Auto News 5

Ford has completely redesigned the softtop on its new Mustang as the automaker prepares to take on Audi, Mercedes and BMW convertibles in global markets including Europe.

BMW's recently launched 4 Series quickly made people forget about what was once known as the 3 Series Coupe. It's easy to understand why.

The 435i xDrive is a supremely solid, well balanced car that is a boot to drive. And how can one ignore how good-looking it is? Read my complete review on Auto-Venus.com.

Photo: BMW

From GMM

Formula one's next challenge will be putting together a full grid for the opening races of 2014.

As teams grapple with the technological revolution of the all-new V6 era amid severely tight testing restrictions, it emerged after the recent Bahrain test that many 2014 cars - notably the Red Bull of reigning world champion Sebastian Vettel - might struggle simply to qualify for grands prix.

Indeed, according to F1's 107% qualifying rule, only 14 of the sport's 22 cars would have been quick enough to race had Nico Rosberg's best time in Bahrain last week actually been an official pole lap.

"There can be exceptions (to the rule), this is true as we have seen in past seasons," former F1 team owner and boss Gian Carlo Minardi told his website.

"But you must at least have done a time in practice within the 107 per cent. The reality today is that cars are struggling just to do a handful of laps consecutively," said the Italian.

The most stark problems are being suffered by Red Bull and Renault; the title-winning combination in the last four years of the now-historic V8 era.

"We are working day and night," Red Bull's Dr Helmut Marko said in the German press this week. "We stand with Renault to solve the problems."

Photo: WRi2

Former F1 driver Mika Salo tipped Renault to work it out.

"I believe an organisation of the size of Renault - a car and engine manufacturer - to sort this problem out very quickly," he told the Finnish broadcaster MTV3.

Red Bull designer Adrian Newey, however, must also take the blame, according to former technical director and now F1 media analyst Gary Anderson.

"They (Red Bull) haven't left any room for manoeuvre," he is quoted by the Telegraph, accusing Red Bull of being too extreme with the design of the troubled RB10.

But if the might of big-spending world champions Red Bull can ultimately emerge from the crisis, what of a similarly Renault-powered backmarker like Caterham?

Team driver Kamui Kobayashi is openly troubled.

"We are not able to race. But if we were, I think we should use a GP2 car, as we would be faster. At this point, if we were to race ... I don't think this is formula one," the Japanese is quoted by Spain's El Confidencial.

Hyundai Motor America president and CEO Dave Zuchowski told Automotive News there have been conversations about adding a third luxury model to the lineup, which already includes the Equus and Genesis, “within a couple of years.”

This could be the rumoured luxury sports sedan (internally known as “RK”) that would help Hyundai challenge the likes of the BMW 3 Series, although Zuchowski declined to comment.

The Korean manufacturer is also exploring the idea of launching a new compact crossover that would sit below the Tucson and compete with the Nissan Juke.

Source : autonews.com

Former Indy car and Formula 1 World Champion Jacques Villeneuve will be back at the famous Brickyard in May to contest the Indy 500, 19 years after he won the event.

Because of a date conflict, the Canadian had to be released by Team Albatec from his contract to contest the entire season of the FIA World Rallycross Championship.

“Of course I'm disappointed not to be racing at Lydden Hill, the team's home event, particularly after such a great test at the circuit on Saturday. However I've always wanted to do the Indy 500 one more time and this offer is just too good to turn down,” said Villeneuve.

“After the test in Kent, it really fired me up for the FIA World Rallycross Championship, and I remain committed to giving my very best to the team and the Championship, starting at the opening round in Portugal”.

“However I'm a racer, with a passion for racing, and the Indy 500 is without question the biggest event on the motorsport calendar - not many drivers get the chance to drive on that track, and for me it's a personal challenge, with a first and second there already, I need to finish in the top two to keep up the average!” Villeneuve said.

Jacques Villeneuve, Indy 500 1995 (Photo: Ford)

Villeneuve is one of two drivers to compete in IndyCar, NASCAR Sprint Cup and Formula 1 cars at Indianapolis. The other is 2000 Indianapolis 500 winner Juan Pablo Montoya, who is returning to the IndyCar Series in 2014 as a full-time driver with Team Penske.

"To have the opportunity to return to Indy car racing and the Indianapolis 500 is something I never thought possible. The memories I have there will stay with me for the rest of my life, and I'm excited to create new memories in 2014,” Villeneuve continued.

