Auto News 5

BMW has widened its U.S. luxury sales lead over Mercedes during the first six months after staying ahead of its rival in June deliveries. In the first half, the brand sold 157,382 vehicles, for a lead of 5,758 over Mercedes.

In an unusual twist, an influx of owners of older models recalled this year by GM is stimulating the company's new-vehicle business, dealers and analysts say.

From GMM

F1 engine supplier Renault has denied it is being bought out by disgruntled partner Red Bull.

Team boss Christian Horner is back on the offensive this week, insisting the French marque even had years of warning about its now-struggling turbo V6 project.

"We sat down with Renault to express our concerns about the direction it was going in autumn 2012," he told reporters on Tuesday.

There have been suggestions Red Bull's patience has finally run out, but the lack of alternatives - with F1's only other engine suppliers being arch-rivals Mercedes and Ferrari - is obvious.

"The thing about a team like Red Bull is we always have options, and I'm not going to disclose what they are here," Christian Horner insisted.

Evidently, one of Red Bull's few options is to build its own engine, but the team has played down that likelihood.

But what about simply getting more involved at Renault? There have been rumours the F1 facility at Viry-Châtillon could be sold.

Viry-Chatillon factory. (Photo: Renault Sport F1)

Renault F1 chief Rob White denies it.

"At the moment there is no intention to sell the engine department at Viry. It's still very much a subsidiary of Renault," he told Auto Motor und Sport.

And he said Red Bull taking over Renault would not allow the reigning world champions to simply re-badge the current power unit and dodge the restrictive homologation - or development 'freeze' - that is holding back progress.

"It is not possible to stick another name on the cylinder head and start from scratch. Even Honda can't do exactly as they want," White explained.

Germany's Sport Bild claims that, rather than buying Viry, Red Bull will simply get more involved with Renault's engine project, upping its budget and forcing a restructuring.

To this end, it is believed current Caterham boss Cyril Abiteboul is returning to Renault to lead the revamp.

The focus, it seems, is to follow Mercedes' lead in specifically adapting the engine to a single, works chassis, rather than trying to make it work for every customer.

"You are never going to be able to satisfy everybody," Horner said on Tuesday. "Renault has tried to keep all of their customers happy, which is an admirable thing to do, but it's not the best way to be competitive."

With that change looming at Renault, it is no surprise the currently Renault-powered Lotus is on the move.

It will mean every 2015 Renault customer has close links to the 'works' team Red Bull -- sister team Toro Rosso, and the user of the entire Red Bull rear end, Caterham.

From GMM

Colin Kolles is set to return to the pitwall as a F1 team boss.

Until now, it has been clear that the former HRT and Force India chief is in fact leading a Romanian project for an all-new F1 team, the Ferrari-linked Forza Rossa, who were waiting for the official green light from the governing FIA.

But the very latest reports are that Germany-based Romanian Kolles is actually getting involved at Caterham.

Motorhome Caterham. (Photo: WRi2)

The major German daily Bild claims Kolles, 46, is becoming a motor sport consultant to the green-coloured team, as the struggling backmarker loses the support of its founder Tony Fernandes.

It is believed the Leafield-based team has been bought, including its reported EUR 20 million in debts, by a consortium of Swiss-based Arabs.

"Kolles is the man in the background, pulling the strings," Bild reported.

"He wants to give Caterham a polish and achieve at least tenth place in the world championship, getting money from Bernie Ecclestone's TV pot."

Bild said Caterham's new owners intend to 'remain in the background', even though the news should at least become official ahead of the British grand prix.

July marks national Park and Recreation month in the U.S., and Land Rover North America is encouraging people to explore the great national parks and landscapes through its newest initiative called “31 Days, 31 Parks.”

Every day during the month of July, using the hashtag #GoSomewhereRare, Land Rover USA will post interesting facts, photos, or adventure ideas across its social channels (Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram).

The company will also incorporate tips and user-generated content from guest travel adventure writers and Land Rover owners.

Photo: Land Rover

From GMM

F1 tire supplier Pirelli has raised its concerns about F1's new standing restart rule for 2015.

With the move already controversial among the sport's fans, top drivers have also raised their voices at the prospect of forming up for grid re-starts after safety car periods next year.

