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These are some of the steps two dealerships have taken since settling charges with the Federal Trade Commission alleging deceptive advertising.

From Ford's lighter aluminum F-150 to General Motors' stylish smaller pickups to Ram's light-duty diesel engine, the industry's dominant truckmakers have all shown their hands.

Chrysler Group's Windsor minivan plant is poised to grab a share of funds that Canada's federal government has pledged to keep auto plants operating there.

General Motors' dramatic about-face on its standard purchasing contract last week was more than a gritty admission by GM's purchasing chief that she was wrong.

As billions of dollars in profits pile up for the Detroit 3, so does resentment within the UAW toward the two-tier wage system that has helped produce those profits.

Thousands of collision repair technicians, insurance estimators, Ford field staffers and others will go to school in one of the biggest industry training programs ever.

From GMM

Martin Brundle has scolded former F1 rival Jacques Villeneuve, after the 1997 world champion attacked the sport's new V6 era.

As his new foray in the world rallycross series was launched last week, 42-year-old French Canadian Villeneuve slammed not only F1's new 'greener' guise, he also denounced the drivers of 2014 as "mediocre".

"(It) angers me when former F1 drivers stick a boot into F1 for publicity," Brundle, now a highly-respected commentator for British television, wrote on Twitter, without referring to Villeneuve by name.

"They had privileged chances, success, cash. Give something positive back," he added.

Photo: WRi2

From press release

Fresh to market Lotus 49B is to go under the hammer at the Bonhams Festival of Speed auction on June 27.

One of the most renowned of legendary Lotus head Colin Chapman's landmark Formula 1 car designs, the Lotus 49 as introduced in 1967 not only launched the racing world's most successful Grand Prix power unit - the Cosworth-Ford DFV V8 - into racing history, it also became one of the longest-lived of Grand Prix car designs - serving Team Lotus into 1970, and being campaigned by such superstar World Champions as Jim Clark, Graham Hill, Jochen Rindt and Emerson Fittipaldi.

Graham Hill, Lotus 49B Ford, Silverstone (Photo: Bonhams)

Chassis number ‘49-R8' was part of Gold Leaf Team Lotus's motor racing armoury, and is the last Lotus to be sold from the collection of the much respected and sorely missed British-born Formula One Lotus collector and racer, the late John Dawson-Damer.

Never before offered at auction, ‘49-R8' was built in October 1968 and is one of a handful remaining of just 12 Lotus 49s produced.

Its Colin Chapman concept, detailed by his gifted designer Maurice Phillippe, perfected a stressed-skin monocoque forward fuselage which terminated immediately behind the driver's cockpit, to which the brand-new Cosworth-Ford DFV V8 engine was then bolted as the rear chassis member, carrying the ZF or Hewland gearbox and rear suspension.

The Lotus 49 instantly set new Formula 1 performance standards, and won its debut race, the 1967 Dutch Grand Prix, driven by Jim Clark.

In 1968 Graham Hill won his second Formula 1 World Championship title in the developed Type 49 and 49B cars and, when brand new, chassis ‘R8' - now to be offered by Bonhams - became the new World Champion's mount for the Tasman Championship races in New Zealand and Australia in January-February 1969.

From GMM

Post-race celebratory 'donuts' have been legalised by F1's governing body.

Sebastian Vettel was given an official reprimand by the FIA after crossing the line in India to become world champion for the fourth time last season.

"Are you serious?" Lewis Hamilton said when told of Vettel's penalty. "That's crazy!"

Sebastian Vettel, 2013 world champion with Red Bull, in India. (Photo: WRi2)

Red Bull team boss Christian Horner agreed that race stewards "need to be empowered to give a little more leniency in extraordinary circumstances".

That is exactly what has happened.

As confirmed in the latest draft of the 2014 sporting regulations, race winners will from now on be exempt from having to drive straight to parc ferme.

