Auto News 5

News 29 May, 2014

Evolutionary look for new Skoda supermini exposed as the camouflage begins to come off

Pictures See all 5 pictures 29 May, 2014

News 29 May, 2014

Over 9,300 apply to buy one of the first European-spec Ford Mustang cars, with the initial 500 reserved in a mere 30 seconds

Daimler's Car2Go unit will withdraw from the UK tomorrow after the car-sharing business it runs with rental firm Europcar failed to gain traction in London.

If you own a classic car, you've probably browsed the eBays for some original dealership brochures for your car, or received them as a gift.

-- The Internet's greatest man-crush of the moment, next to boyish rogue

UK-based Automotive Insulations are specialists in the design and manufacture of acoustic and thermal insulation materials. Established in 1966, the company made parts for the original iconic Mini but went through challenging times when the MG Rover Group went into administration in 2005. However, a management buyout in 2006 signalled a turnaround in the company's direction and fortunes. As manufacturers of components that reduce noise, vibration and harshness (NVH) in vehicle engine bays, interiors, underbodies and exteriors, demand for their products remains strong as automakers increasingly seek quieter and lighter vehicles. Here, Matthew Beecham talked with MD Jim Griffin about the company's work in thermal and acoustic insulation.

Luxury models from BMW and Mercedes earned top scores in front crash prevention with help from optional automatic braking systems, according to a new U.S.-based study.

Tesla's bonds were assigned a B- rating, or 'junk' status from bond raters at Standard and Poor's. Companies are given junk-bond ratings when Wall Street determines there is an increased possibility of default.

VW has released sketches of its eighth-generation Passat ahead of an official unveiling at the Paris auto show in October.

Automotive News Europe salutes the winners of the 2014 Rising Stars awards. Every day through June 3 two of the 14 winners will be featured. The Rising Star for Human Resources is Gayla Cowie of Nissan.

PSA's Paris dealership dedicated to the upscale DS brand is much like a high-end French restaurant: cozy, understated but chic. PSA plans to replicate these traits around the world.

Former GM CEO Dan Akerson says his successor, Mary Barra, didn't know about a deadly safety defect in GM small cars when she took the job in January.

Automotive News Europe honors the winners of the 2014 Rising Stars awards. Every day through June 3 a pair of the 14 winners will be featured. The Rising Star for General Management is Fiat's Steve Zanlunghi.

From GMM

It appears Gene Haas will not have a formula one team on next year's grid.

As recently as last week, it was reported that the Nascar team co-owner's 'plan A' was to debut with a Gunther Steiner-led, North Carolina-based F1 team in 2015.

At the same time, Haas was trying to put together a 200-strong workforce.

"There are many interested parties," a source told Auto Motor und Sport last week, "but we can only hire people when we know who our engine partner is."

At the Indianapolis 500 last weekend, Haas told motorsport.com that plans to use Ferrari technology are on track. "We haven't exactly signed a formal contract (with Ferrari) but we're pretty close," he said.

And he met with likely chassis maker Dallara during the Indianapolis visit.

"They all can do it, they all want to do it, they're all very interested in helping us," said Gene Haas.

He hinted, however, that time is running out to be ready for 2015.

"I think they are looking at it as a good long-time partnership but it just comes down to you have to order things and it takes time to order things and get things scheduled. It just seems that it's taking longer to accomplish what we wanted to do than we thought," Haas added.

The latest news is that Haas has apparently now decided to target a 2016 debut rather than rush onto next year's grid.

"It's already June," he said, "so it's just seven months away and the timing issues are starting to get real crazy."

ADVERTORIAL — It's a well known fact that the majority of road accidents are caused by human error. Consequently, engineers around the world are attempting to change drivers' behaviour in order to make cars safer. In the United States and Sweden, Google and Volvo are striving to create a self-driving car. Here, insurers are trying to encourage safer driving by installing speed-monitoring devices in car engines. However, in Europe, researchers want to give your car a way of monitoring much more than just your speed... Say hello to empathetic cars that can sense your emotions!