"We all pretty much disagreed as far as I am aware," Red Bull driver Daniel Ricciardo, revealing widespread dislike for the innovation among his racing peers, said on Tuesday.

Team bosses have also raised their eyebrows, even though Sahara Force India chief Bob Fernley admitted to the Indian news agency PTI this week that the move will "improve the show".

Start of the 2014 Canadian Grand Prix. (Photo: WRi2)

But Paul Hembery, Pirelli's F1 boss, is concerned about the technical impact of forcing cars to come to a halt on the grid mid-race.

"Every time you stop the cars," he is quoted by Italy's Autosprint, "we see a lot of blowers in use.

"It is not only the tires that will lose temperature, but we have cars that easily overheat," Paul Hembery added.

For some strange reason, I did not want to fall for the Corvette. Like all car enthusiasts, I've always been a fan of America's supercar. In fact, I recall getting a book on the history of the car for my 10th birthday. Somehow, over the years, I developed an affinity for more refined motoring and left raw unruly cars by the wayside. I tried to resist...

The Chevy Corvette is these latter things, and raw and unruly be damned, I fell in love with the velocity yellow Wolverine. Actually, it crawled under my skin, made a nest, and I quickly adopted it. I could not help but make unnecessary throttle blips, rev-matches into 1st, hold 1st to redline, and repeat all of this over and over again. In a term, I became a complete douchebag and wanted nothing more than to remain one.


The C7 Corvette is about as apologetic as the Incredible Hulk destroying everything in its path. It is fast, stupid loud, and handles insanely well. The cockpit holds and roughs up, the shifter begs to be manhandled, and the car just goes and roars and spits and sends twin middle fingers to all those it crushes in a straight line or around the bends. I freakin' want one -- now!

What is a Chevrolet Corvette?
It is badass -- the definition of the term. The Corvette celebrated its 60th anniversary and with this landmark birthday came the rebirth of the car, now in its 7th generation.

The Chevrolet Corvette put the American car on the performance car list shortly after it was launched in 1953. The Corvette is nothing short of an affordable exotic car that has developed an impressive pedigree and reputation for winning. This affiliation to racing, high performance and outrageous design is what has ensured continued success and desirability.

2014 Chevrolet Corvette Price and Specs
The high-performance value bomb that is the 2014 Chevrolet Corvette has a base price of $54,845. All the important bits are included at this price point namely the 455 horsepower LT1 6.2L V8, the 7-speed manual gearbox, the electronic 3.42 ratio limited slip rear differential, body-colour carbon fibre removable roof panel, as well as 18” front and 19” rear wheels. Want a 6-speed autobox? Pay $1,420.

Seriously. Find any other car with these specs and for the same price. I dare you.

My tester was a top-line Z51 3LT with navigation, chrome wheels (sad), magnetic selective ride, dual mode performance exhaust, and a few other tasty morsels for a total of $74,420.

Driving the 2014 Chevrolet Corvette
By Jove, I did drive it. Honestly, I'm somewhat lucky to be here at the moment writing my review... Take from that what you will.

My only regret is that GM would not allow me to track the car for fear of rubber becoming far to scarce for the next auto journalist... I was, although, able to push it mildly through a series of cones last fall at Test Fest. As such, I did get a good feel for how quickly the car's giant nose throws itself where the driver wants.

The 2014 Chevrolet Corvette may be brutish, but it's no clumsy animal. Its optimal 50/50 weight distribution, beautifully choreographed electric steering, eLSD, and sport suspension make the Vette a fantastic handler and salad-tosser. Much like Scrat gripping on the ice for dear life, the Corvette never relinquishes its handle on the road's surface. Turn-in is gracefully rapid and jumping on the middle pedal never fails to crush forward momentum with authority.

Now the good part.

My 2014 Corvette Z51 was graciously equipped with the dual-mode exhaust, which adds a theoretical 5 hp and equal torque, for a grand total of 465 lb-ft. The music that escapes the rear quad pipes upon start-up in the morning is decadent, period. Foundations quiver, and my heart flutters. Sliding into the tight cockpit sets one up for guaranteed good times -- the driving position is perfect and the shifter's action and grip are by far the best of any American I've ever had the pleasure to bea... drive.

