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Eight states, in a coalition including California and New York, have signaled that they're willing to meet automakers part way in an effort to put 3.3 million zero-emission vehicles on their roads by 2025.

Five years ago this week, General Motors Corp. -- long a symbol of America's industrial might -- sought bankruptcy protection. Work on what would become the bankruptcy road map began within GM before outgoing President George W.

Everything about the new test program that Google co-founder Sergey Brin revealed last week points toward a personal transportation system that directly challenges the driver-centered, ownership-based business model the auto industry has relied on...

Dealership new-vehicle profits won't grow anytime soon.

Judging by minivan sales, the segment has crashed over the past decade. Volume, shmolume, retailers say. Many consumers buy loaded, higher-end models, so minivans deliver good margins. And minivan buyers often become a dealership's loyal customers.

PPG Industries CEO Charles Bunch exercised stock options to top the list of the 35 highest-paid CEOs at publicly traded North America-based automotive companies.

The auto industry's love affair with weight-saving aluminum is just warming up. In the pipeline is a growing list of vehicles with all-aluminum bodies or with more aluminum body panels, such as doors, roofs and trunks.

Penske Automotive Group Inc. has begun no-haggle pricing at a Toyota dealership near Phoenix on new and used vehicles, trade-ins and finance and insurance products.

Some General Motors dealers worry that an onslaught of safety recalls could jeopardize their quarterly incentive bonuses. GM told dealers in recent weeks to stop delivering several high-volume models that later were recalled to fix safety defects.

Operating in a lower-middle-class area, with about 20 percent of deals falling through at the finance desk, dealer Carlos Uruchurtu struggled to keep salespeople from jumping to dealerships in better neighborhoods.

Barely 6 months into 2014 and we've already been driving some 2015MY cars for the past 9 months.

2015 is gearing up to be another year filled with new and very cool cars. A number of reviewed 2015s slotted themselves as some of our faves. More are certainly to come, but this is where we stand at the moment.

Here are 10 of our favorite or most anticipated 2015 cars:

Jeep Renegade
Not driven. Truly cool. Makes the Compass and Patriot really look like sad, old-people Jeeps. Unfortunately (for me), will likely be a girlie car...

Photo: Jeep

Continue reading 2015 Cars You Should Keep an Eye On

From GMM

F1's new turbo era is "far too expensive", according to Williams co-founder and former technical boss Patrick Head.

The 67-year-old Briton told the BBC he thinks the sport has taken a wrong turn in focusing too much on road-relevant hybrid technology.

"I think it should be more about the drivers and more about entertainment on the track," said Head.

"The road car people are doing a perfectly good job on hybrid anyway at the moment. I'm not sure that it needs formula one to demonstrate hybrid technology," he added.

And he thinks the main problem is the cost of the engines to the teams.

The Mercedes engine. (Photo: WRi2)

"You could produce 800 horse power for 2 million euros a team each year. I think the teams are having to pay about ten times that amount," said Head.

"It's a very expensive way of powering formula one cars. I think the engines are fascinating pieces of kit, but I think they are far too expensive for what they are supposed to be doing."

With a similar view is former F1 team boss Flavio Briatore, who said F1 began to turn the wrong corner due to the disproportionate influence of engineers.

"Is it realistic to design seventy different wings in one season?" he is quoted by Italy's La Stampa.

"Just so these engineers can come to orgasm?

"Unfortunately, with the abolition of FOTA, a free hand was given to people with no sense of proportion," said Flavio Briatore.

From nascar.com

It came as little surprise that Jimmie Johnson was able to dominate the field Sunday at Dover International Speedway, a track where he has won nine NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races, more than any driver in NASCAR history.

What was stunning was Johnson's public revelation that he'd had hernia surgery in December, a procedure which might have contributed to his slow start.

"It wasn't supposed to be a secret," said Johnson, whose surgery came to light during a recorded interview with FOX that aired during the race. "The hernia surgery was, literally, right after the banquet. I'm surprised nobody knew about this thing sooner."

Johnson said he had bilateral hernias (one on each side) as well as a third in the "belly button area," repaired laparoscopically and was back in training 10 days after the procedure.

Johnson, who says Dover's high-banked mile track "suits his style," led 272 of the final 319 miles on his way to victory in Sunday's FedEx 400 presented by Autism Speaks.

