Auto News 5

Fiat will upgrade its Polish factory to build the Punto replacement, a report said. The new subcompact will launch in 2016 and could be named the 500 Plus, sources said.

What is it?

For the last 30 years or so, you could belly up to the service counter at Specter Off Road in scorching Chatsworth, Calif., deep in the Valley, underneath the red-and-white arrow that stretches the length of the squat stucco building.

Craig Breedlove, the land-speed racer who set records at over 400, 500 and 600 mph has a new race car on the drawing boards and is the feature of a couple other projects. We caught up with him recently in Los Angeles.

-- You don't see a Packard-powered hot rod very often, and we have to wonder why.

Pictures See all 4 pictures 8 May, 2014

Toyota forecast profit will fall from last year's record as demand slumps in Japan, competition intensifies in the United States and the yen is no longer the boon it used to be.

Toyota's settlement with the federal government over unintended-acceleration claims contributed to a 5 percent decline in fourth-quarter net income, but the automaker still achieved record full-year profits.

PSA's Carlos Tavares is aiming the company's Peugeot brand directly at Volkswagen Group's core VW unit as the CEO seeks to transform Peugeot into an upmarket volume manufacturer as part of a wider turnaround plan at the struggling French automaker.

Fiat Chrysler, a bit player in Asia, plans to boost local production and sales significantly in China and India through 2018.

Ford recently launched a Mustang 50 Year Limited Edition coupe that will have a production run of 1,964 units as a tribute to the iconic muscle car's birth year.

That, however, doesn't include the one-off Ford Mustang 50 Year Limited Edition convertible that will soon enter a raffle, with all proceeds from ticket sales to be donated to the National Multiple Sclerosis Society. The tickets cost $20 apiece and can be purchased at www.ford4ms.com or by calling 1-800-243-5767. Canadians can participate, as well.

This unique Ford Mustang 50 Year Limited Edition convertible will wear a badge on the instrument panel, engraved with the signature of Ford chairman Bill Ford and the serial number 0001 of 0001. It will also feature a 420-horsepower V8, Brembo brakes, 19'' wheels, and Pirelli P Zero tires.

The winner will be announced on August 16th at the 2014 Woodward Dream Cruise. He or she will have the choice between a manual or automatic transmission.

Source : ford4ms.com

Photo: Ford

From GMM

Red Bull has played down the significance of Sebastian Vettel getting a brand new chassis for this weekend's Spanish grand prix.

Just days after the reigning world champion struggled to match teammate Daniel Ricciardo's pace in China, Dr Helmut Marko said the team was looking into whether Vettel's RB10 - affectionately dubbed 'Suzie' by the German driver - was damaged.

"We don't understand why Vettel's tyre wear was so much higher than Ricciardo's," Marko said.

A few days later, he announced: "In Barcelona, Sebastian will have a new chassis, because sometimes even a small hairline crack can have large consequences.

"In 2012, Sebastian had problems compared with Mark Webber, but after a chassis change suddenly everything was much better and when he regained his confidence, he was almost unbeatable and won the title," Marko added.

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

However, chief designer Rob Marshall is now insisting that Vettel's chassis change was planned all along.

"Sebastian will get a new chassis for Barcelona," he confirmed, "which was scheduled at the start of the season and then the next one will be for Dan at some time around Silverstone."

In the interview posted on Red Bull's website, Marshall played down the likely benefit of Vettel's new chassis, insisting the change is more precautionary.

"It shouldn't be (a benefit), as the idea is that they are all the same," he said.

"From our point of view we'd rather give them one or two new chassis during the season that we have been able to check out in the factory using various testing methods," added Marshall.

Indeed, triple world champion Niki Lauda also seems to doubt that a chassis flaw has been Vettel's problem so far in 2014.

The Mercedes team chairman insists that Ricciardo is simply "an outstanding driver" who has adapted better than Vettel to the radical new regulations.

"Vettel adapted his driving style to the diffuser-type, on the throttle, hot air onto the diffuser, he was used to this for many years to make the best outstanding performance of his old car, so he is still hooked up to this old system," Lauda told the Mirror newspaper.

"The new guy comes in and does not know about this bullsh*t from the past and gets on with it."

But former McLaren and Ferrari driver Lauda tipped Vettel, the title winner for the past four seasons, to eventually catch up with Ricciardo.

"I have been in this situation (too) and Sebastian has to adapt his driving style to drive the car as well as Ricciardo does," he said.

Chevrolet's Corvette has never been closer to being a true supercar than it currently is, now in its 7th generation.

