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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

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."

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)

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

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

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.

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.

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)."

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

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."

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

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 Sunday at age 88. He died of pneumonia in his home, the automaker said in a statement.

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.

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.

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

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

From press release

For third-generation Late Model competitor Billy Zardo, the 2013 season will forever be known as the turning point of his young career. In those 18 weeks, Zardo earned his first career Late Model victory, sat atop the point standings for the first time and most importantly, moved from a student of the sport to a certified championship contender.

“It felt like 2013 was the season we've been working towards since we started in the Limited Late Model division”, explained Zardo. “I've been so fortunate to be surrounded by incredible people since my first days in a Go-Kart. Everything we earned last season was a team effort”.

After earning a pair of feature victories and a top-10 finish in the 2013 championship point standings, Billy - alongside his Hall of Fame Grandfather Billy Zardo Sr. - is ready for a strong follow-up in 2014.

“My grandfather is my biggest fan and my greatest influence”, laments ‘Z3'. “He's been there from the beginning. Everything I've learned is because of him. I know he was proud of what we accomplished last season, but as soon as the trailer door closed on the final night of racing, he had a list of what he was looking for us to accomplish in 2014”.
Entering his fourth year of Ltd. Late Model competition, Zardo is blunt and apologetic about his goals for the upcoming season.

“I want to win the Sunset Speedway championship. I believe our team has always had the knowledge and experience; they were just waiting for me to catch up. I've gone through my learning curves, I've taken my lumps, but I feel as though they've made me a better competitor. I'm ready now”.

A championship campaign at Sunset - never an easy feat - will be even more difficult in 2014. The Innisfil, ON facility has shortened its Ltd. Late Model schedule to 10 points paying events, with each feature race extended from 30-laps to 50-laps.

“A 10-race schedule puts a lot of pressure on any team”, reasons Zardo. “You can't have a bad night. Heck, you can't have a bad lap. You have to be as close to perfect as possible. Because you know the guy beside you is trying to do the same thing”.

Zardo's season will begin on May 3rd, with the first annual running of Sunset Speedway's 100-lap Great Lakes Concrete Spring Derby. Marketing support for ‘Z3's 2014 campaign will come from Holmes on Homes, National Exhaust, Hassell Automotive, Big Chute Marina, J.A. Towing, Smart Screen and Better Contracting. For more information on Billy and the rest of the Zardo team, be sure to visit the Zardo Racing page on Facebook.

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.

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.