Auto News 5

Tesla Motors said fourth-quarter net losses narrowed to $16 million from $90 million as the electric-vehicle maker benefited from higher sales and manufacturing efficiencies. Tesla said it sold 22,477 cars in 2013.

Volkswagen's top labor representative threatened today to try to block further investments by the German carmaker in the U.S. South if its workers there are not unionized.

Johnson Controls plans to sell its headliner and sun visor business to an affiliate of private equity firm Atlas Holdings. Johnson Controls expects to close the deal by April 30. Terms of the agreement were not disclosed.

From press release

Prema Powerteam announced the agreement reached with Nicholas Latifi for the 2014 FIA Formula 3 European Championship.

The 18-year-old Canadian racer already entered the European competition last season after running in the F.3 Italia series in 2012, and he set himself apart as one of the most interesting rookies of the season. While last year he drove with a Volkswagen powerplant, Latifi has just moved to the Mercedes camp but showed great skills straight out of the box in winter testing.

René Rosin, Team Manager, says, "Latifi is definitely a very interesting prospect and we kept a close eye on him as a rival in 2013. Despite being a rookie, he showed no reverential awe and it was this kind of fighting spirit that convinced us to have him in our team. We will provide him with all the support he needs to grow up even further. I'm sure he will stay in the top rows of the grid in qualifying and to fight at the front on Race Day."

Nicholas Latifi. (Photo: FIA Formula 3 European)

Nicholas Latifi adds, "I'm very excited to be joining Prema for the 2014 season. I enjoyed some positive days of winter testing with them and felt comfortable in their working environment. Next season is a very important year for me and I'm confident that with the experience and knowledge of the team, combined with my abilities, we will be consistently challenging up at the front."

Prema Powerteam will enter a four car team powered by Mercedes in the FIA Formula 3 European Championship. Canadian Latifi will be joined by Antonio Fuoco (Italy), Esteban Ocon (France) and Dennis van de Laar (Netherlands).

Remember the Rimac Concept_One, the fully electric supercar that created a big buzz at the 2011 Frankfurt Auto Show? Its Croatian developer, Rimac Automobili, now has plans for production by late 2015.

The Rimac Concept_One uses four electric motors generating a combined 1,088 horsepower, enough to send the car from 0-60 mph (0-96 km/h) in just 2.8 seconds. Range is estimated at 600 kilometres.

Rimac Automobili will reportedly build only 88 units, and sell them at around $1 million apiece.

Photo: Rimac Automobili

From press release

Maryeve Dufault and the No. 46 team had a good showing in the season opener on February 15 in the ARCA Lucas Oil 200 with Dufault leading four laps and running in the top-five for half the race.

Dufault started the race in the 35th position and quickly moved to the front, taking the lead on lap 21 of the 80-lap event. Dufault stayed in the top-five for the next 28 laps until having to pit under green caused her to fall a lap back and eventually ending the race 18th.

“I couldn't be happier with our achievement last weekend in Daytona as a new team,” said Dufault.

Photo: Maryeve Dufault Facebook

“To lead at Daytona was a dream come true for me and I felt that I had an amazing restart to stay at the front of the pack. I knew the car would be good in the draft so I knew I needed to work hard and get with the fast cars. We were able to hang in the top five for the first half of the race and I think we proved that we could run up front and be a contender”, she added.

“There are so many tricks to running at Daytona and it's tough to get someone to run with so it was good to run with a veteran driver like Frank Kimmel. He trusted me in the bump draft so it was great to gain the respect of a veteran and I couldn't ask for a better driver to run with at Daytona. I had a couple of rough hits with the bump draft and it caught me coming out of the corner. But I was able to hang on to the car and after the race, some veteran drivers even commented on what a great job I did holding on to the car after getting bumped loose. After this race weekend we know what we need for the next race and I can't wait to get back in the car. It felt really good to make our sponsors proud and see their brand up front at Daytona.”

Prior to the Lucas Oil 200, Team Stange announced a partnership with HotTVBrands.com and TattleTale Portable Alarms that made this race a first for not only the team, but its sponsors as well.

