Auto News 5

Car market leader Maruti Suzuki India sold 90,523 units locally in April 2013 for growth of just 0.3% over April 2012.

News 1 May, 2013

An error by Mercedes Austria means that the new Mercedes S-Class has been revealed early

News 1 May, 2013

Nissan chief has revealed more details of its all-new VW Golf rival

News 1 May, 2013

Read our verdict on the Peugeot 2008 and Renault Captur, as well as the 2013 Driver Power manufacturer results

Volkswagen is developing a 10-speed dual-clutch transmission to help reduce fuel consumption, CEO Martin Winterkorn said.

Porsche SE says an additional 12 hedge funds have dropped a U.S. court appeal in a market manipulation suit focusing on the company's failed attempt to takeover Volkswagen in 2008.

Volkswagen is developing a 10-speed dual-clutch transmission to help reduce fuel consumption, CEO Martin Winterkorn said.

Safety and braking components supplier TRW Automotive's first-quarter profits fell, but results from China and elsewhere helped mitigate reduced business in the troubled European market.

Nissan has named Daniel Kirchert, a former BMW executive in China, to head its luxury brand Infiniti in the country, as it seeks to expand production and dealerships in the world's biggest auto market.

BMW is studying ways to meet the fast-changing demands of China's car buyers to determine whether trends such as tele-dining and a heavy reliance on voice messaging will expand globally.

Denny Hamlin, still recuperating from his injuries suffered in California, will be racing at Talladega. For a short time that is.

The Virginia native tweeted on Tuesday "can not wait to get back in car.. The smell of fuel and tires Ahhh." Then to clarify he responded to another person on twitter "just to start."

The plan for driver of the No. 11 Joe Gibbs Racing will be to drop to the rear of the 43-car field and get out of his Toyota right after the first caution. This would entitle him to receive whatever points substitute driver, Brian Vickers, may ear at the Aarons 499 on Sunday.

Photo: NASCAR

"They all came to the conclusion they were happy with me starting Talladega and getting out when it's a safe time to get out," Hamlin said at RIR. "So ... we'll start our process at Talladega and then rescan again and try to go to Darlington."

Although getting out of a NASCAR Sprint Cup car requires a bit of a maneuvering, Hamlin said he's still able to do it reasonably quickly.

"I could do it pretty easy," he said. "Really, I am physically capable of doing the same things other than running. I just can't do that yet. Getting up and down I can do just as easy as I could before the injury. I really only had about a week and a half of severe pain from the actual spine itself."

It's expected that Hamlin would remain on the scene after that.

UPDATE:
In light of the numerous reports of Denny Hamlin's return to race at Talladega NASCAR has told reporters that Hamlin is not yet cleared to drive this week.

Picture yourself behind the wheel of a brand new Ford Mustang, eyes staring at the road ahead, the powerful hood, and that shiny new Mustang watch at your wrist. Yep, it's now possible thanks to a partnership between the Blue Oval and Shinola, a Detroit-based luxury goods manufacturer.

As you probably know, the iconic muscle car will celebrate its 50th anniversary on April 17th, 2014. Ford is therefore launching a number of licensed products to mark this milestone.

In this case, the limited-edition, 46-mm premium quartz timepiece by Shinola proudly sports the unique Mustang 50 Years logo. It also features Swiss movements, a scratch-resistant sapphire crystal face, and premium black leather for the band with a screw-down crown.

“Like the Mustang itself, we want our licensed products to convey an attitude of strength, passion and quality,” said John Nens, Ford lead for global brand licensing. “Shinola embodies all of these things and is a perfect fit to celebrate this special moment in automotive history.”

Over the next few months, Ford will unveil several other items that feature the Mustang 50 Years logo.

Photo: Ford

First came a series of interior pictures; now, we have what appears to be the first official image of the new 2014 Mercedes-Benz S-Class' exterior, courtesy of a leak the folks at BlogAutomobile (France) were quick to catch.

