Auto News 5

Automakers are looking for a healthier European market this year, and their new products reflect the confidence.

Audi is planning blowout parties April 3 in New York and Los Angeles to mark the launch of the Audi A3, and it wants all of its dealers to throw their own get-togethers that night.

For years, as drivers complained that their Cobalts and Ions were stalling repeatedly, GM treated it as a matter of customer satisfaction, not safety.

Staff Reporter Hans Greimel was on the ground at the opening of Mazda's Salamanca plant and captured images of the technology and workers at the plant.

Here's a sure sign that executives feel a lot less giddy about prospects for new-vehicle sales than they did a year ago.

Federal regulators, law-enforcement agencies and consumer advocates are cracking down on some dealership service mailings, which they say are deceptive and often illegal.

After Ford of Europe completes its current round of plant closings, it will bring manufacturing to 80 percent of capacity.

An annual study found that 21 of 33 auto brands improved their responsiveness to internet leads last year.

On average, FandI managers earn fatter paychecks than people in any other key dealership position except the general manager, according to the 2013 NADA Dealership Workforce Study Industry Report. Some dealers are beginning to rethink that.

Keith Crain, who in 43 years at the helm of Automotive News has grilled hundreds of top executives, broken some of the industry's biggest stories and served as one of its toughest critics and strongest supporters, has been elected to the Automotive...

Opel is embarking on its largest ever marketing campaign in Germany as the General Motors unit seeks to revitalize itself following GM's decision to pull sister brand Chevrolet from Europe.

After Ford of Europe completes its current round of plant closings, it will bring manufacturing to 80 percent of capacity.

Unveiled at the 2014 Geneva Auto Show, the new BMW 2 Series Active Tourer will go on sale across Europe later this year. What about North America? A company insider told The Detroit Bureau that “it will get there eventually,” possibly in two years time.

As a wagon-cum-crossover, the BMW 2 Series Active Tourer is essentially the same size as the Mercedes-Benz B-Class. European customers will have a choice of three engines including:

• 231-horsepower, turbocharged 4-cylinder for 0-100km/h in 6.8 seconds;
• 148-horsepower, turbodiesel 4-cylinder for 0-100km/h in 8.9 seconds;
• 134-horsepower, 1.5L 3-cylinder for 0-100km/h in 9.1 seconds.

BMW is waiting to see if U.S. drivers keep embracing compact luxury cars before launching the BMW 2 Series Active Tourer on this side of the Atlantic.

Source : thedetroitbureau.com

Photo: BMW

From GMM

Brazilian Formula 1 driver Felipe Massa has admitted he has been "impressed" with his switch to Mercedes power for 2014.

Now that he is a member of the Williams-Mercedes team, it is the first time in his F1 career Massa's car is not powered by a Ferrari engine.

"I went to the (Mercedes) factory and I was impressed," Massa is quoted by Italy's La Repubblica.

Massa's last comment suggests that he no longer felt loved at Ferrari.

"I will not speak badly of Ferrari," he insisted. "I was there many years and I lived some beautiful moments. And some very bad ones as well."

Felipe Massa, Ferrari 150 Italia. (Photo: WRi2)

He does not hide that Hockenheim 2010, when he was told 'Fernando (Alonso) is faster than you', was the low point.

"They did not let me win a race that I deserved," said Massa. "It was not just the team order that hurt me, but the fact that I had come back from a very bad accident. It would have been very important to me."

Asked if he often behaved 'too loyally' to Ferrari, he admitted: "Yes, maybe I did. But now it's the past and it doesn't matter.

"I remember the wonderful years at Ferrari, and the friendships with many people."

The 2014 New York Auto Show in April will feature the world premiere of the all-new 2015 BMW X4 sports activity coupe, whose production will begin shortly afterwards in Spartanburg, South Carolina.

Photo: BMW

Combining the performance and versatility of an SUV with the elegance and looks of a coupe, the new BMW X4 shares its platform with the X3, but is 14mm longer and 37mm lower.

