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South Africa is to become the fourth country for Nissan's ongoing campaign to launch or return the Datsun brand to selected countries.

News 10 Jun, 2014

Fresh faced Honda Civic spied testing in the UK, with official revealed expected before the end of the year

Pictures See all 6 pictures 10 Jun, 2014

A lighter Ford Fusion, like any lighter car, is something enthusiasts have been championing for years. And on the surface, Fusion Lite sounds like the name of a brand-new soft drink.

OK, so there's no Mazda Miata. We lied. (If you say the title 10 times fast, though, your face may turn the resplendent shade of blue Mazda once used for its

-- Jalopnik's vaguely entertaining Opposite Lock details

We spent the morning driving the new Lotus F1 car around the Nurburgring. Let that sink in for a minute.

News 10 Jun, 2014

Renault buys out Caterham’s 50 percent stake in Alpine sports car brand, bringing an end to joint venture

News 10 Jun, 2014

The MINI Cooper SD three-door combines a hot hatch worrying 168bhp with 69mpg running costs

Capacity utilization at Europe's vehicle plants should reach 70 percent this year. A return to the 2007 high of 85 percent is not expected until 2020 #8211; if ever #8211; forecasters say.

Ford will keep production of the Fiesta in Germany after agreeing with workers to cut assembly costs. Reports had said Ford could move Fiesta production to its Romanian factory where the B-Max is built.

BMW, Jaguar Land Rover and Daimler ranked one, two and three in European plant capacity usage last year, according to data from research firm Inovev. All three automakers turned that efficiency into profitability.

A number of car factories are at risk of closure because of overcapacity in the European auto industry. PSA's factory in Rennes, France, and Honda's plant in Gebze, Turkey, are highest on the list, according researchers.

A man at an outdoor cafe stares at a Mini, puzzled, as two women enter, and two men step out almost simultaneously. Miraculous transformation?

If you've ever had an off-road adventure, particularly an off-road adventure in a Jeep, you owe a debt of gratitude to Mark A. Smith.

General Motors committed fraud while settling claims over a 2004 accident that left one man dead and his fiancee pleading guilty to a crime, the victim's family said in a lawsuit seeking to reopen the case.

From GMM

Mercedes is not imposing team orders, even though the dominant team's winning streak ended in Canada.

At the wheel of the W05, Nico Rosberg and Lewis Hamilton were just as dominant at the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve, but they both struck technical trouble in the race.

Many are wondering if the problems would have happened if the pair were operating under team orders, as per Mika Hakkinen and David Coulthard at McLaren in 1998.

"It hurt at the time, but it guaranteed the team a one-two," said Coulthard, recalling the Melbourne season opener where Hakkinen won due to a pre-race agreement amid questionable reliability.

David Coulthard, now a commentator for British television BBC, wonders if Montreal might now move Mercedes' to adopt a similar approach.

"It will be interesting to see whether that changes Mercedes' approach if a similar situation, when reliability is marginal, arises later in the season," he said.

Nico Rosberg and Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes AMG, in Montreal. (Photo: WRi2)

The beneficiary of Mercedes' Montreal issues was Red Bull, as Daniel Ricciardo recorded his first grand prix win.

"At the Red Bull-Ring there are long straights and uphills," Dr Helmut Marko told Sport Bild. "So we will only be able to beat Mercedes again if they have more problems."

It is clear that, in Canada, feuding teammates Hamilton and Rosberg were fighting hard. They almost clashed at the first corner, and later Rosberg controversially ran across the chicane whilst defending a Hamilton attack.

It has been suggested that Hamilton eventually had to retire from the race because he pushed too hard after his technical problems began, whilst Rosberg steered through the trouble with more finesse.

"Lewis had the problem with the brakes at the same time as Nico," said former F1 driver Christian Danner, "but he (Hamilton) couldn't adapt quickly enough. So he failed and Nico went to the finish."

Mercedes team chairman Niki Lauda agrees: "Nico drove like a god. Absolutely world champion class."

