Auto News 5

When Volkswagen launched the Amarok in 2009, Canada and the U.S. were both overlooked. Now, according to sources quoted by Autoblog, the German automaker is starting to revise its position.

Michael Horn, CEO of Volkswagen of North America, has confirmed that a new pickup truck is on the table. However, Heinz-Jakob Neußer, who's in charge or powertrain development, said the Amarok is too small for American drivers.

So, either Volkswagen beefs up the Amarok to offer a real alternative to the Chevrolet Colorado and GMC Canyon, or they develop a new pickup truck exclusively for North America.

Volkswagen Amarok (Photo: Volkswagen)

From GMM

1997 world champion Jacques Villeneuve says Sebastian Vettel's run of titles is definitely over.

"He's not going to win this year for sure," the French Canadian, who is set to return to the Indy 500 this year at the age of 42, is quoted by Italian publications including Autosprint and La Repubblica.

"To me, Renault seems completely lost and unable even to finish a grand prix. Even if they (Red Bull) are making a new car for the European races it won't change anything -- maybe they'll do 30 laps instead of 15. It's not the car but the engine.

"I'm joking, but why bother going to Australia? They can't do half a grand prix and are slower than most. Williams now has the Mercedes and it's only because of that they're doing so well.

"It's good for (Felipe) Massa, because he was finished and for a few years didn't even seem like an F1 driver. I think that shows just how good his car is. We'll have to see if they also have the money to develop."

Sebastian Vettel, Red Bull RB10-Renault. (Photo: WRi2)

Beyond that, however - and Mercedes' obvious advantage - the former Williams and Honda driver is not entirely sure what will happen in 2014, as F1 undergoes its technological revolution.

"I don't know if it will be a great championship. It could even be funny," said Villeneuve, "because in Australia we could see a Marussia on the podium."

He thinks Kimi Raikkonen's move from Lotus to Ferrari for this year, even though he will be partnered by the excellent Fernando Alonso, was a good one.

"For the first time, I see him working seriously. Maybe his year without pay was good for him," said Villeneuve.

"Alonso is a fighter from the first lap and so he might use too much fuel," he explained. "It also depends on the attitude that he (Alonso) has. The Alonso of 2012 could win this year, but not the Alonso of 2013."

Jacques Villeneuve also predicted a tough season for confused spectators, and thinks F1 has missed some obvious opportunities to spice up the action.

"The fuel limit is a good idea," he is quoted by La Repubblica, "but it should be the drivers saving fuel and not the electronics."

Villeneuve admits Mercedes is the obvious 2014 favourite, but said the Brackley squad's weakness is the driver lineup.

"Hamilton and Rosberg are not friends, but to me it seems entirely too flat, without a spark. It has to be tougher than that between teammates," he said.

And unlike Red Bull, Villeneuve says Ferrari cannot be written off yet.

"At the moment it's not the best car, but it's not so far back," said Villeneuve. "They can recover. We'll know much more after five races."

Hyundai's Thierry Neuville owes his Rally Mexico podium to a large size bottle of beer.

Neuville and his co-driver Nicolas Gilsoul finished in third place Sunday but realized that the radiator of the i20 was pierced.

When the leak drained his car's cooling system on the 33km journey back to service, the beer came to his rescue.

“We had driven maybe three or four kilometers of the road section when I saw the engine temperature was very high, that's when I realized we had a problem. It was very stressful,” Neuville told wrc.com.

Neuville and Gilsoul topping up the cooling system with beer. (Photo: Twitter WRC)

Neuville and Gilsoul pulled over and removed the i20's front bumper to get better access while they plugged the hole.

“We were able to fix it quite quickly but to refill the system we made use of everything we had in the car, luckily we got some beer at the end of the Power Stage and we used it.”

The pair stopped again a few kilometers later to top-up the system with more Mexican lager.

“I really tried to stay calm and say to myself we were okay, but when we had more than 25km to go I thought okay, maybe this could be the end. But after we stopped again the temperature came down and then I thought it would be okay.”

Their next stop was when they arrived, on time, at the finish to collect Hyundai's first podium on only the team's third rally. So would Neuville be breaking his self-imposed alcohol-ban tonight? “For the moment, no, but I can change my mind at any time,” he laughed.

From GMM

Renault F1 chief Jean-Michel Jalinier insists the struggling French supplier should not be written off in 2014.

Many believe Renault's early-season problems with the all-new turbo V6 'power unit' have made winning races and the title almost impossible for world champions Red Bull.

