joining a growing list of entrants in the GTD category of the 2014 United SportsCar Championship, California-based Global Motorsports Group (GMG) will expand their relationship with Audi by submitting an entry into the new series.

GMG, which took three victories with the Audi R8 LMS during this year's Pirelli World Challenge championship en route to a runner-up finish, is no stranger to endurance competition.

The team was a frequent competitor in the American Le Mans Series from 2010-2012 as well as having appeared multiple times at The Rolex 24 at Daytona.

Currently, the team has committed to long-time GMG driver Alex Welch as well as team owner James Sofronas, with the full driver roster to be named shortly.

“To take part in the debut of the TUDOR Championship would be a huge honor for our team,” stated GMG team owner James Sofronas.

“It will be great to take part in some of the world's biggest endurance races,” added Colorado-based Alex Welch.

With the series-opening Rolex 24 at Daytona just two months away, the team is currently undergoing preparation for the upcoming Roar Before the 24, with special development work being carried out at the Palm Springs-based circuit, The Thermal Club.

From press release

Toyota Racing took second first racing victory of the 2013 FIA WEC at the 6 Hours of Bahrain, as Audi secured constructors' championship. Ferrari also won constructors' title in GT after a brilliant win of the 458 AF Corse. 

Toyota drivers Anthony Davidson, Sébastien Buemi and Stéphane Sarrazin took victory by 1m10s over the No.1 Audi R18 e-tron quattro of André Lotterer, Benoît Tréluyer and Marcel Fässler but both teams suffered mixed fortunes during the race, two-thirds of which was run in darkness at the magnificent Bahrain International Circuit. 

Stéphane Sarrazin, Sébastien Buemi, Anthony Davidson (Photo: Toyota)

An engine issue caused the retirement of the pole-winning No.7 TS030 Hybrid of Alex Wurz, Nicolas Lapierre and Kazuki Nakajima just before the end of the second hour, while a drivetrain problem caused the unusual sight of an Audi retirement for the World Drivers' Champions, Loïc Duval, Tom Kristensen and Allan McNish.

Despite being unclassified for this 8th and final round of the 2013 FIA WEC season, the trio had secured enough points in Shanghai to be assured of the title.

Despite the LMP1 Privateer title being wrapped up some time ago by the uncontested Rebellion Racing, the Swiss team's last race with the Lola-Toyota ended in spectacular fashion with an engine fire just before the clock hit 90 minutes gone. 

In LMP2 G-Drive Racing's No.26 ORECA 03 Nissan won its fourth race of the season in the hands of Roman Rusinov, Mike Conway and John Martin, but second in class for the No.24 OAK Racing Morgan Nissan of Olivier Pla, Alex Brundle and David Heinemeier Hansson was enough to give the French team the FIA Endurance Trophy for LMP2 Teams. 

It was a day of extreme highs and lows for many of the entrants in the LMGTE Pro and Am classes of the 6 Hours of Bahrain.  At the chequered flag for the final round of the 2013 FIA World Endurance Championship, it was Ferrari and AF Corse who were celebrating after winning three titles including the coveted World Endurance Cup for GT Manufacturers by a margin of 8.5 points over Aston Martin.

The No.51 Ferrari 458 Italia of Gianmaria Bruni and Toni Vilander dominated the race after the first 40 laps, crossing the finish line to wild applause from the AF Corse team who - like the two drivers, performed faultlessly throughout the race.  Following the demise of the two LMGTE Pro Aston Martin Racing Vantage V8s, both to an engine problem, Ferrari was unchallenged in securing the World Endurance Cup for GT Manufacturers and, for Bruni, the World Endurance Cup for GT Drivers.

Aston Martin Racing had been looking in line to win the GT Manufacturers' title, thanks to the No.99 Vantage V8 of Bruno Senna, Pedro Lamy and Richie Stanaway but suffered heartbreak when it was brought into the pits with the terminal engine issue.  This followed the earlier retirement of the No.97 Vantage of Darren Turner and Stefan Mucke who had been leading the LMGTE Pro Drivers' points classification going into the race.

Softening the blow for Aston Martin Racing was the double success of a race win for the No.95 Vantage V8 of Nicki Thiim, Kristian Poulsen and Christoffer Nygaard, and the sealing of the FIA Endurance Trophy for LMGTE Am Drivers' title for Jamie Campbell-Walter and Stuart Hall.  Their fifth place finish, secured with their team mate Roald Goethe, was enough to confirm that the title was theirs.   

Model: 2011 to 2013 Buick Regal

Vehicle Type: Sport Sedan

The Verdict: Issues related to this generation of Buick Regal, thus far, appear to be electronic or sensor-related in nature. If the models you're test driving don't exhibit any of the issues mentioned below, opt for the lowest-mileage unit you can afford to maximize the protection of the Regal's lengthy powertrain warranty.

