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BMW Pininfarina Gran Lusso Coupe Concept First Look

A vision of BMW’s future.

Lago Como, Italy

Photo Gallery: BMW Pininfarina Gran Lusso Coupe Concept First Look - Automobile Magazine

Photo Gallery: BMW Pininfarina Gran Lusso Coupe Concept First Look - Automobile Magazine

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Rearview mirror supplier, Samvardhana Motherson Reflectec (SMR), says it is expanding its Marysville, Michigan, SMR Automotive Systems USA plant.

Aluminium rolling and recycling company, Novelis, says it will expand its production capacity for automotive sheet effective immediately as it looks to meet growing demand for light, recyclable aluminium sheet for car manufacturing.

Electronic braking systems are rapidly gaining share in the automotive industry as automakers seek benefits of improved performance at low cost. These braking technologies are also being driven by regulatory bodies such as Euro NCAP (New Car Assessment Programme). To find out how, Matthew Beecham talked with Vince Austin, Director, Product Planning, Global Braking Systems, TRW Automotive.

Better Place, the Tel Aviv-based company launched in 2007 to develop a global network of recharging stations for electric vehicles, has filed for bankruptcy. The company said in its court filing on Sunday that it has cumulative losses of US$812m, assets of US$10m and that it owes US$40m to suppliers.

Australian new vehicle sales rose 7.6% year on year to 85,117 units in April, according to official VFACTS data from the Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries (FCAI).

News 28 May, 2013

Research shows discrepancy in figures more than doubles in a decade and calls out worst manufacturers

WEST COAST EDITOR MARK VAUGHN: Everybody's right, the detractors and the believers. The CR-Z does not perform like a

Toyota Australia's decision to launch the redesigned RAV4 with a diesel engine option has resulted in 30% of orders being for models with the 2.2-litre turbodiesel compared with the long term forecast of 20%.

The gap has widened between the fuel efficiency that carmakers declare for their models and the reality for drivers, with luxury German vehicles showing the biggest divergence, a study found.

Audi dealer China Yongda Automobiles Services Holdings said it aims to boost sales by 14-fold in five to six years after signing an agreement with VW Group giving it priority to sell new models and take control of certain dealerships in China.

Volkswagen agreed to raise wages for German workers by 5.7 percent over 20 months as the country's biggest manufacturing union helped employees tap into the company's growing profit.

Volkswagen agreed to raise wages for German workers by 5.7 percent over 20 months as the country's biggest manufacturing union helped employees tap into the company's growing profit.

Jaguar's tie-up with singer Lana Del Rey is paying dividends. The automaker's "Desire" video, which features Del Rey, tops our list of top viral videos this week.

Volkswagen's Nazi past kept it from celebrating the 75th anniversary of a big event in the automaker's history. On May 26, 1938, Adolf Hitler laid the foundation stone for what would become VW's Wolfsburg plant.

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 Xavier Dupont, vice president of transmissions at supplier Valeo.

Vehicle Type: Mid-size Diesel-powered Luxury SUV

Pros and Cons*
The 2013 Touareg TDI has excellent fuel-economy ratings for both city and highway driving conditions. It has a comfortable, quiet cabin and exhibits superb road handling characteristics. Its luxurious, understated interior can compete with any other mid-size luxury SUV on the market.
Unfortunately, the sport suspension and 20-inch wheels tend to spoil its exemplary ride, and its steep starting price is out of the reach of the average buyer.

Price
The Touareg TDI is available in three models:

• The Comfortline, which starts at $53,975;
• The Highline, which starts at $59,970;
• The Execline, the most luxurious version, which starts at $63,800.

(Photo: Volkswagen)

Fuel Economy
Fuel economy ratings are an estimated 10.8/6.7 L/100 km (city/highway), and the fuel tank has a 100-litre capacity.

Exterior Styling
In spite of its imposing stature, the Touareg TDI, with its sober lines and familiar front grille, still manages to resemble the Passat. It comes equipped with standard foglights, rain-sensing wipers, integrated side-mirror turn-signal lights, LED lighting and remote hatch release. An optional electric sliding panoramic sunroof is also available.

Interior
The elegant interior offers comfortable seating and smooth, soft surfaces for its five occupants. Dual-zone electronic climate control, navigation system with 8-inch high-res touchscreen, multifunction trip computer, Bluetooth connectivity and keyless access are some of the features available in the Touareg TDI.

(Photo: VW)

Cargo Capacity
The Touareg offers a generous 909 litres of storage space, which can be expanded to 1,812 litres when rear seats are lowered.*

Drivetrain
All three Touareg models come equipped with the standard 240 hp 3.0 litre V6, along with standard 8-speed Tiptronic transmission and 4MOTION all-wheel drive.

