Auto News 5

First seen at the Geneva motor show last month, the

UPDATED: A new

Fiat will open a fully-owned dealer network in India almost a year after it ended an unsuccessful partnership with Tata to build and distribute cars in the country.

Fiat will open a fully-owned dealer network in India almost a year after it ended an unsuccessful partnership with Tata to build and distribute cars in the country.

The 2014 Jeep Cherokee -- the first Jeep to be built from the wheels up with help from Fiat -- will deliver a 45 percent improvement in fuel economy and will be more capable of off-roading than the Jeep Liberty it replaces.

2014 Jeep Cherokee First Look

An old name for an all-new Jeep.

"We were expecting it to be rather polarizing," admits Mike Manley, Jeep's brand president and CEO -- but Chrysler executives weren't expecting the new 2014 Jeep Cherokee to be this polarizing. Although Jeep hoped to unveil its new D-segment crossover for the very first time at the 2013 New York Auto Show, the automaker was forced to tip its hand weeks ago when photos of the new crossover leaked online, and feedback from press, pundits, and potential customers wasn't exactly as warm and fuzzy as Chrysler would have hoped for.

Photo Gallery: First Look: 2014 Jeep Cherokee - Automobile Magazine

Photo Gallery: First Look: 2014 Jeep Cherokee - Automobile Magazine

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From GMM

Former Formula 1 driver and Minardi star driver Giancarlo Martini has died.

The news was reported late on Tuesday by Italian media sources and confirmed by Giancarlo Minardi, the former owner and boss of the Faenza based F1 team.

Minardi said Martini, whose nephew was the mid-90s Minardi driver Pierluigi Martini, was "a very generous and kind friend of mine".

Martini, 66, was also a driver himself, having raced some non-championship F1 races in the mid-70s in a Ferrari run privately by Minardi.

Minardi is quoted by Autosprint: "I have lost a friend with whom I shared more than just my passion for racing."

La Gazzetta dello Sport reported that Martini had been ill for some time.

US based Grand-Am and IMSA announced yesterday during a press conference a formal license cooperation with Germany's ITR, the company behind the DTM, which means we are getting closer to an American version of the German touring car series.

Photo: DTM Media

The already existing ties between the DTM and the Japanese Super GT championship would make it a three-way cooperation.

In fact, the new championship, that could see the day in 2015, would run alongside the American United SportsCar Racing, but using the current DTM and Super GT platforms from Germany and Japan.

The list of the manufacturers involved mirror the international flavour of the series: on top of Audi, BMW, Mercedes-Benz, Honda, Nissan and Toyota, Cadillac, Lincoln and Dodge have showed interest.

To welcome the US DTM initiative, Audi released a special photo of its A5 DTM. (Photo: Audi Motorsport)

Most Formula 1 teams are working hard to fine-tune the exhausts of their engines to generate additional downforce and increase performance.

After the FIA regulated the positioning of exhaust tips, engineers started working on the shape of the surrounding bodywork.

Aerodynamicists worked on what is called the “Coanda effect.” It is described as the tendency of a fluid jet to be attracted to a nearby surface. The principle was named after Romanian aerodynamics pioneer, Henri Coanda.

In blue: the cold air that follows the sidepod, and in red, the hot air that follows the bodywork. (Photo: WRi2 / Graphics: Stéphane Faucompré)

Here is one simple example of the Coanda effect: Try to extinguish a candle, but first place a bottle in front of it. Although there is an obstacle between your mouth and the candle, you'll succeed. The Coanda effect allows the air coming from your mouth to stay attached to the curved surface of the bottle. Both streams will then reattach on the other side of the bottle, blowing out the candle.

In Formula 1, the Coanda effect is design to redirect exhaust gases to run through the rear diffuser with the intention of increasing downforce.

In this case, the hot gases follow the natural contour of the bodywork, directing them towards the trailing edge of the diffuser and producing an invisible seal made of hot air. This increases downforce from the diffuser, making the car run faster in the corners.

Canadian driver Robert Wickens (Mercedes) emerged fastest at the end of the first of the four days of collective DTM testing staged in Barcelona, where the DRS has been tested for the first time on DTM cars.

At the end of the day, Wickens was fastest by a margin of 0,052 seconds over BMW driver, Martin Tomczyk, who completed the most laps : 170, for a total mileage of 506,09km.

DTM reigning champion, Canadian driver Bruno Spengler, had a very interesting first day aboard his M3 DTM.

"Being back behind the wheel was big fun, he said. You can feel increased pleasant anticipation of the season everywhere. The day of testing was okay - we successfully completed our scheduled programme. Of course, the new Hankook option tires and the DRS made for extra excitement.