Jimmie Johnson and his daughter Genevieve Marie look at the Miles The Monster Trophy. (Photo: Todd Warshaw/Getty Images)

At the last restart, Johnson was able to pull away from Brad Keselowski and Matt Kenseth, who was so slow on the restart that Clint Bowyer attempted to push him from behind.

Keselowski finished second, followed by Kenseth, Bowyer and Denny Hamlin.

NASCAR Sprint Cup point standings:
1. Matt Kenseth, 463 points
2. Jeff Gordon, 461
3. Carl Edwards, 438
4. Jimmie Johnson, 436
5. Dale Earnhardt Jr., 429

From GMM

Fourteen years on, little has changed between Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg, according to their former karting boss.

In 2000, the pair were teammates at mbm.com, the kart team sponsored by Mercedes-Benz and McLaren.

Nico Rosberg and Lewis Hamilton, mbm.com karting team (Photo: Sebastien Blin)

It was run by Dino Chiesa, who told Germany's Bild am Sonntag newspaper on Sunday: "On his fast lap, Lewis was always a little faster than Nico. He knew it well and he knows it today.

"But Rosberg has always worked harder. He (Rosberg) has always done the dirty work -- the setup, working with the mechanics and the engineers.

"Lewis has never worked as hard as Nico behind the scenes," said Chiesa, when asked about the past in the context of the pair's massive falling-out as they battle for the world championship in 2014 as Mercedes teammates.

"One of them has the talent, the other is fast but is more of a thinker. And then Lewis cuts a piece of Nico's cake and sells it as his own."

Chiesa said Briton Hamilton and German Rosberg also got up to their 'psychological games' in karts all those years ago.

"Yes, but of course on a different scale," he revealed. "At the time I was the team manager, but I was also like a counsellor or a father.

"I remember some angry phone calls from the hotel reception. Sometimes they had destroyed the room. It started with a thrown cushion, then a blanket, then the mattress was out on the street.

"It was all fun except that I always paid the bill at the end," he laughed.

Lewis Hamilton, mbm.com karting (Photo: Sebastien Blin)

Chiesa said Monaco 2014, however, was slightly different.

"Lewis behaved a bit like a young, angry Italian," he surmised. "Nothing is ever his fault. He always thinks others are out to hurt him.

"But you have to understand this is a German team with a German driver who has been there for three years already. It feels to Lewis as if the team is a bit more friendly to Nico. It's normal."

Chiesa said he still talks regularly to Rosberg, but not to Hamilton.

"It is difficult to get to him," he said. "His management is not very helpful. It may be good for a Hollywood star, but not for a formula one driver. These people give the impression of him being a superstar.

"But a motor sport race is not a show, it's hard work. So I think it's right that Niki Lauda brought him back down to earth," said Chiesa, perhaps referring to Hamilton's smaller entourage and apparently clearer focus in 2014.

Meanwhile, former F1 driver Alex Zanardi has tipped Hamilton to beat Rosberg to the title this year.

"I only want to say one thing about their rivalry," the Italian is quoted by La Gazzetta dello Sport.

"Nico is a very strong driver, but Lewis is a champion."

From wec.com

FIA World Endurance Championship leader Toyota Racing has thrown down the gauntlet to rivals Audi and Porsche ahead of the 2014 24 Hours of Le Mans by setting the top two fastest laps at today's one-day Official Test.

The No. 8 TS040 Hybrid of Sébastien Buemi posted a lap of 3m23.014 in the second of two 4-hour test sessions, 0.7 seconds quicker than the quickest time in the morning set by the No. 3 Audi R18 e-tron quattro. Buemi's time was just 0.142s faster than the No. 7 Toyota of Kazuki Nakajima.

Toyota TS040. (Photo: WRi2)

The No. 3 Audi finished the day with the third quickest time thanks to the 3m23.799 set in the morning, with Marco Bonanomi posting a 3m24.453 lap in the second session, exactly the same time as teammate Loïc Duval in No. 1 Audi.

The two LMP1-H Porsches were split by the No. 2 Audi of André Lotterer, just 0.065s behind the No. 14 919 hybrid of Neel Jani, who posted a 3m24.692 lap. Jani was 0.2s faster than team mate Timo Bernard in the No. 20 Porsche.

The No. 12 Rebellion R-One LMP1-L class car was 1.3 seconds ahead of the no13 R-One at the end of the day, with Mathias Beche posting a 3m31.700 lap, 8.6s behind the lead Toyota on the 13.629km long Le Mans circuit.