Safety
The Touareg features the following standard safety systems:

• Rearview camera
• Front airbags and supplemental restraint systems
• Driver and front passenger side airbag supplemental restraint system
• Side Curtain Protection head airbags, front and rear
• Rear-impact-optimized head restraints - driver and front passenger
• 3-point safety belts, all seating positions, height-adjustable for driver and front passenger
• Emergency locking retractors for all seating positions
• Front seat safety belt pre-tensioners with load limiters
• Intelligent Crash Response System (ICRS)

Comparable Models
The Volkswagen Touarag is part of an elite crowd that includes the BMW X5, Audi Q7, Volvo XC90 and, with the Execline version, the Porsche Cayenne.

*Sources and testimonials;
www.vw.ca

From GMM

Test driver Sebastien Buemi was the key to Red Bull's turnaround on the streets of Monaco, it has emerged.

On Thursday in the Principality, the RB9 did not look like a competitive car.

"We were one second too slow," Dr Helmut Marko told Servus TV.

Photo: Red Bull Racing

But by Saturday, Sebastian Vettel was disappointed to have just missed pole position.

Marko said Buemi, Red Bull's Swiss test driver, had turned no fewer than 400 laps in the simulator at Milton-Keynes, seeking a solution.

Buemi then headed to Monaco, and according to Auto Motor und Sport, he was spotted at Heathrow airport with two huge boxes of baggage -- reportedly new front wings.

"On Saturday we were on the pace," said Marko.

"After the initial problems, we are more than happy with the result -- we have been able to extend our lead in both championships," he added.

Pros and Cons*
Pros
The 2013 Ford Fiesta stands apart thanks to its attractive 5-door design, quality dashboard materials, comfortable front seats and fuel efficiency.

Cons
However, the Fiesta has a few flaws. Namely, the car's too-firm rear seats do not lie flat, visibility is reduced in the hatchback model and the engine lacks power at low revs.


Price
The hatchback and the sedan are the same price. The Fiesta S (sedan and hatchback) both start at $13,649, including tinted windows, 15-inch wheels and an auxiliary audio input jack.

The SE model is available for $14,149 and features climate control, a CD player and a multifunctional display with a LCD screen.

The Fiesta Titanium has an asking price of $17,149, which includes a sunroof and a leather-wrapped steering wheel.

An automatic transmission is available for an additional $1,250.

Fuel Economy
The Fiesta is rated at 6.9 L/100 km in the city while on the highway, ratings drop to of 5 L/100 km.

Exterior Styling
Designed on the same platform as the Mazda 2, both the sedan and the 5-door hatchback have a smooth, modern and dynamic look.

Drivetrain
The 2013 Fiesta is propelled by a 4-cylinder, 1.6-litre engine that delivers 120 hp and 112 lb-ft of torque. This engine is coupled with either a 5-speed manual transmission or an automatic, 6-speed, PowerShift double clutch transmission.

Cargo Capacity
The sedan has 362 litres of storage space while the hatchback has a capacity of 435 litres.

Safety
You'll find seven airbags on this model.

Comparable Models
Chevrolet Sonic, Honda Fit, Hyundai Accent, Kia Rio, Nissan Versa, Toyota Yaris

Photo: Ford

*References
Aubé Vincent, L'annuel de l'automobile 2013, Montréal Transcontinental, 2012, p.248
Morin Alain, Le guide de l'auto 2013, Montréal, Les éditions de l'Homme, 2012, p.276
ford.ca

With just a few days remaining before the official pre-Le Mans test day on June 9, the fuel-cell electric Green GT H2 prototype is ready for its first real hot laps around the famous road course.

Photo: Green GT

After the DeltaWing in 2012, the Green GT H2 is this year's Garage 56 'new technology' project for the Le Mans 24 Hours.

The Swiss-made Green GT H2 prototype is powered by two 200 kW electric motors which deliver peak power of around 544 hp and maximum torque of 400Nm. Its designers say its top speed is approximately 300 km/h.

Photo: Green GT

Unlike other electric vehicles, the power is provided by a full cell which has a capacity five times that of a lithium-ion battery.

The fuel cell itself is fed by hydrogen stored in two tanks under high pressure. The car's only emissions are air and water vapour, while its operating range is estimated to be 40 minutes.

Photo: Green GT

Green GT says the car has turned a wheel for the first time in Switzerland before doing some laps of the Magny-Cours circuit in France.