"When it comes to the tires, we took a close look on the impact the new spec makes over a longer distance. And we learned a lot by doing so. The DRS quite obviously is big fun for a racing driver. You clearly feel that you can change up earlier and that the top speed on the straights is higher. That's something you have to accustom to and you have to focus on finding the limit lap by lap. Therefore, the tests here at Barcelona - and the ones in three weeks at Hockenheim too - are so important."

Photo: Audi Motorsport

Actor Daniel Craig, best known for portraying James Bond on the big screen, yesterday drove the new Range Rover Sport in the streets of Manhattan as part of the vehicle's world debut at the New York Auto Show.

The Range Rover Sport ended its spectacular city tour at Moynihan Station on 8th Avenue, with a number of celebrities in attendance.

This redesigned 4x4 is Land Rover's fastest, most agile, and most technologically advanced ever, with a more luxurious interior in a 5+2 configuration.

The new Range Rover Sport will go on sale this fall in 169 countries around the globe.

The all-new, third-generation 2014 Toyota Highlander made its first public appearance today at the New York Auto Show.

The sophisticated, dynamic exterior design includes a progressive silhouette, a lower roofline for improved aerodynamics, and sculptured side panels, not to mention a redesigned front grille and rear liftgate. The latter offers one-touch power open/close and driver-selectable memory height settings.

Seating up to eight passengers, the new interior of the 2014 Toyota Highlander is quieter and features a soft-touch instrument panel, as well as a multimedia system with 6.1'' touchscreen. Elsewhere, access to the third row is now easier.

Buyers will have a choice of a 3.5L V6 engine with a new six-speed automatic transmission, or a V6-based hybrid powertrain that uses a high-torque electric motor for superior output and efficiency.

The 2014 Toyota Highlander will reach dealer showrooms early next year.

Photo: Toyota

Meet the third and most powerful member of the completely redesigned Kia Forte lineup: The all-new two-door 2014 Forte Koup SX, which made its debut today at the New York Auto Show, boasts a 1.6L gasoline direct-injected (GDI) turbocharged four-cylinder engine rated at 201 horsepower and 195 lb-ft of torque.

A 173-horsepower, 2.0L Forte Koup EX is also available. Both models are scheduled to arrive in showrooms in the fourth quarter of 2013.

Lower, longer, and wider than its predecessor, with the flowing roofline of a genuine sports coupe, the 2014 Kia Forte Koup can be enhanced with LED positioning lights and taillights, while 18” wheels can replace the standard 17” units. A rear valance with available twin stainless steel exhaust tips maintains the car's sporty demeanour.

Meanwhile, the sharper cockpit gets premium materials and soft-touch points, large white-on-black gauges nestled deeply into the instrument cluster, along with a leather-wrapped steering wheel and shift knob.

Photo: Kia

From Williams F1 Team

Williams Grand Prix Holdings PLC has announced today that Claire Williams is to become the Deputy Team Principal of the Williams F1 Team.

This newly created position will see Claire work alongside Founder and Team Principal Sir Frank Williams to play a pivotal role in the day to day running and long term development of the race team.

Claire and Frank Williams. (Photo: WRI2)

The position will strengthen the future of the team and create a clear succession path for Williams. The team had planned to announce this new appointment before the start of the 2013 season, but following the death of Lady Virginia Williams earlier this month, it was decided by Frank and Claire to delay this announcement to afford the family privacy.

Claire Williams will take up her new position with immediate effect, whilst also retaining her Commercial Director role leading the marketing, communications and sponsorship functions of the business.

She will continue to be part of the Company's Board of Directors and will be supported by and work in collaboration with the full Board.

From GMM

Former driver and Minardi team co-founder Giancarlo Martini has died.

The news was reported late on Tuesday by Italian media sources and confirmed by Giancarlo Minardi, the former owner and boss of the Faenza based F1 team.

Minardi said Martini, whose nephew was the mid-90s Minardi driver Pierluigi Martini, was "a very generous and kind friend of mine".

Martini, 66, was also a driver himself, having raced some non-championship F1 races in the mid-70s in a Ferrari run privately by Minardi.

Minardi is quoted by Autosprint: "I have lost a friend with whom I shared more than just my passion for racing."

La Gazzetta dello Sport reported that Martini had been ill for some time.

Three rookie drivers have been invited to a practice session at the daunting Texas Motor Speedway in order to prepare them for the upcoming Indy 500 Rookie Orientation Program at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

AJ Allmendinger, Tristan Vautier and Carlos Munoz will be in action this week to get a feel of driving an IndyCar Dallara DW12 on a high-banked oval such as the one in Texas.