As if the arrival of the C7 Corvette was not news enough, as it coincided with the car's 60th anniversary in 2003, something happened earlier in 2014 where the home of Chevy's performance machine suffered some great losses...

Losses to the world of Corvette enthusiasts, that is. At 5:44 am on February 12th, 2014, a sinkhole occurred in the Skydome area of the National Corvette Museum (NCM).

Thankfully, no one was hurt. Sadly, eight Corvettes fell victim to the natural occurrence and some plummeted up to 60 feet deep into the sinkhole.

The Great Eight, as they're now referred to, are the following:

• 1993 ZR-1 Spyder on loan from General Motors
• 2009 ZR1 “Blue Devil” on loan from General Motors
• 1962 Black Corvette
• 1984 PPG Pace Car
• 1992 White 1 Millionth Corvette
• 1993 Ruby Red 40th Anniversary Corvette
• 2001 Mallett Hammer Z06 Corvette
• 2009 White 1.5 Millionth Corvette

I was recently on an event in Kentucky and took the time to make the trip out to Bowling Green to witness the damages for myself, as well as everything sexy and made out of fiberglass. As of this day, all cars have been fished out of the hole. Sadly, not all can be fixed.

Regardless, any and every car nut should take the time to visit the NCM and soak up the history and the impact that the Corvette has had on the North American landscape.

Check out my gallery. And if you're the sensitive type, don't stare at the broken ‘Vettes too much...

From GMM

Bernie Ecclestone's bribery trial will step up a gear on Friday.

SID news agency reports that Gerhard Gribkowsky, the jailed former banker who the F1 supremo is alleged to have bribed to the tune of $44 million, will make his first appearance at Ecclestone's Munich trial as the star witness.

It is on the conflicting accounts of Gribkowsky and 83-year-old Ecclestone that the whole corruption scandal turns.

Gribkowsky, already serving an eight and a half year jail sentence for receiving Ecclestone's money, is expected to confirm prosecutors' claims that he was paid in order to influence the sale of F1's commercial rights and keep Ecclestone in power.

"The accusations are based on statements by Dr Gribkowsky that are incorrect, misleading and incoherent," Ecclestone said in an opening written statement to the court two weeks ago.

Briton Ecclestone, however, insists he only paid Gribkowsky because he was being blackmailed over his personal tax affairs in Britain.

"Many people have asked, 'How can you put someone like Bernie under pressure?'" Ecclestone's statement added. "You can, if you find the right lever. Dr Gribkowsky succeeded in finding it.

"It was clear to me he wanted money in any case under whatever headline," Ecclestone continued. "From today's perspective, this (paying him) may not have been a rational decision. But at the time, I thought 'This man is dangerous'."

Gerhard Gribkowsky is one of almost 40 witnesses who will also testify in the 26-day trial, the news agency added.

There may be no such thing as a perfect car, but the new 2014 Ford Escape SE comes close by checking all the necessary boxes when it comes to buying a compact SUV.


What is a Ford Escape?
The Ford Escape first appeared in 2000, as a 2001 model year priced below the Explorer and immediately proved itself popular with buyers. As Ford owned a controlling interest in Mazda at the time, the Escape was similar in many ways to the Mazda Tribute and shared several of its components. A second generation came along in 2008 and various interesting versions started appearing in this form, including a plug-in Hybrid model.

A total redesign took place in 2013 which propelled Ford's top-selling compact SUV substantially further upmarket. With its bold, appealing look and its all-new platform shared in part with the Ford Focus, the days of the Escape being somewhat the base model in the market quickly disappeared.

2014 Ford Escape SE Price & Specs
The 2014 Escape lineup offers three model choices (S, SE, and Titanium), but it's the 4WD SE (midrange model) that we will concentrate on today.

Our 4WD 1.6L SE test vehicle came base priced at $29,199 but with a few niceties added (Nav/Equip group 201A/Chrome package) it topped out at $34,644, for which you get a good-looking and well-presented compact SUV.

All models feature a 6-speed automatic transmission and fuel ratings are respectable at 9.2L/100km (city) and 6.6L/100km (hwy).

Safety equipment standard on all models includes AdvanceTrac traction and stability control with roll stability control, Curve Control, Torque Vectoring Control, two-stage frontal airbags, driver knee airbag, side airbags, ABS with Brake Assist, tire pressure monitor, and rear-view camera.

Driving the 2014 Ford Escape SE
The 1.6L GTDI engine offers up ample power (178hp), although there were signs of occasional hesitation at times, especially from a standing or low-rolling start. However, forgiving this, the twin-turbo power when it comes is strong and I would view the vehicle as quite sprightly.

