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Germany has complied with a court ruling over a law that gives the state of Lower Saxony veto rights over Volkswagen, an adviser to Europe's highest court said.

Germany has complied with a court ruling over a law that gives the state of Lower Saxony veto rights over Volkswagen, an adviser to Europe's highest court said.

Mazda Motor Europe on Wednesday (29 May) announced the sudden death last week of CFO Matthew Tomilo, a former Ford executive.

We spend a lot of time on the Internet -- pretty much whenever we're not driving, writing about or working on cars.

DIGITAL EDITOR ANDREW STOY: I remember a few years back when this truck (or at least the new 6.7-liter Power Stroke) and the Chevrolet Silverado Duramax were duking it out in the numbers ring.

PSA/Peugeot-Citroen denied a report that it is planning a capital increase to pay down debt. A French newspaper said PSA is considering selling new shares after burning through billions in the past year

PSA/Peugeot-Citroen is considering a new capital increase after burning through 2.5 billion euros ($3.21 billion) in cash in the past year, a French newspaper reported.

A New Jersey BMW dealership and a customer have reached a confidential settlement in a dispute over a protection plan for a leased vehicle.

Former Saab Chairman Victor Muller will be called in to answer questions related to a Swedish inquiry into alleged tax offenses at the carmaker, the country's Economic Crime Authority said.

Porsche named Deesch Papke as its new China CEO as part of a wider management reshuffle in markets including North America and Australia as the sports car maker seeks to double global sales by 2018.

Automotive News Europe salutes the winners of the 2013 Rising Stars awards. Every day until June 12 one of the 18 winners will be featured. Today's Rising Star is Paul Fratter, Ford of Europe's director of revenue management.

Because every movie star gets nipped and tucked eventually, right? Well, it looks like not even the Autobots are safe from the effects of Hollywood and the need to look younger, more vibrant, and more relevant.

Well, pictures from Michael Bay's fourth installment of the blockbuster Transformers series have been released, and along with a few new Autobot members (which we'll get to in a moment), it looks like Optimus Prime has had a few nips, tucks, and highlights put in. The heavily customized Western Star truck looks just as you'd expect Optimus to look: intimidating, strong and like he'll transform into a robot at any moment...

As for the mystery Autotbots, no word on their characters, but we know they're a 1,200 horsepower Bugatti Grand Sport Vitesse and a modded version of the 2014 C7 Corvette Stingray.

Yup, we'll be lining up to see this one.

Source: Yahoo

Photo: Michael Bay

Photo: Michael Bay

Photo: Michael Bay

Production of the Dodge Journey is set to move from Toluca, Mexico back to metro Detroit by 2016 according to a published report. While Chrysler has not confirmed this will actually happen, but if it does it means that the Journey will be built alongside the Chrysler 200 sedan at Chrysler's Sterling Heights Assembly plant in Michigan.

The Dodge Journey is built in Toluca, Mexico in order to keep cost down for the rebadged Fiat Freemont model assembled at the same plant and exported to South America and Europe. If production is moved to the USA, it would result in a higher price for the vehicle in those locations.

The Toluca plant is also responsible for building the North American version of the Fiat 500, however, it's also been reported that the upcoming 500 will move production to its plant in Tychy, Poland.

Source: www.autonews.com

Photo: Dodge

From GMM

Sahara Force India team owner Vijay Mallya has backed his deputy in claiming F1's biggest teams are pushing their small rivals out of the sport.

Deputy team boss Bob Fernley issued a furious attack on F1 owners CVC last weekend, saying he suspected the odds are being stacked in an apparent bid to "get rid of teams".

"Everything we're doing at the moment is about increasing costs. Everything is now moving in the way of the (biggest) four teams," he said.

Bob Fernley said CVC has done an "awful" job and is "the worst thing that has ever happened" to F1, and one report even quoted him as accusing CVC of "raping" the sport.

According to CVC's Donald Mackenzie, however, Fernley apologised for that.

"He said sorry, that he didn't mean what he said, that he just wanted to get a headline," said Mackenzie.

Vijay Mallya and Bob Fernley. (Photo: Sahara Force India)

But Indian businessman Mallya backed his deputy, accusing the biggest teams of backpedalling on earlier cost-cutting agreements and ramping up their spending.

"On the one hand FOTA, when it was in full force, decided that we needed to cut costs in F1. But instead of reducing costs, one or two teams decided that winning at any cost was more important than the sustainability of the sport," he is quoted by Brazil's Totalrace.

"I think F1 also needs the independent and the smaller teams."

Bernie Ecclestone agreed that the teams themselves are to blame for spiralling costs.

"They are the ones who control these things. They spend the money," said the F1 chief executive. "The amount of money I've said the teams receive is enough to run a successful business."

The Jean Todt-led FIA, criticised by some for not getting involved in cost-cutting, has a similar view.

"The FIA has supported the resource restriction agreement but that failed because the teams could not agree," a spokesman told the Guardian.

"The FIA would still like to help teams to cut their costs," he added, but he said the matter of much higher engine costs for 2014 "is between the constructors and their customers".

