Auto News 5

Nissan may consider a sportier version of its Qashqai compact crossover along the lines of the Range Rover Evoque.

Snow and bone-chilling weather likely hurt U.S. auto sales in January but should not prevent the industry from continuing its rebound, analysts said.

Here's another sign that Akio Toyoda is ready to go on the offensive.

BMW applied its technology and knowledge of vehicular aerodynamics to redesign the bobsleds used by the U.S. men's and women's teams.

Model: 2006 to 2013 Honda Ridgeline

Vehicle Type: Pickup Truck

The Verdict: The Ridgeline's functionality, confidence, room, and flexibility seem to be its most appealing attributes, and common issues should be easily identified in a pre-purchase inspection, if present. With a mechanical thumbs-up, you'll likely enjoy an incredibly handy and versatile pickup truck for years to come.

Price: Earlier, higher-mileage units can be had from about $9,000, with newer, immaculate, low-mileage units commanding over $40,000. There's plenty of selection between $20,000 and $30,000.

Photo: Sébastien D'Amour

History/Description: Though it likely won't haul a skid of roofing shingles to a jobsite or climb the side of a mountain, the Honda Ridgeline earned a loyal following by offering functionality to meet the needs of light-duty pickup shoppers who also needed a highly functional and flexible vehicle for day-to-day use.

It's an ideal vehicle for family hauling, camping, pet transportation or anyone interested in outdoor sports thanks to a clever, flexible design ideology that manifested itself in the form of an incredibly practical interior, generous on-board room, and the famous under-bed trunk. Furthermore, the Ridgeline's tailgate opens out, like a door or downwards, like a tailgate, too.

Clever, thoughtful touches like these make the Ridgeline well suited to a variety of active shoppers.

Available options included heated leather seats, a rearview mirror with compass, automatic climate control and a HomeLink universal garage door opener. If you frequently tow with your Ridgeline, be sure to check out the backup camera that adds a degree of security and makes it easier to hook up a trailer when you're alone. Travellers will also appreciate the DVD-based navigation system, Bluetooth phone interface, and more.

The Honda Ridgeline came just one way in the powertrain department: with a 3.5L V-TEC V6 engine, automatic transmission, and automatic four-wheel drive with a driver-selectable locking mode.

Photo: Sébastien D'Amour

What Owners Like: Honda Ridgeline shoppers typically rave about unbeatable flexibility, great wintertime traction, relatively capable off-road performance for light to moderate trails, and a car-like driving experience. Plenty of interior space, a commanding driving position, and relatively easy entry and exit round out the package.

What Owners Dislike: Complaints include limited all-around visibility, which is partially impeded by thick door pillars. Many owners wish for better fuel mileage and a longer rear box, saying that an accessory bed extender is needed to transport longer items in the back of the Ridgeline.

Photo: Sébastien D'Amour

Common Issues: Engage the Honda Ridgeline's VTM-4 LOCK mode (which locks the 4x4 system for added traction) to ensure the indicator lights up quickly and that no blinking lights or warning messages are displayed. Do this several times to be sure the system is working properly.

Be absolutely certain to have a mechanic inspect the fittings that connect the radiator to the transmission cooler for signs of a common excessive corrosion issue. A new radiator (or new fittings) may be the solution if the line fittings are badly rusted. If the fittings on the unit you're considering are in good shape, a coating with an appropriate rust inhibitor is advisable to prevent future corrosion. Note that some owners choose to preemptively change their radiator and fittings for extra confidence.

Though not overly common, cracks or failure of the rear differential housing and carrier were reported. Add this to the list of areas you'd like a mechanic to inspect ahead of your purchase, as well as a check for a potentially leaky power steering pump that could cause fluid to drip down to the oil-pan, and beneath it.

Vibrations or a “shaking” sensation felt while cruising at speed or accelerating could be caused by a variety of issues, including improperly torqued lug nuts, bad CV joints, axles or even the electronic throttle control system. If you notice any of the above, seek a mechanic's advice.

Finally, flip the Ridgeline's rear seats up into their storage position, ensuring the bars which support the seats against the floor fold themselves flush against the bottom of the seat pad as you lift. If not, the pulley system inside the seat is likely broken.

Photo: Sébastien D'Amour

From Audi Motorsport

Audi Sport customer racing has gained a prominent new customer.

After two years of racing with the McLaren MP4-12C GT3, Sébastien Loeb Racing will now race a pair of Audi R8 LMS ultra.

The privateer team, which is the brainchild of nine-time WRC champion Sébastien Loeb and businessman Dominique Heintz, finished the French GT Championship and the FIA GT Series as the overall runner-up last year.

For 2014, Loeb Racing has again planned an extensive GT program, of which we still don't know anything at the moment.

Audi R8 LMS Ultra (Photo: Audi)

From Lapcevich Racing

Jeff Lapcevich and the Fastline Motorsports team will return to NASCAR Canadian Tire Series competition in 2014. The Grimsby, ON veteran will once again partner with Tim Hortons for a landmark 25th season.