Current research
Over the past few years, facial recognition research -- and technology -- has advanced rapidly. One of the largest research facilities in the field, the Signal Processing Laboratory 5 (LTS5), is currently developing potential applications for this technology in cars.

Why? Simply because a person in the throes of a strong emotional outburst tends to be a worse driver than a person who is calm. Irritation and fatigue are among the worst culprits and are at the root of many road accidents. Consequently, researchers at LTS5 are focused on automated facial-expression tracking for drivers. This type of empathetic car could potentially reduce the number of accidents on the road by reacting to the emotional state of its driver, and setting a temporary speed limit, for example. It must be said, however, that the technology hasn't been perfected yet. Test results so far reveal too much imprecision to allow the technology to be brought to market in the short term.

What is the advantage for drivers?
Why would drivers want a device like this in their cars? It is, after all, a tad invasive to be watched by a machine.

First of all, it could reduce your risk of accidents. It might be annoying to be told to calm down by your car, but it's catastrophically more annoying to be in a severe car accident. Secondly, this technology could open the door to insurance premiums “validated” by monitoring your facial expressions.

Discounts are already offered to people with good driving records. Now just imagine if you could prove to your insurer that you were a calm, attentive driver. There's no guarantee that insurance companies will jump on board to adapt their products to this new technology, even if it does appear on the market, but there's no question that it creates the potential for insurers to offer interesting new options. Will they want to encourage courtesy and calm behind the wheel by offering rebates and bonuses? Will they want to punish drivers for impatience and road rage? Will consumers choose to buy these products of their own free will? Only the future will tell.

From GMM

Bernie Ecclestone has had a heartening couple of days in court this week.

The latest witness to appear in Munich for F1 chief executive's bribery trial was a former colleague of the jailed Gerhard Gribkowsky.

Gribkowsky's credibility is a crucial element of the proceedings, as the former BayernLB risk officer was jailed for receiving Ecclestone's $44 million, allegedly as a bribe to influence the sale of F1's commercial rights.

A BayernLB colleague, however, described some of what Gribkowsky routinely said as coming from "the fantasy world". DPA news agency said the witness worked closely on F1 matters with Gribkowsky.

The witness recalled a dinner at which Gribkowsky apparently declared: "I feel as though he (Ecclestone) sees me as an adopted son and wants to groom me as his formula one successor".

Another Gribkowsky tale told of an Ecclestone suitcase filled with $20 million, although subsequent calculations showed that it is impossible to fit that amount of cash in a suitcase.

The BayernLB colleague explained: "Dr Gribkowsky sometimes had days when he told such things. These were the days that I had to switch off."

From GMM

Lewis Hamilton should consider apologizing to Nico Rosberg in the wake of the Monaco grand prix.

That is the claim of double world champion Mika Hakkinen, having already denounced Briton Hamilton's "sub-standard behaviour" in the Principality last weekend.

"I appreciate Nico's patience in this situation," Hakkinen was quoted by Finland's Ilta Sanomat newspaper.

"I do not like the idea of what Lewis did," he added, referring to Hamilton's accusations of sabotage and his refusal to congratulate or even look at new championship leader Rosberg after his back-to-back Monaco win.

Now, Hakkinen is not sure even time can ease the tension between the two Mercedes drivers.

"It's hard to tell if something is going to change significantly," he is quoted in his latest Hermes column.

"I don't know if Lewis would even consider apologizing for his behaviour. It is a very individual thing.

"But in my opinion, one of the characteristics of a good winner is that he also knows how to lose," Hakkinen added.

Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes AMG W05. (Photo: WRi2)

The former McLaren driver, who retired in 2001 and is now 45, was at the grand prix last weekend, where Hamilton suspected Rosberg deliberately ruined his qualifying lap.

Hakkinen is not so sure.

"To me it is clear he locked his brakes at Mirabeau," said the Finn. "It is downhill there with nasty bumps and so making a mistake is easy to do.

"Nico is an honest guy," Mika Hakkinen added, "but you can also see on the computer very precisely where he hit the brakes."

From GMM

Felipe Massa says he is "glad" Ferrari dumped him at the end of last year.