AJ Allmendinger. (Photo: LAT/IndyCar)

Although the three drivers are rookies, they each have experience on driving on ovals. For Allmendinger, his most recent oval appearance in a single-seater came when he finished fourth in the Champ Car race at Milwaukee in 2006.

Vautier, as well as Munoz, who is scheduled to make his series debut at Indianapolis in May in a fifth Andretti car, have both experienced ovals in the Indy Lights series.

Ed Carpenter, Simon Pagenaud, Takuma Sato, Graham Rahal and James Jakes are scheduled to take part in a private test at Texas later in the day.

US based Grand-Am and IMSA announced yesterday during a press conference a formal license cooperation with Germany's ITR, the company behind the DTM, which means we are getting closer to an American version of the German touring car series.

Photo: DTM Media

The already existing ties between the DTM and the Japanese Super GT championship would make it a three-way cooperation.

In fact, the new championship, that could see the day in 2015, would run alongside the American United SportsCar Racing, but using the current DTM and Super GT platforms from Germany and Japan.

The list of the manufacturers involved mirror the international flavour of the series: on top of Audi, BMW, Mercedes-Benz, Honda, Nissan and Toyota, Cadillac, Lincoln and Dodge have showed interest.

To welcome the US DTM initiative, Audi released a special photo of its A5 DTM. (Photo: Audi Motorsport)

Canadian driver Robert Wickens (Mercedes) emerged fastest at the end of the first of the four days of collective DTM testing staged in Barcelona, where the DRS has been tested for the first time on DTM cars.

At the end of the day, Wickens was fastest by a margin of 0,052 seconds over BMW driver, Martin Tomczyk, who completed the most laps : 170, for a total mileage of 506,09km.

DTM reigning champion, Canadian driver Bruno Spengler, had a very interesting first day aboard his M3 DTM.

"Being back behind the wheel was big fun, he said. You can feel increased pleasant anticipation of the season everywhere. The day of testing was okay - we successfully completed our scheduled programme. Of course, the new Hankook option tires and the DRS made for extra excitement.

"When it comes to the tires, we took a close look on the impact the new spec makes over a longer distance. And we learned a lot by doing so. The DRS quite obviously is big fun for a racing driver. You clearly feel that you can change up earlier and that the top speed on the straights is higher. That's something you have to accustom to and you have to focus on finding the limit lap by lap. Therefore, the tests here at Barcelona - and the ones in three weeks at Hockenheim too - are so important."

Photo: Audi Motorsport

From GMM

Ferrari and Lotus would veto any move to have Pirelli change the compounds of its 2013 tires.

Before the RB9 finished first and second in Malaysia, Red Bull's Dr Helmut Marko claimed F1's Italian tire supplier "has promised" to make changes to its controversial 2013 product in the wake of the high degradation seen so far this season.

Red Bull and Mercedes had reportedly complained to Pirelli that, according to their data, the new tires are wearing out faster when fitted to the very best cars.

"I think Pirelli has realised (the situation) and we have been promised that other compounds will come to Bahrain at the latest," Helmut Marko said in Malaysia.

Ironically, those who complained the loudest about tires before the race at Sepang - Red Bull and Mercedes - ultimately monopolised the highest four finishing places, quietening the saga for now.

And, anyway, changing the Pirelli tires on grounds other than safety would require the unanimous agreement of the teams.

Photo: WRi2

Germany's Auto Motor und Sport reported that Lotus, whose Kimi Raikkonen won in Australia, would "veto" any such move.

And Ferrari principal Stefano Domenicali is quoted as saying: "Pirelli cannot change something without the agreement of the teams unless there is an imminent safety risk.

"It makes no sense to panic after two races," he added.

From GMM

Red Bull on Wednesday denied reports Mark Webber will surely leave Red Bull at the end of the season.

Major German daily Bild had reported it has learned the 36-year-old Australian will depart at the end of his 2013 contract.

Mark Webber and Helmut Marko. (Photo: WRi2)

A similar claim was made by Webber's manager Flavio Briatore, who said he is now sure either Webber or Sebastian Vettel will split with the team as a result of the Malaysia team orders saga.

But Red Bull told the BBC on Wednesday that the claims are "pure speculation".

"We are two races into the current season and it's far too early to be talking about 2014," the team said in a statement.

Red Bull said the Vettel/Webber pairing had been highly successful, but also survived periods of "intense rivalry", including their collision in Turkey 2010 and occasion that have seen both drivers "ignoring team orders at different times".

"The team has managed the situation each time in its own way behind closed doors," said the team.