“I can't express how honored I am to once again have the support of Tim Hortons. They've supported our team for the last 24 seasons, I'm sure our 25th year together is going to be a great one”, said Lapcevich.



The team will look to open up 2014 on the same note they departed the 2013 campaign with, after a podium finish in the final event at Kawartha Speedway.



Jeff Lapcevich, Canadian Tire Motorsport Park (Photo: Lapcevich Racing)

“2013 was an exciting year for us. We had a brand new road course chassis and had performed a bunch of upgrades to our oval chassis over the off-season. In many ways, it was a season of experimenting and finding just how far we could push our equipment to get the results we needed. After all that we've learned, I feel as though we have a phenomenal package for our 2014 season and I can't wait to hit the track and start testing”



A schedule has yet to be finalized, though Lapcevich anticipates it will closely resemble his 2013 season, with the team tackling the NASCAR Canadian Tire Series' Ontario and Quebec stops. The manageable campaign will allow Jeff to stay close to home and aide his sons Cayden, Treyten and Ryden as they continue their own driver development.

In addition to support from Tim Hortons, Lapcevich would also like to welcome back Castrol, Cathcart Trucking, Springers Meats and Troy Cove Marine for the 2014 season.

Audi's Oliver Jarvis will race in the Japanese based Super GT series in 2014.

The 30-year-old signed with the SARD team to share a Lexus RC F with Hiroaki Ishiura.

"(Audi sees) it as a benefit if their drivers are busy competing in a professional and challenging environment," Jarvis is quoted saying by Autosport and Motorsport magazines.

"With new cars in Japan and the programme that I will have with Audi, it made sense to do it now, because if I didn't it would probably never happen," he also said.

Jarvis has experience racing in Japan, including a season of Japanese Formula 3 in 2007. The Brit also raced in Asian Le Mans Series in 2009.

Lexus RC F (Photo: Toyota)

From WRC

Two-time Rally Sweden winner Mikko Hirvonen fears next week's event could be tough for tires as soft snow will place high demands on studded rubber.

After a mild start to 2014, heavy snow fell in the Varmland area this week but there is little ice protecting the roads beneath the white stuff.

Stud retention could be an issue if the spikes tear up the roads and exposed gravel rips them from their mountings to leave minimal traction.

Mikko Hirvonen, M-Sport Ford Fiesta RS WRC (Phot: Andre Lavadinho)

“I believe there is about 40cm of snow so we'll have good winter conditions,” said Hirvonen. “But there's not much ice underneath so if it stays like that it's going to be really tough for tires.”

Hirvonen, rally winner in 2010 and 2011, was encouraged after a 450km test in a Ford Fiesta RS at Kall in northern Sweden ended today. It was the 33-year-old Finn's first loose surface test since returning to M-Sport from Citroen.

“The Fiesta didn't feel so much different from what I remember when I drove it before. It was always good on fast stages, it was always one of our strong points and it feels the same.

“The roads at Kall were good and it was perfect preparation to find the pace and get a good feeling with the car on fast roads,” Hirvonen told wrc.com.

One of Formula One's brightest engineers has confirmed his retirement.

Ross Brawn's future in F1 had been in doubt ever since Paddy Lowe arrived at Mercedes earlier this season.

The 59-year-old, who won titles with Benetton, Ferrari and Brawn GP, ended up going on a sabbatical at the end of 2013. Speaking during a fishing event this very weekend, he confirmed this sabbatical would be permanent.

"What they didn't realize when I was invited (at this fishing event in Aberdeenshire) was they had a scoop because the world's press was trying to find out if I was retiring or not," Brawn is quoted saying by the Telegraph.

"I'm retiring - it's not tongue in cheek."

Ross Brawn (Photo: WRi2)

The Briton, who after his years of Ferrari glory with Michael Schumacher also took the 2007 season off and then came back with Honda, is therefore not planning any third stint in F1. Actually, he is not planning anything for the moment, except fishing.

"I'm going to take a year to enjoy the fishing and then see what life brings. I'm looking forward to it but I've got no other plans.

This ends weeks of speculation regarding Brawn's potential involvement with McLaren, which recently parted ways with its team principal Martin Whitmarsh. Eric Boullier, the former boss of Lotus, is now the most likely candidate to replace Whitmarsh.

BMW has revealed the new 4-series Gran Coupe, over a month before it is due to make its public debut at the

GM plans to name Brian Sweeney head of Chevrolet sales in the United States as soon as next week in an ongoing management shuffle after the promotion of CEO Mary Barra, two people familiar with the effort told Bloomberg.

Daimler is bringing back the Mercedes V-class van with features from the flagship S-class sedan to support a plan to raise deliveries almost 60 percent.

Rob Retter doesn't mince words when he talks about what the 2015 aluminum-bodied Ford F-150 pickup means for Eurovac, the Concord, Ontario, equipment firm his family owns. "This is the biggest thing in the history of our company," he said.