"I've been fortunate enough to compete in several of the world's top racing series, and nothing excites me more than entering the IndyCar Series at its current level of competitiveness. Schmidt Peterson Motorsports has proven itself able to compete with the largest of teams, and I am excited to get to work with Sam and the team and start preparing for May,” Villeneuve concluded.

Newport Convertible Engineering (NCE), a familiar name in automotive design, is adding a new member to its wide range of droptops: the Nissan GT-R.

NCE has actually created three different models, and the Photoshop renderings speak for themselves.

Would you buy a Nissan GT-R roadster?

Source : carscoops.com

Photo: NCE

Photo: NCE

Photo: NCE

From: Robert Burgess/ Radical Canada

Radical Canada announced today the details of the 2014 Radical Canada Cup (RCC).

Run in conjunction with the Canadian Automobile Sports Club (CASC) and open to all Radical Sportscars with 4- cylinder engines, the RCC builds on the successful history of one make championships in Canada and Radical series around the world.

"The Radical Canada Cup's first season was very successful and the championship is set to experience strong growth in 2014," says Radical Canada executive Robert Burgess.

Starting May 3 at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park, the Championship will run with the Formula Libre group at all six 2014 CASC events (see below for complete schedule).

Each race weekend will consist of practice, qualifying sessions and three 20-minute races, as well a test day held the Friday before each event. Participants will have the option of running just one day or having two drivers attend an event.

One of the season's highlights will be the Can-Am Challenge race on July 26 and 27 at CTMP, where Radical Cup USA will race alongside the Radical Canada Cup.

"There are now over 30 Radical owners in Canada, so we're offering them a fun and competitive forum in which to enjoy their cars," says Burgess. "I'm sure the series will continue to grow quickly as more drivers get a sense of just how awesome the cars are."

Dunlop is the official spec tire supplier and will be supporting the series with prizes and giveaways at each round. "Dunlop has worked closely with Radical to develop bespoke racing tires that offer excellent performance, consistency and longevity," says Phil Lamont of Dunlop Motorsports North America.

Castrol is supporting the series as the official lubricant supplier and will be providing drivers with their popular Power RS 4T Synthetic racing motor oil and Syntec gear oil.

Championship points will be awarded based on the CASC point system, with 30 going to the winner and points being paid down to the 15th place finisher. Contingency prizes will also be awarded at each event and the season champion will get an entry to the Radical World Finals in Nevada to compete against Radical champions from around the world.

All participating cars must conform to the CASC General Competition Rules (GCR) and have a valid 2014 tech inspection. Each driver must also have a valid CASC or equivalent racing license.

More information on Radical Canada is available at radicalcanada.ca or on the company's Facebook page at facebook.com/RadicalCanada.

More information on the CASC is available at casc.on.ca.

Honda will end production of the very first hybrid vehicle sold in the U.S., the Insight, due to poor sales and increasing competition.

Yuka Abe, a Honda spokesman based in Tokyo, told Bloomberg that dealers were notified last November. They were also told not to take any more orders for the Insight.

This is the second time Honda kills the Insight. Production of the first generation ended in 2006, and the second generation was launched in 2009.

Source : bloomberg.com

Photo: Sébastien D'Amour

Mexican Sergio Perez Thursday set the fastest time of the first day of the last winter test session in Bahrain.

Sergio Perez, Sahara Force India (Photo: Sahara Force India)

Driving the Mercedes-powered Sahara Force India VJM07, Perez set a 1m36.290, almost a full second quicker than the second place Valtteri Bottas.

"We really needed a good day to start this week and today we had it,” said Perez.

“We managed to do a lot of laps, try several different compounds and mappings, and it's been a fantastic day in terms of learning about the car. Tomorrow is my last day in the car before the season starts so hopefully we can have another solid day to be in good shape for Melbourne.”

Valtteri Bottas, Williams (Photo: WRI2)

Finland' Valtteri Bottas finished the day in second place with a time of 1m36.184 in the Williams-Mercedes.

The day started by testing some aero components, all of which correlated well with what the team expected from the wind tunnel. Williams did a race simulation this afternoon including laps to the grid and everything that goes into a race and that also went well.

Kimi Raikkonen, Ferrari (Photo: WRI2)

Kimi Raikkonen was third in the Ferrari F14 T. This morning's work soon got delayed, because of a problem on the car that took some time to fix before the lunch break. Once back on track in the afternoon, Raikkonen managed to run regularly, alternating between aero measurements and a series of set-up tests over short runs.