Spy shots have been floating around for a while, but this time it looks like the real deal -- albeit with some extra visual effects. The 2014 Mercedes-Benz S-Class sports a completely redesigned front fascia with a larger grille, aggressively styled headlights in a brand new arrangement, and more prominent lower air intakes.

On the sides, you can see that the front wheel arches are now capped by a newly angled character line, creating a more chiseled body that makes the car look fast even at idle. The mirror caps and wheel designs are new, as well.

The 2014 Mercedes-Benz S-Class is scheduled to make its official debut on May 15th, so we won't have to wait much longer to get additional pictures (not to mention detailed specs) of this sleek luxury sedan.

2014 Mercedes-Benz Classe S (Photo: Mercedes-Benz)

2005-2013 Mercedes-Benz S-Class (Photo: Mercedes-Benz)

1998-2005 Mercedes-Benz S-Class (Photo: Mercedes-Benz)

1991-1998 Mercedes-Benz S-Class (Photo: Mercedes-Benz)

1979-1991 Mercedes-Benz S-Class (Photo: Mercedes-Benz)

1972-1980 Mercedes-Benz S-Class (Photo: Mercedes-Benz)

After having hosted the EuroRacecar for the first time last season on a track specially built, the race presented in the city of Tours in July will feature a banking for the races on July 6th and 7th.

The drivers will race in four rounds, 100 laps long on a 600 meters track. The new banking will feature a 9° banking, similar to the Indianapolis circuit. 24 cars will fight on track. The EuroRacecar organizers went to Daytona to work with NASCAR officials for the building of this new banking in Tours.


After the opening rounds presented in Nogaro, and dominated by reigning champion Ander Villarino, the next EuroRacecar races will be presented in Dijon, on May 11th and 12th.

From GMM

Marussia looks set to use customer Ferrari engines in 2014.

With the team's current supplier Cosworth unlikely to build a new power unit for next year's radical V6 rules, Marussia's choice appeared to have boiled down to Mercedes or Ferrari.

"We'll talk with both," chief executive Andy Webb said in March.

He said the price of the engine and energy-recovery 'ERS' package, to be significantly higher than the current V8 configuration, "will be an important factor".

Webb indicated Marussia wanted to make its decision "by the end of April".

That deadline has come and gone, but technical chief Pat Symonds has told Britain's Sky Sports that a 2014 engine deal for Marussia is "close".

Photo: WRi2

He confirmed that Mercedes and Ferrari are the two options, given that Renault have "got enough on their plate".

Probably tipping the scales in Ferrari's favour was Marussia's last-minute signing of Jules Bianchi, who is strongly supported by the famous Italian marque.

Asked if the Frenchman's presence has had a positive impact on the Ferrari talks, Symonds admitted: "It absolutely hasn't done us any harm, it's brought us a little bit closer to Ferrari.

"But Ferrari genuinely wants more teams. Because everything is so new, I hesitate to call us guinea pigs or anything like that, but it's better to have a few more samples of your product out there, finding out what goes wrong and what's working.

"I think they wanted another team anyway and the contact through Jules has done nothing but help," added Symonds.

From GMM

Mika Salo has gone some way to confirming reports FIA stewards are being lenient on F1 drivers' on-track behaviour in 2013.

We reported recently that, in a secret winter meeting, it was agreed that stewards would impose less penalties this year in a bid to encourage more wheel-to-wheel racing.

The ex-driver representative on the stewards panel in Bahrain last time out was former Sauber and Ferrari driver Salo.

The Finn told MTV3 broadcaster: "We saw really good racing in Bahrain. I encourage just this kind of hard fighting, which should not be punished. (Jenson) Button was angry when (Sergio) Perez hit him, and yes, of course, it could have spoiled both their races.

"But while Perez drove pretty aggressively, it was good racing," added Salo.

