Auto News 5

Volkswagen is sticking to its goal to match last year's record operating profit and vehicle sales after first-quarter profit dropped 26 percent on falling demand in Germany and heavy spending on new vehicles.

Volkswagen is sticking to its goal to match last year's record operating profit and vehicle sales after first-quarter profit dropped 26 percent on falling demand in Germany and heavy spending on new vehicles.

The government announcement about reducing credit interest rates came as Colombian new car sales fell 23% YTD though month on month sales in March rose 2.9% to 22,888 units, the best month in 2013 so far.

PSA Peugeot Citroen has posted revenue down 6.5% to EUR13bn (US$16.9bn) for the first quarter of this year, with the automotive division sales also falling 10.3% mirroring a 10% contraction in the European market.

and#8220;It was never a matter of saying, 'Are we going to continue? Continuing was always the plan,and#8221; according to David Swig, the son of

News 24 Apr, 2013

The new Ford Escort saloon, set for China, could be sold in Europe, too

PSA/Peugeot-Citroen said first-quarter revenue fell 6.5 percent as its vehicle sales abroad failed to offset a recession in Europe.

PSA/Peugeot-Citroen said first-quarter revenue fell 6.5 percent as its vehicle sales abroad failed to offset a recession in Europe.

Daimler cut its 2013 profit forecast after its quarterly earnings fell 56 percent, burdened by Europe's slump and weaker Mercedes-Benz sales in China.

Daimler cut its 2013 profit forecast after its quarterly earnings fell 56 percent, burdened by Europe's slump and weaker Mercedes-Benz sales in China.

The Shanghai auto show proved once again that China is the promised land for automakers, particularly Europeans bracing for a sixth straight year of declining car sales in their home region.

Henrik Fisker's testimony before the U.S. Congress today will paint the automaker he founded as a victim of "a confluence of events" and as an enterprise that is capable of being saved.

Gentex, a U.S. supplier of automotive rearview mirrors and related parts, reported a 2 percent decline in net profits for the first quarter, citing a decrease in vehicle production in Japan, Korea and Europe.

Premium fuel saving
I'm all for saving money, truly I am, but when that money-saving involves spending more money then the logic is lost on me. Don't get me wrong, I'm also concerned about the polar bears, rainforests and global weather patterns, but again I can't quite justify paying a premium for a few seconds of idle sans engine.

Here's the deal: The 2013 BMW ActiveHybrid 3 is a fabulous machine inside and out. It looks hot, drives well and offers up some fuel-saving techniques. It's a technological feat BMW should be proud to call their own, but is it worth the extra money to own?

Not in my books.


What is the BMW ActiveHybrid 3?
Essentially, the BMW ActiveHybrid 3 is a 3-Series that sports an electric motor and a combustion engine. On board is a high-performance lithium-ion battery along with one of BMW's TwinPower turbocharged engines. It is a 3-Series like any other: same interior and exterior design. The trunk is essentially chopped in half thanks to the onboard battery, but otherwise everything stays the same.

The 3-Series is perhaps BMW's most recognizable lineup. Introduced in the ‘70s as a luxuriously economical vehicle, the BMW 3-Series has continued its success since then. The ActiveHybrid 3 is just another notch in the 3-Series belt, another version built to appeal to a new kind of BMW customer looking for luxury, performance and an upgraded form of fuel efficiency.

Essentially, the BMW ActiveHybrid 3 is a 3-Series that sports an electric motor and a combustion engine. (Photo: Philippe Champoux)

Technicalities
The 2013 BMW ActiveHybrid 3, as I stated above, is based on the 335i model. Equipped with the same TwinPower turbocharged 3.0L inline 6-cylinder engine (good for 300 horsepower) works together with the electric motor (which adds another 35 horses to the stable) to get you from 0-100km/hr in just 5.8 seconds. All this is controlled via an 8-speed automatic transmission and can be manipulated via steering-wheel mounted paddle shifters.

Of course, the main selling point here is the fact that the 2013 BMW ActiveHybrid 3 can achieve these stellar performance numbers while also dishing out fuel mileage readings in the 7.0L/100km (combined) range.

Where all the numbers fall apart for me is in the pricing. The 2013 BMW ActiveHybrid 3 starts at $58,300. While it's not the most expensive 3-Series it is more than $7k over the 335i Sedan. And I can't quite see the justification.

Equipped with the same TwinPower turbocharged 3.0L inline 6-cylinder engine (good for 300 horsepower) works together with the electric motor (which adds another 35 horses to the stable) to get you from 0-100km/hr in just 5.8 seconds. (Photo: Philippe Champoux)

Driving the BMW ActiveHybrid 3
Here's why: Hybrid driving is all about using less fuel, running on battery power alone.