Fourth was Nico Rosberg in the Mercedes AMG W05. Technical problems brought running to an end one hour earlier than planned for the German team.

Pastor Maldonado, Lotus (Photo: WRI2)

Adrian Sutil ranked fifth in the Ferrari-powered Sauber. The Swiss team performed front wing and suspension work. Then, the team went on to do low fuel qualifying runs until early afternoon, before switching to high fuel race simulations.

McLaren rookie driver Kevin Magnussen ran short runs in the morning before the team ran a full race distance in the afternoon.

Daniel Ricciardo was 7th for Red Bull Racing, beating Max Chilton in the Marussia, Daniil Kvyat in the Toro Rosso, Pastor Maldonado in the Lotus and Kamui Kobayashi in the Caterham.

Kamui Kobayashi, Caterham (Photo: WRI2)

It is interesting to note that the three of the top four cars are powered by Mercedes power units while the three slowest cars are powered by Renault units.

Third and final winter test session, Bahrain, Day 1*:
1 Sergio Pérez Force India 1m35.290 105 laps
2 Valtteri Bottas Williams 1m36.184 128
3 Kimi Räikkönen Ferrari 1m36.432 54
4 Nico Rosberg Mercedes AMG 1m36.624 89
5 Adrian Sutil Sauber 1m37.700 89
6 Kevin Magnussen McLaren 1m37.825 109
7 Daniel Ricciardo Red Bull Racing 1m37.908 39
8 Max Chilton Marussia 1m38.242 44
9 Daniil Kvyat Toro Rosso 1m39.242 55
10 Pastor Maldonado Lotus 1m40.599 31
11 Kamui Kobayashi Caterham 1m42.285 19
*Unoffical timing

Starting next year, all new vehicles sold across the European Union will have to feature the eCall system which automatically dials 112 (their version of 911) during an emergency.

In the event of a severe collision, eCall will be able to contact emergency personnel even if the occupants are unconscious. It will provide the vehicle's exact location to facilitate rescue.

Right now, only a few luxury models offer a similar system.

Do you think North America should follow suit?

Source : droit-finances.commentcamarche.net

According to Cosworth owner Kevin Kalkhoven, the British engine maker is looking at commercial opportunities to become a new engine supplier as early as 2015, joining Honda and Chevrolet on the IndyCar grid.

Kalkhoven has revealed that Cosworth has a fresh design waiting to be built. All the legendary engine company needs to go forward with its 2.2-liter turbocharged V6 IndyCar motor is a manufacturer to reach out and form a partnership.

Photo: Cosworth

"We have a Formula 1 V6 design, we have an IndyCar design, and our real issue is not so much our ability to build it as IndyCar's ability to come to terms with a manufacturer," said Kevin Kalkhoven.

"We're in the process of building a new $40 million manufacturing plant in England that will be state-of-the-art, and we have a number of contracts for halo road car and racing engines."

Italian tire manufacturer Pirelli tested sticker thermometers in Bahrain to be able to monitor tire usage parameters.

As a result of Pirelli's collaboration with the FIA to ensure a better monitoring of tire usage parameters, Pirelli is trialling a special type of sticker on each tire tread during the third and final winter test session in Bahrain.

The blue sticker is placed on the tread of the tire. (Photo: Pirelli)

These stickers read the maximum temperature reached by the tire tread while the tires are being pre-heated by the teams in their blankets.

Pirelli prescribes a maximum temperature of 110°C (230°F), which should not be exceeded at any point before the tire takes to the track.

The FIA will ensure that this limit is respected, together with the minimum tire pressures when leaving the pits and maximum camber levels on the track.

From GMM

Red Bull's Dr Helmut Marko has urged world champion Sebastian Vettel to keep his cool amid the early-season technical crisis.

After two dismal pre-season tests, things began to look a little brighter for the team early on Thursday as the third and final test in Bahrain kicked off.

Daniel Ricciardo's tally nudged over the 30-lap mark in the morning session, and he bettered the best laptime managed by the troubled RB10 throughout last week's four days at the same Sakhir circuit.

"This looks significantly better than last week," said a source in the island Kingdom.

Watching the action carefully will be world champion Vettel, who will only return to the wheel of the Renault-powered car on Saturday and Sunday.

Sebastian Vettel, Red Bull, leaving the pitlane in Bahrain. (Photo: WRi2)

Helmut Marko admitted to Germany's Bild newspaper that the reigning quadruple title winner and German is "not amused" that Red Bull is "so far behind" with just four days of track running to go until Melbourne.

