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A two-day strike at Mercedes-Benz's East London car plant in South Africa ended following crisis talks between management and a workers union.

A two-day wildcat strike at Mercedes-Benz's East London car plant in South Africa ended today following crisis talks between management and a workers union.

Mitsubishi Motors (MMC) has revealed initial details of the production version of the G4 concept from the recent Bangkok motor show. This new model, a sedan version of the Mirage/Space Star hatchback, is called 'Attrage'.

Magneti Marelli has opened a plant in the southern China city of Foshan to produce rear lights, headlamps and other lighting components. The company aims to secure a 10 percent share of China's lighting market in the midterm.

PSA's China joint venture with Dongfeng Motor Corp. said it increased sales 37 percent last month to 45,303 units helped by strong demand for its stretched Citroen C4 and Peugeot 3008 models.

Global April sales for Fiat-Chrysler show how much the Americas, especially the U.S. and Brazil, are supporting the automaker as deliveries in Europe fall.

South Korea has become a growth market for BMW, Mercedes and Audi as lower tariffs make their cars cheaper and local buyers abandon a decades-long preference for domestic brands.

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 Nick Collins, Ford of Europe's global vehicle line director for the B segment.

From GMM

McLaren on Tuesday played down reports linking its new Honda engine deal with Paddy Lowe's early release to Mercedes.

British broadcaster James Allen claimed McLaren's decision to drop Mercedes as its engine supplier after 2014, paving the way for Honda, gave Mercedes "a bargaining chip" to end former technical director Lowe's 'gardening leave'.

On his F1 blog, Allen said Mercedes is "very unhappy" about the turbo V6 data that could flow to Honda next year, "so it appears they have leveraged this situation to trigger the early release of Lowe".

Paddy Lowe. (Photo: McLaren)

But McLaren boss Martin Whitmarsh on Tuesday told reporters releasing Lowe six months early simply "seemed like the right thing to do".

Briton Lowe, 51, will start work at Brackley in two weeks.

"It's not related to the Honda deal," Whitmarsh insisted. "The Honda deal and the Mercedes deals had been done, so there was no pressure brought to bear.

"It was entirely our decision and we hope that it creates some goodwill. Paddy's a good guy."

From GMM

Honda is looking for an English base for its new formula one foray with its great former partner McLaren.

The two marques announced late last week that they have linked up for a new 'works' partnership that will see Honda supply turbo V6 engines to McLaren from 2015.

"Honda will develop its engines at its facility in Tochigi, Japan, where it has already begun development," read the media statement last Thursday.

But Germany's Auto Motor und Sport said Honda is also looking to operate out of an English headquarters.

"Rumours refer to Cosworth's properties," said correspondent Michael Schmidt.

Cosworth, currently the supplier of V8 engines to Marussia, is expected to pull out of formula one before the change of regulations for 2014.

The Octagon, the Cosworth's factory. (Photo: Google Street)

From GMM

World champion Sebastian Vettel has called on Pirelli to consider a fundamentally different approach to its role as F1 tire supplier.

The 'T-word' has been the buzz of the paddock throughout 2013 so far, and the controversy came to a head after Barcelona, when tempers flared over the widespread four-stop strategies.

Following rampant criticism, mainly from Red Bull and Mercedes, Pirelli announced it would make changes for next month and beyond, but Lotus and Ferrari hit back, supported by the FIA who insist any changes should be minimal.

Bernie Ecclestone and Paul Hembery. (Photo: Pirelli)

F1 chief executive Bernie Ecclestone backs his sport's Italian partner.

"I asked Pirelli to make tires that would not complete 50 per cent of a race -- meaning we need pitstops," he told F1's official website this week. And that's what they did."

Ecclestone said problems have arisen because Pirelli's task is "very, very difficult" given race-to-race differences in circuit, temperatures, cars and driver styles.

For once, however, Red Bull's world champion Vettel disagrees completely with his backgammon rival.

"It is not just about considering changing one ingredient in the recipe," the German told Kicker magazine. "It's more about the recipe itself."