Now, they are allowed to "perform an act of celebration" after crossing the finish line, provided the act is "performed safely" and "does not delay the podium ceremony".

Three-time Formula 1 World Champion, Ayrton Senna first tasted the thrills of speed in a kart. The year was 1978 when the Brazilian took part in his first world championship after wasting little time dominating in his home country.

Auto123.com recently had a chat with French journalist Lionel Froissart, who writes for Paris daily newspaper Liberation, about Senna's karting career.

Back in the late 1970s, Froissart was both a reporter and kart racer. He soon got acquainted with Senna.

Ayrton Senna (Original photo: Lionel Froissart)

“Our first meeting took place in September 1978 at the Le Mans karting track during the Inter 100cc world championship,” Froissart remembers.

“I had never heard of him before, but during the carburetor tests on early Thursday morning, I spotted his yellow helmet through the cloud of exhaust smoke. I asked myself: ‘Who the heck is that guy?' I went to see him at his DAP stand. He was wearing a big red jacket. You know, being from Brazil, he wasn't used to the ‘cold' late-summer days in France. He introduced himself: Ayrton Senna da Silva. Neither of us spoke English very well, but we managed to understand each other.”

Ayrton Senna finished sixth that year, but was clearly one of the favourites, according to Froissart. “Senna was very much fighting for the lead,” he says. “Later, we crossed paths again on the tracks. I gave Senna pictures of him, and we started to become more familiar with each other. He was an exceptional driver, although not a very accessible one.”

Ayrton Senna (Original photo: Lionel Froissart)

How so?

“Well, I could approach other drivers, guys I knew pretty well like Alain Prost, with a gentle pat on the back. However, for some reason, I could not be so friendly with Ayrton. Unconsciously or not, he often erected some sort of psychological wall between himself and the people he talked to. Yet, at the same time, he had that magnetic appeal, and a real aura around him. Race car driver or not, that wouldn't have changed.”

“Senna was phenomenal on the track, whether in a kart or in a car. He showed an interest in engines and mechanics, but his true passion was driving to the absolute limit,” Froissart adds.

“Senna was used to control his entire driving environment during his karting days, so when he moved to auto racing, he had a tough time relying on a crew.”

“I mean, the guy let the team make changes to his car, but he always wanted to know exactly why. He demanded an explanation every time the engineers tweaked a wing angle, the turbo, the gear ratios, and so on. Senna didn't need to be made aware of the changes; he immediately felt them while driving.”

Ayrton Senna (Original photo: Lionel Froissart)

Lionel Froissart continued to follow Ayrton Senna throughout his Formula 1 years.

“While Senna had a keen sense of what was right and wrong about his car, he wasn't the best at setting up his machine,” Froissart confesses.

“Unlike Prost, who could not tolerate anything but a perfect car, Senna could live with a few handling issues, because his immense talent made up for the machine's shortcomings. Of course, that led to some incidents during his career, like when Senna and Prost both raced equal cars for McLaren.”

“When Senna debuted in F1, with the Toleman and Lotus, his driving style was very rough and brutal. Over time, he became much smoother and more fluid. He loved the black Lotus and its ultra-powerful turbocharged Renault engine, which delivered around 1,200 hp. The car had flaws, but it fitted him like a glove,” Froissart concludes.

From GMM

Ferrari looks to have come up with another of the big innovations of the 2014 season.

It emerged last week that the new F14 T features a unique cooling system that allows the red single seater to have very small sidepods, notwithstanding the high demands of the all-new 'power unit' rules.

Now, Italy's La Gazzetta dello Sport reports that Ferrari's new V6 engine is also highly innovative.

The report said the engine features a 'cut-off' system that works with the direct injection to keep engine temperatures low and save crucial fuel.

The system means that, at times, the flow of fuel into the combustion chamber is stopped altogether and the engine is not 'sparked'.