The Brazilian drove for the fabled Maranello team between 2006 and 2013, racing alongside highly-rated champions Michael Schumacher, Kimi Raikkonen and Fernando Alonso.

But Ferrari chose to sign the returning 2007 title winner Raikkonen for this year, with Massa now insisting he is not surprised the Finn is struggling alongside Spaniard Alonso.

Massa told Germany's Auto Bild he thinks Raikkonen is "maybe not quite as good" as Alonso.

In fact, the 33-year-old said he had the measure of the 'iceman'.

"In 2007 he was champion, but until Monza I was ahead of him," said Massa, recalling his battle with Raikkonen some seven years ago.

"Unfortunately, in our team we had an agreement that Monza would decide who is the number 1, and I was ahead of Kimi when I had a problem with my car.

"In 2008 I was in front of him," Massa added, "and also up until my accident in Hungary in 2009. Nevertheless, Kimi is world champion, and I'm not."

Felipe Massa and Kimi Raikkonen, Ferrari, Istanbul 2008. (Photo: WRi2)

However, Massa insists he has no regrets about losing his Ferrari seat for 2014 and moving to Williams.

"It was absolutely the right move," he told Germany's Sport Bild.

"Looking back now, I am even glad that Ferrari did not want me because it opened the way for coming to Williams.

"I'm pretty relaxed, motivated, the team respects me," Massa explained. "You know, sometimes a change is good.

"I'm older but I feel young again. I'm ready to fight and work hard. I regret nothing," he added.

Felipe Massa also admitted that he doesn't miss the ultra high-pressure of wearing a red suit.

"Absolutely not!" he exclaimed. "At Ferrari it was huge -- if you don't win, you have a big load on your shoulders.

"You try to use it as positive energy, but you are constantly tense. Here at Williams I think only about the racing, which is better," said Massa.

Pros: Available as a coupe or convertible, the aptly named 2014 Bentley Continental GT Speed is even more powerful and faster than the “base” model. It's a stunning 2-door automobile that's capable of fast lap times, but it's a real-world supercar, not a track special. Its hand-crafted interior, which can be trimmed in a seemingly endless variety of materials, provides supreme comfort over long distances.

Cons: This car's expensive, even by luxury standards. Its sheer size requires care when driving in tight spots. At the same time, rear-seat access and room is somewhat limited. Of course, the W12 engine will suck your wallet dry at the pumps.

Photo: Bentley

2014 Bentley Continental GT Speed Price: Detailed pricing is unavailable, though it costs in excess of $260,000. Contact your local dealer.

2014 Bentley Continental GT Speed Fuel Economy: The official ratings for the Continental GT Speed are 18.1L/100km in the city and 10.4L/100km on the highway. In the real world, though, you can expect to burn a bit more than that.

Improvements and Changes: For 2014, the Speed edition is available as a convertible, too. Options and packages have been revised.

2014 Bentley Continental GT Speed Powertrain: Outfitted with Bentley's 6.0L twin-turbocharged W12 powerhouse, the Continental GT Speed generates a whopping 626 hp and 605 lb-ft of torque through an 8-speed ZF automatic transmission, which translates into a top speed of 331 km/h and a 0-100km/h dash in 4.2 seconds -- astonishing feats for a car that weighs nearly three tons. As with all Continental models, the state-of-the-art all-wheel drive system employs an advanced Torsen differential and a 40/60 rear-biased torque split.

Don't miss: The sports chassis and lowered suspension accentuate the glued-to-the-road sensation during high-speed cornering. And while nothing compares with the sound of a Bentley engine in full cry, the GT Speed's exclusive Naim for Bentley premium audio system (optional) is definitely worth listening to.

Safety: The 2014 Bentley Continental GT Speed comes standard with a full suite of airbags and electronic nannies including front, side, and curtain airbags, as well as anti-lock brakes, traction and stability control. Convertibles are fitted with automatic pop-up roll bars for added rollover protection.

Comparing the 2014 Bentley Continental GT Speed: Rivals include the Aston Martin Vanquish, Ferrari FF, Porsche 911 Turbo, Mercedes-Benz CL 65 AMG, and Rolls-Royce Phantom Coupe.