Photo: Maryeve Dufault Facebook

Team owners John and Ashley Stange were very happy with the results. “I was truly amazed how exciting our first race could be, but most importantly I was surprised on how good the exposure was for our sponsors and how happy they were with Maryeve's performance and their first race as a sponsor on the No. 46 Maryeve machine,” enthused John.

“I have to thank Hot TvBrands.com, Tattletale Portable Alarms, and our terrific crew for helping us make this race a success and we're looking forward to many more successful race weekends.”

Team Stange has now returned to their Forest Park race shop and have begun preparations for the next event of the season, the ARCA Mobile 200 on March 22nd at Mobile International Speedway.

From GMM

Even the smaller teams are guilty of worsening F1's growing financial crisis.

That is the view of the departing Lotus chief executive Patrick Louis, who admitted the Enstone team baulked at signing Nico Hulkenberg for 2014 purely for financial reasons.

"The (financial) situation in formula one is clear and if there is no response, the sport will eventually decay by a shrinking field of starters," he told the German-language website motorsport-magazin.com.

He said even the smaller, struggling teams are spending big in order to create the impression of financial health "that is not true".

For example, Louis said small teams use five-star hotels, which "From a business perspective is absolute nonsense".

The same teams, he added, are driving up salaries.

"A person who was strategically very important for us and was in the salary range of 90-100 thousand a year (110,000 - 120,000 euros, or 166,000$ - 185,000$ CAN) was lured from us with 180,000 pounds (220,000 euros, or 332,000$ CAN)" said Louis.

Even a worker in the factory, earning in the mid-30,000 pounds range (42,000 euros, or 65,000$ CAN) was lured from Lotus with a higher salary "from a team that was far behind us in the championship standings".

Louis said those teams then complain about escalating costs "That they themselves have driven".

"For me, it's economic suicide," he added.

PDVSA displayed on the Lotus E22. (Photo: WRi2)

And it's the rising costs, Louis revealed, that led to the decision to overlook the obvious preferred choice Hulkenberg in favour of Pastor Maldonado, who brings millions to the team in the form of PDVSA backing.

"At some point you have to make a decision and accept that as a team you need to get a budget together," he explained.

"For me, Hulkenberg is an excellent driver. One of the few talents there are.

"I'm not saying that we made compromises, but we decided to invest more time in a driver (Maldonado) who to a large extent is comparable with where Romain Grosjean was with us in 2012.

"He (Grosjean) was criticised, we were called completely crazy to keep him, and now the same people are saying he's a great driver," Louis said.

Multi-millionaire Michael Dezer is an avid James Bond enthusiast and collector who has decided to sell the entire content of his museum in Miami including the world's largest private collection of Bond cars.

The only problem is that you have to buy all 65 cars, motorcycles and other vehicles, as well as a ton of posters, toys, and props. The price? A mere ₤20 million (approx. $36.9 million).

The list includes six Aston Martins, four Lotus Esprits, a few Land Rovers, one Alfa Romeo 159, and even the TUK TUK taxi from Octopussy.

Source: cars.aol.co.uk

Photo: Wikipedia

From GMM

The F1 world's attention will shift from pre-season testing to a London courtroom on Thursday.

A morning judgement is expected in the high-profile Bernie Ecclestone corruption affair, with Constantin Medien seeking a guilty verdict and $140 million in damages from the sport's embattled chief executive.

Thursday's news could also ramp up speculation the 83-year-old Briton's long reign over formula one is over, with Justin King - who has resigned after ten years in charge of British supermarket chain Sainsbury's - among the rumoured frontrunners to replace him.

But Ecclestone told F1 business journalist Christian Sylt this week there is "no truth at all" to the King rumours.

"All he knows about (motor sport) is looking for support for his kids," Ecclestone, referring to King's racing driver son Jordan who is controversially backed by a range of Sainsbury's-linked names, told the Guardian.