Ferrari F14-T. (Photo: Ferrari)

Meanwhile, Mercedes' Paddy Lowe has admitted he hopes the new rule limiting each driver to just 100 kilos of fuel per race does not dominate the 2014 season.

"Sometimes it is very frustrating, but fuel and tyre wear have been factors in formula one for years," he is quoted by Finland's MTV3, adding that the fuel factor will be greatly "exaggerated" in 2014.

"I hope it does not detract from the racing," added Paddy Lowe.

It has also emerged that Renault may not be prevented from fixing its obvious technical problems once the development 'freeze' deadline passes in just over a week.

"There is a 'fair and equitable' rule which gives us the opportunity to change any of the components if we have reliability problems," said Renault Sport's Remi Taffin.

"I have to say, however, that we do not have big problems with the parts, as we have done successful tests on the dynamometer. We just have to make them all work together."

The third season of the FIA World Endurance Championship has got off to a great start with the announcement of a full season grid of 31 cars.

LM P1 will become the largest segment with no fewer than nine cars. In the Hybrid division there are two cars for reigning world champions Audi, with the next evolution of the Audi R18 e-tron quattro, two for Toyota Racing with the new Toyota TS040 and two entries for Porsche for its new 919.

In the LMP1 Light category Rebellion Racing will enter two of its brand new Rebellion Toyota R-One, with Nicolas Prost and Matthias Beche announced as the lead drivers in each car, and Lotus has entered the brand new T129-AER with Christian Albers.

The LMP2 category has received seven full season entries.

The LMGTE Pro class will also feature seven cars, with a new entry from ELMS LMGTE Champions RAM Racing, the British team stepping up to the World Championship.

Eight entries have been received for the LMGTE Am category with four Ferraris, two Porsches and two Aston Martins.

Unfortunately, Pescarolo Team of Henri Pescarolo was closed February 7 by the Tribunal de Commerce du Mans. We will no longer see the distinctive green cars of Henri Pescarolo on the circuits this season.

2014 FIA World Endurance Championship entries:
Number Team Car Drivers

LM P1 Category
1 Audi Sport Team Joest Audi R18 e-tron quattro Duval-Kristensen-di Grassi
2 Audi Sport Team Joest Audi R18 e-tron quattro Tréluyer-Lotterrer-Fässler
7 Toyota Racing Toyota TS040 HYBRID Sarrazin-Wurz-Nakajima
8 Toyota Racing Toyota TS040 HYBRID Lapierre-Buemi-Davidson
14 Porsche Team Porsche 919 Hybrid Dumas
20 Porsche Team Porsche 919 Hybrid Bernhard
9 Lotus (LM P1-L) Lotus T129 Albers
12 Rebellion Racing (LM P1-L) Rebellion R-One Prost
13 Rebellion Racing (LM P1-L) Rebellion R-One Beche

LM P2 Category
21 Strakka Racing Dome S103-Nissan (Michelin) Watts-Leventis-Kane
22 Millennium Racing ORECA 03-Nissan (Dunlop) Giroix-Martin-Turvey
23 Millennium Racing ORECA 03-Nissan (Dunlop) Johansson-Conway-Nakano
26 G-Drive Racing Morgan LM P2-Nissan (Dunlop) Pla-Rusinov-Canal
27 SMP Racing ORECA 03-Nissan Ladygin-Ladygin-Shaitar
37 SMP Racing ORECA 03-Nissan Minassian-Zlobin-Mediani
47 KCMG ORECA 03-Nissan (Dunlop) Howson

GTE-PRO Category
51 AF Corse Ferrari F458 Italia (Michelin) Bruni-Vilander
52 RAM Racing Ferrari F458 Italia (Michelin) Griffin
71 AF Corse Ferrari F458 Italia (Michelin) Rigon
91 Porsche Team Manthey Porsche 911 RSR (Michelin) Pilet-Bergmeister
92 Porsche Team Manthey Porsche 911 RSR (Michelin) Makowiecki-Holzer
97 Aston Martin Racing Aston Martin Vantage GTE (Michelin) Turner
99 Aston Martin Racing Aston Martin Vantage GTE (Michelin) Mücke

