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From GMM

Jean Todt has vowed to "think about" some of Red Bull's criticisms of the current rules.

That is the claim of the reigning world champion team's Dr Helmut Marko, who said one of his concerns was how harshly Daniel Ricciardo was punished following the pitstop incident in Malaysia.

"Poor Daniel did nothing wrong," he told Austrian Servus TV.

When the Australian driver was released from a pitstop with a loose wheel, he had to serve an in-race penalty but then also a ten-place drop on the grid for the subsequent Bahrain grand prix.

Dr Helmut Marko insists: "There is a constructors' championship and a driver's championship -- as a team we should have had points deducted, or a fine. In my eyes it was not even an unsafe release. As Daniel drove out he said 'Hello, my wheel is loose' and so we pushed him back. There was no danger."

Daniel Ricciardo's pitstop in Malaysia. (Photo: WRi2)

Another of Marko's concerns is the new and unseemly noses, after the FIA changed the rules over the winter for safety reasons.

But in Australia, the first-lap incident between Felipe Massa and Kamui Kobayashi showed that the new layout might be even more dangerous in the event of one car 'submarining' underneath another.

And Marko claims that Esteban Gutierrez's rollover shunt in Bahrain, when he was struck by Pastor Maldonado, was also caused by the new front noses.

"You can see that the nose is so low that it can go underneath the other car, lift it up and roll it over," he said.

"Unfortunately we cannot change it during the season because it is about the chassis, but we need to respond as quickly as possible for next season," Marko insisted.

"Maybe we can do something at the same time for the aesthetics of these noses," he added.

The Red Bull RB10 nose. (Photo: WRi2)

Helmut Marko said he spoke with FIA president Todt about his concerns in Bahrain.

"He took a position on various issues and promised that he would think about carrying through with the requested changes," he revealed.

From GMM

Bernie Ecclestone has agreed to race formula one into the digital age.

Early this week, Ferrari boss Stefano Domenicali urged the F1 chief executive to embrace the internet, as the "young generation" does not want "to see an entire race for one and a half hours".

A report by the Bloomberg news agency said the official F1 website is only the 39th most popular among rival sports, worryingly outpaced by the likes of Egyptian soccer and American entertainment wrestling.

The report said chief executive Ecclestone has until now resisted embracing the internet to protect the huge revenue stream of exclusive television rights.

Now, Bloomberg reports that F1's media strategy will get a modern facelift as quickly as June of this year.

Photo: Formula 1.com

The report said the sport will have a new website and 'app' that offers subscription-only video options, improving on the current three minute race highlights edit put to music.

"We're planning a new app; it's a decent-size project," Ecclestone confirmed. "It's something that we are working to get right."

The 83-year-old warned, however, that television will continue to be the "mainstay" of F1 coverage.

And he said fans will be charged for the new 'app'.

"We don't do things for free," said Briton Ecclestone.

From GMM

Romain Grosjean is apparently becoming more and more frustrated with the situation at troubled Lotus this season.

Before the season, video footage circulated on the internet depicting the Frenchman slamming his hand on a tool bench as the serious problems with the new E22 car became clear.

Grosjean played that down. "It was a joke with the mechanic and a camera took the picture and it went everywhere," he explained at the time.

Romain Grosjean, Lotus E22-Renault, in Bahrain. (Photo: WRi2)

But now at the post-Bahrain grand prix test, after teammate Pastor Maldonado suffered Renault "power unit-related" issues on day one, Grosjean's mileage on day two was limited to just 16 laps, again with "power unit failure".

The 27-year-old is sounding increasingly frustrated.

"I hope Renault will improve in terms of reliability and performance," he is quoted by France's Auto Hebdo, "because today was not acceptable.

"We are expecting more," Romain Grosjean added. "Renault has said that in China and Barcelona there will be changes, so we wait."

Cars have personalities. I don't care what you say, it's true. Like pets and humans, cars have character. From the way they're designed to their engine and exhaust notes, they are individuals, which also means they have a perfect match in a driver somewhere.

The key is to find that match.

Now, when it comes to the 2014 Scion FR-S, I am not a match. While we had a fabulous week together and share some really cool experiences (laughed, cried, screamed, giggled), I know the FR-S is not for me and vice versa. However, the Scion FR-S is undoubtedly packed with personality, and for that I would recommend it to a few of my vehicularly single friends.