Photo: McLaren F1 Team

Also going unpunished was Fernando Alonso, despite the fact his overtaking-aid 'DRS' rear wing flap was stuck open.

Usually, illegal deployment of DRS would attract a penalty, but Salo said: "It was a technical problem, so we had nothing to investigate. We were not asked to, and none of the other teams said anything about it. Actually, while he (Alonso) had a great chance to win, the fault spoiled his race."

Mika Salo also commented on the form of his countryman Kimi Raikkonen, who is in a strong position in the world championship, with his Lotus making good use of Pirelli's heavily-degrading tyres.

"Kimi stopped one time less than the others, but I think the other teams will not take long to also learn to use the tyres. I doubt Lotus will have this advantage for too long," he added.

From GMM

A respected formula one correspondent has played down reports the sport could return to Long Beach.

Following reports Bernie Ecclestone has confirmed talks with the iconic street race's owners, Brazilian journalist Livio Oricchio admitted he suspects it is just one of the F1 chief executive's classic negotiating ploys.

"It will be surprising if these preliminary negotiations develop," said O Estado de S.Paulo's Livio Oricchio.

"Ecclestone's statements sound more like a message to the organisers of the race in New Jersey," he added.

Indeed, a street race amid the Manhattan skyline should have been on the 2013 calendar, but delays pushed back the event to 2014, even though there remain uncertainties it will ever take place.

Photo: Red Bull Racing

Officially, the New Jersey promoters said they had trouble collecting all the necessary permits for the 2013 race.

"The real reason was the necessity to find the funds for the works and the fee charged by formula one," Oricchio claimed.

He said Ecclestone's comments about Long Beach "make clear" to the New Jersey promoters that F1 has alternatives as it pushes to add more American races to the calendar.

This weekend marks the start of the new season of the DTM at Hockenheim and is the home fixture for Mercedes-Benz. This will mark the second season for Canadian Robert Wickens of Toronto in this hotly disputed series.

Photo: Mercedes-Benz Motorsport

This year, Mercedes-Benz has quite consciously taken the decision to field a young squad of drivers. Joining Gary Paffett, the most successful driver currently competing in the DTM and DTM runner-up in 2012, no less than five talented 'young guns' will line up at the start in their DTM Mercedes AMG C-Coupés.

With an average age of 23 years, the Mercedes-Benz team of drivers is the youngest of all the three manufacturers contesting the DTM.

Mercedes-Benz junior drivers include Daniel Juncadella, Roberto Merhi, Christian Vietoris, Pascal Wehrlein and Canadian Robert Wickens.

Photo: Mercedes-Benz Motorsport

"Here we go, can't wait for my second DTM season!” said Wickens, 24, the driver of the STIHL Mercedes AMG C-Coupé.

“I've driven on many tracks during my career, but the fantastic atmosphere in the Motodrom and in the Mercedes grandstand is simply the best and I get quite excited when I start thinking about the season-opener. The introduction of DRS and the two different tire compounds for the new season not only promise more excitement for the spectators in the stands and at home in front of their TVs, but more action for us drivers out on the track. My first DTM season was a training year, but this season, I now really want to go on the offensive and to consistently finish in the points and maybe achieve a podium”, Wickens added.

From GMM

McLaren is refusing to write off the 2013 season, despite lagging a huge 86 points behind the lead of the constructors' championship after just four races.

Having gambled on a radical new car for the new campaign, McLaren is now trailing its top-four rivals and even Force India, while leading driver Jenson Button is a mere tenth in the drivers' points.

But even though the sweeping rules changes for 2014 are looming large, including the switch from V8 to V6 power, boss Martin Whitmarsh said he is reluctant to call time on 2013 and move the team's focus to a fresh start for next year.

"Maybe I'm wrong," he is quoted by France's L'Equipe, "but I refuse to think about 2014. I want us to be competitive, I want us to return to the front and to go to every grand prix thinking that we can win."