GTE-AM Category
53 RAM Racing Ferrari F458 Italia (Michelin) Mowlem-Patterson-Collins
61 AF Corse Ferrari F458 Italia (Michelin) Perez-Companc
75 ProSpeed Competition Porsche 911 GT3-RSR (Michelin) Collard-Perrodo-Vaxivière
81 AF Corse Ferrari F458 Italia (Michelin) Wyatt
88 Proton Competition Porsche 911 RSR (Michelin) Ried
90 8Star Motorsport Ferrari F458 Italia (Michelin) Potolicchio-Ruberti-Roda
95 Aston Martin Racing Aston Martin Vantage GTE (Michelin) Poulsen-Heinemeier Hansson
98 Aston Martin Racing Aston Martin Vantage GTE (Michelin) Dalla Lana

From GMM

Scuderia Ferrari driver, Kimi Raikkonen could be the next father on the Formula 1 grid.

The Finnish press is now reporting openly about the identity of the Ferrari driver's new partner, 26-year-old Mintuu Virtanen, following the end of his marriage to Jenni Dahlmann.

Amid unconfirmed rumours she is pregnant, the newspaper Seiska claims that Mintuu is now living in Raikkonen's luxury villa on the Helsinki island Kaskisaari.

At the same time, Mercedes driver Nico Rosberg told the German-language Speed Week that his fiance Vivian is planning hard for their wedding.

When asked about the prospect of having their first child, Rosberg said: "I congratulate Sebastian (Vettel) and of course we are thinking about it.

"One day it would be nice, but there's nothing certain yet."

ORLANDO, Florida - Our drive route through central Florida is almost unrelenting in its flatness, and instead of the vibrant, green foliage customary to the humid coastal regions, the surrounding vista resembles the tawny landscape of Northern California - minus the mountains. Yet despite the lack of tropical color, we're just happy to have a break from the brutal cold back home.

Ironically, we've escaped Canada to drive the compact car chosen by most Canadians. Despite a lukewarm reception to its last two refreshes, the Honda Civic has been the number one choice in the most highly competitive segment in our automotive market for over 16 years now.


What is the 2014 Honda Civic Sedan?
Introduced in 1973, the Honda Civic is Canada's top-selling compact sedan. The Japanese automaker came under fire in 2011 when they released the ninth generation 2012 Civic, which was almost universally criticized for its sub-par interior and lackluster styling. Honda promptly upgraded the Civic sedan for 2013, with more stylish front and rear fascias, better handling and more sound-deadening insulation. It was a band-aid measure meant to address the shortcomings of the previous model, but the Civic hasn't remained on top by being complacent. In order to stay on top in a segment that includes such tough competitors as the Hyundai Elantra, Mazda3 and Toyota Corolla, it's absolutely vital to keep improving.

New for 2014, the Civic receives a new grill, hood and rear fascia and revised suspension. But even more importantly, it receives a boost in technology in the form of a new CVT transmission, and some slick new safety features.

2014 Honda Civic Sedan price and specs
The 2014 Honda Civic Sedan starts at $15,690 for the DX model with 5-speed manual, LX models are $18,440 with 5-speed and $19,740 with CVT, EX 5-speed at $20,500, or $21,800 with CVT, and the range topping Touring, available only with CVT for $25,200. Performance-oriented Si models come with 6-speed only, for $26,250.

Returning is the familiar 1.8L VTEC 4-cylinder, but exhaust tweaks have increased its output to 143 horsepower/129 lb.-ft. (up from 140/128). The previous 5-speed automatic transmission has been replaced with a CVT that reportedly improves fuel economy by 6%. CVT-equipped Civics are rated of 6.7 city/5.0L highway and 6.0L/100 combined, while 5-speed manuals are rated at 7.3/5.5/6.5. Sporty Si model ratings are 9.9/6.6/8.4.