Like Toyota, the LMP2 championship leader G-Drive Racing got its Le Mans challenge off to a great start with Roman Rusinov in the No. 26 Morgan-Nissan posting the quickest lap in the class with a 3m37.795 lap, 0.3s faster than the No. 48 Murphy Prototypes Oreca Nissan and a futher 0.8s ahead of the No. 36 Signatech Alpine.

Morgan-Nissan, G-Drive. (Photo: WRi2)

The No. 47 KCMG Oreca was the second quickest of the five LMP2 runners entered from the FIA WEC, posting the 5th fastest time in LMP2 but just 1.68s behind the time set by Rusinov in the G-Drive Racing Morgan.

After Ferrari dominated the morning test session it was Porsche that topped the times at the end of the day, with Fred Makowiecki setting a 3m57.260 lap to top the time sheets, 3 seconds quicker than the best time set by the No. 92 Team Manthey Porsche in the morning.

Porsche 911, RSR. (Photo: WRi2)

It was a bitter sweet afternoon for the Porsche team as the No. 91 911 was forced to miss the afternoon session after Jorg Bergmeister's car flew across the gravel trap at the final corner earlier in the day.

The leading Ferrari was not a LMGTE Pro class car but the LMGTE Am 8 Star Motorsports 458 of Paolo Ruberti, the Italian posting the second fastest time across the whole of the two LMGTE classes with a 3m57.403, just 0.143s behind Makowieki's LMGTE Pro spec Porsche and ahead of the works Ferraris run by AF Corse, the No. 51 AF Corse Ferrari of Giancarlo Fisichella finishing 0.08s behind Ruberti's 458.

Nissan Zeod RC. (Photo: WRi2)