Once the clutch side-stepped, 100 km/hr arrives in 4 seconds. Mental. The mechanical fanfare that accompanies the race towards the heavens is intoxicating, and addictive. The naturally aspirated lump sucks in air and spews, pops, and burbles. Reliving the experience now makes my hair stand on end. Gears 1 through 4 are the useful ones, and I do whish that Chevy would drop the suggested 1-4 shift for fuel economy...I don't care! It's a 460 hp Corvette!

Inside and Out of the 2014 Chevrolet Corvette
The C7's outer styling is brash, in your face and when draped in yellow, cannot be ignored. Truthfully, the colour don't matter... I do so wish that my tester had skipped the $2,095 the chrome aluminum wheels; they simply don't work on the car. You can't class up Warner Brother's Tasmanian Devil.

Polarising design aside, Chevy's Corvette will never be confounded for something other than what it is. Perhaps, depending on the selected shade, it could be mistaken for an Italian bird but the V8's growl will quickly settle the debate.

The cabin has diplomatically matured with the arrival of the new C7. Gone are most of the borrowed Cavalier/Cobalt interior accessories, instead replaced with modern ones. Fit and finish are quite good as are the tasteful materials. Qualm: manual box, paddles, rev-matching, another no-no...

The cockpit is well appointed with all the most modern amenities -- only price limits what you want in your Corvette. Although only a 2-seater, the trunk is capacious and is perfectly designed to accommodate the roof panel thanks to specific ingenious hooks. And don't knock the top... It's really cool.

Comparing the 2014 Chevrolet Corvette
The 2014 Chevrolet Corvette is in a league of its own. In its price point, it could duke it out with the Porsche Cayman, fully decked out Nissan 370Z, BMW Z4 and a few other sports cars.

The real fight takes place with the Porsche 911, the BMW M4, Audi RS5, Dodge (SRT) Viper and select others.

The Corvette may not be the most poised of the lot but it'll get sh*t done every time, like Iron Man, and not always in the most elegant of ways.

Great Britain is with Italy the only two countries to have been on the Formula 1 calendar every year since the world championship began back in 1950.

As Silverstone prepares to play host to the 65th running of the race this weekend with the 2014 British Grand Prix, we compiled some essential facts...

• Three venues have hosted the British Grand Prix - Silverstone (47 times), Brands Hatch (12) and Aintree (5). Another circuit - Donington - has also hosted a world championship race in Britain, but it was the European Grand Prix in 1993. Silverstone has been the only circuit to stage the British Grand Prix since 1986.

• The victor of the first world championship British Grand Prix (held at Silverstone in 1950) was Giuseppe Farina for Alfa Romeo.

Giuseppe Farina, Alfa Romeo, 1950. (Photo: WRi2)

• British drivers have won the British Grand Prix 16 times. The first to take victory in his home race was Stirling Moss for Mercedes in 1955.

• Ferrari took their first ever F1 World Championship victory at Silverstone in 1951, with Jose Froilan Gonzalez at the wheel.

• At 5.891 kilometres, the current track is the second longest on the calendar, behind only Spa in Belgium which is 7.004 kilometres.

• In the 64 previous British Grands Prix, the pole sitter has been victorious only 24 times. The lowest any winner has started on the grid is 8th - that was Ferrari's Carlos Reutemann in 1978.

• Amazingly, for three consecutive years ('63, '64 and '65) the podium was filled by the same three British drivers - Jim Clark, Graham Hill and John Surtees.

Jim Clark, Lotus-Climax, 1963. (Photo: WRi2)

• Several drivers and teams scored their maiden wins in Britain: Nino Farina and Alfa Romeo (1950), Jose Froilan Gonzalez and Ferrari (1951), Stirling Moss (1955), Tony Brooks and Vanwall (1957), Jo Siffert (1968), Peter Revson (1973), the Williams team (1979), and Johnny Herbert (1995).

Johnny Herbert, Benetton-Renault, 1995. (Photo: WRi2)

From GMM

Jenson Button insists he is "looking forward to" McLaren's new Honda era.

That is despite team supremo Ron Dennis' warning that the most experienced driver in the paddock actually might not get a new contract beyond 2014.

