Auto News 5

Price Range: $109,900 and up (650i), $128,900 (M6)

Description: Fresh out of a recent ground-up redesign and packing more power than ever, the 2013 BMW 6-Series offers drivers more choices than ever before to access premium luxury, world-class performance, and driving excitement aplenty.

Notably, the sleek coupe and convertible models have recently been joined by a four-door “Gran Coupe” model, though those after a convertible model can still consider the popular BMW 6-Series Cabriolet.

Offering four seats and capped by a highly developed and fully motorized lightweight cloth roof, the BMW 6-Series Cabriolet can switch from open-topped touring car to a coupe-like, back-roads bomber in mere seconds. That holds true whether you opt for the standard 650i xDrive Cabriolet model, or the driver'- license decimating M6 Cabriolet.


Drivetrain: Standard 2013 BMW 6-Series Cabriolet models come with a 4.4L V8 engine utilizing variable camshaft management, direct injection and twin, inboard-mounted turbochargers to develop 443 horsepower and even more torque. This output represents an increase over last year's model.

Power is handled by the shopper's choice of a 6-speed manual transmission or an 8-speed automatic with paddle shifters. BMW's xDrive AWD system is standard in any case.

Opting for the extreme-performing BMW M6 Cabriolet? Hope you've got a good traffic lawyer. Various track-tested engine upgrades bump power output to 560 horses, all of which attack the rear wheels.

Consider it if: you're after what the BMW 6-Series delivers. Namely, world-class performance, comfort, and style in a package priced lower than a comparable Maserati or Aston Martin. With four seats, it's also ideal for folks after travels with the family or another couple.

Skip it if: you want a manual transmission in the top-line BMW M6 model, or your bank account can't support the payments on a car priced into six-digit territory.

Other Notes: The 2013 BMW 6-Series can virtually “see” its surroundings thanks to a variety of sensors that drive various safety and convenience features. These include radar-guided cruise control, precollision auto-braking, blind-spot monitoring, and parking assist.

The centre display screen, manipulated by BMW's iDrive system, is one of the largest to ever be fitted in a production car.

High-performance xenon lights up front feature dynamic steering, while the taillights feature LED-powered “light pipes” for a unique stylistic effect.

Don't Miss: The “reverse-flow” V8 twin-turbo engine under the BMW 6-Series Cabriolet's hood, uniquely, places the turbochargers, wastegates, and exhaust manifolds between the cylinder banks rather than outside of them. Compressed air is intercooled and fed into the cylinders from the outside of the cylinder banks, where the exhaust and turbochargers are usually routed.

This bit of packaging genius not only makes the overall engine assembly more compact, but allows the turbochargers in the 2013 BMW 6-Series to extract more energy from the exhaust flow due to their closer proximity to it.

Photo: BMW

From GMM

Bahrain could celebrate its tenth anniversary as a formula one host by staging next year's race under lights, circuit chairman Zayed Alzayani has revealed.

The news follows reports Bernie Ecclestone is happy to keep F1's most controversial race on the calendar long into the future, and is considering a season opener slot for Bahrain in 2014.

Bahrain's existing contract runs until 2016, and the F1 chief executive said: "I feel they do a super job and we're more than happy to give them a contract (extension) for five years.

"I don't see any problems," added Ecclestone.

Next year will not be the tenth Bahrain grand prix, because the race was removed from the calendar in 2011 due to the island Kingdom's civil unrest outbreak.

But 2014 will be the tenth anniversary of Bahrain's first race in 2004.

To mark the occasion, Alzayani said in the Guardian: "We are looking at many options. A night race could be one of them, but it is not the only one. There are pros and cons to doing it."

He confirmed that Bahrain wants to stay in F1 "for the long term".

From GMM

In a 'secret' meeting over the winter, it was agreed that stewards should impose less penalties in 2013 in order to spice up the action.

That is the claim on Tuesday of Germany's Auto Motor und Sport, reporting that the meeting with FIA president Jean Todt was attended by drivers including world champion Sebastian Vettel, team managers, Charlie Whiting and stewards.

"Has it been noticed?" wrote correspondent Michael Schmidt. "The drivers are being punished much less."

Photo: WRi2

He said the outcome of the pre-season meeting was that stewards should be more lenient when it comes to applying penalties for on-track scraps, in order to entice the drivers to take more risks in the heat of exciting wheel-to-wheel battles.

Schmidt said it is undeniable that there have been "surprisingly few" drive through and grid penalties so far in 2013 as the result of obvious incidents.

"It has made the racing better," he wrote.