I can count the number of times I drove on battery alone on one hand. I truly wanted to use the battery, but the engine kicked on so quickly (at 20km/hr or under a heavier foot) that I actually had to make a conscious effort to keep it on battery alone when in a parking lot. The start/stop function is good at lights, but can be had on any of the 3-Series in the lineup.

However, if you drive the 2013 BMW ActiveHybrid 3 as a normal 3-Series, it's fantastic. So, I decided to ignore the badging and consistently hit the “Sport+” button for optimal driving pleasure.

Steering is tight and on-point, and acceleration is fantastic as the 8-speed flips through gears seamlessly keeping you just where you need to be no matter what the situation.

The ECO PRO setting in the 2013 ActiveHybrid 3 takes efficiency to the next level. I immediately felt like I was driving through thick tar. Gas pedal and gearing are optimized for maximum efficiency, as are things like the HVAC system and even other electronics (for optimal battery use).

However, if you drive the 2013 BMW ActiveHybrid 3 as a normal 3-Series, it's fantastic. So, I decided to ignore the badging and consistently hit the “Sport+” button for optimal driving pleasure. (Photo: Philippe Champoux)

Inside and Out of the BMW ActiveHybrid 3
I'm absolutely in love with the new mug on the 3-Series. I think it's sharp, modern and oh-so sleek. I only wish that they'd changed up the rear too. Halo headlamps, strong, robust vehicle lines and a taught back end ensure the ActiveHybrid 3 retains its sporty heritage, despite the badging on the rear quarter panels.

Inside, it's business as usual for a 3-Series. Sport yet comfortable multi-adjustable seats hold and hug in all the right spots. BMW's iDrive system looks a little fancier with more animation in their menus, but essentially remains the same as the previous gen. All standard fair and all thumbs up.

Inside, it's business as usual for a 3-Series. Sport yet comfortable multi-adjustable seats hold and hug in all the right spots. (Photo: Philippe Champoux)

Comparing the BMW ActiveHybrid 3
Here's where it gets a bit dicey. Currently, the 2013 BMW ActiveHybrid 3 kind of sits alone atop its expensive sports luxury hybrid sedan pedestal. However, in the near future it will have competition in Infiniti's Q50 Hybrid. Currently, on a lesser price scale, there's the 2014 Lincoln MKZ Hybrid and 2013 Lexus ES300 h nipping at the ActiveHybrid 3's rear wheels.

From GMM

German carmaker Porsche has revealed it considered entering formula one.

Instead, the iconic marque is preparing to field a prototype design in the first-tier Le Mans-style sports car world championship in 2014, and Red Bull's Mark Webber has been linked to the project.

But Porsche executive Wolfgang Hatz told Autocar: "Porsche has always lived for the transfer of racing to production cars. For that reason it was clear two or three years ago we had to be back in high-level motor sport, and it was a choice between top-flight sports cars or formula one.

"The final decision was the only logical one. F1 was an alternative, but the road relevance is not there," he added.

Wolfgang Hatz said there are other reasons Porsche decided against formula one.

"Also, there is a lot of publicity around politics and tires, but not so much about the engines and chassis. The aero, too, is incredible, but so extreme that it cannot result in any development in our road car understanding," he added.

Photo: WRi2

From GMM

According to Dr Helmut Marko, Lotus is a bigger challenger to Red Bull's championship hopes in 2013 than Ferrari.

Red Bull and Sebastian Vettel are leading Lotus and Kimi Raikkonen in both the constructors' and drivers' world championships after the first four 'flyaway' races.

But it might be argued that the bulk of Ferrari's deficit is because of Fernando Alonso's crash in Malaysia and malfunctioning DRS rear wing flap in Bahrain.

Asked, however, if Red Bull expected Lotus' Raikkonen to be challenging so hard in 2013, Marko told Kleine Zeitung newspaper: "We've known for a long time that they will be maybe the toughest opponents.

"At the moment we fear Lotus more than we do Ferrari," he insisted.

Two Lotus behind Sebastian Vettel in Bahrain. (Photo: WRi2)

Asked if he really thinks Lotus will be a tougher challenger than Ferrari all season, Marko answered: "At the moment it looks like it. But there's only been four races, and we know that things can change. Actually, what is making the Lotus so quick in the races is a mystery to us."

Helmut Marko would not comment on the speculation the Enstone based team has perfected an hydraulically-controlled form of legal 'active suspension'.

But Red Bull is keeping an eye on Lotus for another reason.

Finn Raikkonen, the 2007 world champion and former McLaren and Ferrari driver, has been strongly linked with the race seat currently occupied by Mark Webber for 2014.