"Do I want him to try harder?" Dennis told British television Sky. "Of course I do."

But 34-year-old Briton Button, who will wear a pink helmet this weekend in memory of his late father John's ever-present pink shirt, thinks the arrival of Honda for 2015 is what McLaren needs as it emerges from a two-season slump.

"Everyone is looking forward to it," he told Germany's DPA news agency.

"A lot is already going on. Ron is again in charge, Eric (Boullier) is on board now. In the past, a lot of things were working well, but sometimes you need a change. I feel we are on the right track," added Jenson Button.

Jenson Button, McLaren MP4-29. (Photo: WRi2)

Ron Dennis said the arrival this year of rookie Kevin Magnussen had given Button a "wake-up call", and even the British driver admits the young Dane has been impressive.

"Kevin is learning very quickly. He did not have much experience when he arrived, but within six months he has made up for a lot of that. We are not best friends. I have never been great friends with a teammate -- I have my own friends. But he's a good guy and I like working with him," Jenson Button reveals.

However, Button insists Magnussen is not the biggest challenge of his career, instead nominating Lewis Hamilton as his fastest-ever F1 teammate.

"On pace, yes. He (Hamilton) is very fast, but I expected that when I came to the team. If you have beaten Lewis, you know you've had a good day," he said.

From GMM

Bernie Ecclestone tells struggling Caterham to ''stop''

Even amid swirling speculation about Caterham's future, Bernie Ecclestone is unmoved.

He told an Austrian newspaper last week that he would be "happy" if struggling and complaining small teams succumb to their money troubles.

"If you can't afford to be in this game, you should not be here," said the sport's chief executive.

Since then, Caterham founder Tony Fernandes has conceded on Twitter that his F1 project "didn't work", and the team has reportedly been sold along with its reported EUR 20 million in debt.

Still, 83-year-old Ecclestone is unmoved about the small teams' plight.

"They should stop," he told Italy's La Gazzetta dello Sport. "If they don't have the money, they should close. I am ready for a formula one with eight teams and three cars each. Is it better to see a third Ferrari or a Caterham? Ferrari might find new sponsors in America and an American driver. Great."

Ecclestone said a strong Ferrari will help with F1's problems, such as a dwindling television audience, arguing that Caterham will "never" be competitive.

"If Ferrari started to end up first and second in qualifying and races, then television ratings would improve everywhere. Ferrari is a worldwide passion," he said.

Ferrari's fans. (Photo: WRi2)

Form press release

Andretti Formula E will see two familiar drivers in their fully-electric race cars for the upcoming FIA Formula E Championship test on July 3-4 at UK's Donington Park.

Former Formula 1 and full time Andretti Rallycross driver Scott Speed and two-time IndyCar champion and Indianapolis 500 winner Gil de Ferran will both have the opportunity to test Andretti's Spark-Renault SRT-01E on the 2.498-mile (4.020-km) circuit.

Scott Speed, who in 2006 became the first American in Formula 1 since Michael Andretti in 1993, will complete the two-day test alongside Andretti Formula E's first confirmed driver Franck Montagny.

"I'm excited to get into a single-seater again," said Speed. "I expect it to be a very steep learning curve seeing as I haven't driven anything with downforce in seven years. The Andretti organization has been an amazing company to drive for, and I'm happy to grow my role as one of its drivers while helping out with the Formula E test."

Scott Speed and Gil de Ferran. (Photo: Andretti Autosport)

Joining Montagny and Speed will be racing icon Gil de Ferran who will lend his expertise in completing some laps for the team, giving the Formula E Ambassador an opportunity to gain in-seat experience on the new sustainable racing championship.

"Being an Ambassador and strong supporter of Formula E, from day one I have been very curious and interested in how an electric-powered racing car would behave and handle," said the Brazilian with more than two decades of racing experience.

"I am highly interested in the technical side of motorsports so this has been a great curiosity for me. Obviously I haven't driven anything feverishly for over five years, so it will be certainly a challenge but something that I am really looking forward to. I want to take the opportunity to thank Michael (Andretti) and the team for allowing me to do this run. Hopefully now I will be able to speak about Formula E and its qualities from a first-hand perspective."