52-year-old King has also been linked with the unfilled new role as McLaren's F1 chief executive, but a spokesman for the British team said that rumour is "untrue".

From GMM

Lotus and Renault on Thursday finally announced a new engine deal for 2014 "and beyond".

The Enstone team had already begun winter testing with the French marque's new turbo V6 'power unit', but negotiations between the pair had been long and reportedly difficult.

"The relationship between Viry and Enstone has gone from strength to strength over the past few years," said Renault Sport F1 president Jean-Michel Jalinier. "This is illustrated in no better way than the excellent -and very close- collaboration on the 2014 car, which is more technically complex than any previous designs."

F1's other Renault-powered teams are Red Bull, Toro Rosso and Caterham.

Romain Grosjean, Lotus E22-Renault. (Photo: WRi2)

Reigning Formula Renault 3.5 series' champion, Kevin Magnussen went quickest for McLaren on the second day of Formula 1 winter testing in Bahrain on Thursday.

The Dane's best time (set in super soft Pirelli tires) was over 1.5s faster than the next-best effort, set by Nico Hulkenberg of Sahara Force India.

Kevin Magnussen, McLaren (Photo: WRI2)

Fastest yesterday, Hulkenberg completed 13 more laps than Magnussen - 59 - but not as many as Fernando Alonso who racked up 97 laps in his Ferrari for the third fastest time of the day.

Nico Rosberg of Mercedes AMG set the fourth best time on the board, despite causing two red flag periods in the morning when his W05 stopped on track with technical woes.

Eric Boullier, McLaren (Photo: WRI2)

Valtteri Bottas completed 116 laps of the Bahrain circuit in the Mercedes-powered Williams FW35. The Finn recorded the fifth best lap of the day.

F1 returnee Kamui Kobayashi staged a late charge for Caterham-Renault to lift himself to sixth on the timesheets, one place above four-time World Champion Sebastian Vettel in the Red Bull Racing RB10.

Nico Hulkenberg, Sahara Force India (Photo: WRI2)

After more car troubles on Wednesday, the German was finally able to register a healthy lap count, with his Thursday tally of 59 more than Red Bull Racing had achieved over the five previous test days combined.

Scuderia Toro Rosso's Jean-Eric Vergne completed 58 laps in Renault-powered STR9 for eighth place overall, beating Esteban Gutierrez in the Ferrari-powered Sauber.

Jean-Michel Jalinier (Renault), Christian Horner (Red Bull Racing), Helmut Marko (Red Bull) and Pierre Wache (Red Bull Racing) (Photo: WRI2)

The final two sports went to Romain Grosjean in the Lotus and Max Chilton in the Marussia, both of whom failed to break the 20 lap marker because of technical issues.

Best lap time in 2013:
Nico Rosberg, Mercedes AMG in Q3: 1m32.330

Bahrain winter test session 2*, Day 2:
1 Kevin Magnussen McLaren 1m34.910 46 laps
2 Nico Hulkenberg Force India 1m36.445 59
3 Fernando Alonso Ferrari 1m36.516 97
4 Nico Rosberg Mercedes AMG 1m36.965 85
5 Valtteri Bottas Williams 1m37.328 116
6 Kamui Kobayashi Caterham 1m39.855 66
7 Sebastian Vettel Red Bull 1m40.340 59
8 Jean-Eric Vergne Toro Rosso 1m40.609 58
9 Esteban Gutierrez Sauber 1m40.717 55
10 Romain Grosjean Lotus 1m41.670 18
11 Max Chilton Marussia 1m42.511 17
*Unofficial timing

Kamui Kobayashi, Caterham (Photo: WRI2)

So, you've made it in life. Your wife - she's a stunner, with a doctorate in something or other, and she's been able to clone herself perfectly into two equally beautiful children. Your job - executive, you're a magnate in your industry, able to cut through all the hiccups to make the real decisions, which you do very well and are compensated handsomely. Your house - it's big, but you prefer to be understated and traditional, along with having modern flair and convenience.

Your car - it's a Range Rover. Because you need to show the world you have everything mentioned above.