Asked if there is anything new to say on that topic, Marko insisted: "No. I've said it several times. We make our driver decisions before August, and that will be the case this year too."

Honda, Acura and affiliated brands have confirmed the participation of ten Honda cars in the 91st Pikes Peak hill climb, spanning across nine categories.

The list of Honda entries boasts cars, motorcycle and ATV, and at least one big name: Simon Pagenaud, the French IndyCar driver. His ride has not been revealed yet, however.

Acura NSX: one of the ten Honda products on the start line of the 2013 Pikes Peak (Photo: Honda)

Honda's expertise at the Pikes Peak dates back to a few years, but the involvement was never so big. The brand has been most successful in the EV (Electric Vehicles) class, setting records in 1994 and 1999 with the Honda EV Plus.

The Japanese carmaker returned to the EV class in 2011, with a Honda Fit, a car that has been entered this year.

Honda is also sponsoring the event, which this year is scheduled for June 30th.

Nissan unveiled the Friend-ME Concept at Auto Shanghai 2013. This youthful, four-passenger sedan aims to meet the needs of Chinese men in their mid-20s.

The Friend-ME Concept boasts a low and wide stance with short overhangs. Inside, all four occupants are equal and share the same information as the driver (speed, navigation, fuel level, etc.). A unique centre console stretches from the dash to between the rear seats. Screens visible from each seat blend seamlessly with the surface.

Based on an existing Nissan sedan architecture, the Friend-ME Concept requires a minimum of unique components. The fuel-efficient PureDrive hybrid powertrain envisioned for the car would deliver more than enough zip for city driving, Nissan says.

Photo: Nissan

Kurt Busch and James Courtney, champions in their respective NASCAR and Australian V8 Supercar series, got a taste of each other's race cars on Tuesday at the Circuit of The Americas in Austin Texas.

The Australian V8 Supercar is 400lbs lighter than a Sprint Cup car, but only has 650 horsepower compared to 950 in NASCAR. The NASCAR was faster accelerating in a straight line but the V8 Supercar far quicker through corners, making it a relatively equal contest between the two.

Photo: Circuit of the Americas

Furniture Row-Racing's Busch had to adapt to sitting on the wrong side of the car, a sequential shift gearbox and a dramatically smaller steering wheel. For Courtney, he also found himself on the other side of the car from what he is used to and having to revert to using an H-pattern gearbox that hasn't been used in V8 Supercars in 2007.

"It's amazing, there are similarities and differences between the two cars," Busch said. "Sitting on the right side, shifting a bunch of gears with my left arm, you're not in your comfort zone and it's hard to understand what task of the car is next until you start checking things off your list that you learn the racetrack as well."

"So there were quite a few things going on. Information overload, to say the least. But it definitely makes it interesting to drive both cars on the track at the same time. The quickest way I can compare an Australian V8 Supercar to what people are familiar to in the States is it's a muscle car but it's a sports car at the same time."

"Much more power than what you see in the GT classes in the Grand Am series. And the ability, though, for what I see on TV, for these guys to run side-by-side, nose to tail, is the control of the cars, the balance they have makes it a treat to drive," said Busch.

Kurt Busch in the V8 Supercar. (Photo: Circuit of the Americas)

“It was pretty wild sitting on the other side of the car and shifting an H-pattern gearbox,” Courtney said.

“The car was bigger and heavier. It has so much power. It's really quite an experience. It was also quite cool to see blow past the V8 car on the straight. It was really good. I'm forever grateful that the team gave me this opportunity.

“The steering wheel, it feels like it's massive. But to run side-by-side I was pretty nervous because it's moving around a bit more than what I'm used to.

“But the car was excellent. Changing with an H-patter gearbox is different; it's done almost automatically in the car at home so you never think about it. But another thing that is quite different is the braking performance.

“It's built for Speedways, not really road courses. It's a very different machine.”

Photo: Circuit of the Americas

Paris Photo, the world's most celebrated art fair for works created in the photographic medium, will take place for the first time inside the Paramount Pictures Studios in Los Angeles. To mark the occasion, BMW will display the 1979 M1 BMW Art Car by Andy Warhol.

The German automaker will also showcase a mini series of Burlesque-style photos featuring the 6 Series Gran Coupe by internationally renowned photographer Uwe Düttmann. The pictures will be presented within an environment paying tribute to their origins.

“BMW is pleased to be involved in the inaugural Paris Photo L.A.,” said Ludwig Willisch, President and CEO, BMW of North America. “We are particularly looking forward to bringing out Andy Warhol art car and debuting our new photos.”

As it has in Paris, BMW will provide VIP shuttle service during Paris Photo L.A.

Photo: BMW