The last two rounds of the World Touring Car Championship in Austria were won by the Chevrolet Cruzes of Michael Nykjaer and James Nash after an epic battle during the qualifying.

James Nash, Chevrolet. (Photo: FIA WTCC)

No less than 12 drivers have been penalized after Saturday's qualifying session. As the Salzburgring is a very fast race track, slipstream played a big role.

As Tom Chilton was the first car of the pack during the final moments of the session, no one wanted to pass him to benefit from his slipstream.

As a result, everybody stayed behind Chilton at low speed, with a pack of cars running at just 40 km/h. That was even more laughable that no car was able to reach the finish line before the chequered flag was dropped, and no one managed to improve his time.



The race stewards decided to hand out massive fines and grid penalties to all 12 drivers, including Yvan Muller who lost the benefit of his pole position, being dropped down to 13th on the grid. Michael Nykjaer inherited the pole position.

Michel Nykjaer, Chevrolet. (Photo: FIA WTCC)

Nykjaer was able to maintain his lead during Race 1, and took his second win of the season ahead of James Nash and Yvan Muller, who made a great recovery.

In race 2, James Nash had a great run and claimed his  maiden WTCC win ahead of Muller and Norbert Michelisz's Honda Civic.

Yvan Muller extended his lead on the points table, and is now 80 points ahead of Gabriele Tarquini (Honda).

Race 1:
1 - Michel Nykjaer - Chevrolet Cruze - Nika
2 - James Nash - Chevrolet Cruze - Bamboo - 0"298
3 - Yvan Muller - Chevrolet Cruze - RML - 0"645
4 - Mehdi Bennani - BMW 320 TC - Proteam - 1"586
5 - Alex MacDowall - Chevrolet Cruze - Bamboo - 4"374
Etc.

Race 2:
1 - James Nash - Chevrolet Cruze - Bamboo
2 - Yvan Muller - Chevrolet Cruze - RML - 1"438
3 - Norbert Michelisz - Honda Civic - Zengo - 1"818

4 - Tiago Monteiro - Honda Civic - Honda-Jas - 3"483

5 - Michel Nykjaer - Chevrolet Cruze - Nika - 4"064
Etc.

Championship:
Muller 198 points ; 2. Tarquini 118; 3. Nash 108; 4. Nykjaer 96; 5. Huff and Chilton 77, etc.

Jamie Whincup this past weekend won three of the four Australian V8 Supercar races held at Circuit of the Americas in Austin Texas.

Amazingly, the same three drivers on the podium for the first three of the four 100-kilometer sprints begged for at least one new name besides Jamie Whincup, Fabian Coulthard and Craig Lowndes.

In race 4, Whincup won by three seconds over Coulthard, but in third was Shane Van Gisbergen, like Whincup and Coulthard drives a GM Holden Commodore.

The race was apparently a success with an announced three-day crowd of 68,000 at Circuit of the Americas, the Austin 400 -- the first appearance of the Australian V8 Supercars.

Jamie Whincup. (Photo: EDGE Photographics)

Memorial Day weekend in the United States is a time when the folks in the NASCAR community display appreciation for the country's military forces. Roush Fenway Racing sponsor, Fastenal, will honor military service men and women, both active and retired, with a three-car tribute on the No. 16, 17 and 99 Ford Fusions at Charlotte Motor Speedway.

These three cars, known as the Fastenal Tribute Cars, will feature the names of current Fastenal employees who served in the military. David MacFadden (First Sergeant, U.S. Army) will be displayed on the hood of the No. 99, and Brian Ashbee (Chief Quartermaster, U.S. Navy) and Anthony Phillips (Private First Class, U.S. Army) will see their names on the hood of the No. 17.

Photo: Roush Fenway Racing

The displays are part of Fastenal's “Heroes Hired Here” campaign honoring employees who are active or retired military members. MacFadden, Ashbee and Phillips were the top three finishers in a Fastenal employee essay contest. As the contest winner, MacFadden will also receive a trip for two to the Bank of America 500 in Charlotte on October 12th. Fastenal will be posting the winners' stories on the Fastenal Racing Facebook

“We're extremely proud of the hundreds of former and current military personnel who are part of the Fastenal Blue Team,” said Fastenal President Lee Hein. “The Tribute Cars are a small way of expressing our gratitude to them and all of the men and women who have served our country.”