Price: Depending on options and trim grade, expect a Regal from this generation to command between $15,000 and $33,000 -- the latter being a newer, low-mileage, top-line model. Selection is rich in the low $20,000 range.

Photo: Sébastien D'Amour

History/Description: Some seven years after the moniker was last ditched, Buick brought back the Regal nameplate to inject some sporty and youthful flare into their product lineup with the goal of attracting a younger shopper to the brand.

All models were four-door, front-drive and powered by a 4-cylinder engine. Available feature content included navigation, a potent Harman Kardon stereo system upgrade, heated leather, xenon lights, automatic climate control, full multimedia connectivity, Bluetooth, and plenty more.

At launch, Regal shipped with a 2.4L, direct-injected 4-cylinder engine and 6-speed automatic transmission as its exclusive powertrain. Later, a 6-speed manual became available, as did a 2.0L turbo engine with 220 horsepower in Regal Turbo models, and 270 horsepower in the high-performance Regal GS.

An eAssist “light electrification” system was added to the lineup, as well. Giving shoppers a premium option to save fuel, eAssist works like a simple hybrid system, generating power when braking, auto-stopping at traffic lights, and assisting the Regal's acceleration during sportier driving.

Photo: Sébastien D'Amour

What Owners Like: Highly rated by owners are the Regal's handling, ride quality, performance with the turbo engine, noise levels, seats, and overall responsiveness. The luxurious cabin appointments, stereo system, and powertrain refinement were also highly rated.

What Owners Dislike: Some owner wish for easier entry and exit, which is likely a fault of the shape of the Regal's sloped roof. Rear space isn't friendly for larger adults, and performance from the non-turbo engine is rated as merely adequate.

Photo: Sébastien D'Amour

Common Issues: Be absolutely sure to have the computer system of any Regal with the eAssist system scanned for warnings. Though sales volumes of this new powertrain option are too low to nail down any sort of reliability data just yet, a computer scan can help uncover any potential issues. The eAssist system was recalled over the risk of a battery fire and may not save owners enough gas in “real life” to offset its cost, so skip this powertrain if possible.

Drivability-related issues like poor or sporadic performance, hard gear changes and jerky performance can likely be fixed by a reprogramming of the Regal's powertrain control modules. A GM mechanic can confirm.

Numerous owners reported issues with the volume control on the upgraded stereo system having a mind of its own. Specifically, it may turn itself up to “startlingly loud” levels all by itself.

Finally, any model exhibiting a rough idle should be checked out by a GM-trained mechanic for potential sensor and fuel-pump issues.

Going with a turbocharged Regal model? Note that frequent, high-quality oil changes are the single most effective way to keep a turbo happily huffing away for the life of the vehicle in question.

Opting for a model as mechanically close to stock as possible is advised for the average shopper. Avoid a turbocharged Regal model with modified turbocharger system programming or components unless you're familiar with engine management and tuning. Done properly, these relatively common turbo upgrades can be plenty of fun. Done improperly, they can turn your engine inside out without notice.

Photo: Sébastien D'Amour moteur

Three-time Indy 500 winner Helio Castroneves and GP2 driver Julian Leal each won a race at Juan Pablo Montoya's "Race of Stars", a fundraising kart race in the Columbian streets of Medellin.

Stars in attendance also included NASCAR's Joey Logano and Kurt Busch, and IndyCar's Carlos Munoz and Gabby Chavez, British magazine Autosport reported.

Leal, Montoya and Munoz formed the first podium; Castroneves, Logano and Chavez the second.

All the proceeds go to Montoya's "Formula Sonrisas" foundation (Formula Smiles), which purpose is to help underprivileged children through sport.

Juan Pablo Montoya, Julian Leal, Carlos Munoz. (Photo: Facebook)

"Fast and Furious" star Paul Walker was killed in a single-car crash in a Southern California office park Saturday afternoon.

Renault may boost production of its Captur subcompact crossover by a third in 2014 as demand for small SUVs in Europe jumps.

Toyota wants to spice up its interior design with splashes of color and some quirks to make individual nameplates stand out.

Can North America's stressed-out assembly plants handle near record production? We're about to find out.

Six years ago on this day, motorcycle stunt rider Robert Craig Knievel Jr., better known as Evel Knievel, died of pulmonary disease at the age of 69. Lasting this long is basically a miracle given the multiple fractures and nearly fatal crashes that marked his career.

Knievel gained worldwide fame after jumping 43 metres over the fountains at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas. Unfortunately, he didn't quite make it across and remained in a coma at the hospital for a month.

Evel Knievel's accomplishments:

• 75 successful jumps, most of them using his Harley-Davidson XR-750;
• 35 fractures (Guinness record for ''most bones broken in a lifetime");
• Record 19-car jump (Bubba Blackwell hit 20 in 1998).

Despite his daredevil actions, Evel Knievel proved to be a huge safety advocate. In fact, he supported a mandatory helmet bill in the State of California.

Source : wikipedia.org

Photo: Wikipedia