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News 25 Sep, 2014

Family-friendly five-door TT leaks ahead of suspected Paris motor show debut

Pictures See all 4 pictures 25 Sep, 2014

Pictures See all 4 pictures 25 Sep, 2014

Renault must decide whether to cut the Logan MCV station wagon, Dokker car-derived van or Lodgy compact minivan from Dacia's lineup, a company spokesman confirmed.

The Renault-Nissan alliance is reviewing its in-house battery production. Renault-Nissan CEO Carlos Ghosn says that the alliance will buy batteries from external suppliers rather than relying on those produced via its partnership with NEC Corp.

VW Group has named Manfred Kantner the new head of passenger car sales for India and Far East at the group's namesake brand. India has been a trouble spot for VW brand since growth slowed in 2012.

The executives chosen as 2014 Automotive News Europe Eurostars rose above the rest by pushing their companies to new heights.

Ford is adding 1,200 new jobs and a second shift at its Kansas City Assembly Plant to support additional production of the Ford Transit van. The move surpasses the automaker's pledge to the UAW in 2011 to create 12,000 new hourly U.S.

From GMM

Fernando Alonso is the man on everybody's lips this week in the world of formula one.

Musing the recent departure from the great but currently-troubled Ferrari of its long-term president Luca di Montezemolo, former F1 driver and champion Mika Hakkinen said: "Nothing is forever.

"Definitely it will not be the only change at Ferrari. There are many rumours," he said in his latest interview with sponsor Hermes.

Fernando Alonso, Ferrari. (Photo: WRi2)

All of the current rumours are about Spaniard Alonso, arguably the best and most coveted driver in F1 today who appears to have finally lost his patience with the Maranello team.

But according to the latest twist of rumours, it may be an entirely mutual divorce between the double world champion and the fabled Maranello marque.

The Spanish sports newspaper Marca claims there is a faction at Ferrari that wants to get "rid" of the 33-year-old so that it can rebuild for the future in peace over the next few years.

Indeed, Alonso's exit might at least end the current tumult in the rumour stakes.

But for now, the authoritative La Gazzetta dello Sport claims Mercedes' Lewis Hamilton may be one of Ferrari's options to succeed Alonso, while Italy's Tuttosport claims reigning world champion Sebastian Vettel may even have signed a preliminary contract.

The German has already played down those latest reports.

"I've already said on numerous occasions that I've got a contract with Red Bull for next year and I'm working on the principle that I will still be driving for them," Vettel told the German magazine Sport Bild.

From GMM

Lotus team owner Gerard Lopez, and the Fernando Alonso-connected Flavio Briatore, have played down the latest explosive F1 rumours.

Germany's Sport Bild claimed this week that Briatore, the former boss at Enstone and still playing a guiding role in protege Alonso's career, is behind an audacious bid to pave the way for a title bid at Lotus.

It all ties in not only with the rumours Alonso and Ferrari are in the obvious throes of divorce, but that Canadian retail billionaire Lawrence Stroll is interested in buying Lotus and paying for the struggling team's switch to F1-leading Mercedes power.

Faced with all the rumours, Luxembourger Lopez, the current Lotus team owner, is quoted by Auto Motor und Sport: "I read all about it for the first time on the internet yesterday."

Also commenting on the obviously complex situation was Briatore himself, although clear denials all on sides would sound different.

"Ferrari has not turned its back on anyone, but now is not the time to talk," he is quoted by Italy's Omnicorse.

Fernando Alonso, Ferrari. (Photo: WRi2)

From McLaren

The very first world championship Grands Prix saw racing drivers appearing in short-sleeved cotton polo shirts, leather shoes and string-backed gloves.

The primitive crash helmet, if that were the correct term, was simply thin leather skullcap. Yet it has become the defining icon of a Grand Prix driver, and has endured almost as many leaps in technology as the cars themselves.

Here, we take a look at the advances in crash hat safety since McLaren arrived on the grand prix scene in the 1960s.

Photo: McLaren

Bruce McLaren 1970

By the start of the 1960s, pilots had migrated to wearing open-face helmets such as this, often matching it with a face-protecting neckerchief and a pair of goggles - often blanked off with tape to provide protection from the glint of the sun. This is the very helmet Bruce was wearing when he was killed testing his M8D CanAm car at Goodwood in 1970.

Photo: McLaren

James Hunt 1976

Three-time world champion Sir Jackie Stewart spearheaded the safety revolution of the 1960s and 1970s - a crusade that saw improvements to guardrails, circuit medical facilities, fuel tanks and seatbelts, and also saw the introduction of full-face helmets. This James Hunt helmet from 1976 also included additional safety measures that were common for the time - a Velcro strip around the base, to which a fireproof neck protector was attached, and a pipe fitting for an in-cockpit oxygen supply - activated in the event of a fire.

Photo: McLaren

Alain Prost 1988

With the silhouette now in place, helmet design became more of an iterative science - in the 1980s, internal padding and construction was improved. Nevertheless, this Alain Prost helmet from 1988 was still a relatively simple affair, featuring only minimal ventilation and the simplest of onboard radio communication systems.

Photo: McLaren

Ayrton Senna 1993

Has there been a more iconic helmet in Formula 1 history? Ayrton Senna's distinctive yellow crash helmet sent out a marker to the great Brazilian's rivals - they'd catch sight of the brightly coloured lid in their mirrors and know they'd soon be overtaken. This is Ayrton's helmet from 1993 - with pit-to-car radios now the norm, this was internally routed for radio cables and tiny microphone, fitted into the chin bar.