Photo: Sahara Force India F1 Team

From GMM

Tweaked Pirelli tires will not debut next time out in Montreal, it emerged on Wednesday.

Previously, it was believed Bernie Ecclestone had pushed through the planned changes for the Canadian grand prix, despite the opposition of some teams.

"I did it like the old days," the F1 chief executive was quoted by Germany's Auto Motor und Sport. "I told the teams that they should be united.

"Pirelli will modify its tires as planned," Ecclestone added.

Photo: Pirelli

But the 82-year-old was speaking prior to the explosion of the Mercedes 'secret' tire test scandal, where the German squad apparently tried the proposed changes at Barcelona just after the Spanish grand prix.

Red Bull and Ferrari lodged a formal protest, many other teams are furious, and the FIA is not ruling out penalties.

Pirelli is defensive. "Most of the tires that were tested (by Mercedes) were not relevant for this season," a spokesperson is quoted by German website motorsport-total.com.

"Mercedes had no advantage in Monaco."

Nevertheless, Pirelli spokesperson is also telling publications on Wednesday that the tweaked tires - reportedly featuring a kevlar belt rather than a steel one to minimise rear delaminations - will now not debut in Canada.

Instead, two "experimental" compounds will be tested by teams on Friday, which will then "hopefully" make their qualifying and race debut at Silverstone.

"We are taking this step for the sake of sporting equality," said the spokesperson.

UPDATE
Pirelli's move to merely test rather than race its tweaked tires in Canada is almost certainly due to the refusal of some teams to agree.

"We will not race tires that we have not tested first," Lotus team owner Gerard Lopez was quoted on Wednesday by Germany's Auto Motor und Sport.

"And we will not allow tires that change the sporting hierarchy -- that would be simply unfair," he insisted.

"If there is suddenly a team winning that previously had problems with the tires, then the people at home would feel fooled and turn off the TV."

Lopez also said Lotus does not accept the changes on the grounds of safety.

"A tire that loses its tread is safer than a tire that bursts," he insisted.

"I don't see it (the safety aspect) as such a big deal -- it's still all about money and politics. But the spectators are not fools. If we are making decisions not on the race track but in offices and committees, then one day there will be no spectators left," added Lopez.

He also said Pirelli should stand tall rather than be defensive.

"Actually, they should stand up and say 'We built a good tire, a tire that was requested, so the teams will just have to adjust and build reasonable cars'," said Lopez.

Pros and Cons*
Pros
Loads of cargo room, comfort, dynamic ride in sport mode, choice of engines and standard all-wheel drive are just some of the great features to consider in the BMW X5, which can accommodate up to seven passengers.

The M version offers noteworthy performance and handling.

Cons
Some of the less attractive aspects include its high MSRP and maintenance costs along with its overabundant weight and questionable reliability. The over-the-top fuel consumption drives home the fact that this is not a rational choice for a vehicle.


Price
The base xDrive35i starts at $61,800. As for the xDrive50i, the starting price is $75,700.

The diesel-powered xDrive35d has a MSRP of $64,300.

The top-of-the-line M version starts at $98,500.

Fuel Economy
The frugal diesel version has fuel economy ratings of 10.9 L/100 km city and 7.6 L/100 km highway.

The 35i consumes an estimated 13.1 L/100 km city and 8.5 L/100 km highway.

As for the 50i, the V8 engine consumes 15.3 L/100 km city and 9.9 L/100 km highway.

M version ratings are estimated at 16.9 L/100 km city and 11.9 L/100 km highway.

Exterior Styling
This 6-year old crossover remains quite contemporary. Its rounded extremities betray its sporty intentions. 18, 19, or 20-inch alloy wheels are standard equipment according to the desired version.

Drivetrain
The diesel version consists of a twin-turbo 3.0 litre 6-cylinder engine that produces 265 hp and 425 lb-ft torque.

The 35i is equipped with a 3.0 litre turbocharged inline 6-cylinder engine that pumps out 300 hp and 300 lb-ft torque.

The xDrive50i comes equipped with a 4.4 litre twin-turbo V8 that produces 400 hp and 450 lb-ft torque.

As for the M version, the twin-turbo V8 under its hood produces a whopping 555 hp and 500 lb-ft torque.

Power is transmitted to all four wheels through either a 6 or 8-speed automatic transmission according to the selected version.

Cargo Capacity
The cargo capacity of the BMW X5 ranges between 620 and 1,750 litres.

Safety
Passenger safety is provided by an array of passive and active security features along with six standard airbags.

Comparabe Models
Acura MDX, Audi Q7, Cadillac SRX, Infiniti FX, Land Rover LR4, Lexus RX, Mercedes-Benz Classe M, Porsche Cayenne, Volkswagen Touareg, Volvo XC90

X5M : Mercedes-Benz ML63 AMG, Porsche Cayenne turbo

Photo: BMW

*References
Rufiange Daniel, L'annuel de l'automobile 2013, Montréal Transcontinental, 2012, p.142
Gélinas Gabriel, Le guide de l'auto 2013, Montréal, Les éditions de l'Homme, 2012, p.178
www.bmw.ca

Red Bull Racing's designer, British engineer Adrian Newey will be back behind the wheel of a race car this weekend.