But a bullish Jalinier hit back even at claims Renault is concerned it has already had to 'freeze' the specification of its engine for 2014.

"I am convinced that we have designed a good package," he is quoted by Italy's Omnicorse.

"We have to work on the software but that is outside the freezing. On the engine we worked until the last second to be sure we reached the right level of power and torque, and in this aspect we believe we are right."

Jean-Michel Jalinier, Christian Horner and Helmut Marko. (Photo: WRi2)

Jalinier suggested some of Red Bull's problems have been exacerbated by the design of Adrian Newey's RB10 car.

"Red Bull have always made very competitive cars and we worked well together," he said.

"Maybe theirs is a bit more extreme at the level of their project, but we are working closely together to make it competitive," Jalinier added.

He denied rumours suggesting Red Bull and Renault could be set to split, with Lotus to take over as the 'premier' Renault team.

"At the moment," Jalinier insisted, "our team of reference is Red Bull and we have three other customers.

"Among them is Lotus, who have certainly proved to be a very competitive team, but our principal team remains Red Bull Racing.

"We still have a long-term agreement with the team in Milton Keynes ... there is no separation," Jalinier said.

This week's NASCAR Sprint Cup race proved that the new Chase rules allowed both Brad Keselowski, who won, and Dale Earnhardt Jr., who finished second after running out fuel, to race each other to the finish regardless of points.

As Earnhardt noted the new championship format system allows you to go for broke pretty much like you guys did today.

"I think everybody has seen that over the last couple of weeks," Earnhardt said "that this format has definitely allowed teams to gamble like we have."



When Keselowski won his Sprint Cup Championship in 2012 he and crew chief, Paul Wolfe, took big risks. That was the only way to wrest the title from Jimmie Johnson.

And it appears that's how racing will be this year.

"You know, I think if anything it (referring to the new Chase format) actually lends itself to better racing," said Keselowski. "That chance that Dale and Stevie (Letarte - Junior's crew chief) took with the 88 car was way out there, and it was a good, risky move on their part because they had nothing to lose because of this format.

"I think that shows some of the opportunities that come up and how they can be stressfree days, and I'm looking forward to being able to take those same opportunities, because believe me, I'm not scared to take them, and I know Paul's not, so look out.  It's going to be a lot of fun."

Ironically, the race was determined by fuel mileage, but it didn't appear to be because Earnhardt raced hard to the end despite knowing that he'd be about three-quarters of a lap short.

This year's Daytona 500 came to the media center looking at a can of his soda sponsor's product and said that the 16 ounce aluminum can represented the amount of fuel he needed to hold off Keselowski for the win. And, despite his obvious disappointment it was not overwhelming.

"It's nice to have that freedom to do the things that we did today, even though we knew our odds weren't good. We really shouldn't have made it, and we didn't, but we got to try because of the new system. So yeah, I think it's pretty cool," Earnhardt added.

Brad Keselowski. (Photo: NASCAR)

Back in the early days of NASCAR one of the worst things one driver could say about his rivals was he was a "points racer."

Due to television covering the series viewers and team's alike had come to view the season title above winning individual races. And, in post-race interviews, we've come to hear and hate the finishers below first saying "but it was a good points day."

Under the new Chase format wins count more than points. Racers now race each other for the wins. And that's a good thing.

LEIPZIG, Germany -- One minute we're straddling a 30-degree banked granite incline, stones pinging off the car's undercladding, the next we're chasing a Porsche 911 around a FIA-certified racetrack featuring corners modeled after some of the world's most challenging circuits.

All while driving the same vehicle.


What is the 2015 Porsche Macan?
The Macan is Porsche's entry into one of the most rapidly growing segments in the automotive market: the luxury compact crossover. Over the last half-dozen years, the segment has exploded, selling well over a million vehicles globally -- and shows no sign of slowing down.

With the Macan, Porsche is well poised to take advantage of that growth, and the company predicts it will surpass the full-size Cayenne to become their top-selling model. A turbo-diesel variant will also be released in other markets, but is still undergoing emissions-related development before arriving in Canada.

There's a misconception that this is a re-badged Audi Q5 -- it's not. While parts-sharing with the mother company helps keep costs down, the Macan and Q5 share only the floor pan, and some interior components (roughly 30% in all).

2015 Porsche Macan Price and Specs
When the 2015 Porsche Macan arrives in Canada in late spring, it will be available in two trim levels: the Macan S and the Macan Turbo.

Starting at $54,300, the Macan S features a 3.0L twin-turbo V6 producing 340 hp, 339 lb-ft of torque, mated to a 7-speed, dual-clutch PDK, and Porsche Traction Management (PTM) all-wheel-drive. The "S" model sprints from 0-100km/hr in 5.0 seconds.