According to Honda, the LX will be the volume seller at 53%, followed by the EX (33%), Touring (10%), and DX and Si both at 2%.

Introduced in 1973, the Honda Civic is Canada's top-selling compact sedan. (Photo: Lesley Wimbush)

Driving the 2014 Honda Civic Sedan
We spent an afternoon in a top of the line 2014 Honda Civic Touring equipped with the CVT. Unlike the new Coupe, the Civic Sedan doesn't come equipped with paddle shifters if you choose the $1,300 CVT transmission. As a result, performance is decidedly more leisurely - with the characteristic moaning in protest if the car's pushed too hard while merging or changing lanes. No matter, the demographic that chooses the Civic sedan is probably not one that's concerned with performance anyway.

The Civic sedan is a fine highway cruiser, quiet, composed and utterly without drama. The patchy back roads near Lake Apopka did little to upset the ride, or offer any noise intrusion into the cabin. Steering is light, without much feedback, but the Civic goes where you put it.

Our biggest beef was the ergonomic complexity of the Display Audio System, which required far too much shuffling through screens - very distracting while on the road.

We liked the Lane Watch system, which was very handy at revealing cars in our blind spot, or even bicycles approaching on the inside lane.

The Civic sedan is a fine highway cruiser, quiet, composed and utterly without drama. (Photo: Lesley Wimbush)

The 2014 Honda Civic Sedan: Inside and Out
The Civic sedan receives a new aggressive grille, redesigned hood and fenders and updated rear fascia. The sweeping "solid wing face" incorporates new headlamps into the grille, and features a new fascia with larger air openings. It's finished off nicely by a more chiseled rear end.

The same driver-centric layout with its "two-tier dash" returns, but with the addition of a new black color theme and new fabrics.

New for 2014 is an impressive list of technology, featuring the "Display Audio" multi media system resembling an iPad. Aimed at younger buyers, the system works through touch - using two fingers to flick, slide, pinch or tap through various controls. Like many such systems, which work well in theory, this one entails cumbersome screen shuffling that could more easily be executed by simple knobs.

New technology includes HondaLink connectivity, which accesses a variety of services, but uses the driver's own cell phone data plan. Social media, countless music stations and even audio books can be accessed using steering wheel or voice-activated controls. While EX-L Navi and Si models come with embedded Navigation, Display Audio-equipped models can download a Honda-Link navigation app ($59).

Lane Watch, which first appeared on the Accord, uses a passenger mirror camera, to reveal blind spots in the inside lane when the turn signal's activated.

The same driver-centric layout with its "two-tier dash" returns, but with the addition of a new black color theme and new fabrics. (Photo: Lesley Wimbush)

Comparing the Honda Civic Sedan
Compact sedans are a highly competitive segment and the Civic is up against such favorites as the Hyundai Elantra, Toyota Corolla and Mazda3. Other top sellers include the Chevrolet Cruze, Ford Focus and Kia Forte.

From GMM

A court action could endanger Colin Kolles' chances of returning to formula one.

The former HRT and Force India boss had been linked with a return to the sport with his own team, after the FIA recently invited interested parties to apply for the vacant pitlane spot.

But the German-language Spox reports that Kolles' bid might be derailed by a legal dispute between his racing outfit, Kodewa, and former designer Stephane Chosse.

Chosse, who worked on Kolles' sports car foray as well as in F1 with HRT, is pursuing the Romanian-born German for 2 million euros in unpaid fees, with the dispute set to be heard in Nuremberg on Friday.

Chosse's lawyer Horst Becker confirmed the action.

Steamboat Springs, CO -- I live in a place where the air hurts my face each year for at least 5 months. And when the air hurts my face, it means it's time to change the footwear on my vehicle or more than my face is going to hurt as I careen down the road unable to stop, turn or do anything for that matter.