Newey will compete alongside Autosprint's magazine editor in chief, Alberto Sabbatini in the Lamborghini Super Trofeo to be held at Silverstone this week-end.

The duo will be sharing the wheel of the No. 1 VIP Lambo.

Newey is a talented amateur racer, having contested in the past the 24 Hours of Le Mans Classic race, some Ginetta Cup events, a Lamborghini Super Trofeo race and also tested a Red Bull Formula 1 car.

Design is key. Design makes something desirable. Something ugly or unpleasant to the eye is typically undesirable, and that's typically the key to failure.

It has been proven that attractive things usually get more attention, at least for a longer period of time. Beautiful people like Jay-Z and Beyonce are always in the press and under a good light. Others, like Kathy Griffin, get occasional attention but it's always short-lived and never very flattering.

Ugly cars will get much attention, but not the desirable type, and most likely this type of press will be detrimental to the car.

Here's a top 10 list of some of the cars that are suffering (or will soon suffer) from their unfortunate styling:

2013 Lincoln MKZ

Photo: Lincoln

Original ideas often get good press, but not always. The new MKZ is certainly original, but from angles such as the ¾ rear and square-on the rear, this baby's back is whack. Unfortunately, once those seeking an original design have purchased the MKZ, few others will be charmed into one.

Continue reading Top 10 Ugliest new cars

If it takes five times longer to recoup the additional expense of a ''plug-in'' EV versus the standard EV, then why should we buy one?

Involved environmentalism
It's obvious that by driving an electric vehicle we reduce the emission of greenhouse gasses by 100 %. Choosing a ''plug-in'' EV also helps reduce our negative environmental impact. We are looking at a reduction of CO2 emissions in the neighborhood of 75 % versus a traditional combustion-engined vehicle.

2014 Chevrolet Spark EV (Photo: General Motors)

By choosing a hybrid vehicle that consumes 4 to 5L/100km, we are cutting the fuel consumption of the average vehicle by half. A ''plug-in'' EV will reduce the fuel consumption of a hybrid by half. These little steps add up in the end to big reduction in CO2 emissions.

If we were to whip out the old calculator, we could ring-up some very interesting numbers as far as the environmental impact of plug-in EV's is concerned. Let's start with these assumptions: the average vehicle travels 18,000 kms annually, and the plug-in EV will be recharged once a day.

Compact: Consumption: 8,5 L/100 km; CO2 emissions: 3,6 metric tons
Hybrid: Consumption : 4,5 L/100 km, CO2 emissions: 1,9 metric tons
Plug-in Hybrid: Consumption : 0 L/100 km for 25 km, and 4,5 L/100 km thereafter: CO2 emissions:

Complicated ROI calculation for plug-ins
If calculating your ROI is easy for an EV, because there is no fuel being used, trying to figure out the ROI for a plug-in EV is a whole other ballgame. Not only are plug-ins less user-friendly, with their reduced autonomy, ironically, they end up being quite similar in fuel economy to their hybrid-only cousins. One would need to recharge the batteries as soon as required and run almost exclusively in electric mode.

2012 Ford Focus Electric (Photo: Ford)

A plug-in hybrid equipped with the new lithium-titanate batteries developed by Hydro-Québec could be recharged in only a few minutes, thousands of times, without any negative consequences. This technology could open new horizons for plug-in EV's as they would do more than just provide limited all-electric power for the first few kilometers of your day.

A few kilometers of daily driving among an entire years' worth of travelling about are not sufficient to help you recoup your plug-in investment in a hybrid that already consumes very little fuel. But, what if these few kilometers did make a difference? Obviously, we don't regularly bump into people who are ready to dish out more money to save our planet... They tend to think of their wallet first. But this more ''involved'' attitude and behaviour is enough to move the 'green'' cause forward.

Investing in health
City-dwellers are quite familiar with smog. The Canadian Government estimates that air pollution is responsible for 5,000 premature deaths annually. Knowing that transportation is the principal factor that causes smog, investing in a fleet of plug-in vehicles is a nod to everyone's health.


Sources
www.pollutionprobe.org
www.zeroges.com

Aston Martin announced their brand new V12 Vantage S, and it's a doozy. Besides the One-77, the new V12 Vantage S, which will replace the outgoing V12 Vantage, will be the fastest road-legal Aston Martin available for purchase.

What kind of power are we talking about here? Well, the AM28 6.0L V12 engine will pump out 565 horsepower and 457 lb-ft of torque, and will reach a top speed of 205 mph. And all that power is managed via Aston Martin's hydraulically actuated 7-speed Sportshift III AMT (automated manual transmission). With paddle-shift gear changes, optimal performance can be reached on or off the track.

Of note, the exhaust system on the new Aston Martin V12 Vantage S comes from the One-77 hypercar and so is much smaller and offers up even more aural pleasure than the outgoing Vantage.