"But getting angry won't bring us anything. Sebastian is always informed of any developments," Austrian Marko continued, referring to the team and engine partner Renault's scrabble to end the crisis.

"Even ten million euros wouldn't simply solve the problems. Renault needs to get a grip on the engine," Marko admitted.

"Mercedes is a big step ahead of us, as they have already been able to do long-distance testing with their new car. We have worries about Australia and probably beyond," he added.

From GMM

Team boss Franz Tost has admitted Toro Rosso is in the dark just two weeks before the 2014 season opener.

The crisis suffered by Red Bull is in the spotlight, but sister team Toro Rosso has also been almost completely unable to test its new car amid engine partner Renault's troubles.

Asked to summarise the progress with the new Faenza-built STR9 car, Tost answered: "It is difficult to assess because we have hardly been able to drive. Both the performance and the reliability are unknowns."

The Toro Rosso STR9 stopped in Bahrain. (Photo: WRi2)

Much clearer, the Austrian admitted, is the pecking order at the front.

"The Mercedes factory team is clearly in the lead, followed by McLaren and Ferrari," Tost told the German-language Speed Week. "Williams and Force India have also shown good performance. I have the impression Ferrari has not shown everything yet."

He admitted that, compared to the disastrous opening test at Jerez, troubled Renault began to solve some of its problems last week in Bahrain.

"The systems started to work. Renault has made progress. The time window for Melbourne is tight, but if everything works at the last test in Bahrain, there is a real opportunity to catch up to the Mercedes teams," said Franz Tost.

From GMM

Cosworth is not ruling out a return to formula one.

As the sport prepared for the all-new and even more expensive turbo V6 era, the independent British outfit found itself without a customer for 2014.

But it emerged last week that Cosworth nonetheless completed an engine design for the new rules, even though it will not be built and raced this year.

Photo: Cosworth

America's premier open-wheel category also runs turbo V6 engines, and Cosworth chief executive Hal Reisiger said the marque is "committed" to finding an IndyCar partner.

As for returning to F1, he told NBC Sports that Cosworth only abandoned its 2014 project because "there wasn't a team or teams plural that were willing to sponsor the development".

But Reisiger admitted that if current or subsequent talks with teams came to fruition, "Absolutely we would" want to return to formula one.

"I think that we provide a very cost effective solution for people to be on the grid," he said. "We'd look forward to the right opportunity if we could find the right collaboration."

From GMM

Bernie Ecclestone has hit back after an American motor racing figure called him "foolish".

Eddie Gossage, the president of the Texas motor speedway, this week blasted the F1 chief executive for scheduling this year's US grand prix on the same November date as the major NASCAR race in the same state.

"I can't say I was surprised because Bernie Ecclestone does a lot of foolish things," he said.

But 83-year-old Briton Ecclestone has hit back, insisting Gossage and other NASCAR officials do not understand the logistical tasks faced by a global sport like formula one.

"We've a small problem they don't have," he told the Press Association. "We have six jumbo jets to move around all our equipment, and we have to find the most sensible way to use them to do that. There are issues that can occur, but he and other people do not realise these things.

"The race prior to the one in the US is in Russia, in Sochi. We've never been before, and we have to get out of there and into Austin. That is probably a lot easier than trying to get into Brazil, and then we have to get out of there to go to Abu Dhabi," Bernie Ecclestone explained.

"So he (Gossage) is extremely lucky he doesn't have to do what we have to do."

F1 trucks. (Photo: WRi2)

Bernie Ecclestone also defended his colleagues at the US grand prix venue in Austin, after Gossage accused them of lacking the "fortitude" to "say no" to the NASCAR date clash.

"I've spoken to the people that run the race at COTA (circuit of the Americas) and they believe the NASCAR crowd is a different crowd to formula one -- different people, different customers," he insisted.

"At the end of the day they (NASCAR) run a domestic series in America, we run a world championship," said Bernie Ecclestone.

Chevrolet plans a national promotion in March offering supplier pricing on all Silverado pickup models -- in addition to nearly every other vehicle in its lineup -- marking the second straight month of beefed-up incentives from GM.

NHTSA opened an investigation into the timeliness of General Motors' recall of faulty ignition switches on 1.37 million vehicles in the United States.

The top on the 2015 Ford Mustang convertible will open in 7 to 10 seconds, roughly twice as fast as the 2014 Mustang.

Tesla is offering $1.6 billion of convertible senior notes to help fund a battery factory.