"You can feel that the drivers have more confidence. Rarely have we seen as much die-hard, wheel-to-wheel battles as we saw in Bahrain," added Schmidt.

From GMM

McLaren resisted the urge to call off the on-track spat between teammates Jenson Button and Sergio Perez in Bahrain, boss Martin Whitmarsh has revealed.

Jenson Button could be heard angrily remonstrating on the radio for the British team to "calm" Mexican newcomer Perez's wheel-to-wheel charge.

Afterwards, the 23-year-old was rebuked by Whitmarsh because "endplate to rear tyre could have punctured Jenson and broken his (Perez's) front wing".

But McLaren, he says, prides itself on not issuing the kinds of team orders that Red Bull and Mercedes controversially imposed in Malaysia recently.

"I had a lot of noise in my ear from people suggesting I should stop them racing. We didn't," Whitmarsh said. "I think it was the right thing in the long term for both drivers to know they are racing each other and be competitive. We've seen it a couple of times this year, and the driver behind is always going to believe he was quicker, he's always going to be aggrieved."

Photo: McLaren F1 Team

Martin Whitmarsh said breaking with a long-standing policy of strict driver equality would not have been the right choice.

"Those guys are out there fighting and you can't suddenly decide halfway through a race 'Oh, by the way, I didn't mean it. Don't fight because it looks uncomfortable for me'."

Lewis Hamilton, the former long-time McLaren driver who in Malaysia was protected from new Mercedes teammate Nico Rosberg's charge, backed Whitmarsh's stance.

"That's the good thing about Martin," the 2008 world champion told the Telegraph. "He allows his drivers to race. He doesn't change. We are there to race -- as long as it is effective, and with respect with each other."

F1 veteran Rubens Barrichello, however, has a slightly different view.

Having analysed Sunday's race for Brazilian television Globo, he said: "I think McLaren was trying different strategies to separate its drivers because they were fighting."

"Five laps later they were fighting again. Sometimes different strategies have the same result," he told Brazil's Totalrace.

Jenson Button, meanwhile, declared the 'team war' with Perez to be over, because the Mexican had apologised.

"Checo has apologised," the 2009 world champion is quoted by the Sun. "We had a good discussion."

Whilst Sebastian Vettel romped home to his 28th career victory in Sunday's Bahrain Grand Prix, his emphatic win - which puts him sixth in the all time winners list - was somewhat overlooked by some spectacular racing behind the top three, courtesy, to an extent, of Pirelli, but mainly thanks to the McLaren drivers.

It's not a secret that the boys and girls and Woking dislike team orders. They didn't like them in the championship winning-era of Senna and Prost under the tutelage of Ron Dennis, so when the team is fighting for midfield positions in an MP4/28 car which is by far it's finest effort under Martin Whitmarsh's guidance, it definitely wasn't a surprise to see Jenson Button and Sergio Perez go at it hammer and tongs in the Sakhir heat.

Photo: McLaren F1 Team

Whilst, however, it can't be disputed that the Pirellis played a part in the spectacular McLaren-on-McLaren battle that saw the silver and red cars duel closely with each other for the most part of the race, the overriding factor in the whole episode was the lack of team orders. Despite Button calling for the guys on the pitwall to “cool Perez [him] down”, they still let the cars and their occupants do what they were designed to do; race.

It could be argued that McLaren's decision to not issue team orders cost McLaren valuable points in the constructor's championship. Perez may have had the chance to attack Hamilton's Mercedes for fifth come the end of the race, and Button, had he not overheated his tyres in fighting the young Mexican, could have been right up there in the top six, and not tenth where he finished in the end. But this is motorsport; ‘what if's' don't matter. Where you finish does.

However, given it's extremely remote that McLaren - despite having a mass upgrade for their beleaguered car in Barcelona - will be fighting for championship honours this year, the lack of team orders made perfect sense from a sporting point of view.

And why?

People save for a long time and pay good money to come and watch Formula 1, so they expect and deserve to see racing. They don't expect to have the piss taken out of them by having to watch one driver hold station and they don't want the races to be made artificially exciting thanks to the tires.

Photo: McLaren F1 Team

McLaren, then, did what any team should and provided the millions of F1 fans around the world with what they wanted to see by letting two world-class drivers race under the absence of team orders. The consequences would be dealt with later...

... Which they did. Very well. This is McLaren and it isn't F1's second most successful team for nothing, so what did you expect?

Although Button described his teammate's on track behaviour as “dirty” after the race, the issue appears to have been dealt behind closed doors with the 2009 world champion today tweeting "important chat yesterday with Checo Perez to clear the air. As a team we will move forward and live to fight another day ... roll on Barcelona".