1 - Davidson-Lapierre-Buemi (Toyota TS040 Hybrid) - Toyota - 3m23.014
2 - Wurz-Sarrazin-Nakajima (Toyota TS040 Hybrid) - Toyota - 3m23.156
3 - Bonanomi-Albuquerque (Audi R18 e-tron) - Audi - 3m24.453
3 - Di Grassi-Duval-Kristensen (Audi R18 e-tron) - Audi - 3m24.453
5 - Dumas-Jani-Lieb (Porsche 919 Hybrid) - Porsche - 3m24.692
6 - Fassler-Lotterer-Treluyer (Audi R18 e-tron) - Audi - 3m24.757
7 - Bernhard-Webber-Hartley (Porsche 919 Hybrid) - Porsche - 3m24.911
8 - Prost-Heidfeld-Beche (Rebellion R One-Toyota) - Rebellion - 3m31.700
9 - Belicchi-Leimer-Krahamer (Rebellion R One-Toyota) - Rebellion - 3m33.043
10 - Rusinov-Pla-Canal (Morgan-Nissan) - G Drive - 3m37.795 (1st LMP2)
11 - Berthon-Kapadia-Gonzalez-Chandock (Oreca 03-Nissan) - Murphy Prototipes - 3m38.286
12 - Chatin-Webb-Panciatici (Alpine A450-Nissan) - Signatech - 3m39.026
13 - Brundle-Mardenborough-Shulzhitsky (Ligier JS P2-Nissan) - OAK - 3m39.191
14 - Howson-Bradley-Imperatori (Oreca 03-Nissan) - KCMG - 3m39.475
15 - Frey-Mailleux-Lancaster (Oreca 03-Nissan) - Race Performance - 3m39.568
16 - Dolan-Tincknell-Gené (Zytek Z11SN-Nissan) - Jota - 3m39.849
17 - Capillaire-Rast-Charouz-Vanthoor (Oreca 03-Nissan) - Loeb Racing - 3m40.171
18 - Thiriet-Badey-Gommendy (Ligier JS P2-Nissan) - Thiriet By TDS - 3m40.908
19 - Ladygin-Minassian-Mediani (Oreca 03-Nissan) - SMP - 3m41.033
20 - Kimber Smith-Dyson-McMurry (Zytek Z11SN-Nissan) - Caterham - 3m41.086
21 - Klien-Hirsch-Brandela (Morgan-Judd) - Newblood By Morand - 3m41.656
22 - Schell-Leutwiller-Roussel (Morgan-Nissan) - Pegasus - 3m43.156
23 - Munemman-Latif-Winslow-Norris Jones (Zytek Z11SN-Nissan) - Graves - 3m43.261
24 - Ladygin-Zlobin-Salo (Oreca 03-Nissan) - SMP - 3m43.499
25 - Ragues-Taylor-Ihara (Morgan-Judd) - Larbre Competition - 3m43.924
26 - Cheng-Tung-Fong (Ligier JS P2-HPD) - OAK - 3m45.260
27 - Reip-Erdos (Nissan Zeod RC) - Nissan - 3m54.145
28 - Holzer-Makowiecki-Lietz (Porsche 911) - Manthey - 3m57.260 (1st GTE Pro)
29 - Ruberti-Montecalvo-Roda (Ferrari 458) - 8 Star - 3m57.403 (1st GTEAm)
30 - Bruni-Vilander-Fisichella (Ferrari 458) - AF Corse - 3m57.483
31 - Bertolini-Shaitar-Basov (Ferrari 458) - SMP - 3m57.569
32 - Griffin-Parente-Leo (Ferrari 458) - RAM - 3m57.933
33 - Gavin-Milner-Westbrook (Chevrolet Corvette C7) - Corvette - 3m58.403
34 - Perez Companc-Cioci-Venturi (Ferrari 458) - AF Corse - 3m58.440
35 - Mann-Giammaria (Ferrari 458) - AF Corse - 3m58.565
36 - Rigon-Calado-Beretta (Ferrari 458) - AF Corse - 3m58.905
37 - Wyatt-Rugolo-Bird (Ferrari 458) - AF Corse - 3m58.917
38 - Magnussen-Garcia-Taylor (Chevrolet Corvette C7) - Corvette - 3m59.192
39 - Barthez-Pons-Ayari (Ferrari 458) - Sofrev ASP - 3m59.246
40 - Mowlew-Hamilton (Ferrari 458) - RAM - 3m59.248
41 - Ried-Alqubaisi-Bachler-Long (Porsche 911 RSR) - Proton - 3m59.413
42 - Turner-Mucke-Senna (Aston Martin Vantage) - Aston Martin - 3m59.561
43 - Perrodo-Collard (Porsche 911 GT3-RSR) - Prospeed - 3m59.601
44 - Poulsen-Hansson-Thiim (Aston Martin Vantage) - Aston Martin - 3m59.903
45 - Dempsey-Foster-Bachler-Long (Porsche 911 RSR) - Dempsey -3m59.966
46 - MacDowall-OmYoung-Rees (Aston Martin Vantage) - Aston Martin - 3m59.996
47 - Alfaisal-Neiman-Pumpelly (Ferrari 458) - JMW - 4m00.458
48 - Dalla Lana-Lamy-Nygaard (Aston Martin Vantage) - Aston Martin - 4m00.571
49 - Pilet-Bergmeister-Tandy (Porsche 911) - Manthey - 4m00.846
50 - Maris-Helary (Porsche 911 GT3-RSR) - Imsa - 4m02.292
51 - Rich-Nakano-Matschull (Ferrari 458) - Taisan - 4m02.499
52 - Narac-Armindo-Hallyday (Porsche 911 GT3-RSR) - Imsa - 4m05.075
53 - Cameron (Ferrari 458) - AF Corse - 4m08.608
54 - Mallegol-Blank-Bachelier (Ferrari 458) - AF Corse - 4m12.276

From GMM

F1 looks set to abolish the troublesome Gill fuel flow sensor.

Earlier this season, the sensor was at the centre of Daniel Ricciardo's disputed Melbourne disqualification, with Red Bull arguing it was unreliable and inaccurate.

Now, the specialist magazine Racecar Engineering reports in its latest issue that an alternative sensor "is in the final stages of development", and could even make its debut later in 2014.

The new sensor is reportedly being developed by a company called Sentronics, with the involvement of Hyspeed, who initially worked with Gill on the current F1 sensor.

The Gill-Hyspeed collaboration, however, ended last year, leaving Hyspeed to start work on the new solution.

"We remain convinced that the ultrasonic time-of-flight principle is the best way of measuring fuel flow on board a race car," said managing director Neville Meech, who formerly worked for Gill.

He said the Sentronics sensor, called the 'Flowsonic', is a "compact and robust unit with the minimum of materials and parts, and hence less to go wrong".

It also weighs just 250 grams, half the maximum permitted by the FIA, Racecar Engineering added.

From GMM

Stefano Domenicali says his heart will "always be red".

Red, of course, is the colour of Ferrari, the fabled Italian marque he represented for more than two decades.

But Domenicali, 49, left the Maranello team earlier this year, with poor results in the all-new turbo V6 era triggering the arrival of Marco Mattiacci.