What is the Scion FR-S?
Born of a joint venture between Toyota and Subaru, the Scion FR-S is a lovechild of great sport coupe proportions. New to the automotive scene, the Scion FR-S, known as the Toyota GT86 outside of North America, only appeared a few short years ago, and it hit the ground running.

Much anticipated, the FR-S/BRZ twins were designed and engineered by Toyota and Subaru combining the two company's expertise. With a Subaru BOXER engine, Toyota transmission and Subie suspension, this truly is a joint venture.

2014 Scion FR-S Price and Specs
Like any good sports car, the 2014 Scion FR-S comes with very few options and only one engine and drivetrain set-up, at a starting price of $26,450. Extras and options include things like fog lights, a rear spoiler, and TRD (Toyota Racing Department) exhaust system and 18” alloy wheels.

The 2014 Scion FR-S' 2.0L 4-cylinder Flat-4 BOXER engine is a gem, producing 200 horsepower and 151 lb-ft of torque. Mated to a 6-speed manual transmission (there is an autobox available, but why would you care about that?), the 2014 Scion FR-S is the ideal weekend track monster (and gives the Mazda MX-5 a serious run for its money). Power is sent out the rear wheels, as it should be.

Driving the 2014 Scion FR-S
With 20cm of fresh snow on top of already icy road conditions, my week behind the wheel of the 2014 Scion FR-S was spent sideways more often than not -- and that's just grand.

This is not a fast vehicle. Sure, it's got 200 horses and only weighs about 2,700lbs, but there are times when more torque would be nice. What the Scion lacks in power, however, it makes up for in eagerness. This ride is eager to please, eager to swing the rear out, and eager to make a racket (in a good way) while doing it. The wail of the BOXER engine is music to the ears, and the 6-speed is a pleasure to manipulate.

The suspensions eats up corners and can feel harsh on rough surfaces, but is stellar otherwise. The 2014 Scion FR-S feels squat and close to the road surface at all times, no matter how you throw it about.

With six gears working for me, I think a taller 6th gear would have made sense; while cruising at around 110-115km/hr on the highway, revs sit at 3,000 rpm and that makes for a bit of a noisy journey as well as being a bit of a gas-burner.

Speaking of gas burning, over a week of combined highway and side-street hooniganisms in the snow I averaged just under 9L/100km. Scion claims the FR-S can do 8.2L/100km combined, which is almost spot on. Clearly, they know how their customers will be driving their car...

Inside and Out of the 2014 Scion FR-S
Look at it. The Scion FR-S (and by association the Subaru BRZ) are perfect. The proportions are spot on, the edges, angles and body lines ooze sex appeal, and the stance is mean.

Step inside the 2014 Scion FR-S and things are a little less perfect. I'm a smaller individual, so I'm quite at home in the cramped, tight cockpit of the FR-S, however, such is not the case for most. The racing seats are wonderfully supportive, but not everyone is taken with the red inserts.

Oh the stereo. Best just to leave it off and not bother with it. It is, by far, the worst HMI I have ever used, and the speakers themselves aren't particularly good either; best just to listen to the engine and exhaust note.

While this is considered a 2+2, the rear seats are more than a little cramped. A compact child seat fit well, and my 2-year-old was comfortable, as long as no one was in the passenger seat in front of him, in which case he lost all available legroom.

There is also very little trunk space with just 196 liters available. Travel light and all will be fine.

Comparing the 2014 Scion FR-S
Luckily, we were able to put the Scion FR-S through its track paces when it was first launched and we pitted it against the likes of some other hot rides like the Mazda MX-5, VW GTI and Hyundai Genesis.

Of course, the Scion's twin wasn't far behind it. The Subaru BRZ is its biggest competition, and with near identical set-ups, it's the price, suspension calibration and brand loyalty that will swing a buyer's favour.

The Belgian Institute for Highway Safety released the following video to encourage drivers to slow down. How? By inviting people who are supposed to meet up with a friend to attend their own funeral.

It's been watched more than 1.6 million times since Monday.

Volkswagen has just told its Canadian and U.S. dealers to stop selling the 2014 Jetta, Passat, Beetle, and Beetle Convertible equipped with a 1.8L engine due to potential automatic transmission fluid leaks that could result in a fire.

The affected vehicles were built after February 1st, 2014. They amount to roughly 2,000 in Canada and 25,000 in the U.S.

Volkswagen is working with authorities on how to fix the cars that have been sold, including replacing the defective parts.

