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Renault and Nissan will bring four key functions closer together to further strengthen their alliance and achieve at least EUR4.3bn (US$5.8bn) in annual savings by 2016.

Strong domestic sales of the redesigned Fit (Jazz), launched last September, helped boost Honda Motor's fiscal third quarter operating income 73.2% year on year to JPY228.5bn.

Honda said its October-December net profit more than doubled to $1.56 billion, back to pre-Lehman crisis levels, helped by strong sales of the redesigned Fit subcompact.

Sometimes we have to wonder about the rationality of those who squirrel away low-mileage cars for decades.

As far as entry-level vehicles go, it's hard to get more basic than the Little Tikes Cozy Coupe. No air conditioning, radio or no power windows. Actually, no glass windows at all. No engine, of course; it's foot-powered.

Daimler is open to broadening its cooperation with partners Renault and Nissan to include other car segments and to new projects with Tesla, CEO Dieter Zetsche said.

Daimler is open to broadening its cooperation with partners Renault and Nissan to include other car segments and to new projects with Tesla, CEO Dieter Zetsche said.

Only suppliers with deep pockets like Bosch have the resources to develop cutting-edge technology such as collision avoidance systems, infotainment systems and EV batteries.

The latest issue of the Automotive News Europe monthly e-magazine goes live on Monday, Feb. 3.

Porsche's Macan was a huge Web winner during the fourth quarter but the media champ of 2013 was the VW Golf, which was No. 1 in online news stories, blogs and other social media such as YouTube.

BMW i3 buyers face a six-month wait to receive the electric car because of high demand.

Red Bull Racing Formula 1 emptied its garage and left Jerez early Friday after the new turbocharged RB10 suffered yet another mechanical issue.

The Christian Horner-led team decided to pack everything and return to Milton Keynes, UK and focus its attention on the next test in Bahrain.

Team newcomer Daniel Ricciardo completed just 7 laps of the Jerez circuit today. In four days, Adrian Newey's RB10 completed only 21 laps, that's 91km...

Daniel Ricciardo, Red Bull RB10, at Jerez, on Friday, January 31st. (Photo: WRi2)

“It's been a very difficult test. We have had numerous Renault issues as well as chassis cooling issues, which have affected our progress,” Horner admitted.

“However, despite the lack of mileage, what we have managed to learn shows that the problems should be solvable for the next test in Bahrain. Part of the purpose of this early test was to learn about any issues ahead of the start of the season and there will now be a lot of focus on the dyno over the next few weeks,” he added.

“We did seven laps and every time Daniel (Ricciardo) went out we made improvements to the control of the engine,” said Andy Damerum, race engineering co-ordinator.

“We were also making fixes to the issues that have arisen from our side and we have made progress there. However, we then discovered a mechanical issue with the car and after investigation it became clear we would not be able to fix this in time to run in the afternoon, so the decision was taken to retire early, take the data we have amassed and work towards the next test in Bahrain,” he concluded.

The team is apparently struggling to get the RB10 extreme packaging working at all with the higher cooling demands of the all-new turbo and ERS-powered Renault V6.

Quite simply, the car cannot keep the crucial 'power unit' cool enough. Burn marks were visible on the side of the RB10 on Friday, followed by some hasty work by the mechanics to cut holes in the bodywork.

From GMM

Vitaly Petrov has a good chance of restarting his motor racing career in the German touring car series DTM.

That is the claim of Mercedes' Toto Wolff, after former Renault and Caterham driver Petrov made his test debut for the German marque a week ago.

"Russia is a highly significant market for the DTM and for Mercedes-Benz," Toto Wolff said at the time.

Vitaly Petrov. (Photo: Mercedes-Benz)

However, he made no mention of Russian Petrov's chances of actually securing a race seat for 2014.

Wolff told Russia's f1news.ru website that the 29-year-old was predictably "fast" in the test.

"Vitaly has been on the podium in formula one. What else do you need to say?" said the Austrian.