Photo: McLaren F1 Team

However, even teams much closer to the top in 2013 - like back-to-back China and Bahrain pole sitter Mercedes - are already beginning to think about 2014.

Toto Wolff, the Brackley based squad's new co-owner and director, told F1's official website that resources are starting to be switched towards 2014.

"We're already working on 2014," he said, "and we'll gradually raise the percentage of people working on next year's car. I would say that in May we will reach a point where more than 50 per cent will work on the 2014 car."

Moreover, Wolff said Mercedes' approach to the second half of 2013 will not be unique.

"There is no doubt that at a point in the summer everybody will switch their main resources to the 2014 car, as this is a very complex and complicated machine," he explained.

"Of course it all depends on where you are in the standings. Those who are fighting for the title will of course concentrate longer on this year's car."

Price Range: $54,300 and up

Description: ">BMW's Z4 roadster is a one-of-a-kind, two-seat drop-top that focuses on bringing the Bavarian brand's core attributes into a carefree, fun-in-the-sun package. Nimble, agile and ready to please, this compact sports car is popular with driving enthusiasts and luxury enthusiasts alike.

Consider it alongside models like the Mercedes SLK, Audi TT Roadster and Lexus IS-C. The 2013 BMW Z4 differentiates itself with a taut, dynamic look that sees the sheet-metal skin stretched tightly against the car's structure and accented with strong character lines, curves, and sculpting. Signature fender vents and halo-ringed headlights help set the Z4 apart on the road.

Numerous models and option packages are available, too helping the 2013 BMW Z4 to suit a variety of different tastes and budgets. All models feature a hard-panel, fully motorized roof that disappears in mere seconds.


Drivetrain: A variety of highly efficient engines power the driving experience in the 2013 BMW Z4. Standard sDrive28i models get a 2.0L 241-horsepower turbocharged 4-cylinder engine, good for 0-100 km/h in just under six seconds and a combined fuel economy below 8L/100km. The 2013 BMW Z4, in sDrive35i trim gets a 3.0L twin-turbo straight-6 engine, developing 300 horsepower and reducing the acceleration figure to just over 5 seconds.

A 335-horsepower version of this engine powers the potent sDrive35is model, adding additional performance measures for an even more engaging experience.

An available 8-speed Sport automatic gearbox helps maximize power delivery and fuel efficiency. A 7-speed Sport double-clutch transmission is available on select models too, and amounts to a performance-enhancing alternative to a conventional automatic gearbox. Both transmissions offer available paddle-shift control in the 2013 BMW Z4.

Consider it if: you're after a potent blend of style, efficiency, technology, and toplessness. The Z4 is known for its surprisingly comfortable ride in all situations, as well as a space-optimized interior that comfortably fits two adults.

Skip it if: you need rear seats or aren't interested in a convertible as the Z4 only comes as a drop-top.

Other Notes: Look for feature content including Bluetooth, navigation, automatic xenon lights, automatic wipers, automatic climate control, and heated seats. BMW's iDrive system is also on board the 2013 BMW Z4, allowing for easy control of numerous vehicle functions through a central command interface.

The adaptive M suspension system allows the Z4 to instantly recalibrate its shock absorber stiffness, switching between comfortable cruiser and stiffened-up track weapon at the touch of a button.

Parking assist and a variety of remotely linked Smartphone apps allow further convenience and security. Further, a BMW Apps interface allows drivers to connect with web radio, Facebook, Twitter, and various web services right from the iDrive interface.

Don't Miss: The M Sport Package. This adds a unique wheel and tire combination, special badging, sports seats, a sports steering wheel, and various cosmetic and chassis upgrades to tie it all together in the 2013 BMW Z4. An exclusive “Hyper Orange” package is also available on the Z4, adding a unique paint hue, matching interior trim on the doors, dash and seats, and underscoring a distinctively dynamic character.

Photo: BMW