The overall ride quality is in the good to very good range, and apart from the occasional engine growl upon heavy acceleration, the 2014 Ford Escape SE offers consumers a surprisingly quiet ride.

The 6-speed automatic transmission is efficient, yet the toggle switch on the side of the shifter, designed for manual shifting, is perhaps a tad on the awkward side. This has become popular on many Ford vehicles of late, and personally I'd prefer to nudge the stick rather than fumble with a little button. Of course, as most owners will probably drive their vehicles in auto mode, it's more of a personal preference than an issue.

Steering, stability, and brake effectiveness are perhaps best described as bettering most in its class, as the 4WD Escape SE can be driven in a somewhat rapid fashion with complete and utter confidence.

Inside and Out of the 2014 Ford Escape SE
The exterior styling of the 2014 Escape SE is bang up to date and could possibly be described as the new segment benchmark. The vehicle boasts a sports-like image which other SUV manufacturers often attempt yet fail.

Stepping inside, the sporty look continues with a well-designed cockpit layout tuned with the driver in mind. There's also a sizeable centre console storage compartment that is useful as it's deep, although I wasn't overly impressed with the cup holders as they tended to grip my medium Timmy's a tad too enthusiastically.

However, for the rest of the interior, the materials used are mostly soft, and the plastics appear to be of high grade.
The 2014 Ford Escape also offers some pretty good cargo space (68.1 cubic feet behind the first row and 34.3 cubic feet behind the second row), and the standard 60/40 rear seat folds flat quickly using one lever.

Comparing the 2014 Ford Escape SE
While the Ford Escape has several competitors listed (Chevrolet Equinox, Honda CR-V, Hyundai Tucson, Jeep Cherokee, Kia Sportage, Mazda CX-5, Mitsubishi Outlander, Nissan Rogue, Subaru Forester, Toyota RAV4, and Volkswagen Tiguan), it manages to dance to its own tune. The lineup offers a good selection of engine choices and its sporty platform tends to pamper to the more spirited driver.

While not perfect (in my opinion, no vehicle is), it's a very nice package for what is available in the compact SUV market today.

A number of highways and boulevards have reserved lanes for vehicles with two or more people on board, which leads some solo drivers to use all sorts of tricks to take advantage of them.

One guy in the Boston area was recently caught with a mannequin in the passenger seat. He had put a jacket on it and even drawn a mustache.

The police officer who pulled him over wasn't amused and handed him a ticket. Hopefully this will serve as a lesson to all!

Source : hosted.ap.org

Sahara Force India and Nico Hulkenberg are enjoying a very good start to the 2014 Formula 1 season.

After four races, the Indian team lies third in the constructors' standings - ahead of the likes of McLaren and Ferrari.
Hulkenberg, who showed speed and consistency has scored points in every race so far and currently lies above reigning world champion Sebastian Vettel in the drivers' table.

Nico Hulkenberg, Sahara Force India (Photo: Sahara Force India)

“Nobody really expected that, but such a position doesn't come out of the blue: on some occasions we've over-performed and whenever there has been an opportunity we've grabbed it and we've made it happen”, Hulkenberg explained.

“We can explain why we are performing well, so it's a position that comes from our own merits. We have a good package, a strong engine partner, and we've made some good decisions and the right calls strategy-wise,” he added.

Mercedes power
Seven of the top ten drivers in the standings drive Mercedes-powered cars. Is it all about the engine? How good is the Sahara Force India VJM07?

“It's a very good car; otherwise we wouldn't be where we are. Sure, you need a good engine package - and no doubt the Mercedes engine was the best package in the first four races - but no, not everything is down to the engine. You also need a good enough car to make such results happen.

Hulkenberg continued his explanation. “We have a good platform with the car that we have and now we have to work on the details to make it faster. But there is no night-and-day upgrade that we will have here in Barcelona. Of course there will be some aerodynamic parts as, like always, it's about the downforce”.

Can Sahara Force India realistically fight against top teams like McLaren and Red Bull Racing?

“I would say that with the McLarens we pretty much should be able to compete throughout the season. With the Red Bulls we've seen a huge step forward from Bahrain to China already so it might be that they are in front of us already,” he replied.

“Red Bull is probably the team with the biggest resources and financial power, so it is really hard to keep up with them. Our main focus is more on the Williams, McLaren, Sauber and Lotus side. If we can beat these guys it's really good - and if we have a really good day or weekend and we can annoy the big ones, even better,” Hulkenberg concluded.