So, then, McLaren has provided some of the best on and off track entertainment in the wake of Bahrain and thanks to the absence of team orders, it is some of the most honest we've seen all year.

Roush Fenway Racing announced 19-year old Ryan Reed will debut in the Nationwide Series this Friday at Richmond International Raceway.

Aside from a major team backing a new driver the fact that Reed has Type 1 diabetes is remarkable. Two year he was told that, due to his condition, he'd never race again.

If he qualifies Reed will join Charles Kimball, who has type 2 diabetes and races in IndyCar, as drivers who race at major levels of motorsports with the condition.

Photo: American Diabetes Association

According to a team release “Reed's blood glucose levels will be carefully monitored by his Roush Fenway Racing team. In the rare event that Reed experiences a high in his blood glucose levels; his Drive to Stop Diabetes driver's suit has a bulls-eye target spot that will show a crewman where to give him an injection of insulin during the race. Reed isn't too worried though, as he has never had a problem before.”

“We had a great test a few weeks ago with the Roush Fenway Racing team,” Reed said. “I've been using some super late model racing as some seat time as well. It felt great to bring home a victory at Irwindale a few weeks ago; hopefully that and the test will really help me get comfortable in the Nationwide car at Richmond.”

Reed will compete in a number of NASCAR Nationwide Series races for Roush Fenway Racing in 2013 and the No. 16 Ford Mustang will adorn the American Diabetes Association Drive to Stop Diabetes paint scheme.

Photo: American Diabetes Association

At the Pikes Peak hill climb in June, nine-time World Rally Champion, Sebastien Loeb will drive a mighty Peugeot 208 T16 powered by a 875-horsepower engine, that tips the scales at just 875kg, and benefits from all-wheel drive, plus a spectacular aerodynamic package.

The Pikes Peak Hill Climb is the only race in the world that permits the fantasy of freeing the beast that lurks at the back of every engineer's mind to become reality! The very mention of the event and its celebrated ‘Unlimited' class is enough to bring a twinkle to the eyes of any designer. “Your imagination is the only limit when you set out to design a car for Pikes Peak,” grins Jean-Christophe Pallier, the Peugeot Sport engineer tasked with the 208 T16 Pikes Peak project. “Designing this car was a tremendously rewarding experience, even though we still had to take the ‘time' factor into account...”

Photo: Peugeot Sport

Peugeot Sport produced a derivative of the bi-turbo V6 which was designed for endurance racing. With this 875-horsepower powerplant under the bonnet, the 208 T16 Pikes Peak will boast even more power than a Formula 1 single-seater.

In its bid to reach out to the clouds, Peugeot Sport has also paid careful attention to providing Loeb with a particularly lightweight car. “We've shaved it down to 875kg,” observes Jean-Christophe Pallier. “As a result, we have achieved the magic and symbolic power-to-weight ratio of 1:1!”

Meanwhile, to be sure that the car's handling is as agile as possible, the weight distribution of the tubular-framed machine has been meticulously fine-tuned, with the engine sitting in a mid-rear position, like the famous Group B rally cars of the 1980s and like endurance racing prototypes.

The 208 T16 Pikes Peak effectively shares its genes with those of the Le Mans 24 Hours-winning 908 in several areas. Indeed, last year's Pikes Peak took place for the first time on an entirely asphalted course, so the machine conceived by Peugeot Sport is practically an out-and-out endurance racing prototype. Common areas include the running gear, brakes and aerodynamic features like the air-intake and the spectacular two-metre wide rear wing which was originally used for the first-generation 908 HDi FAP.

Photo: Peugeot Sport

The 208 T16 Pikes Peak's hallmark rear wing and front splitter are not only extremely spectacular, but they are also awesomely efficient, in addition to bestowing the car with a truly beastlike stance. Meanwhile, although invisible, the design of the car's under-tray is responsible for generating almost half the car's downforce...

Last but by no means least, the Peugeot 208 T16 Pikes Peak sits on bespoke Michelin tires which provide the four driven wheels with invaluable grip.