Coulthard, however, isn't so sure Hamilton was to blame for his failure. "If the team are not criticising him for influencing the failures in Melbourne and Montreal," he said, "then we have to assume he has done nothing wrong."

Indeed, team boss Toto Wolff has publicly apologised to Hamilton for the latest problem.

So, for now, Mercedes is pushing ahead with its policy of resisting team orders.

"You could say that we should impose team orders," Toto Wolff is quoted by La Presse, "but that is not our philosophy.

"Both drivers have been perfect. Slowing down could have improved the outcome, but this is not what we want, and definitely not what the public wants," he added.

From press release

Round three of the FIA World Rallycross Championship sees former F1 World Champion Jacques Villeneuve reunited with Albatec Racing for World RX of Norway at Lånke, June 14-15.

Returning from an appearance at the Indy 500, where after a 19-year absence he averaged 230 m/h a lap to finish a very credible 14th, Jacques will rejoin Team Principal Andy Scott aboard one of the team's 600bhp, two-litre, 16v Peugeot 208 Supercars.

A frustrating start to his rallycross debut in the season-opening Montalegre round in April saw the former IndyCar champion's weekend not go entirely to plan, but with two days testing planned ahead of the Norwegian event, hopes are high of a strong result for the Canadian this weekend.

Jacques Villeneuve. (Photo: Albatec Racing)

“I'm very happy to be getting back into rallycross, but obviously hoping to have a better result than my first event,” said Jacques Villeneuve.

“Coming here off the back of a good finish at Indy I'm feeling pretty confident and with the benefit now of one rallycross event already completed, will certainly be hoping for an improvement in Norway. It's encouraging for the team to have qualified for two successive semi finals with Andy, and hopefully the developments they've done will allow me to challenge for a strong result.”

From GMM

Ferrari could be set to announce a Le Mans prototype foray.

It is already known that the Maranello marque's lead formula one driver, Fernando Alonso, will be the special guest starter of the fabled 24 hour endurance race this weekend.

Ferrari announced last month that the Spaniard was invited to wave the flag at Le Mans following "several comments president (Luca di) Montezemolo has made relating to the technology and car development linked to this event".

"It (Le Mans) is one of a handful of races that has defined the history of motor sport," Fernando Alonso was quoted as saying.

Le Mans 24 Hours 2013. (Photo: FIA WEC)

Ferrari has also been highly critical of F1's developmental direction recently.

And last year, the now-ousted team boss Stefano Domenicali said the sport's new turbo V6 engines "would allow some interesting projects".

"At the moment I cannot say more," he added in mid 2013.

Ferrari quoted Alonso as saying last month ahead of his Le Mans visit: "I'm keen to check out the details on this type of car. In formula one, we have also entered the hybrid era and I am curious to find out more about the working methods and technology involved in this series."

Spain's El Mundo Deportivo is now reporting speculation that Ferrari could announce its return to Le Mans with a 'LMP1' prototype car foray on Saturday.

Correspondent Raymond Blancafort said organisers of the famous 24 hour race are already flagging a "very important announcement" to be made before the 2014 race start on that day.

Renault has acquired Caterham Group's stake in Société des Automobiles Alpine Caterham.

Following a mutual agreement between Renault and Caterham Group, Renault has increased its stake in Société des Automobiles Alpine Caterham to 100%, following acquisition of the interest held by Caterham Group.

Renault will now continue to develop its own Alpine sports car to be launched in 2016, as initially planned. Caterham Group also plans to continue with its own sports car.

Alpine Renault A110-50. (Photo: Renault Sport)

This acquisition brings to an end to the partnership signed in November 2012 by Renault and Caterham Group to develop and manufacture sports cars through a joint venture, Société des Automobiles Alpine Caterham, owned 50/50 by the two partners. Other forms of cooperation could still be envisaged between Renault and Caterham Group in line with each company's strategic policy directions.  

As a result, Société des Automobiles Alpine Caterham will change its name to Société des Automobiles Alpine.  The change will be made as part of a general meeting to be held in June.