From GMM

Mercedes has played down the issue of team orders ahead of this weekend's Spanish grand prix.

After Bahrain, where Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg thrilled spectators with their unfettered wheel-to-wheel battle, it was suggested team chiefs were subsequently split over the issue of team orders.

It was reported that on one side of the debate was Niki Lauda, the team chairman, while colleagues Paddy Lowe and Toto Wolff want to ensure that Mercedes' dominance is not threatened by driver run-ins.

Indeed, triple world champion Lauda told the Mirror newspaper this week that Sebastian Vettel was right to answer "tough luck" when told by Red Bull in China to obey a team order.

"Yeah. Absolutely. That is a proper racing driver attitude," said the great Austrian.

"(Christian) Horner gave Vettel an order and he said 'screw you' so there is a difference between them and us.

"We don't give orders. Everyone saw in Bahrain, where they were told to watch the cars and we let them race. That is our philosophy," Lauda added.

Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg did the show in Bahrain, aboard their Mercedes W05. (Photo: WRi2)

However, it was believed that Wolff and Lowe do not fully agree with the notion of simply letting the drivers race freely.

But, ahead of Barcelona this weekend, Wolff has been quoted by Speed Week as saying: "Our strategy has not changed. Both (drivers) are allowed to drive freely.

"We do not want taxi driving," he insisted.

In the end, Mercedes could have bigger problems to worry about in Spain.

Improving rivals like Red Bull and Ferrari have had three weeks since China to close the gap to the dominant Brackley team, while many believe that - engine aside - reigning world champions Red Bull already have the best 2014 car.

"Barcelona will show how good our car really is," said Wolff, "because it is a type of Red Bull circuit.

"Ferrari was also impressive in China, and they have the 'in-house' advantage of being able to develop the power unit and the car under one roof.

"They can also count on Alonso, who is capable of incredible performances," Wolff added.

"I must say that we have not been sleeping (since China), but the chase is on. We are not afraid, but we have respect," he said.

If things go very well for Mercedes in Formula 1, the same cannot be said about the German car manufacturer in the DTM.

After a disastrous opening race this past weekend at Hockenheim, HWA AG supervisory board announced Thursday that their CEO and technical director, Gerhard Unger part ways with immediate affect.

At Hockenheim, the best-placed Mercedes in qualifying was the C-Coupé of Gary Paffett in 14th place. In the race, Pascal Wehrlein was the best Mercedes, finishing 11th, 53.8 seconds down to the winner after the 42-lap race.

Gerhard Ungar, Mercedes AMG. (Photo: DTM Media)

Gerhard Ungar arrived at HWA in December 1987 and he was the CEO of the company since September 2012.

Under his guidance, Mercedes clinched 170 wins in 364 ITC/DTM, including 10 drivers' and 9 manufacturers' titles.

Unger also held a leading position with the corresponding responsibility regarding the successful Formula 3 and the SLS AMG GT3 customer-sport projects.

For the time being, board member Ulrich Fritz will assume Gerhard Unger's previous tasks.

“With his successes, Gerhard Unger made a crucial contribution to the DTM involvement of Mercedes-Benz and definitely left a mark,” said Toto Wolf, Head of Mercedes-Benz Motorsport.

“In different leading technical positions, he created the preconditions enabling our brand to win 10 drivers' and nine manufacturers' titles, to date. An achievement we truly have to thank him for. Our DTM programme will be continued as scheduled, this year. Only after an extensive analysis of the current situation, a replacement for Gerhard Unger will be appointed.”

From GMM

Azerbaijan is taking Korea's full-time place on the F1 calendar, Bernie Ecclestone has confirmed.

It is expected a city street race in the capital Baku starting in 2015 will be announced later this month.

F1 chief executive Ecclestone this week indicated the oil-rich former Soviet race is taking the place on the calendar formerly occupied by South Korea, where a race at unpopular Yeongam was last held in 2013.

Korean organisers have baulked at the sport's high sanctioning fees.

Speaking this week to F1 business journalist Christian Sylt, Ecclestone said of the country: "I don't want to go back there."

"Baku has been signed. It will start in 2015 and will replace Korea," he told the Independent.

"They (Korea) did a good job with the track but what they forgot to do was build all the things they wanted to build," said Ecclestone, referring to facilities around the harbourside circuit.

Sylt claims that the Azerbaijan deal was brokered by Flavio Briatore, the ousted former Renault boss and close friend of Ecclestone.

"Briatore put the idea in the mind of the president of the country and that got things going," a source is quoted as saying.