Photo: Peugeot Sport

Technical specifications - 208 T16 Pikes Peak

ENGINE
Type: V6 bi-turbo
Cubic capacity: 3.2 litres
Number of valves: 24
Position: Mid-rear
Number of cylinders: V6 (60°)
Maximum power: 875hp
Torque: 90mkg
Maximum rpm: 7,800rpm
Top speed: 240kph
0-100kph: 1.8s
0-200kph: 4.8s
0-240kph: 7.0s

TRANSMISSION
Type: Four-wheel drive
Gearbox: Longitudinally-mounted six-speed sequential gearbox with steering wheel-mounted paddle-shift

CHASSIS
Frame: Tubular steel
Bodywork: Carbon fibre

SUSPENSION / BRAKES / STEERING
Suspension: Double wishbones and pushrod/rocker arm actuation at all four corners
Springs: Torsion bars
Dampers: Pressurised dampers
Anti-roll bars Front and rear
Steering: Hydraulic power steering
Brakes: Hydraulic double circuit brake system with one-piece light alloy callipers
Brake discs: Vented carbon discs front and rear
Diameter (front): 380mm
Diameter (rear): 355mm
Wheels: Specific 18x13 magnesium alloy wheels derived from F1 technology
Tires : Michelin (31/71x18)

DIMENSIONS
Length: 4,500mm
Width: 2,000mm
Height: 1,300mm
Front overhang: 1,690mm
Rear overhang: 1,690mm
Wheelbase: 2,695mm
Wing: 2,000mm (based on the rear wing of the Peugeot 908)
Fuel tank: 40 litres
Weight: 875kg

Adapted from Reuters

Italian tire manufacturer and Formula 1's official supplier, Pirelli is planning to sell off a 2011 HRT Formula 1 car in a charity auction on eBay because nobody in the Italian tire company wants to use it for promotional and marketing purposes.

Pirelli purchased the HRT rolling chassis (meaning, without the engine or gearbox) at the end of last season after the small Spanish team closed its doors after a very difficult season marked by serious financial problems.

Last appearance of the HRT at the 2012 Brazilian Grand Prix. (Photo: WRi2)

The Italian company wanted to use it for marketing purposes, and to put it on display at various locations.

Paul Hembery, Pirelli's director of competition, said in Bahrain last weekend: "There doesn't seem to be a lot of enthusiasm, it's a bit of a shame really. Our marketing department said nobody seems to want to use it. So I said let's put it on eBay for charity”.

Reuters says that last February five other HRT F1 rolling chassis were bought for re-sale by a Spanish company.

From GMM

Mark Webber has cooled speculation he is on the verge of quitting formula one by insisting he is still "hungry" for success.

Amid rumours his team is lining up Kimi Raikkonen to replace him in 2014, the 36-year-old Australian flew straight from Bahrain to Austria to appear on a Red Bull-owned Servus TV broadcast.

"I'm still hungry, I still want to do well," German-language reports quote him saying.

"I think I still have a few years left in me. As long as I'm fit, the performance is still there and the job is fun... that's actually the most important thing, that it's fun," said Webber.

"How it's going to go exactly, I don't know," he added, following reports Porsche is keen to finalise a long-term agreement with him for its Le Mans prototype project.

"I have never decided what I'm doing for the next year in April, and I'm not going to start now," said Webber.

Celebration of Mark Webber's 200th Grand Prix in Bahrein, without Sebastian Vettel. (Photo: WRi2)

Webber's comments are unlikely to calm the speculation about his future.

Asked after the Bahrain grand prix if Red Bull is still interested in Raikkonen, Dr Helmut Marko admitted: "We have always admitted that we are looking at him.

"And, for the umpteenth time, Red Bull traditionally looks at its driver issues only in the summer," he is quoted by Speed Week.

Mark Webber sat out Red Bull's post-race victory team photograph following teammate Sebastian Vettel's second win of the season last Sunday.

Celebration of Sebastian Vettel's victory in Bahrain, without Mark Webber. (Photo: WRi2)

Among the many global debuts by Ford at Auto Shanghai 2013 was a concept with a very familiar name: Escort.

Light-years away from the model that enjoyed tremendous sales success from 1968-2000, the new Ford Escort Concept draws inspiration from the current Focus, with sleek lines that reportedly foreshadow a future compact sedan. While initially developed for the Chinese market, it could eventually bolster Ford's global car lineup.

Photo: Ford

“This compact concept highlights the strength of our global One Ford approach to vehicle design, and represents how we can make use of our global design language to bring refined designs to attainable vehicles,” said Jim Farley, executive vice president, Global Marketing, Sales and Service and Lincoln, Ford Motor Company. “Designed with the Chinese consumer in mind, the new Escort Concept has the potential to strengthen our product portfolio here in China as we take advantage of opportunities for diversification within the compact car segment.”

Ford is showcasing 15 other new products at Auto Shanghai 2013, including the Mondeo, Fiesta ST, EcoSport, and Kuga.

NASCAR officials announced that the Sprint Cup Series will implement the group-based road course qualifying procedure used in Nationwide and Touring Series competition during its road-course events at Sonoma Raceway in California and Watkins Glen International in New York State.

