Auto News 5

PSA Peugeot Citroën and PAN Nigeria Limited have signed an assembly and sale of cars agreement in Nigeria.

Nissan will sponsor English Premier League champions Manchester City in a bid to boost its brand image as the automaker targets surpassing Toyota as Europe's top-selling Asian brand.

Nissan will sponsor English Premier League champions Manchester City in a bid to boost its brand image as the automaker targets surpassing Toyota as Europe's top-selling Asian brand.

After suggesting last year that Nissan would be in a position to offer fully autonomous cars to the market by 2020, Nissan CEO Carlos Ghosn has offered further clarification on Nissan's planned rollout of autonomous drive technologies.

European car sales rose 4 percent in June as an economic recovery in southern Europe, new product launches and retail incentives boosted demand for mass-market brands.

European car sales rose 4 percent in June as an economic recovery in southern Europe, new product launches and retail incentives boosted demand for mass-market brands.

News 17 Jul, 2014

Skoda has released a sketch of its new third generation Fabia hatchback, along with first official details

Ford plans to introduce 25 new models by 2016 in Africa and the Middle East, where it projects the driving age population will grow 31 percent by 2023 to 1.7 billion people.

Ford plans to introduce 25 new models by 2016 in Africa and the Middle East, where it projects the driving age population will grow 31 percent by 2023 to 1.7 billion people.

Ford plans to introduce 25 new models by 2016 in Africa and the Middle East, where it projects the driving age population will grow 31 percent by 2023 to 1.7 billion people.

VW plans to mimic the fast-paced rollouts of products made by companies like Apple to adapt quicker to changing customer demands for technology in its cars.

GM has not done enough to overhaul its legal department in the wake of its recall crisis, several U.S. senators said today as they pressed GM CEO Mary Barra to fire the automaker's top lawyer.

VW plans to mimic the fast-paced rollouts of products made by the likes of Apple to adapt quicker to changing customer demands for technology in its cars.

Ferrari expects its California T, the brand's only model with a turbocharged engine, to attract customers looking for a supercar that can be used for everyday driving.

GM's top lawyer and the CEO of Delphi Automotive today will speak publicly for the first time about GM's recall of 2.6 million vehicles for faulty ignition switches.

From GMM

Car manufacturer Hyundai was behind a complaint about Nico Rosberg's proposed German grand prix helmet livery.

That is the claim of Germany's Auto Motor und Sport, on the day the German driver was reportedly instructed to change his celebratory helmet because it included an image of the famous world cup trophy.

World football federation FIFA contacted the Rosberg camp to inform him his proposed helmet was an "unauthorised reproduction of its intellectual property".

Photo: Facebook/Nico Rosberg

Rosberg told his Twitter followers the news is a "shame, but of course I respect the legal situation".

He has replaced the trophy image with a simple star, and told reporters at Hockenheim that the fuss left him surprised.

"The world cup as a trademark -- these are the kind of things you have to think of. It's amazing," said the Mercedes driver.

"I've replaced it now with a big star and no one can take that away. The star is ours!"

A FIFA spokesman confirmed Thursday's news, but Auto Motor und Sport reports that there was another complainant behind the story -- Hyundai.

Rosberg drives for Mercedes, but affiliation between the world cup and a car manufacturer is promised exclusively to Hyundai, the official sponsor.

Indeed, Mercedes made clear its delight with Germany's world cup win on Thursday with a huge message on its F1 motor home, reading "Das Beste" and congratulating the national football team on its "Title win".

But no mention was made of the world cup itself, or its protected marks.

Here are some valuable and noteworthy information about the Honda Indy Toronto, Rounds 13 and 14 of the 2014 Verizon IndyCar Series.

From Indycar.com

TV: NBCSN telecasts both races live (3 p.m. ET July 19 and July 20) and qualifications (1:30 p.m. ET July 19). Bob Varsha is the chief announcer with analysts Paul Tracy and Townsend Bell. The Indy Lights Presented by Cooper Tires race will air at 6 p.m. (ET) July 20.