"The test was successful, and now we are trying to bring everything together to sign a contract. We are considering the option (of signing Petrov) very seriously. If you want me to be specific, I would say the chances are about 60 per cent," added Toto Wolff.

Williams' new recruit, Brazilian Felipe Massa set the best time Friday, the last day of the first winter Formula 1 test session held at Jerez de la Frontera, Spain.

Fernando Alonso (Ferrari) and Sahara Force India's reserve driver Daniel Juncadella showed good speed until Massa beat them all with a time of 1m28.229.

Daniel Juncadella, Sahara Force India (Photo: WRI2)

The times came down during the afternoon after a damp start to the day, but still several seconds slower than Thursday's.

Alonso, driving the Ferrari F14 T, emerged second quickest behind his former teammate, 0.9 second slower than the Mercedes-powered Williams. The Spaniard completed 115 laps of the Jerez circuit.

Felipe Massa, Williams (Photo: WRI2)

Juncadella was a surprising third in the new VJM07.

Kevin Magnussen - fastest yesterday - was fourth quickest in the McLaren, despite spinning twice. The Dane completed 110 laps of the track.

Kevin Magnussen, McLaren (Photo: WRI2)

Next was Lewis Hamilton in the Mercedes AMG. The Brit took over the W05 after his teammate Nico Rosberg completed a full race distance in the morning.

Jules Bianchi surprised everyone by taking the sixth time in the Marussia-Ferrari, beating some big names such as Adrian Sutil in the Sauber, Nico Rosberg, Kamui Kobayashi in the Caterham, Daniil Kvyat in the Toro Rosso and Daniel Ricciardo in the Red Bull RB10-Renault.

Ricciardo did only 7 laps and was some 17 seconds slower than the Williams. Red Bull Racing called it a day when it faced a major mechanical failure that could not be fixed in Spain.

Jules Bianchi, Marussia (Photo: WRI2)

Best lap Day 1
Kimi Raikkonen Ferrari 1m27.104

Best lap Day 2
Jenson Button McLaren 1m24.165

Best lap Day 3
Kevin Magnussen 1m23.276

Jerez winter testing*, Day 4:
1. Massa, Williams, 1m28.229, 86 tours
2. Alonso, Ferrari, 1m29.145, 115
3. Juncadella, Force India, 1m29.457, 81
4. Magnussen, McLaren, 1m30.806, 110
5. Hamilton, Mercedes, 1m30.822, 41
6. Bianchi, Marussia, 1m32.222, 25
7. Sutil, Sauber, 1m36.571, 69
8. Rosberg, Mercedes, 1m36.951, 91
9. Kobayashi, Caterham, 1m43.193, 54
10. Kvyat, Toro Rosso, 1m44.016, 9
11. Ricciardo, Red Bull, 1m45.374, 7
*Unofficial timing

For the fourth time in the ten-year history of NASCAR's playoffs, called the Chase for the Sprint Cup, NASCAR has made another change in the rules.

Take a look at these new regulations which are supposed to reward winning, but, ask yourself do these new rules really simplify the Chase (as NASCAR says) or make it complicated?

But first consider the old-old rule (which did award bonus points) - the driver with the points wins.

Now here's the new rule.

First 16 drivers will now qualify instead of the present 12 and initial ten candidates.

The over-arching philosophy is to put more rewards for winning. Although not changing the basic points system, which might pay only a 2.5 per cent premium over second place for a victory, race winners will take priority in qualifying for those 16 spots of the original round.


Other key points announced by Brian Z. France NASCAR's CEO and president are:

• A victory in the first 26 races all but guarantees a berth in the 10-race Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup - a change that will put an unprecedented importance on winning a NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race all season long

• The number of championship drivers in contention for the NASCAR Sprint Cup championship will decrease after every three Chase races, from 16 to start in the Chase Grid; 12 after Chase race No. 3; eight after Chase race No. 6; and four after Chase race No. 9

• The first three races of the Chase (27-29) will be known as the Challenger Round; races 30-32 will be known as the Contender Round; races 33-35 will be the Eliminator Round and race No. 36 will be the NASCAR Sprint Cup Championship

• A win by a championship-eligible driver in any Chase race automatically clinches the winning driver a spot in the next Chase round

• Four drivers will enter the NASCAR Sprint Cup Championship with a chance at the title, with the highest finisher among those four capturing the prestigious NASCAR Sprint Cup Series championship.