Domenicali has been laying low since his exit, but he resurfaced at the weekend at Mugello, for the Italian round of MotoGP.

"Ferrari? My heart will always be red," Italian reports quote him as saying.

Also at Mugello on Sunday was Ferrari's lead driver Fernando Alonso.

"It is my first time not just at a MotoGP race, but any motorcycle race," Alonso, who arrived in a red Ferrari F12, told Spain's Marca newspaper.

The Spaniard also spoke about Ferrari's flagging fortunes in 2014.

"We have to improve step by step -- we cannot do quantum leaps," Alonso is quoted by La Gazzetta dello Sport.

"We need to set the objective of creating a solid foundation not only for this year but for the future as well."

From GMM

Michael Schumacher's manager has dismissed the latest round of speculation about the F1 legend.

Media reports in Spain last week quoted Sabine Kehm, Schumacher's manager, as saying the seven time world champion was now able to "interact" with his "immediate surroundings".

The news follows more than a 150-day coma for the former Ferrari and Mercedes driver, following his skiing fall just after Christmas.

But Kehm told Italy's La Gazzetta dello Sport: "I have never spoken with these journalists, and we have not issued any statement about Michael's health condition."

However, some believe the speculation about Schumacher's condition is only being fuelled by the complete lack of official information from his family and management.

Roger Benoit, a respected and long-serving member of the F1 corps, wrote in Blick newspaper: "Slowly, everybody is really worried. Grenoble and the family have been silent for weeks. Why?"

Michael Schumacher. (Photo: Mercedes-Benz)

Also critical of the Schumacher camp's media strategy is Gary Hartstein, the former F1 doctor.

He fears the worst.

"I can conceive of no possible reason that Michael's entourage, understandably extremely protective of his and their privacy, would not tell his fans if significantly good things have happened," Hartstein wrote on his blog.

He said that, almost six months into a coma of Schumacher's magnitude, "only a tiny, tiny fraction" of patients ever regain consciousness.

Dr Hartstein added: "I'm quite afraid, and virtually certain, we will never have any good news about Michael. At this point, I rather dread seeing that the family has put out a press release."

Here are 8 interesting details Formula 1 fans must know about the Canadian Grand Prix held this weekend in Montreal.

1
The first Canadian Grand Prix was held in 1967 at Mosport Park near Toronto, and was won by Jack Brabham, driving a Brabham-Repco.

Jack Brabham, Brabham-Repco. (Photo: WRi2)

2
The Gilles Villeneuve circuit was the scene of Robert Kubica's terrible and frightening crash in 2007 in his BMW Sauber.

3
Ferrari and McLaren have won the Canadian race 18 times each. The next best team is Williams with 7 wins.

4
The first race to be held in Montreal in October 1978 saw Gilles Villeneuve take the win - his first in Formula 1 - in his Ferrari 312 T3.

Gilles Villeneuve, Ferrari 312 T3. (Photo: WRi2)

5
The winningest driver is Michael Schumacher with 7 wins, followed by Nelson Piquet and Lewis Hamilton with 3 victories each.

6
Five drivers have taken a debut win in Montreal: Gilles Villeneuve (1978), Thierry Boutsen (1989), Jean Alesi (1995), Lewis Hamilton (2007) and Robert Kubica (2008).

Jean Alesi in 1995. (Photo: WRi2)

7
In 2005, the Canadian Grand Prix was the third-most watched sporting event in the world with 51 million viewers, just behind the Super Bowl and the UEFA Champions League.

8
The 2011 Canadian Grand Prix was the longest-ever Formula 1 race in 4h04m39.54 because of a downpour. Jenson Button eventually won the race by beating Sebastian Vettel.

Jenson Button, McLaren, 2011. (Photo: WRi2)

From GMM

Sochi could be the next night race on the F1 calendar.

Despite the unfolding Crimean crisis, tickets for the inaugural Russian grand prix in October have are now on sale.

And for the future, promoter Sergey Vorobyov said the plan is to hold the race under floodlights.

"On the night race, yes. (Bernie) Ecclestone was in Sochi to make sure that the night-time is very beautiful," he told Ria Novosti news agency.

"The idea is technically difficult for the first year (2014), which will definitely be a day race," said Sergey Vorobyov.

"A night race has high costs that must first be calculated. But we like it (the night race concept), and I think that sooner or later it will come," he added.

Olympic fireworks in Sochi. (Photo: Formula Sochi)