This is Fastenal's second season in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series as the primary sponsor for Carl Edwards in the No. 99 Ford Fusion and second year sponsoring three Cup cars in the Roush Fenway Racing family for the Coca-Cola 600.

Pros and Cons*
Pros
Ample room for seven passengers, numerous standard features, retractable seats, improved handling and decent fuel economy are great assets for this luxury minivan.

Cons
The absence of an all-wheel drive option, bland exterior styling and steep price may turn some potential customers away from the 2013 Chrysler Town & Country.


Price
The Touring version has a MSRP of $40,995 and is delivered with standard 17-inch wheels and backup camera.

The Touring-L starts at $42,995 and is equipped with standard 8-position heated leather seats.

The Limited, at $46,995, is generously equipped and offers additional heated rear seats and a voice-controlled audio system.

Fuel Economy
Fuel economy ratings are in the 12.5 L/100 km city and 8 L/100 km highway range.

Exterior Styling
This upscale version of the Dodge Grand Caravan has a total of four doors of which two are of the sliding variety. The chrome grille proudly displays the iconic Chrysler logo. Numerous styling touches such as rear LED tail lights, body-coloured rear spoiler and a number of chrome accents contribute to the overall refined styling.

Drivetrain
A 3.6 litre V6 sits under the hood of the 2013 Chrysler Town & Country that pumps out 283 hp and 260 lb-ft torque and is mated to a 6-speed automatic transmission which powers the front wheels.

Cargo Capacity
The trunk alone holds up to 934 litres. Lowering the 3rd row of seats brings the total to 2,240 litres of storage, while an impressive 4,072 litres of space can be achieved when lowering the 2nd row and limiting the vehicle's occupants to just two - driver and front seat passenger.

The stowage area can be completely flat thanks to the Stow‘n'Go seats.

Safety
Eight airbags and a number of active safety systems protect the occupants.

Comparable Models
Dodge Grand Caravan, Honda Odyssey, Nissan Quest, Toyota Sienna

Photo: Chrysler

*References
www.chrysler.ca

Former Saab CEO Jan-Aake Jonsson, Chief Financial Officer Karl-Gustav Lindstroem, and general counsel Kristina Geer have just been arrested in Sweden on tax charges.

Without giving any names, Olof Sahlgren, chief prosecutor at the Swedish Economic Crime Authority, said that three people were questioned on Monday on suspicion of “grave attempts to complicate tax controls.”

The crimes reportedly occurred before Saab filed for bankruptcy in December 2011.

Lawyers representing the three executives have denied these allegations, which could lead to a minimum prison sentence of six months and a maximum sentence of four years in Sweden.

Source: Automotive News

Photo: Matthieu Lambert

Pros and Cons*
Pros
Great handling and visibility and attractive interior design make the 2013 Chevrolet Sonic a strong sub-compact contender.

Cons
Unproven reliability, small and uncomfortable rear seats, outdated 1.8-litre engine and numerous additional options are certainly not in its favour.


Price
Both hatchback and sedans start at $13,665 with automatic transmission versions starting at $15,965.

The LT model has a MSRP of $16,815 which increases to $18,315 with the automatic transmission option.

The turbocharged 1.4-litre LTZ model starts at $21,055.

The high-end RS model (only available as a 5-door) starts at $23,560.

Fuel Economy
City driving estimates for the 1.8-litre 4-cylinder engine are an estimated 7.7/8.3 L/100 km for the manual and automatic versions, respectively. Highway estimates for both models are rated at 5.5 L/100 km.

The turbocharged version consumes between 7.3 L/100 km and 7.7 L/100 km city and between 5.1 L/100 km and 5.5 L/100 km highway, depending on manual or automatic transmission.

The RS version consumes an additional 1L/100km in both city and highway tests.

New and Improved
New RS hatchback version.

Exterior Styling
This modern sub-compact has a feisty character - witness the motorcycle-inspired headlights. It's available in either the 5-door hatchback version or as a sedan.