Winter rubber is a necessity in most North Eastern locations in North America, and in Canada there are even a few provinces where recent laws mean winter tires are obligatory and enforced between certain dates. I love that, and think more governments should instate such rules.

While I have more experience than I'd like to admit driving in snowy, wet, slushy, cold conditions, my newfound better understanding of the rubber that keeps me in a straight line has given me a profound new respect for the black boots that help me get through the snowpocalypes storms around me.

Photo: Miranda Lightstone

Why do you need winter tires?
For those of us who live in areas where temperatures can drop well below -25C for a few days at a time, all-seasons just won't cut it.
Winter tires aren't there just to evacuate snow from the road surface and give you more grip via special grooves and treads. They are also made of complex mutli-cell compounds that allow for more grip via larger contact patches (as seen on Bridgestone's Blizzak WS80s). I've walked on ice and snow before in stilettos, not fun (small contact patches), however, slap my Uggs on and I'm good to go, albeit carefully (large contact patches).

Winter tires will not be your saving grace and keep you out of all trouble in winter driving conditions. They do not perform miracles. Careful driving paired with a good set of winter tires is key to surviving winter fender-bender-free.

What qualities do you want in a winter tire?
Lots of grip. On the brand new Bridgestone Blizzak WS80 this is done via 3D Zigzag sipes and microscopic studs known as Bite Particles. The sipes aren't only found in the tread pattern, but also on the sides offering up much more lateral grip (think sliding around a corner, the Blizzaks will help snap you back and get you back to grip). The Bite Particles aid with traction for both accelrating and braking.

You also want your winter tire to keep the road clear of water/slushy snow that can cause hydroplaning. Bridgestone implemented a unique hydrophilic coating to the first 55% of its tire tread on the Blizzak WS80s to essentially wick water away from the road surface and give you more stable footing when you want and need it most.

Photo: Miranda Lightstone

How do you test the abilities of a winter tire?
For starters, you have to go somewhere with enough snow and ice to prove your product is capable of what you say it is. Which is precisely why I found myself in stunning Steamboat Springs, CO at the Bridgestone Winter Driving School. On a track built on an alf-alfa field, the BWDS isn't just in an impressive location, but its also the ideal location to showcase a winter tire's strengths and weaknesses.

Behind the wheel of a 2014 Lexus ES 350, I was able to drive on both the Bridgestone Blizzak WS80s and Michelin's answer, their X-Ice i3 winter tire. While the differences aren't glaring, there are definite dissimilarities, and in the Blizzak's favour.

Lateral grip is immediately noticeable in the Blizzaks versus the Michelin's. Understeer is easier to correct with the Bridgestone tire, and cornering is more easily achieved as well.
Bridgestone also allowed us to drive a few ES 350s on an indoor hockey rink. Driving a vehicle nearly 12 mph towards the boards then slamming on the brakes is disconcerting to say the least, but it proved the stopping and starting prowess of the Blizzak WS80 over the Michelin equivalent in hard numbers as speed and stopping distances were measured for each, with the Bridgestone tire consistantly stopping in 13% shorter distances than the Michelin.

When paired up against Goodyear's latest winter tire iteration, the Blizzaks again proved more agile and confidence-building. Again, shod on the Lexus ES 350s, we took to another track with 11 rather tight and hairy corners, while snow-mageddon raged around the cars. While the Goodyear is clearly a formidable winter tire, the Bridgestone Blizzak managed to be just that much better.

Photo: Miranda Lightstone

The importance of winter tires
Just like a good pair of winter boots, winter tires for your car are paramount in the colder months. Why don't we refer to them as "snow" tires anymore? Well, tire manufacturers have woken up to the fact that driving in the winter months isn't just about overcoming snow, there's also ice, slush, sometimes rain, dry patches of pavement, and frigid temperatures. A good winter tire will combat all of those to keep you as connected to the road as if you were driving on a sunny day in July.