The Macan Turbo, at $82,200, boasts a twin-turbo, 3.6L V6 with an output of 400 hp/406 lb-ft of torque and can blast from 0-100km/hr in as little as 4.4 seconds.

Standard on the Turbo, our "S" models came loaded with performance options: Porsche Active Suspension Management $1,560 (PASM), Porsche Torque Vectoring $1,700 (PTV Plus), Sport Chrono Package $1,480 (Sport Plus and Launch Control) and Air Suspension $3,140.

The Macan is Porsche's entry into one of the most rapidly growing segments in the automotive market: the luxury compact crossover. (Photo: Lesley Wimbush)

Driving the 2015 Porsche Macan
For sports-car lovers who've been forced to compromise, there is no finer handling crossover on the market. On the autobahn, the 2015 Porsche Macan accelerates with the same linear thrust as its sports-car stablemates. While it may not stick to the road with the same suction-cup thrust as the 911 Turbos, there's very little body roll. In fact, it's easy to forget you're not in a coupe.

Bushwhacking in Off-Road Mode through several acres of rugged cuts and steep embankments, the 2015 Porsche Macan proved to be a capable off-roader, although with less clearance than the Cayenne. When equipped with air suspension, the Macan gains an extra 2" clearance.

However, it's on-track that the Macan will make believers out of SUV-haters. Dynamically, the Macan is tight and predictable with the sort of snappy response more suited to a Cayman than a 1,916kg utility vehicle. While the steering lacks the telepathic feedback of the 911, it's perfectly accurate. Switch to Sports Plus mode, and the PDK rips through gears with a familiar melodic Porsche bellow.

For sports-car lovers who've been forced to compromise, there is no finer handling crossover on the market. (Photo: Lesley Wimbush)

Inside and Out of the 2015 Porsche Macan
The Macan's compact size, wide stance, and much lower height give it the look of a bulkier 911 rather than a scaled-down Cayenne. Powerful rear haunches are enhanced by wider wheels, while skinny treads up front sharpen the steering response. Flanks are creased with what Porsche refers to as "sideblades," visually slenderizing and lowering the 2015 Macan and furthering the illusion of a squatting sports car.

Turbo models are distinguished by the signature red callipers and turbo-badging on the rump, and there's available carbon-fibre trim to smarten up those sideblades. Aside from its compact size, the easiest way to tell the 2015 Porsche Macan from the Cayenne is its slick new clamshell hood whose clean, uninterrupted length streamlines the nose.

While the 2015 Porsche Macan moves into the entry-level spot in Porsche's lineup, there's no cost cutting evident in the cabin. It's a typical Porsche environment, with the familiar bank of Carrera GT-inspired switchgear. While un-optioned vehicles are upholstered in Alcantara, our testers were all fitted with first-rate leather sports seats. Dash, doors, and console are stitched leather, and the steering wheel is lifted from the 918 supercar.

The shortened roofline really eats into rear headspace. Still, I rode back there quite comfortably and with plenty of knee room. The seats split 40/20/40 and fold down for a nearly flat load floor.

While the 2015 Porsche Macan moves into the entry-level spot in Porsche's lineup, there's no cost cutting evident in the cabin. (Photo: Lesley Wimbush)

Comparing the 2015 Porsche Macan
While Porsche seems confident that there won't be any scavenging of Cayenne sales to the Macan, they're bound to lose a few once this excellent crossover hits the market.

So, who will buy the 2015 Porsche Macan? Consumers who've also looked at the Audi Q5, Mercedes-Benz GLK, BMW X3 or Range Rover Evoque are a given. However, the Macan is also the answer to the driver who always wanted a 911 or Cayman, but whose family obligations insist on more utility. Or, like a friend of mine, who waited until the kids were grown to buy his 911, but he (and his family) can no longer fit in one. For him, the Macan is the perfect solution.

From GMM

F1's owners are scared Bernie Ecclestone's demise could hurt the sport.

That is the claim of the diminutive Ecclestone, who remains the F1 chief executive and 'supremo' even amid a corruption scandal that could see him jailed.

The 83-year-old likened his situation to that of former Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson, whose retirement last year coincided with a decline in the great football team's form.

"I have got a sneaking feeling our board are probably football enthusiasts and saw what happened when they got rid of that guy from Manchester United," Ecclestone told F1 business journalist Christian Sylt, writing in the Sunday Express.

