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Continental has raised its profit forecast for 2014 after earnings jumped nearly 20 percent in the first three months.

Renault Group has unveiled first-quarter revenues fractionally down 0.1% to EUR8.26bn (US$11.43bn), although it recorded a 5.1% increase in registrations.

-- We reported on carbon-fiber wheels almost exactly a year ago.

Spurred by the story of our ride in

News 25 Apr, 2014

New patent reveals software that could stop people texting and using other apps at the wheel

News 25 Apr, 2014

Nissan develops prototype Note that uses ‘self-cleaning’ paint to protect against rain, sleet and dirt

Pictures See all 6 pictures 25 Apr, 2014

PSA reported a 2 percent gain in first-quarter revenue as a recovery in its home region and expansion in China boosted deliveries.

VW will lay off about 900 workers at two Brazilian plants in response to sluggish demand for cars in Latin America's largest economy.

How well did you pay attention to the industry? Take our news quiz to find out.

Infiniti will celebrate its 25th anniversary in the United States this November and the luxury brand is conducting a review of its global advertising account that basically amounts to a relaunch of the brand.

The Lamborghini Urus SUV will be built at parent VW Group's factory in Slovakia starting in 2017, sources said.

Nvidia expects to see its processors in 25 million new cars within a few years, up from about 4.5 million now.

Ford's first-quarter earnings fell 39 percent to $989 million, as pricing weakened in the United States. The company reduced its European losses in the quarter by more than half.

There are go-to cars and then there are go-to cars. Allow me to elaborate. Car manufacturers are always working hard at trying to bring something new or more to the table when it comes to their cars. Despite that, and regardless of how good their product may be it will typically not garner the same success as the go-to.

There are many such examples and those that come to mind are the Ford F-150, the Honda Civic, the Toyota Camry and, in this instance, the Dodge Grand Caravan. On a near equal footing to the Ford, the Caravan has dominated its segment forever-- it owns it.

The 2014 Dodge Grand Caravan may be the No. 1 minivan, but does not hold this position because it is the best at everything. What it does, it does it well. With a smart well laid-out interior, fair to high levels of amenities, and some extremely competitive pricing, the Grand Caravan is impossible to beat in the eyes of the consumer.


What is a Dodge Grand Caravan?
The Dodge Grand Caravan is the very definition of the minivan. As the undisputed champion and innovator of the segment, it fails at nothing when it comes to family hauling duty. Already 30 years in, the Grand Caravan continues to set the standard.

The past has been spotted with a number of reliability issues that continue today. Regular routine maintenance is a must to ensure long-term durability and trouble-free motoring.



2014 Dodge Grand Caravan Price and Specs
Value has become a played-out term in the car business, but to a select few products the word defines the car. In the Grand Caravan's case, the aptly coined Canada Value Package trim sets the base price at $27,995. Fret not as Chrysler always has loads of very large discounts up its sleeve. At the other end of the price gambit we find the R/T with a $40,995 window sticker.

My tested SXT with Blacktop Package retailed for just over $43,000 before rebates and incentives.

All versions feature a 283-horsepower 3.6L V6 and a 6-speed automatic transmission. Only the front wheels are driven and all are stopped by disk brakes.

Driving the 2014 Dodge Grand Caravan
The Dodge Grand Caravan has a sole purpose in mind and that is getting everyone aboard (and their gear) safely to the desired destination.

At odds with this seemingly simple goal is the almost over-eager engine. Its power, when applied in part or more, easily overwhelms the whole of the drivetrain. In a way, it's nice to have all that power but it seems a bit much. What helps here is the 6-speed autobox gearing which is quite tight between 2nd and 3rd gear.

The sad part about the transmission, as seems to be the case with nearly all recent Chrysler products, is that their confusion is eternal. Depending on the nature of the acceleration, I constantly imagined the 'box juggling gears until one would fall and then it going with the dropped cog. The resulting bump or bang into gear was never pleasant.

From a ride perspective, the 2014 Dodge Grand Caravan is a smooth operator. The plenty float-y and soft suspension makes driving in the city easy, limiting disturbing shifts in the car likely to startle junior out of his slumber.