Source : globalnews.ca

Kelley Blue Book has just announced its top 10 used cars under US$8,000 from a list of all 2004-and-newer cars and trucks.

The selection is based on a variety of factors including brand reputation and desirability.

Kelley Blue Book's top 10 used cars under US$8,000:

• 2007 Honda Civic
• 2011 Hyundai Accent
• 2005 Honda Accord
• 2005 Toyota Camry
• 2007 Mazda3
• 2007 Chevrolet Silverado 1500
• 2005 Honda Pilot
• 2004 Toyota Prius
• 2007 Ford Escape
• 2005 Volvo S60

Source: Kelley Blue Book

The fuel-sniffing spiders are at it again: After forcing Mazda to recall 65,000 copies of the 2009-2010 Mazda6 in Canada and the U.S. three years ago, they're now targeting 42,000 units from 2010-2012.
Talk about a creepy love story...

It appears the yellow sac spider is attracted to the smell of gasoline and likes to nest around the fuel tank pressure flap, causing leaks and potentially fires.

A software update will be applied to recalled cars to monitor the pressure level and warn drivers of any danger.

Source: auto.lapresse.ca

Mazda Canada has announced two separate recalls on the 2014 Mazda3 and Mazda6, one related to the electrical circuit and the other to the fuel delivery system.

On 759 vehicles equipped with Mazda's i-ELOOP regenerative braking system, a fault could cause the charging system to malfunction, which would display the charging system malfunction warning light and error message. Continued vehicle operation in this state could result in an engine stall and a loss of propulsion, so Mazda dealers will reprogram the powertrain control module.

Meanwhile, on 3,567 vehicles, a defect in the fuel tank venting system could allow the fuel tank to be overfilled, causing fuel to enter the charcoal canister and possibly resulting in a fuel leak. Dealers will affect repairs accordingly.

Source: Transport Canada

From Honda Performance Development

Honda Performance Development will offer customer teams around the world the very latest in LMP2 closed-cockpit sports car technology next year, with the unveiling of its new HPD ARX-04b LMP2 Coupe.

The new design is a result of the continuing teamwork between California-based HPD and England's Wirth Research.

ARX-04b LMP2 Coupe. (Photo: Honda Racing/HPD)

The ARX-04b sports car is fully compliant with the new ACO LMP2 regulations, and exceeds the latest safety standards of the new enclosed-cockpit configuration.

The proven 2.8-litre twin-turbo, direct injection, production-based Honda HR28TT V6 powerplant now includes a regulation compliant drive-by-wire throttle system and fresh air valve system, eliminating turbo lag and providing improved reliability and performance.

ARX-04b LMP2 Coupe. (Photo: Honda Racing/HPD)

From GMM

Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg have been told the 'rules' for their future wheel-to-wheel battles.

The Mercedes pair thrilled the F1 world last Sunday with their duel for victory in Bahrain, despite bosses urging them to "bring both cars home".

It was rumoured that the team denied the drivers ignored team orders for appearance only, and would quietly curb that sort of behaviour behind the scenes ahead of future races.

The fight in Bahrain was also timely for F1's 'show', in the wake of hefty criticism of the controversial new rules.

"I am so happy the race was so well received by the fans, because the welfare of the sport is very important to me," said German Rosberg.

"In my eyes, the criticism of the new regulations was very unfair, especially so early on, and the negativity was getting louder and louder. For me, there was no better way to silence it than to deliver one of the most exciting races in the history of formula one," he added.

The two Mercedes drivers racing each others in Bahrain. (Photo: WRi2)

But team director Toto Wolff insists Bahrain was not simply a one-off.

"They can fight against each other," he told Sport Bild magazine, "so long as there are no harakiri-manoeuvres.

"So you're not driving with the same aggressiveness against your own teammate as you would against the others," Wolff explained.

He said Mercedes' attitude to 'team orders' is important, given that both Hamilton and Rosberg are conferred equal status inside the Brackley based team, whose W05 car is currently utterly dominant.

"We are here to race," said Wolff, "we have two really good drivers who can win races and deserve to be world champion."

Christian Danner, a former driver turned commentator, says Mercedes' approach will be welcomed by many.

"Mercedes is very dominant," he told German television n-tv, "but in contrast to what we have seen over the years with Ferrari and Red Bull, Rosberg and Hamilton can race freely.