Under the new procedure, cars will qualify in groups instead of the traditional single-car qualifying runs held on oval race tracks.

“The change will add an exciting element to road-course qualifying,” said Robin Pemberton, NASCAR vice president of competition. “Fans will be treated to new strategy and increased competition with several cars on track at once.”

Jimmie Johnson, Chevrolet (Photo: Getty Images/NASCAR)

The new qualifying rules for the Sprint Cup Series at road courses are as follows:

Cars attempting to qualify will be divided into groups. The number of groups, and amount of cars in each, will depend on the number of cars that practice for the event.

Group assignments will be based on final practice times.

Each qualifying group will be on-track for a set period of time, determined by the Series Director.

A car's best lap time during the group session will be the qualifying lap time of record.

A group's time begins when the first car receives the green flag at the start/finish line.

“This is going to be a terrific new format for our NASCAR weekend,” said Steve Page, president and general manager of Sonoma Raceway. “It will intensify the action, with multiple cars on the track at the same time. It's a very positive development for our fans.”

“The new format of qualifying at Watkins Glen International enhances the fan experience which is our top priority,” said Michael Printup, president of Watkins Glen.

“Qualifying on Saturday for our Cheez-It 355 at The Glen is even more of a not-to-be missed aspect of a weekend of high-quality racing.”

The new format will debut with the Toyota Save-Mart 350 at Sonoma Raceway on June 23 and will return at Watkins Glen for the Cheez-It 355 at the Glen on August 11.

It was announced today in Mexico City that Michel Jourdain Jr., who brought Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing wins in Montreal and Milwaukee in the Champ Car World Series in 2003, will again drive for the team in the 97th Indianapolis 500 Mile Race on May 26.

Jourdain, who finished 19th in the race last May, made his debut at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in 1996.

Office Depot Mexico returns as the primary sponsor of Jourdain's No. 17 entry and Grupo Indi and Grupo Multi return as associate sponsors.

The Mexican will have Graham Rahal, who was runner-up April 21 in the Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach, and James Jakes as teammates.

In 1996, Jourdain Jr. became the youngest driver to start a Champ Car race to date when he drove at Long Beach at the age of 19 years, 6 months and 12 days.

The experts from British business publication, Formula One Black Book say that Pirelli is very close from inking a long-term contract to remain the official tire supplier to Formula 1.

Pirelli's tire supply contract with F1 expires at the end of the current season, but it is believed to be on the verge of an extension, reveal F1 Black Book's authors.

Former Formula 1 driver, Martin Brundle, commentating for Sky Sports on Saturday, reported a five-year extension was already in the bag.

Speaking on Friday, Briton Paul Hembery, Pirelli's motorsport director, wasn't giving much away but said if a deal is to be done it needs to be done very soon.

“As time passes, we have to make decisions as a business”, said Hembery.

“We're not immune to what's going on in the European automotive business in particular; sales were ten percent down in March in the overall market. That impacts heavily on us and we're currently having to make action plans to address those challenges. I would think that from our point of view, sooner rather than later - time is of the essence, I would suggest now”, Hembery added.

Photo: Pirelli

The Department of Energy says it recovered $21 million in cash from struggling Fisker Automotive that will go toward repaying nearly $200 million in loans extended under a United States program to spur advanced vehicle development.

The Bridgend plant in south Wales is to be the main European build location for Ford's new global 1.5-litre EcoBoost petrol engine.

Dealership groups that announce their first-quarter earnings over the next two weeks should see continued growth as new- and used-car sales outperform 2012 levels, analysts say.

A week after the Boston Marathon bombings, the city was beginning to return to normal today with shops reopening and residents heading back to work.

2013 Jaguar XJ 3.0 AWD Driven

Finally, the big Jag moves on all fours.

We think of the luxury-sedan class as being rear-wheel drive, but it’s increasingly becoming all-wheel drive. According to Jaguar, cars with four driven wheels currently account for 40 percent of large-luxury-sedan sales. Already, the Audi A8, the BMW 7-series, the Lexus LS, and the Mercedes-Benz S-class offer AWD. Now, the Jaguar XJ does, too.

Photo Gallery: 2013 Jaguar XJ 3.0 AWD Driven - Automobile Magazine

Photo Gallery: 2013 Jaguar XJ 3.0 AWD Driven - Automobile Magazine

2013 Jaguar XJ 3.0 AWD Driven | Digg It | Add to del.icio.us

Hyundai is expanding its lineup in China with the introduction of the midsized Mistra sedan.

NASCAR driver Scott Speed was not in Kansas over the weekend. Instead, the "start and park" driver raced in the X Games Global Rallycross Championship, qualifying in second.