Steering and brakes further follow the Grand Caravan's reasons for being and work quite well.

Inside and Out of the 2014 Dodge Grand Caravan
There isn't much to say about how well or not the 2014 Grand Caravan sits on its four wheels. It is far from being either handsome or ugly and so sits properly between the two extremes. The tested Blacktop Package includes 17" alloy wheels with gloss black painted inserts, pockets, a gloss black grille, blacked headlamps and fog lamps. Aesthetically, these details do little to add to the Caravan's styling but it's something, I guess...

Stepping into the Dodge Grand Caravan is coming face-to-face with what this minivan is: a large multi-purpose people and stuff carrier.

The centerpiece of this cabin is Chrysler's brilliant Stow&Go rear seating system. Once used to how the levers and springs work, as a minivan owner, you'll wonder how you ever got by without it.

The dashboard is very straightforward and simple to use. Most HMI and tech features work very well and the first two rows of seats are comfortable enough. Storage spots and bins are numerous; a minivan is a car one can truly move into.

Comparing the 2014 Dodge Grand Caravan
The 2014 Dodge Grand Caravan has little real competition. If you're in the market for a minivan, you'll quickly have noted that there are less than a handful of options for you.

The Honda Odyssey remains Auto123.com's favourite, but the Toyota Sienna still has much going for it. The Nissan Quest is more or less out of its league. Then, there's the new Kia Sedona, which may or may not have an impact.

Bottom line is that the Chrysler Magicwagon is next to impossible to beat.

NASCAR is expecting to announce performance rules changes sometime before the May 17th NASCAR Sprint All-Star race at the Charlotte Motor Speedway.

And those changes won't just be limited to changes in motors.

Earlier this year Brian Z. France, NASCAR's CEO said that there would be rules changes to encourage more passing on the one and one-half mile oval which dominate the NASCAR calendar.

The Des Moines Register quoted NASCAR senior vice president of racing operations Steve O'Donnell, speaking at the Sponsor Summit at Iowa Speedway, said “the whole package," meaning the sanctioning body would make "significant" changes.

"Engines, downforce, aero and tires," he added for emphasis.

Although the Gen 6 car proved faster than all of its' predecessors there still was the sticky issue of lack of passing.

“We've still got work to do,” he said. “Brian's talked about (wanting) more and more lead changes. That's the end goal.”
France and O'Donnell, the report said, hope to see more passing when they reduce the amount of horsepower in the engines.

No stone has been left unturned. Even the Goodyear tires are likely to change to foster more on-track competition by next season.

“If you watched last year ... 50 laps into a run, 10 laps to go, nobody pits for tires,” O'Donnell said. “And if one guy did, it didn't matter. You think, ‘Wait a minute, that's not right.' So tires are a big part of this as well in getting that all right.”

NASCAR, which maintains a Research and Development Center in Concord, N.C., has also conducted closed to-the-public tests at the 1.5-mile track in Charlotte.

Although teams are expecting these changes, the details have not been made known to them as yet.

From GMM

Stefano Domenicali could rebuild his professional career in the world of Italian basketball.

Italian media reports claim the 48-year-old, who started work at Maranello in his twenties, has been contacted in recent days by Giovanni Petrucci, president of the Italian basketball federation, the Federazione Italiana Pallacanestro (FIP).

Petrucci became Italian basketball's president last year.

In his seventh season as Ferrari team principal, Domenicali stepped down between the recent Bahrain and Chinese grand prix due to the fabled Italian team's poor results and was replaced by Marco Mattiacci.

Fernando Alonso scored Ferrari's first podium of the new V6 era in China, and dedicated it to the departed chief.

"Probably all the parts from now until July or August are coming from the team working under Stefano, so hopefully we can give him some great Sundays at home in front of the TV," he said.

From GMM

Daniel Ricciardo has proved his doubters wrong -- even those who wear a Red Bull uniform.

That is the claim of Dr Helmut Marko, the force behind the energy drink company's driver development programme that produced world champion Sebastian Vettel.

But the programme, described by some as brutal, has also discarded its fair share of talents, including Jaime Alguersuari who was dropped at just the age of 21.