Meanwhile, McLaren's returning supremo Ron Dennis has said he does not think Christian Horner - reportedly Ecclestone's personal pick - should succeed the 83-year-old.

"Personally, and I have nothing against either Christian or any other team principal," Dennis told British Sky television, "I don't think it would be a wise decision to put any former team principal into the position of running formula one.

"There's too much conflict," he insisted.

From GMM

It is possible every single car will fail to finish Sunday's season-opening Australian grand prix.

That is the claim of Roberto Dalla, the head of F1 electronics supplier Magneti Marelli.

He told Italy's La Gazzetta dello Sport that the electronics of the cars have become so much more complicated in 2014, without a corresponding increase in the amount of pre-season testing.

"Last year, there was a single unit made by McLaren that was the brain of every aspect. But now it only has control of a portion, and the underlying challenge is to be able to operate like an orchestra the engine, the turbo, the recovery systems," said Roberto Dalla.

"To find the right solutions will take another two to three months," he claimed.

"Doing it during three winter sessions with only 12 days in total was a real mission impossible. In Melbourne, it could happen that all the cars do not see the finish line, because every team experienced serious problems in testing," Roberto Dalla added.

Red Bull RB10-Renault. (Photo: WRi2)

From GMM

Ferrari is yet to reveal the full potential of its 2014 car.

That is the view of former F1 driver Mika Salo, who raced a few times for the fabled Italian team in 1999 and is now a pundit on Finnish television.

Many believe that, in the 2014 pecking order, Ferrari trails most of the Mercedes-powered teams, but 47-year-old Salo is not so sure.

"Ferrari has been pretty much hidden," he told Finnish radio Nova.

"When you look at the sector times for the tests, some are very good but some are ridiculously bad. They are covering up their pace and no one really knows where they are," added Mika Salo.

Kimi Raikkonen, Ferrari F14-T. (Photo: WRi2)

From GMM

Former F1 driver Gerhard Berger has crashed whilst skiing in the Kitzbuhel district in his native Austria.

Ten weeks into Michael Schumacher's coma, Austrian reports including the Kronen Zeitung newspaper said former Ferrari and McLaren driver Berger was hospitalised late last week after crashing at the Skiwelt Wilder Kaiser Brixental resort.

APA news agency said the 54-year-old was released from the St Johann hospital on Sunday, where he had been airlifted from the scene with a broken upper arm and operated on.

"He's very good. He is on the road to recovery," a hospital spokesperson said.

Reports said Berger tripped on a forest road and struck a concrete drainage pipe.

From press release

The Frenchman headed a Volkswagen 1-2 finish, beating Jari-Matti Latvala by 1min 12.6sec to take a three point lead in the standings over his Finnish colleague.

Thierry Neuville claimed a maiden podium for Hyundai after a dramatic finale when he twice stopped on the final road section to the León finish to top up his car's leaking radiator - with beer provided by rally sponsor Corona at the interim podium after the final stage!

Ogier, second in the start order, minimised his time loss on Friday morning's dirty roads before moving ahead with a stunning performance through the long El Chocolate stage in the afternoon when the tracks were cleaner.

Sebastien Ogier, Volkswagen, winner in Mexico. (Photo: Volkswagen)

He ended the day 26.1sec clear of Mads Ostberg and when the Norwegian retired with broken rear left suspension after hitting a bank in Saturday's opening test, Ogier was in the clear. He reeled off five consecutive stage wins, before pacing himself to the finish, claiming fastest time in the final live TV Power Stage to earn maximum bonus points.

“It was the perfect week, a victory in the rally and the Power Stage,” said Ogier. “I came here very angry after a small mistake in Sweden and that's the best way to restart my winning ways in the championship. Now we are looking forward to continuing like that.”

Having endured the worst of Friday's slippery roads after starting first, Latvala's chances of victory were slim. However, he too kept his time loss to less than expected and climbed from third to second after Ostberg's demise.


Photo: Volkswagen

Neuville was faultless on the first gravel rally for the i20 car. As others fell by the wayside, he kept out of trouble to climb the leaderboard and deserved his slice of luck to finish 4min 16.0sec behind Latvala after 22 stages and almost 400km of action.

Elfyn Evans claimed a career-best fourth in a Ford Fiesta RS on his first appearance in Mexico, 1min 20.7sec behind Neuville. Under strict instructions to drive for a finish, the Welshman was also flawless and was another to benefit from the troubles of others.

William Clay Ford Sr. bought the Detroit Lions in 1963 for $4.5 million, but was never able to realize the same successful on-field rebirth with the team that the Ford family's automotive company managed in recent years.