Other important points include the top 15 finishing drivers, with the most wins, ensure a driver a spot in the Chase provide they are within the top-30 in the points. And the points leader after 26-races guaranteed a spot in the Chase.

And there's more rules.

By a mere word count the rule in effect before 2004 was simpler.

So, on one hand this is not simpler - except - and it's a very important exception. At the season closing race NASCAR will declare four drivers eligible for the Championship.

And to this writer the interim eliminations are a distinction without a major difference except that a win will override a bad finish like when Dale Earnhardt Jr. blew an engine in the first Chase Race in 2013 all-but eliminating him from contention.

A driver won't be able to merely finish with minimum points to become the champion. That competitor will have to out-drive the other three qualified drivers to take the title instead of just slowly circulating on an oval, accumulating points.

No driver will be able to clinch the title before the final round is the biggest change in NASCAR history. And this writer likes that.

But I would just prefer a simpler way to get there.

After a week behind the wheel of the 2014 Mitsubishi Mirage, I am desperate to believe that there's no way Mitsubishi could possibly hope that this little econobox was to be their oasis in a barren desert of sales. Say it ain't so, Mits; say it ain't so.

I'd really hoped to make analogies with salvation-type mirages in barren wastelands; cures for dried up sales numbers; and maybe even a heavens-opening-up type situation in which the Mirage dropped down to save the day... but I just can't when it comes to this particular vehicle.

The real issue with this vehicle? It's a true economy car in every sense of the word (which I have no problem with), but it commands a subcompact price that just puts it leagues beneath its competition in the same bracket.


What is a Mitsubishi Mirage?
The Mirage is essentially a revamped and renewed Mitsubishi Colt. They were reluctant to release the vehicle's name when it first appeared. Rumours circulated that the name “Mirage” would once again be used -- a name that Mits has attached to quite a few of its compact car models since the mid-‘70s.

Built as an affordable, fuel efficient vehicle with a decent amount of space, the Mitsubishi Mirage is not about high-quality, drivability or comfort. At least, not that I can see.

2014 Mitsubishi Mirage Price and Specs
Here's where the Mitsubishi Mirage really fails, in my opinion. Forget about the 74 horsepower and 74 lb-ft of torque from the 1.2L 3-cylinder engine. Forget about the CVT (although there is an available 5-speed manual, thankfully). Where the 2014 Mitsubishi Mirage really falls flat is in its price.

A 2014 Mitsubishi Mirage ES base model starts at $12,498. Jump to the SE model and you're looking at $15,398 to start, and that's before you start adding things that actually make the car livable and tolerable. My particular tester edged in on the $17k mark. That's Honda Fit and Fiat 500 territory -- both of which are leaps and bounds ahead in terms of quality and construction.

The Mirage is essentially a revamped and renewed Mitsubishi Colt. They were reluctant to release the vehicle's name when it first appeared. (Photo: Mitsubishi)

Driving the 2014 Mitsubishi Mirage
How can I put this delicately? The day I was to pick up the Mitsubishi Mirage my body decided to evacuate a kidney stone on its own. When the excruciating pain had finally stopped and I could focus on the task at hand (driving the Mirage) I wondered if the stone was my body's way of preparing me.

Driving the 2014 Mitsubishi Mirage is painful in a different way; it's almost embarrassing, actually. From the moment you turn the key and hear the 1.2L noisily rattle to life, feeling the little car shake and tremble to life, you're aware this isn't the best car you're ever going to drive in your life.

Close the ridiculously cheap and clunky doors, strap yourself in and put the Mirage in “D.” From that moment on you'll either need to turn the radio up to extreme levels to block out the droning, ear-bleeding noise levels created by the CVT and the wind from body-panel gaps or bask in the ridiculousness of it all, and possibly invest in some noise-cancelling earmuffs. The Mirage does move well enough though, but the noise...