Radio/web: All Verizon IndyCar Series on-track sessions are broadcast on www.IndyCar.com and the INDYCAR 14 app in conjunction with real-time Timing & Scoring. In addition, the races will be broadcast on IMS Radio Network affiliates, XM 209 and Sirius 213. Paul Page is the chief announcer. ... Timing & Scoring for all Indy Lights Presented by Cooper Tires and USF2000 sessions also is on IndyCar.com.

Live practice streaming: Live streaming of the July 19 Verizon IndyCar Series practice sessions will be on www.IndyCar.com, incorporating Timing & Scoring and the IMS Radio Network broadcast.

Qualifications: Three rounds of qualifying, including the Firestone Fast Six to determine the Verizon P1 Award, for Race 1. Entries divided into two groups for Round 1, with top six lap times in each group after 10 minutes of on-track running advancing to Round 2. Top six lap times after 10 minutes of on-track running in Round 2 advance to Firestone Fast Six. ... For Race 2, all entries shall participate in one of two groups for 12 minutes each. The Verizon P1 Award will be awarded to the best overall lap time in the qualifying sessions.

Race laps: 85 in clockwise direction on the 1.7-mile, 11-turn street circuit as measured by INDCYAR Timing & Scoring. Both races carry full points.

Start: Standing start for Race 1 ... two-wide rolling start for Race 2 ... single-file restarts.

Tires: Firestone street course primary tires are being used at all 2014 street course events; no change to the tread compound from 2013. The alternate tire also has the same tread compound used in 2013 and is being used at all street course events.

Fuel: 51 U.S. gallons of E85 for practice/qualifications and 51 gallons each race ... Verizon IndyCar Series cars carry 18.5 U.S. gallons.

Engines: 2.2-liter, twin-turbocharged V6s supplied by Chevrolet and Honda ... ... 150 kPa turbo boost for road/street course races; 160 kPa for push to pass (10 pushes for 15-second activation).

Of note: Luca Filippi will contest his second event of the season in the No. 16 Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing entry and his first at Toronto. ... The Toronto winner has gone on to claim the IndyCar Series championship in four of the past five years. ... Nineteen drivers entered have competed at Toronto. Five are previous winners. ... Chip Ganassi Racing has six wins. ... Bourdais has finished in the top 10 in eight of his nine races at Toronto, including four podium finishes (second and third in 2013; third in '06; victory in ‘04). ... There have been six different winners in the eight road/street course races, representing five teams. There have been eight different winners in the 12 races overall. There have been nine different Verizon P1 Award winners. ... The No. 12 Verizon Team Penske crew won the Firestone Pit Stop Performance Award at the Iowa Corn Indy 300 presented by DEKALB with a total pit lane time of 113.685 seconds. They'll receive $10,000. ... Dixon turns 34 on July 22. ... This is the third and final doubleheader of the season. No one has swept either the Verizon P1 Awards or races at Detroit and Houston.

History: The doubleheader will be the 29th and 30th Indy car races on the streets of Exhibition Place since 1986 when Bobby Rahal won the CART-sanctioned event. Danny Sullivan was second and Mario Andretti completed the podium. Emerson Fittipaldi started from the pole. ... Michael Andretti won the race seven times.

From fia.com

Two weeks after the Austrian event, the FIA European Truck Racing Championship is set to race this weekend in Germany on the Nürburgring.

Three days of great show awaits trucks racing enthusiasts on the famous German track. Year after year, the paddock is always crowded with people coming to enjoy various animations between races and to have a look at the products showcased by the numerous manufactures present on track.

FIA Truck Racing (Photo: FIA)

German competitors will be here, ready to give their best for their home race. Steffi Halm, Ellen Lohr, Jochen Hahn, André Kursim, Gerd Körber and René Reinert are all on the entry list. Jochen currently stands at third place of the championship, six points behind Antonio Albacete and 15 points behind the leader Norbert Kiss.