Just as there really is no bad car out there, there are no bad winter tires. They all have their good and bad points, and some perform better than others in different areas of driving and under different conditions. It's important to consider what type of winter driving you do, how much, and what type of vehicle you drive, when choosing a winter tire.

From GMM

The F1 teams group FOTA, once a powerful and influential alliance, is on the verge of collapse.

That is the claim of the Telegraph newspaper, revealing that with membership fees already going unpaid, the absence of FOTA chairman Martin Whitmarsh could now be the final straw.

Not only that, deputy FOTA chairman Eric Boullier, who has moved from Lotus to McLaren over the winter, "is expected to step back from any prominent role" with the association, correspondent Daniel Johnson claimed.

A source told Johnson that FOTA, now with just 7 of the 11 teams on its books, is also facing "substantial" financial problems, as members baulk at paying up due to disputes about the group's purpose.

Bob Fernley, the deputy team boss at Force India, said losing Red Bull and Ferrari was a key moment for FOTA.

"I don't think there's any question about that one," he admitted, "but we can't undo where we are today."

Big Canadian auto shows are always privy to some pretty fantastic stuff; and why not? The Toronto auto show is Canada's largest auto platform, and is in the country's biggest market. It therefore makes all the sense in this big country of ours for this annual show to boast tons of goodies.

As expected, this year was no different. I must say that the Europeans were in particular form, however, there's no denying that the Americans, Japanese, and Koreans were also out in force.

Some of the many debuts at the 2014 Canadian International Auto Show obviously stood out from the crowd. There are many to consider, but if you need 10 reasons to make your way to the CIAS this year, here are the ones I think you should check out:

Audi A3 Sportback e-tron
Making green sexy and exciting is a great trick. In the new A3 e-tron, Audi has even managed to throw in serious performance, bringing all good car things together in this one compact, urban-delight of a package. Packing 204 horsepower and 258 lb-ft of torque, the A3 will reach 100km/h in 7.6 seconds and reach 222km/h all the while consuming only 1.5L/100km.

Photo: Jeff Stephenson

Continue reading Top 10 Unveilings from the 2014 CIAS

From GMM

French criminal investigators have closed the file on the cause of Michael Schumacher's skiing accident.

Citing 'legal sources', we reported a week ago that investigators were preparing to rule that no one was to blame for the fall at the Meribel resort in the French alps.

Indeed, on Monday, lead prosecutor Patrick Quincy confirmed that after investigating the resort and Schumacher's skiing equipment, "no infraction by anyone has been turned up".

He also revealed for the first time that the rock Schumacher tripped on was more than 10 metres from the one on which the seven time world champion struck his head.

Elsewhere, however, questions have been raised about the helmet Schumacher was wearing, which was found in several pieces at the crash site.

French ski and climbing academy ENSA said it is possible the mounting for Schumacher's camera had "weakened the structure" of the helmet.

"ENSA analysed the piece of the helmet to check the material, and all was ok," a source told the Telegraph. "But why did it explode on impact? Here the camera comes into question."

Kelley Blue Book has just revealed its top 10 hybrid vehicles under US$30,000 for 2014.

The team evaluated more than 20 models and considered aspects such as fuel economy, versatility, and residual value.

Unsurprisingly, the Toyota Prius made the top of the list.

Kelley Blue Book's top 10 hybrids under US$30,000 for 2014:

1. Toyota Prius
2. Honda Accord Hybrid
3. Toyota Camry Hybrid
4. Toyota Prius v
5. Ford Fusion Hybrid
6. Acura ILX Hybrid
7. Ford C-MAX
8. Toyota Prius c
9. Volkswagen Jetta Turbo Hybrid
10. Subaru XV Crosstrek Hybrid

Source: Kelley Blue Book

Toyota Prius c (Photo: Toyota)