And, oh, the body roll. For a car so tiny, this thing has more body roll than a Greyhound bus. It's almost funny, but a little off-putting as well. Of course, college guys will enjoy this feature: take a corner too quickly (once the wheels actually respond to turning input) in the 2014 Mitsubishi Mirage and your date will surely end up in your lap (take note).

From the moment you turn the key and hear the 1.2L noisily rattle to life, feeling the little car shake and tremble to life, you're aware this isn't the best car you're ever going to drive in your life. (Photo: Mitsubishi)

Inside and Out the 2014 Mitsubishi Mirage
Where to start? I wonder if Mitsubishi decided to try a new “design while blindfolded” trick? If so, they did a bang-up job for being blindfolded. If not, well... that's a shame, really.

From the outside, the 2014 Mitsubishi Mirage lacks any sort of discerning character traits or lines. Sure, they slapped a sporty roof spoiler on the SE model, but that's clearly just a sad attempt at attracting buyers who think wings add horsepower (they don't, and neither do racing stripes in case you were wondering).

Inside the “sad” continues. When you realize that felt liner is being used as carpeting throughout, as well as the headliner, and that the door armrests seem to be constructed of pre-production plastics, and the passenger sun visor doesn't even have a mirror, you start to really question the vehicle's price. At least I do.

The 2014 Mitsubishi Mirage's seats are flat and uncomfortable for longer journeys, and the back seat is very upright and not at all cozy. While there is a good deal of headroom for all, legroom can get tight in the back when taller riders are up front. A baby seat fit easily, but I dislike the rear anchor off at an angle in the trunk.

Sure, the 2014 Mitsubishi Mirage SE comes with heated front seats (that are actually painful if left on high for too long), fog lamps, and even Bluetooth, and cruise control, but that doesn't justify the rest.

The 2014 Mitsubishi Mirage's seats are flat and uncomfortable for longer journeys. (Photo: Mitsubishi)

Comparing the 2014 Mitsubishi Mirage
Truthfully? A good, fair comparison for the Mits Mirage would be a '07 Hyundai Accent hatch or a Toyota Yaris from the same year. Unfortunately for Mitsubishi, both those cars have stellar new versions that are still in the same category, and so far above the Mirage that it's almost shocking.

From press release

TOYOTA Racing can reveal the first details of its participation in the 2014 FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC) and the 24 Hours of Le Mans, in which it will push the limits of hybrid powertrain technology in motorsport.

TOYOTA Racing entered two prototype cars for the WEC season, including Le Mans and the Automobile Club de l'Ouest is scheduled to confirm the full grid on February 13.

For the third consecutive year, Alex Wurz, Nicolas Lapierre, Kazuki Nakajima, Anthony Davidson, Sebastien Buemi and Stephane Sarrazin will drive for TOYOTA Racing. They are joined by test and reserve driver Mike Conway.

Photo: Toyota

The TS040 HYBRID prototype has been designed according to new regulations intended to keep the WEC and Le Mans at the forefront of road-relevant technology development. Its first public appearance will come at the WEC official test session on March 28-29 when it will take to the track alongside prototypes from Audi and Porsche for the first time.

After the TS030 HYBRID established TOYOTA Racing as a pioneer in the field of hybrid powertrains for motorsport, its successor, the TS040 HYBRID, takes the technology to the next level.

The addition of an Aisin AW motor/generator on the front axle, in combination with the DENSO unit at the rear, means the TOYOTA HYBRID System - Racing now provides power to all four wheels.

Under deceleration, the motor/generators apply braking force in combination with traditional mechanical brakes to generate energy, which is transferred via a DENSO inverter to the Nisshinbo super-capacitor. During acceleration, the motor/generator reverses its function, acting as a motor to deliver a significant power boost.

Photo: Toyota

That four-wheel-drive hybrid power is allied to a petrol-powered V8 engine, both having been developed by Motor Sports Unit Development Division at the Higashifuji technical centre, where next generation TOYOTA road car technology is also under development.