"This is not only a very brave decision, but also the right decision for the sport," he applauded.

From Formula1.com

McLaren racing director Eric Boullier says Mercedes AMG are catchable, despite the German team's dominant start to the 2014 season.

Mercedes AMG has taken three pole positions and three wins in the three races so far this year, but though it enjoyed a substantial pace advantage over the rest of the field in Bahrain, Boullier says it's not too late for McLaren to bridge such a deficit.

Asked during a McLaren-Mercedes teleconference if it was realistic to think that the gap could be closed to Mercedes, Boullier answered: “To be honest, I think it is. It's true that the gap is huge now, but a one-second gap is catchable. I know a lot of areas we can work on and improve, so I think they can definitely be caught.

Eric Boullier with Jenson Button, McLaren (Photo: McLaren)

“We are aggressively developing now to make sure we can catch up with them (Mercedes AMG)," he added. "We don't know if we will have caught them by the European races, but we'll definitely try to close the gap as much as possible.”

McLaren suffered a double retirement in Bahrain with both Jenson Button and Kevin Magnussen both suffering clutch problems - a situation Boullier described as “a one-off”.

The former Lotus man also supported Jenson Button's post-race assertion that after Mercedes, McLaren are the next fastest team.

“I believe that if you look at the performance graph from Jenson (in Bahrain), we had the potential to finish in front of the Force Indias,” Boullier said.

“I agree with Jenson that we could be the second-fastest team - the best of the rest - but it is very, very tight with everybody.”

Mercedes AMG boss Paddy Lowe said that there is no need to change or modify the current Formula 1 technical regulations.

Lowe replied to the complaints made by the directors of at least two F1 teams (that are no longer winning races) who claim that the rules should be changed.

One of them publicly said that the current fuel restriction rules have turned racers into “taxi drivers”.

Lowe understands why some people would want to see the rules modified, but he adds it would be completely unrealistic.

Some team owners said that the cars would need to use 110kg of fuel instead of 100.

“Has anyone realised you couldn't fit 110 kilograms into the current cars?” Lowe told Sky Sports F1.

Other directors suggested that the races should be shortened.

“Can you imagine selling that concept to the public? It would be like saying 'we've decided people aren't fit enough these days and marathons are only going to be 40 kilometres, not 42'. The messaging around that cannot be contemplated,” Lowe explained.

Lowe added: “In Bahrain the guys (Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg) were racing from beginning to end, and it was a completely normal level of fuel saving."

Lowe declared he would even like to see the F1 rules become more severe.

"Formula 1 is about developing technology, setting stretched targets," he added.

"The nature of F1 is to push technology to the limit and beyond. Maybe next year it should be down to 95 kilograms for a Grand Prix."

British motorsport magazine Autosport write Thursday that FIA president, Jean Todt, says Formula 1 team directors should listen to racing fans.

Fans around the world have been highly against the new, and controversial, double point for the season's finale in Abu Dhabi.

Although he says he is not against the rule of the double points, Frenchman Todt has now proposed that the discontent from fans over means that perhaps a proper reconsideration is needed.

Yas Marina track in Abu Dhabi. (Photo: WRi2)

The president of the FIA has revealed that he asked for the F1 Strategy Group to review the idea.

"To reconsider it we need unanimous agreement, and if we do not get unanimous agreement we cannot change it," Todt explained.

"We had the strategy meeting and I said, 'do you want to reconsider?' The answer was no. Do not ask me who said yes or no. So I said, 'okay we will see at the end of the season what is the reaction'.

Todt continued: “Personally I was surprised to get so much emotion for this thing that I do not feel is a huge change in F1.

However we need to listen to that and hopefully we will take that into consideration."

Federal lawmakers investigating General Motors' slow recall of 2.6 million cars are zeroing in on engineers and others who may have been aware of problems with ignition switches linked to at least 13 deaths.

Ally Financial raised $2.38 billion in its initial public offering after pricing the shares at the bottom of the proposed range.

Automotive exhaust and HVAC supplier Eberspaecher North America is investing $122 million to expand operations in Michigan.

In Ford's five-year effort to strip weight from the 2015 F-150 pickup, some ideas were considered just too big of a stretch, chief engineer Pete Reyes said today.

The UAW better be careful what it wishes for.

Self-driving cars may take another decade to hit roads in the United States, but their sales then will expand quickly due to new safety mandates, predicts IHS Automotive.