Drivetrain
A 1.8-litre 4-cylinder 136 hp and 125 lb-ft torque engine powers the base versions.
This front-wheel drive vehicle can be equipped with either standard equipment 5-speed manual or optional 6-speed automatic transmissions.

The LTZ and RS models are powered by an Ecotec 1.4-litre turbocharged engine that produces 138 hp and 148 lb-ft torque. They are equipped with standard manual or optional automatic 6-speed transmissions.

Cargo Capacity
The sedan can load up to 422 litres in its trunk. The 5-door hatchback can hold 538 litres behind the rear seats and almost doubles to 1,351 litres of storage space with the rear seat reclined.

Safety
The Sonic is equipped with six standard airbags.

Comparable Models
Ford Fiesta, Honda Fit, Hyundai Accent, Kia Rio, Mazda 2, Nissan Versa, Scion xD, Toyota Yaris

Photo: Chevrolet

*References
Joubert Antoine, L'annuel de l'automobile 2013, Montréal Transcontinental, 2012, p.190
Duval Jacques, L'auto 2013, Montréal, Les éditions La Presse, 2012, p.190
gm.ca

From GMM

Valencia is hoping to negotiate a new fee and then agree to annually alternate a spot on the formula one calendar with Spanish grand prix host Barcelona.

Whether the Spanish cities will ultimately share just one Spanish date on future grand prix calendars is a long-running saga, but the latest reports indicate talks are still ongoing.

Barcelona officials played down the likelihood of a deal when it hosted its race at the Circuit de Catalunya earlier this month.

But Valencia's regional government, the Valencian generalitat, said through its vice president Jose Ciscar: "We are negotiating a discount for it (the F1 race).

"When it is closed, I believe that we can sign the contract between the three parties," he told the Spanish news agency EFE, referring to Valencia, Barcelona and F1's Bernie Ecclestone.

Ciscar said F1 could therefore return to Valencia in 2014, adding: "But I'm very cautious. When we can announce that the deal is done, it will be announced."

Start of the 2012 European Grand Prix, in Valencia. (Photo: Pirelli)

On Sunday, Aston Martin unveiled the CC100 Speedster Concept to celebrate the brand's 100th anniversary as well as Sir Stirling Moss' triumphant win at the 24 Hours of Nürburgring in 1959.

The ultra-lightweight car features generous use of carbon fibre and is powered by a 6.0L V12 engine. While output has not been specified, Aston Martin claims a 0-100km/h time of just over 4.0 seconds and a top speed of 290 km/h (electronically limited).

Photo: Aston Martin

Kimi Raikkonen is unsurprised both he and Lotus lie second in the constructors' and drivers' Formula 1 championships.

The Finn returned to Formula 1 in 2012 with the Enstone team after spending two years in the World Rally Championship.

He finished third in the F1 standings last season after a consistent year in which he won the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, but in 2013, the 2007 title winner won the season opener, and has finished on the podium in every round with the exception of Malaysia, where he came home seventh.

As a result, Raikkonen is just four points behind series leader, Sebastian Vettel of Red Bull Racing.

Kimi Raikkonen, Lotus E21. (Photo: WRi2)

"I don't see why we should be surprised; I don't think there is any magic behind it," Raikkonen said.

"We wanted to improve on the start to last year and we have done that.

"The aim was to start the first races better and we've already put ourselves in a strong position.

Despite his rich form, Raikkonen has conceded both he and Lotus are disappointed to have not won more races.

“We've already put ourselves in a strong position, [but] we wanted to win more races already, but it hasn't happened.

“Looking at it afterwards, you're never happy. Even if you win all the races, you're probably not 100 per cent happy.”

The Finn also believes the team's E21 challenger is fundamentally fast, and is not benefiting from the 2013 Pirelli soft compound tire; a statement which is contrary to some views within the paddock.

"If you're not fast, you're not going to be on the podium; first you have to be strong enough to put yourself there.

"Maybe there's more room to make a difference with different types of tires and things like that, [but] before you could play more with the fuel.”