Once the mobility choice of British armed forces, the Range Rover has evolved into the luxury off-roader of today; a status symbol on wheels. And while it still possesses the same strength in capability, those ten letters across the hood are what really sell this tour de force to the awaiting elite.


What is the Range Rover V8 Supercharged?
Along with the recently deceased Hummer and ChryCo's Jeep brand, Range Rover finds its origins in the industrial military complex.

Yet, over the years, it has been treated like the corporate red headed stepchild of other automotive companies. Land Rover, after seeing ownership by British Leyland, BMW, and Ford, finally has a parent, India's Tata Motors, that's willing to give the legendary marque the attention (and money) it deserves.

The not-so-beaten path gladiators now find more homes in upscale neighborhoods than in the arid brush of Africa.

2014 Range Rover Supercharged Price and Specs
While one might expect the top-line Landie to start in the $80k range, the Range Rover V8 Supercharged gets a base price of $114,990. That's a mighty big pill.

For that stock portfolio cashout, you receive Range Rover lettering across the front (that is important as Land Rovers are for farmers) and a 5.0-litre supercharged V8 engine belching 510 horsepower and 461 lb-ft of torque mated to an eight-speed transmission. All that power is sent to an intelligent full-time four-wheel drive system managed by Land Rover's Terrain Response 2, an automatic system with General; Grass/Gravel/Snow; Mud/Ruts; Sand, and Rock Crawl modes.

While the Range Rover V8 Supercharged might look very similar to its little brother Range Rover Sport, the split rear hatch and bigger body shows your fellow man you are top management material.

Along with the recently deceased Hummer and ChryCo's Jeep brand, Range Rover finds its origins in the industrial military complex. (Photo: Mark Stevenson)

Driving the 2014 Range Rover V8 Supercharged
While I was expecting the luxo-off-roader to be a mix of suave creature comforts and effortless power delivery, the truth is a bit more rough and tumble.

Range Rover's 5.0-litre supercharged V8 is smooth, but not silky, and the eight-speed automatic doesn't do it any favors. Giving the accelerator a heftier push than normal results in some fairly harsh kick-downs for a car costing well north of a hundred grand.

That said, the Range Rover did get power to the ground, no matter the conditions. During a snowy week in Montreal, the Range Rover took everything thrown at it and I'm sure it could handle a hell of a lot more.

On road, the Range Rover V8 Supercharged was fairly velvety, though a slightly suppler ride would be preferred. While you could definitely feel the tar-sealed cracks, they weren't displeasingly jarring or smooth as glass. Quebec's notorious potholes and other road imperfections did their best to unsettle the sure-footed Landie to no avail as the big SUV took it all in stride.

While I was expecting the luxo-off-roader to be a mix of suave creature comforts and effortless power delivery, the truth is a bit more rough and tumble. (Photo: Mark Stevenson)

Inside and Out of the 2014 Range Rover V8 Supercharged
It's hard to change the face of an icon. Carrot Top tried it and that didn't work out too well. So has Jeep with the new Cherokee to fairly mixed reviews..

The Range Rover's face is equal parts menacing and sophisticated, depending on which country you live in and the reason why it's chasing you. And with it's long and low stance, this SUV is perfectly suited in front of a $500 a plate restaurant during a Friday evening out.

Inside, classiness continues in a barebones, utilitarian way. Everything you need is at your fingertips. Ruining the experience is Range Rover's infotainment system that plays host to secondary and audio controls. It's response times can only be rivaled by a first day bureaucrat just back from an Oktoberfest vacation.

If there is one saving grace of the Range Rover's technological creature comforts, it's the optional 18-speaker Meridian audio system that does its best to recreate a Victoria concert hall. And if your offspring aren't keen on listening to music selected by CBC Radio 2, a rear seat entertainment package is available for $2,400.