Team principal Michael Andretti added, "I'm delighted to see both Scott (Speed) and Gil (de Ferran) in our cars for the upcoming test. Scott is one of our contracted drivers with great open-wheel experience, so we're happy to have him fill the seat while we evaluate options for our second full-time Formula E driver. Gil has been a longtime friend of the team and we look forward to hearing his feedback about the cars."

Audi plans to launch at least four new plug-in hybrid vehicles over the next few years in response to BMW's all-new i3 electric car.

"We strongly believe in plug-in hybrids and we will add a new model each year, beginning with the Q7 next year, followed by the A6 long-wheelbase sedan for China and the A8," Audi CEO Rupert Stadler said today during the introduction of the A3 Sportback E-tron.

Audi will roll out the A3 Sportback E-tron, its first plug-in hybrid, in Europe this month. U.S. sales are expected to begin in the second or third quarter of 2015, while China deliveries will start in the first or second quarter of next year.

No word yet about the Canadian market.

The A3 Sportback E-tron uses a 150-horsepower 1.4L direct injection turbo gasoline engine and a 102-horsepower electric motor housed within a 6-speed dual-clutch transmission. As the two power sources never work together at full force, combined system output is 204 horsepower, the company said. Top speed is 220 km/h in hybrid mode, and 128 km/h in pure electric mode.

This Audi can be driven under electric power for nearly 50 kilometres. Using the gasoline engine, it has a 600-kilometre range.


_{Source: Automotive News}

From GMM

Bernie Ecclestone's defence got a boost on Tuesday, as the corruption trial continued in Munich.

If found guilty of having bribed the jailed former F1 banker Gerhard Gribkowsky, the sport's chief executive will certainly lose his job, and probably also be jailed.

But his defence - that Gribkowsky blackmailed him - got a boost on Tuesday.

Central to the prosecution's case is the suggestion that Ecclestone paid Gribkowsky $44 million so that his preferred buyer for F1's commercial rights, CVC, got the green light.

It is alleged that Ecclestone wanted CVC to buy BayernLB's shares, because the Munich state bank holding onto them could endanger his role as F1 supremo.

But a former legal advisor to BayernLB on Tuesday testified in Munich, and the witness denied that the bank ever posed a threat to Ecclestone's job.

"I don't think it ever arose that Ecclestone could be deposed," German media reports quote the unnamed witness as saying.

"I don't even think it would have been possible," the witness reportedly added.

From press release

Caterham F1 Team is pleased to confirm that Tony Fernandes and his partners have sold the team to a consortium of Swiss and Middle Eastern investors, advised by former F1 Team Principal Colin Kolles.

Under the terms of the sale, the team will continue to race as Caterham F1 Team and will remain based at Leafield for the foreseeable future.

The new ownership takes charge with immediate effect. Former Dutch F1 driver, Christijan Albers, assisted by Manfredi Ravetto, will take over the day-to-day running of the team, reporting directly to the board and replacing Cyril Abiteboul who will leave the team to pursue new challenges.



Christijan Albers: "We are aware of the huge challenge ahead of us given the fight at the bottom end of the Championship and our target now is to aim for tenth place in the 2014 Championship. We are very committed to the future of the team and we will ensure that the team has the necessary resources to develop and grow and achieve everything it is capable of."

Caterham's factory at Leafield, UK. (Photo: Caterham F1 Team)

If it was a new compact or premium crossover or a large or mid-sized SUV, chances are it lit up the United States sales chart in the first half of the year. If it was a minicar or a mid-sized or large sedan, it probably lost some luster.

BMW won the June luxury sales crown in the United States and widened its lead over Mercedes and Lexus during the first six months.

One worker was killed and four were hospitalized in a "small chemical explosion" at a General Motors metal center today in Indiana, GM said in a statement.

A flurry of new light-vehicle sales as June ended helped generate the fastest selling rate for the U.S. auto industry in almost eight years, raising hopes for an even more robust second half of 2014.

Toyota Motor Sales U.S.A. posted a 3 percent increase in U.S. sales in June, marked by significant gains from cars at the Toyota and Lexus brands.

Dodge just announced that the 2015 Challenger SRT Hellcat will deliver 707 hp, in addition to 650 lb-ft of torque. Let us repeat. 707 horsepower.