Daniel Ricciardo, Red Bull, in China. (Photo: WRi2)

The latest F1 graduates, however, are faring well so far in 2014, including the Russian teen Daniil Kvyat at Toro Rosso, and Vettel's new teammate at the senior team, Australian Ricciardo.

"We were absolutely right to take him (Ricciardo)," Austrian Marko told Germany's Auto Bild, referring to suggestions the top team should have signed someone like Kimi Raikkonen.

"Those in the team who were against him (Ricciardo joining) are now silent," he added.

Indeed, at present, Daniel Ricciardo is even showing up the reigning quadruple title winner Vettel in the 2014-spec RB10.

Marko says Ricciardo confirms the Red Bull "philosophy, to give young drivers a chance to show their potential to win".

"He has shown that he can keep up with Sebastian, even under extreme pressure and difficult conditions," he said.

As well as more than 'keep up' with Vettel, Ricciardo has also improved the atmosphere inside the team, said Marko, whose relationship with Mark Webber was never good.

"The mood in the team is much better now. There is cohesion between the drivers and no more two directions," he said.

Mark Webber also seems to be enjoying his new life after his seven years with Red Bull, finishing on the podium at a wet Silverstone last weekend in his world endurance debut in the Porsche prototype.

"Always tastes good," the 37-year-old said as he 'tweeted' a photo of himself in his new white overalls drinking from the champagne bottle.

Mark Webber on the podium with Porsche at Silverstone. (Photo: Mark Webber.com)

* Note: This preview doesn't include the X5 M, which has yet to be redesigned.

Pros: The 2014 BMW X5 is the result of two generations of refinement. It isn't radically reformed, but didn't need to be. A highly profitable vehicle for BMW, the American-built X5 is also a dynamically and aesthetically pleasing crossover with enough travel amenities and off-road equipment, not to mention advanced technologies (including three superb engines), to justify its price.

Cons: Like many German products, however, the 2014 BMW X5 may suffer from electronic problems and other reliability issues. It's a pretty heavy vehicle, too, which carries a penalty at the pump. What's more, the long list of options can seriously hurt your bank account.

Photo: BMW

2014 BMW X5 Price: Buyers have a choice of three models:

• X5 xDrive35i at $62,900;
• X5 xDrive35d at $64,400;
• X5 xDrive50i at $76,500;

2014 BMW X5 Fuel Economy: The official combined city-highway ratings are 7.6L/100km for the diesel-sipping xDrive35d, 9.6L/100km for the standard xDrive35i, and 12.2L/100km for the more powerful xDrive50i.

Improvements and Changes: The 2014 BMW X5 has been fully redesigned. Evolutionary in nature, it features updated styling, revised engines, and slightly more interior space.

2014 BMW X5 Powertrain: Two 3.0L inline six-cylinder turbocharged engines are available, including a 300-horsepower gasoline version and a 255-horsepower diesel unit producing 413 lb-ft of torque. Then there's a 4.4L twin-turbocharged V8 engine that cranks out 445 horsepower. All are mated to an 8-speed automatic transmission.

Cargo Capacity: The cargo area expands from 620 to 1,750 litres when you fold the rear seats.

Safety: ABS, brake assist, electronic brake force distribution, stability control, and traction control all come standard. Head-up display, night vision, adaptive cruise control, park assist, high-beam assist, and various camera systems around the vehicle are some of the advanced features available to boost safety.

Comparing the 2014 BMW X5: Other medium-to-large luxury crossovers worth checking out include the Acura MDX, Audi A7, Cadillac SRX, Infiniti QX60/QX70, Range Rover Sport, Lexus RX/GX, Mercedes-Benz ML, Porsche Cayenne, Volkswagen Touareg, and Volvo XC90.

Where there are hits, there will always be misses. Call it the yin and yang of automotive design.

Much like what we can find at our local dealerships, some cars scream desire while others bring up bile.

Warning: The following may (or may not) make you lose your lunch.



_{Note: The Lotus part of the China Youngman Automobile Group Co., Ltd. comes from the fact that they build and sell cars in China using a Lotus developed platform. Youngman was also involved in some way shape or form with the SAAB and Spyker companies.}