Inside, classiness continues in a barebones, utilitarian way. (Photo: Mark Stevenson)

Comparing the 2014 Range Rover V8 Supercharged
While icons tend to take on their own loyal following that eschew cross shopping, the Range Rover does have to do battle with the Mercedes-Benz G-class. The German marque's military-derived SUV may sport a similar price tag, but it doesn't offer up the same refinement and luxury as the Range Rover. Other luxury SUVs may provide better luxury and refinement, yet aren't nearly as capable.

For the do-it-all family with a large budget looking to conquer the world in style, this is the car for you, and everyone will know it.

From GMM

Organisers of the new Formula E series expect to make some quick money and then see the concept collapse.

That is the view of F1 chief executive Bernie Ecclestone, who despite the involvement of several well-known figures, teams and drivers, thinks the FIA category involving near-silent electric-powered single seaters racing in cities including Los Angeles, Berlin and London is ultimately doomed to fail.

"For them (the organisers) it's a commercial thing," Bernie Ecclestone told Zone One Radio.

"One or two of them are going to make a few quid and that will be the end of it. I can't see it ever working. I know how much it costs to put a street race together," the 83-year-old Briton told interviewer Matthew Layton at the recent Zoom photographic charity auction.

Photo: FIA Formula E

I know it might seem slightly depressing to think about next winter before this one is even over, but hear me out. As this cold season comes to a close, you'll want to start considering next winter's tire options for your vehicle. Why? Well, companies are starting to release their new winter rubber technology, and as it is the “off season” as of March, you can pretty much guarantee a better price and availability before the winter-tire buying rush begins.

Here at Auto123.com we want to make sure you get a head start on your winter tire selection this coming year. So, be sure to check out our Winter Tire Review: Best of 2013.

With advice from PMC Tire on everything from the top performance winter tires for your car to the best winter tires for SUV/CUVs, we've got you covered. And we even got to take a closer look at Bridgestone's brand new Blizzak WS80s, as well as Michelin's X-ice 3 tires.

Better to be prepared then stuck in a snowy ditch, right?

From GMM

Red Bull could be set to lose its major title sponsor Infiniti.

Just as the world champion team is faltering on the pre-season test circuits, Germany's Sport Bild reports that the luxury Nissan brand Infiniti does not intend to renew its Red Bull deal beyond 2015.

Reports estimate the value of the deal, involving team naming rights and a conspicuous purple presence on the Red Bull livery, at EUR 40 million per year.

It is believed Infiniti is baulking because it wanted to move beyond being merely a financial partner to the top F1 team.

"We know that Infiniti had hopes for a greater technical cooperation," Red Bull's Dr Helmut Marko acknowledged.

Former F1 driver Gerhard Berger, a close confidante of team owner Dietrich Mateschitz, commented: "If anyone can overcome the loss of a sponsor, it is Red Bull."

Photo: WRi2

From press release

The Florida Winter Series' second visit to the Homestead circuit for the final round of the championship, run on the infield-bankin configuration, got underway with another win for Nicholas Latifi.

The Canadian led throughout, while the quickest qualifiers, Antonio Fuoco and poleman Lance Stroll had to start from the back because of an error when lining up on the grid. These two Ferrari Driver Academy youngsters had mixed fortunes: Fuoco staged an amazing climb up the order, to go second after just a few laps, ahead of the Englishman Edward Jones, but Stroll stayed down the back before retiring after colliding with Dennis van de Laar.

Stroll had to go to hospital for a check over and was diagnosed as having sprained ligaments in the scaphoid bone of his left wrist, which means he will not take part in thursday's two races.

Nicholas Latifi. (Photo: Florida Winter Tour/Facebook)

Finnish tire manufacturer Nokian has just created the very first “non-studded winter tire with studs.”

Say what?

Here's how it works: In normal road conditions, Nokian's innovative winter tire acts just like any other, but when things get icy-dicey, the driver can push a button to deploy metal studs.

Of course, that would only be good in countries where studded tires are legal...

From press release

Volkswagen Motorsport has agreed an exclusive three-year partnership with Sweden's Marklund Motorsport to enter the new-for-2014 FIA World Rallycross Championship.