The TS040 HYBRID chassis is designed, developed, manufactured, built and operated by TOYOTA Motorsport GmbH (TMG) in Cologne. It represents a major evolution on the TS030 HYBRID thanks to advanced aerodynamics and lightweight design.

New regulations with revised dimensions have made the 2014-generation LMP1 cars narrower by 10cm while measures such as wheel tethers and a rear crash box have further increased safety.

Intensive simulation and calculation work at TMG has refined the TS040 HYBRID, utilising hardware-in-the-loop technology to test individual components based on real track data and powerful calculation computers to optimise designs.

The car completed a successful roll-out at Paul Ricard earlier this month (January 21-23), with Alex Wurz and Anthony Davidson driving. Further testing is planned prior to the season-opening Six Hours of Silverstone (April 20).

A massive recall on several Toyota models sold in Canada and the U.S. could soon be announced due to a failure of the heated seats to meet certain fireproofing requirements. Built in August 2012 or later, these vehicles use a seat fabric from a new supplier.

While the number of units affected by this possible recall remains unknown, the list of affected models may include:

• Corolla;
• Camry;
• Camry hybrid;
• Avalon;
• Avalon hybrid;
• Sienna;
• Tundra;
• Tacoma

In related news, the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) is investigating the brake assist system on roughly 30,000 Toyota Camry Hybrids from 2007-2008. A potential failure could increase braking distances.

Source : ici.radio-canada.ca

Here are the photos of the helmets of the 2014 Formula 1 drivers who will be competing in the FIA F1 World Championship.

Note that the photos of some helmets are missing at this point. We will update this article when the photos become available.

Red Bull Racing
Chassis RB10
Engine: Renault
Sebastian Vettel (race number 1; will carry No. 5 when not champion)
Daniel Ricciardo (race number 3)

Sebastian Vettel. (Photo: WRi2)

Daniel Ricciardo. (Photo: WRi2)

Ferrari
Chassis F14 T
Engine: Ferrari
Fernando Alonso (race number 14)
Kimi Raikkonen (race number 7)

Fernando Alonso. (Photo: WRi2)

Kimi Raikkonen. (Photo: WRi2)

Mercedes AMG
Chassis W05
Engine: Mercedes
Lewis Hamilton (race number 44)
Nico Rosberg (race number 6)

Lewis Hamilton. (Photo: WRi2)

Nico Rosberg. (Photo: WRi2)

Lotus
Chassis E22
Engine: Renault
Romain Grosjean (race number 8)
Pastor Maldonado (race number 13)

McLaren
Chassis  MP4-29
Engine: Mercedes
Jenson Button (race number 22)
Kevin Magnussen (race number 20)

Sauber
Chassis C33
Engine: Ferrari
Adrian Sutil (race number 99)
Esteban Gutierrez (race number 21)

Adrian Sutil. (Photo: WRi2)

Esteban Gutierrez. (Photo: WRi2)

Sahara Force India
Chassis VJM07
Engine: Mercedes
Nico Hulkenberg (race number 27)
Sergio Perez (race number 11)

Nico Hulkenberg. (Photo: WRi2)

Sergio Perez. (Photo: WRi2)

Williams
Chassis FW36
Engine: Mercedes
Felipe Massa (race number 19)
Valtteri Bottas (race number 77)

Toro Rosso
Chassis STR9
Engine: Renault
Jean-Eric Vergne (race number 25)
Daniil Kvyat (race number 26)

Jean-Eric Vergne. (Photo: WRi2)

Daniil Kvyat. (Photo: WRi2)

Caterham
Chassis CT05
Engine: Renault
Kamui Kobayashi (race number 10)
Marcus Ericsson (race number 9)

Marussia
Chassis MR03
Engine: Ferrari
Jules Bianchi (race number 17)
Max Chilton (race number 4)

A teaser on YouTube is announcing the arrival of ''another impressive member of the Audi family.'' There's nothing in it that gives clues about the identity of this mystery model, not even an outline or a number, so it's all pure speculation at this point.

The world premiere will take place on February 12th.