Auto News 5

Honeywell says the European Commission's (EC) scientific report concerning its r1234yf refrigerant marks the "final word" in the contentious issue that has pitted Germany and Mercedes-Benz in particular, against Brussels and France.

Audi plans to introduce 17 new or revamped models in 2014 and will move forward with the production of an electric version of the R8 sports car in a push to gain momentum on rival BMW.

Forecasters at IHS Automotive have downgraded their forecast for vehicle sales in Russia this year as a result of the economic effects of the geopolitical crisis in Ukraine.

Ford is expanding its research and development complex in China by doubling the number of employees there by over 50% by the end of 2018, adding a new building and test track and broadening activities, the automaker has said.

Audi delivered more cars than BMW brand through the first two months of 2014 to claim the title of the world's best-selling premium brand.

Faurecia has announced a new just-in-time component assembly plant in Brussels, Belgium, inside an Audi factory.

Audi is bracing for another drop in operating profit this year as the cost of foreign expansion, new models and technologies keep burdening results.

American Honda, based in Torrance near Los Angeles, is splitting its upmarket Acura brand into a separate division to "create greater clarity and more cohesive sales and marketing plans", the company said in a statement (see below). The move is effective from 1 April.

News 11 Mar, 2014

An image of the fifth Bugatti Legend has appeared online, prior to an official reveal

When you saw video footage of eight Corvettes falling through the floor of the National Corvette Museum in Bowling Green, Ky.

-- Hagerty content VP and friend of Autoweek Rob Sass wonders out loud: When the baby boomers put down their auction flags and retire, what will happen to the collector car industry? "Who's going to buy all their cars?" (We will. and#8211;Ed.

What is it?

When "Need for Speed" comes to theaters on March 14, it will be a fitting centerpiece to the Electronic Arts franchise: For nearly two decades, the games have been getting far more cinematic with each sequel, not just in poly counts and graphical...

Mark Loyd, the designer behind the unique styling of the Citroen C4 Cactus, thinks the car fits well into the French automaker's history.

Six consecutive months of year-on-year growth in western European car sales has some market watchers revising their sales forecasts upwards.

On March 11, 2011, a massive earthquake-tsunami devastated Japan and also torpedoed much of the nation's auto industry for the better part of a year.

This week's hottest new auto brand viral video to make our list is ... an Apple product?

Six consecutive months of year-on-year growth in western European car sales has some market watchers revising their sales forecasts upwards.

William Clay Ford, the last surviving grandchild of the company's founder, Henry Ford, died from pneumonia on Sunday at the age of 88. He had served Ford Motor Company for 57 years as an employee and board member.

Ford was elected to the Board of Directors on June 4th, 1948, a year before graduating from Yale University. Later, in 1957, he was elected chairman of the Design Committee, a post he held for 32 years. He oversaw the development of a number of classic vehicles, including the iconic Continental Mark II.

In 1978, Ford was elected chairman of the Executive Committee and appointed a member of the Office of the Chief Executive. He was elected vice chairman of the Board in 1980 and chairman of the Finance Committee in 1987. Ford retired from the board and was named Director Emeritus on May 12th, 2005.

His son, William Clay Ford Jr., is now the executive chairman of Ford Motor Company.

William Clay Ford is survived by his wife of 66 years, Martha Firestone Ford, as well as his four children, 14 grandchildren, and two great-grandchildren.

Photo: Ford

From FIA

One of the main talking points surrounding the new Formula 1 V6 turbo hybrid Power Units has been the sound they make. The FIA has come to an interesting conclusion.

Some have fixated on the idea that the noise made by current F1 is part of the allure and while the sonic signature is certainly part of the thrill it is but one element of the sport's appeal, allied to technical innovation, glamour, skill and heroism - all contribute to the ‘noise' that constantly surrounds the sport.

Having said that, it is true that the 2014 Power Units will make less noise than the V8 of previous generation. However, it is worth putting this decrease into perspective.

Formula 1 engine manufacturers estimate that the intensity of sound of the F1 powerplants with the former V8s was around 145dB. With the new units it is expected to be around 134dB.

The high pitch shriek of the old V8 engines made them sound louder.

“Quality of sound is a very difficult thing to assess, as we all have different taste,” says Fabrice Lom, former Renault Sport F1 engineer and now FIA Head of Powertrain.

“Some like rock, others classic music. In 1988, V6 turbo F1 engines were revving lower and had less capacity. Ayrton Senna and Alain Prost both had fans in those days and the show, as far as we remember, was quite good.”

The table below illustrates the difference in sonic intensity:

Threshold of hearing (TOH): 0 dB
Rustling leaves: 10 dB
Whisper: 20 dB
Normal conversation: 60 dB
Busy street traffic: 70 dB
Vacuum cleaner: 80 dB
Front rows of rock concert: 110 dB
Threshold of pain: 130 dB
Military jet takeoff: 140 dB
Instant perforation of eardrum: 160 dB

The difference of 11db, according to the physics of attenuation of sound in air, is equivalent to 2.5m if you are at 1m distance from the car, meaning that the difference will be hardly heard in the garage.

If you are 15m from the car, it attenuates to 35m - that roughly represents the difference you can hear from seating in the first row to seating in the last row of a grandstand.