This latest news follows hot on the heels of the recent announcement that both Ford and Peugeot are committing to this year's World RX, as well as news that 2013 Global Rallycross Champion Toomas ‘Topi' Heikkinen will join Marklund Motorsport as the team's lead driver for the next two seasons.

Finland's Heikkinen and his teammate Anton Marklund will compete in all 12 rounds of this year's World RX and the Scandinavian pairing will debut their new Marklund Motorsport Polo RX Supercars at Montalegre, Portugal (May3-4).

Volkswagen Polo rallycross car. (Photo: VW Europe)

"Rallycross is attracting ever-increasing levels of attention in Europe and overseas and is one of the fastest growing motorsport disciplines out there. The races are short and sweet, the cars are spectacular and look almost like factory models. Marklund Motorsport ranks among the most ambitious independent teams and has single-handedly developed the Polo for the 2014 FIA Rallycross World Championship,” said Volkswagen's Motorsport Director, Jost Capito.

“Jan Marklund's professional approach was our condition before embarking on this collaboration, in which Volkswagen Motorsport provides the team experience and expertise from rally sport. In Toomas Heikkinen and Anton Marklund they have one of the strongest driver pairs in this championship and we are already excited about seeing them behind the wheel of the Polo RX supercar,” Capito added.

Parker Kligerman may be a rookie, but he felt Joey Logano precipitated a seven-car incident in the first practice at Daytona International Speedway. Also Matt Kenseth's car was involved but his car escaped serious damage.

Kligerman was driving on the high side of the 2.5 mile Daytona International Speedway oval with cars racing three-wide on the front stretch When Kenseth's Toyota wiggled Joey Logano's Ford tapped Kenseth who hit Paul Menard.

Then Kligerman's Toyota rode up and over Menard's Chevy before getting pushed from behind by Ryan Truex's vehicle, and then slid along the top of the outside wall and into the catch fence. The fence shredded parts of his car like a cheese grater and then the Toyota flipped over.

Caption: NASCAR.com

“Maybe I shouldn't have been racing as hard as I was there in practice, but everybody was in a big pack there trying to make things happen,” said Logano As soon as he came back up I checked up a little bit and then the 21(Trevor Bayne) hit me from behind and we spun out.

“I guess from what I could see, the 22 (Joey Logano) was just being overly aggressive and it's a shame,” said Kligerman. “He's supposed to be a veteran. You go up here to the Sprint Cup Series and it's supposed to be the best of the best and you have a guy who in practice is racing people like that -- like it's the last lap of the Daytona 500.

It looks like the 22 (Joey Logano) was just being overly aggressive. I want to talk to him about it. I think Paul (Menard) and I had the same opinion there -- just what are you doing and why are you side-drafting and bumping people in the first drafting practice we've done all week.”

Menard's version didn't vary much from Kligerman's. “What I saw in the car was just the front half of the No. 20 car getting kind of squirrely like somebody ran into the back of him to try and bump draft,” said Menard. “Turns out Joey (Logano) was bump drafting the No. 20 (Kenseth) in the middle of the pack when we were trying to get up to speed.  I guess that is the end result.  Fortunately Parker (Kligerman) is okay and nobody in the stands got hurt.  It could have been a lot worse.”

From GMM

Felipe Massa kept his talks with Williams last year secret even from his own manager.

The former Ferrari driver said that when he initially made contact with the British team, Williams asked him not to involve his manager Nicolas Todt.

That is because Todt, the son of FIA president Jean Todt, doubles as Pastor Maldonado's manager, whose Williams split - and that of his lucrative sponsor PDVSA - was already in full swing.

"Williams preferred to speak directly with me, because Nicolas was already dealing with the departure of Maldonado, who did not want to continue," Massa is quoted by Brazil's Totalrace.

"I started talking by myself from the race in Japan and we agreed very quickly. But it all depended on the departure of Pastor and so it took a while (to finalise)," he added.

Felipe Massa (Williams) ahead his former team mate Fernando Alonso (Ferrari). (Photo: WRi2)