William Clay Ford Sr., a former Ford Motor vice chairman and the last surviving grandson of founder Henry Ford, died of pneumonia Sunday at age 88.

William Clay Ford Sr., a former Ford Motor vice chairman and the last surviving grandson of founder Henry Ford, died Sunday at age 88. He died of pneumonia in his home, the automaker said in a statement.

BMW plans to expand its DriveNow car-sharing program to as many as 25 new cities to lure younger customers in Europe and the U.S.

Fiat Chrysler executives say they expect to complete an agreement this month for Jeep production in China.

Dealers tired of competing with unscrupulous retailers are cheering the Federal Trade Commission's crackdown on deceptive dealer ads.

Swede Marcus Ericsson will be one of three new comers on the F1 grid this year. The 23-year-old Caterham driver says he is ready for his first career grand prix, next week in Melbourne.

"By the end of the tests our reliability was best of the Renault teams and we ran through a race sim, including the formation lap procedure, starts and pitstops," he is quoted saying by his team.

"So with the mileage we completed in both Bahrain tests, we're as ready as we can be."

Marcus Ericsson, Caterham CT05 (Photo: Caterham)

Ericsson, however, acknowledges one can never be completely prepared for what he is about to experience.

"We've done everything we can to prepare, but, honestly, I don't think you can ever prepare for what it'll feel like in the car, sitting on the grid as the lights go out in my debut race."

His teammate Kamui Kobayashi, who is returning to F1 racing after a year off, is betting on reliability problems for their rivals.

"There could be reliability problems for lots of teams, us as well obviously, but by the end of the tests our reliability was ok, certainly better than a few other teams, and that could be very important on Sunday in Melbourne," the Japanese said.

Marcus Ericsson, Caterham CT05

From WRC

Robert Kubica suffered his second roll in two days, Saturday during Rally Mexico. These accidents followed on the heels of a rally-ending shunt in Monte-Carlo and several trips into the snow in Sweden.

But the Pole has not lost the support of his boss, Malcolm Wilson, who continues to back the former F1 driver through the start of his career in the top category of the World Rally Championship (WRC).

Wilson feels expert help could rebuild the Pole's fragile confidence.

“I am absolutely convinced that Robert will come good. We are looking towards a bigger push in the second half of the year, particularly on the asphalt events, but we have to address the issues that we have seen recently,” said Wilson.

Robert Kubica is struggling to get his career back on the right track (Photo: WRC)

“Robert and I had a good discussion at looking of ways to help, because he still doesn't have big experience of rallying. Maybe we will bring in a co-driver, or a current or ex-driver to help, someone who has experience and understands things.

“Robert acknowledges his mind was totally different when he was racing and he has said he needs to start to look at the big picture in rallying. He said ‘I drive everything like a race and I need to get to understand the concept of the WRC' ” added Wilson.

Wilson, whose M-Sport operation runs Kubica's Ford Fiesta RS, doesn't believe he is trying to push too hard. He said that even before last night's roll at the León super special stage, Kubica's target in Mexico was simply to finish.

“This morning we agreed that Robert would stay on Elfyn's pace, which is what he did. We need Elfyn to finish so we said that was a sensible pace for Robert too,” he said.

From press release

German car manufacturer Audi continues to set the trend with four-wheel drive technologies.

The brand already revolutionized rally racing with quattro four-wheel drive in the nineteen-eighties, significantly shaped touring car racing with this system in the nineties and then most recently introduced it onto the LMP1 sports prototypes scene.


Quattro in rallying (Photo: Audi)

In 2012, Audi became the first manufacturer to win the Le Mans 24 Hours and the FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC) with a four-wheel-drive LMP1 sports car. 
 
Up to now, Audi had been allowed to use four-wheel drive only above 120 km/h.

But four driven wheels promise to deliver traction advantages particularly at low speed, for instance when the driver accelerates on exiting a tight corner.

This year, because this speed-related rule no longer applies, the Ingolstadt firm developed a fundamentally new Motor Generator Unit (MGU) to put in its LMP1 prototypes.


“We've developed the entire hybrid drive from scratch again for 2014,” explains Dr. Martin Mühlmeier, Head of Technology at Audi Sport. “Specifically, it's become even lighter and more efficient than before.”

As of 2014, a single e-machine connected to a front-axle differential is longitudinally mounted. Furthermore, these front-wheel drive components are completely integrated into the monocoque of the R18 e-tron quattro. The recuperated energy is stored in a newly designed flywheel energy storage system.