The fight on the track between these three drivers has been impressive since the start of the season with Kiss keeping the advantage so far thanks to his regularity.

Behind them, the two Buggyra Freightliners drivers, Adam Lacko and David Vrsecky, with are separated in the ranking by Markus Bösiger. These three drivers are also very close and it will be very interesting to see them battling. Rene Reinert and Benedek Major are not so far behind them, and will seize any opportunity to close the current points gap.

FIA Truck Racing (Photo: FIA)

Steffi Halm was unlucky in Austria due to a brake failure and she will surely try to score as many points as possible to remain in the TOP 10.

The Belgian driver Jean-Pierre Blaise will race the MAN n°20 of the Lion Truck Racing.

José Teodosio and Frankie Vojtisek are tied for 10th; Gerd Körber, a Nürburgring specialist will try to take advantage of their showdown to overtake them at the championship, as he trails them closely in terms of points.

Just as he did on the Red Bull Ring, Markus Altenstrasser will drive the second truck of the Team Schwaben Truck.

In the Tankpool 24 team, André Kursim with his Mercedes has made big strides in Austria, his German supporters expect lot of him this weekend.

Florian Orsini will drive the Mercedes n°19.

In the Truckdrive JRT, Ellen Lohr and Anthony Janiec will continue to improve the development of their trucks. It's the same for José Rodrigues with his Renault Trucks of Team 14 and José Souza of VTR Team.

Before the summer break, this Nürburgring event promises to be very exciting, while next meeting is scheduled on the last weekend of August, at Most in Czech Republic.

Small-car lovers, rejoice: Mazda yesterday announced that production of the all-new 2016 Mazda2 has begun at the company's Hofu Plant No. 1 in Yamaguchi, Japan.

Following the Mazda CX-5, Mazda6, and Mazda3, it's the fourth vehicle from Mazda to adopt the full range of SKYACTIV technology and KODO - Soul of Motion design language. The latter will give the Mazda2 a dynamic and energetic form, as well as a finely crafted interior, imparting a presence unrivalled in the subcompact class, Mazda says.

Photo: Mazda

The fourth generation of the Mazda2 (second in North America) will also feature a wide range of cutting-edge technologies such as the Mazda Connect advanced car connectivity system, and i-ACTIVSENSE safety features that aid the driver in recognizing and responding to hazards.

While certain markets will offer a 1.5L SKYACTIV-D diesel engine and a 1.3L SKYACTIV-G gasoline engine, the 2016 Mazda2 will come to the Canadian market in 2015 exclusively with a 1.5L SKYACTIV-G gasoline engine, although you can expect great fuel economy mixed with plenty of Zoom-Zoom. The exact date will be announced later.

The Mazda2 is one of the Japanese brand's core products, with total sales of over 2.4 million units globally since its inception.

Sometimes the rich get richer, but that usually happens through smart business decisions.

Germany's Manager Magazin, citing unnamed company sources, reported on Thursday that Volkswagen chairman Ferdinand Piech had met with the owners of Fiat-Chrysler about the possibility of buying all or part of their newly formed alliance.

Both parties were quick to kill those rumours, however.

A spokesman told Reuters that Volkswagen currently has no takeovers on the agenda and is instead focusing on improving efficiency within the various branches of the company.

Meanwhile, the Agnelli family, whose holding firm Exor owns a 30% stake in Fiat-Chrysler, denied any talks took place.

The magazine also hinted at "diverging views" between Volkswagen's management and the supervisory board about the automaker's future course, as well as a succession plan for both Piech, who is 77, and CEO Martin Winterkorn, 67.

If you remember, Winterkorn said in March that Volkswagen, despite hoarding almost $24 billion in cash, had no plans to expand the group through acquisitions as it was focusing on integrating its 12-brand network.

The German automaker also announced this week an ambitious plan to cut annual costs by $7.3 billion until 2018, since profitability gains don't match its steadily growing sales.


_{Source: Reuters}