Photo: BMW

The exterior features large front air intakes, signature twin round headlights, and L-shaped LED fog lights, while the five-passenger cabin offers a 40/20/40 split-folding rear seat, head-up display, and the brand's latest-generation navigation system.

Customers will have a choice of two engines with the 2015 BMW X4 including:

• 240-horsepower, 2.0L 4-cylinder (X4 xDrive28i);
• 300-horsepower, 3.0L 6-cylinder (X4 xDrive35i).

From GMM

Crisis-struck Red Bull is taking a vastly different car to Melbourne for the first race of 2014.

That is the claim of reigning world champion Sebastian Vettel, even though the German is not expecting to be competitive this weekend after a disastrous winter for the team and engine supplier Renault.

"Only in the comic book world do such processes (to improve) work that quickly and immediately," he told the Welt am Sonntag newspaper.

"But only in Melbourne will we know how far away from the competition we actually are."

Red Bull RB10-Renault. (Photo: WRi2)

Renault's Jean-Michel Jalinier has now admitted that Renault-powered cars will not be in a position to win in Melbourne, but he expects the picture to change significantly within "three to five races".

And Vettel said Red Bull is also working hard.

"The car we will use in Melbourne will only be the same as the one we tested in the winter on the outside," he said.

"Inside, it will be different," added Vettel.

"It's hard to say where we are, but we are certainly not among the favourites to win," he admitted.

New teammate Daniel Ricciardo, already in his native Australia, said the first challenge will be getting the RB10 to the chequered flag.

"We don't really know if it will last the distance," he told Fairfax Media, "because we haven't proven it (in testing)."

Magnum Cars, a small manufacturer from Quebec, has just announced that its MK5 will enter production this summer after debuting last fall and making a first public appearance at the Boca Raton Concours d'Elegance on February 21st.

If you're interested in buying a Magnum MK5, you can place your order now. However, deliveries will start in the spring of 2015.

Photo: Magnum

The street-legal Magnum MK5 uses a 250-horsepower, 4-cylinder engine to sprint from 0-100 km/h in just 3.2 seconds and reach a top speed of 250 km/h. Both the front and rear sections of the carbon fibre body can be removed quickly for easy access to the powertrain.

Photo: Magnum

The two-passenger cockpit features carbon fibre seats with six-point harnesses, a race-style steering wheel, and a backup camera. There is no sound system, air conditioning, roof, or windshield.

Photo: Magnum

Magnum Cars was founded in Quebec in 1968 by Jean-Pierre St-Jacques, a machinist and race car enthusiast who built Gilles Villeneuve's Formula Ford car in the early 1970s. The company is now headed by his son, Bruno St-Jacques, a former Formula Ford and Formula Atlantic driver.

American telecommunication giant Verizon is about to become the new title sponsor of the IndyCar series.

According to Sports Business Daily, Verizon - already a sponsor of the Penske IndyCar team - has reached an agreement with the IndyCar series to become the title sponsor, a 10-year deal worth $100M.

The agreement brings an end to a two-year search to replace IZOD, which was the title sponsor of the series from '10-13.

Under terms of the deal, Verizon would commit to spend approximately $10M a year in rights, activation and media, sources said. It has the option to exit the deal after five years.

According to Road & Track, the new, fourth-generation Jeep Wrangler may come with an available power retractable top. This is definitely great news for potential buyers who dislike manually retracting soft tops and heavy, removable hard tops.

In related news, safety concerns are forcing Jeep to consider eliminating the removable windshield (which would also simplify vehicle assembly), while the iconic spare tire on the back could be dropped in an effort to reduce weight.

Source : roadandtrack.com

Photo: Jeep

Ford COO Mark Fields told journalists at the 2014 Geneva Auto Show that the company will launch a diesel-powered version of the Focus ST to rival the Volkswagen Golf GTD.

With a 2.0L TDCi diesel engine rated at 182 horsepower, this Focus ST reportedly sprints from 0-100 km/h in eight seconds flat, or 0.5 second slower than the Golf GTD. It will arrive in the U.K. this summer.

No word yet on other markets.

Source : autoexpress.co.uk

Photo: Ford