Elon Musk, co-founder of Tesla Motors, is known for speaking out even on some of his most ambitious ideas. Now he says he's trying to show restraint and let the company's actions do the talking.

Chevrolet is offering members of National Car Rental's frequent renters clubs who recently rented 2014 Chevrolet Impalas a weekend of seat time in another Impala for free.

From Pirelli

The 2014 Formula 1 season is now underway, the teams having just completed four days of testing in Jerez, Spain.

The debut of the new V6 era meant everyone was talking about engines, and not about the new 2014 Pirelli tires, which were also in action in Jerez.

Things started off slowly on Tuesday with only 93 laps for the whole field. But by Friday, almost everyone was up to speed. On that day alone, 688 laps were turned.

Kevin Magnussen, McLaren MP4-29 (Photo: WRi2)

The results? Pirelli will have to wait for the Bahrain test, in two weeks, to learn more about the differences between the new compounds, as there were too many unknowns in Spain.

"The teams had only one goal in mind: get to know their car. They will worry more about tires in Bahrain," explained Paul Hembery, director of Pirelli Motorsport.

"We've adopted a very open approach (this year), which will enable us to modify our tires according to the teams' feedback."

From GMM

Team owner Dietrich Mateschitz is keeping his calm, despite a nightmarish opening test of 2014 for the reigning world champions Red Bull.

While key Mercedes and Ferrari-powered rivals got up to speed at Jerez with their radical new V6, turbo and energy-recovery-powered cars, Red Bull struggled to run the RB10 with Renault issues and chassis cooling problems, ultimately collecting a meagre tally of barely 20 laps for the entire four-day test.

Sebastian Vettel, Red Bull RB10 (Photo: WRi2)

Energy drink magnate and Austrian billionaire Mateschitz, however, sounded calm as he spoke to the Salzburger Nachrichten newspaper.

"These were the more-or-less expected teething problems with a new engine, which was being tested for the first time on a track," he said.

Red Bull and Renault now have two weeks to solve the issues for the next test, in Bahrain, but Mateschitz said it is already clear the RB10 is a good car.

"Yes, it is very positive," he said, "because it is more than just 'state of the art' again, as can be seen in the details.

"The moment of truth will come at the first race in Melbourne," Mateschitz insisted.

He denied that recent high-profile staff departures, like aerodynamics chief Peter Prodromou's switch to McLaren, have contributed to the problem.

"Our current problems are not with the team," he said, "but in the engine area. The team has more than excellent know-how."

Mateschitz admitted, however, that Mercedes and Ferrari will be powerful rivals in 2014, after four consecutive seasons of Renault-powered Red Bull dominance.

"Ferrari has made enormous efforts during the winter," he said, "and Mercedes seems to have done a very good job with the motor.

"But Renault is coming again, the only question is when."

Mateschitz seemed to acknowledge, therefore, that Red Bull's current deficit could still be an issue when the F1 circus travels to Melbourne in March.

"A deficit at the beginning of the season does not automatically mean that the world title is lost," he said. "Even if you come from behind, you still have a chance."

From DTM

Flat out for the healing of paraplegia - that's the goal DTM ace Martin Tomczyk and the foundation ‘Wings for Life' jointly are pursuing since the foundation's creation back in 2004.

Since then, the DTM driver has regularly been supporting the foundation for the healing of spinal-cord harms in numerous events.

And now, Martin Tomczyk will become ambassador of the ‘Wings for Life World Run' held on 04th May, 2014. The unprecedented running event will be contested simultaneously by sportswomen, sportsmen, celebrities and hobby runners on all the five continents and in 40 cities.

Photo: www.tomczyk.com

100 percent of the revenue produced by the long-distance run will benefit the donation ‘Wings for Life' that financially supports the research in the spinal-cord injury area.

This running event unifies athletes all over the world - and it goes without saying that Martin Tomczyk, an enthusiastic runner himself, supports this project.

“I'm inspired by the idea of thousands of people simultaneously having the same goal: to make paraplegia curable,” says Tomczyk. “It's not about records, times or the competition but about the joint goal. That's what fascinates me.”

Brazilian Felipe Massa topped the timing charts, Friday, as F1 teams wrapped up a four-day test a Jerez, Spain.

The test gave 32-year-old Massa, who switched from Ferrari to Williams at the end of 2013, a chance to get familiar with the Grove based team over the week.

After acknowledging this was only testing, Massa admitted he is feeling quite happy his new family.

Felipe Massa, Williams FW36 (Photo: Williams)

"Testing is testing," he said.

"(But) overall, I'm happy with my first days with Williams and I'm pleased with what I have seen in the team this week.

"(Friday) wasn't a great day because it was raining, but we completed some laps in the wet conditions which was interesting to understand how the car behaves in wet, with the tyres and new power unit."

The team was also pleased with itself: "We are very happy with the performance and reliability of the car up to now," said Rod Nelson, Chief Test & Support Engineer.

"We still have a lot of work to do when we get to Bahrain and in the time leading up to then but overall, we are pleased with how we have ended the week here."