Photo: McLaren

Mika Hakkinen 2001

This helmet is representative of the era's brief flirtation with aerodynamically shaped helmets - many lids around this time feature a sculpted front bib and a contoured rear spoiler to more effectively channel airflow around the cockpit and engine airbox. Ventilation was also becoming more sophisticated and efficient.

Photo: McLaren

Jenson Button 2014

Into the modern era, helmet safety progressed along two key paths - the introduction in 2003 of the Head And Neck Safety (HANS) device, a support that restricts neck movement in the event of a crash, and, in the wake of Felipe Massa's 2009 accident at the Hungaroring, the addition of a Kevlar protective strip to strengthen the visor. Nowadays, drivers regularly apply different paintjobs, or introduce a particular colour scheme to mark a particular event - such as this pink helmet introduced by Jenson Button at Silverstone in 2014 to celebrate the life of his father, John.

Mercedes-AMG yesterday unveiled the next-generation C 63 sedan and wagon, which are “faster, greener, leaner and meaner” than the outgoing models, the company promises. The former will launch in Europe early next year, followed by the latter a few months afterwards.

Equipped with a new, hand-built, 4.0L, twin-turbo V8 engine, the Mercedes-AMG C 63 produces 476 horsepower, while the C 63 S tops 510 horsepower. They accelerate from 0-100km/h in 4.1 and 4.0 seconds, respectively.

Photo: Mercedes-Benz

The new C 63 also boasts a redesigned front bumper with deep air dams, a unique grille, and a new hood. The wider front fenders feature subtle ‘V8 biturbo' badges above a set of similarly discreet sill extensions. Out back, the newly styled rear bumper is designed to house the new quad exhaust pipes below a small wing mounted on the trunklid.

Pricing for the new Mercedes-AMG C 63 sedan and wagon will be announced at a later date.

Source: Mercedes-AMG

Photo: Mercedes-Benz

Jean-Marc Gales, Chief Executive Officer of Group Lotus plc, has confirmed that
Lotus is fully committed to the North American market and will produce a 2016 Evora that will be fully compliant for Canada and the U.S.

No release date has been announced yet, however.

Consequently, Lotus will not be producing a 2015 model year Evora, but there will be limited availability of 2014 models. The Lotus Elise S Cup R and the Lotus Exige V6 Cup R are also sold in Canada and the U.S. for race and competition use only.

“I know that this will be welcome news to our thousands of owners and fans in North America, but the reality is that there was never any intention to leave,” said Gales. “The North American market is vitally important for us and we intend to expand our dealer network and grow our sales volumes in the future.”

Lotus currently has 45 dealers in North America and plans to open additional dealers in key market areas over the next few months.

Source : Lotus

Photo: Lotus

Remember that new prestige model set to join the Cadillac lineup in 2015? We now know what it will be called: CT6.

While it doesn't sound particularly exciting, the name indicates a coming shift to a simplified naming convention for future Cadillac models. Familiar lettering like “CT” will be used for car models, with the number indicating the relative size and position of the cars in the hierarchy of Cadillac models.

“As we expand the portfolio, we can assist consumers in placing the cars within a structure, as they compare cars both within our showroom and across the market generally,” said Uwe Ellinghaus, Cadillac's chief marketing officer. “However, this will be an evolutionary process - we will only change a product's name when the product itself is redesigned or an all-new model is created, as in this instance.”

Currently in development, the new rear-wheel-drive sedan will use advanced, lightweight materials and new body construction techniques to reduce fuel consumption while enhancing driving dynamics and safety.

Source: General Motors of Canada

Eric Boullier, director of racing at McLaren Formula 1 team Thursday said that it was now too late for the big teams to enter a third car in 2015.

Speaking during a McLaren media teleconference on Thursday about the time required for adding third cars, Boullier explained teams “need six months' notice” to add a third car.

Boullier added it would take six months to have all the logistics in place. With the 2015 F1 season due to begin on March 13th in Australia, that leaves them with too little time already.

“The chassis and third car logistics and people around - we would need at least six months' notice,” he declared.

Team principals of the smaller teams have said the sport should distribute its revenues more fairly to aid the smaller teams to prevent three-car teams being necessary. That includes Vijay Mallya of Force India.

“He's not in really favour of this and I can understand why,” said Boullier.

“I think it's a debate which is in the wrong timing. We have to wait, obviously, [until] there is a need to run three cars and then we will see. So you can question many things about revenue, about whatever. I think at the end if one day we are called and asked to help F1 and run three cars we have to,” Boullier said.

Indian businessman Vijay Mallya, also the co-owner of the Force India Formula 1 team, is no longer a member of India's 100 richest men, even as fortunes of the country's super-rich have seen a significant growth since last year.

Mallya, who has been declared as 'wilful defaulter' by lenders following huge debts on his Kingfisher Airlines, is missing from the Forbes latest list of 100 richest released on Sept. 25.

Other reports mention that Mallya would seek compensation if his F1 team was forced to run a third car nest season.

Should the grid fall from 11 to just eight teams, a result that is feared given the financial difficulties of certain outfits, there is a rule in place forcing bigger teams to make up the numbers by fielding extra cars.

Sahara Force India VJM07-Mercedes. (Photo: WRi2)

However, Mallya declared such a move would put pressure on Sahara Force India and reduce the appeal of the sport.

"We were going to demand compensation to build a third car, we're not going to do it for free," he said.

"I'm sure the commercial rights holder realises that - he's got to make it economically viable. This year you see both Mercedes ahead of everybody else and in the last few years we had Red Bulls in front of everyone else. So now you want the entire podium to be occupied by one team. It doesn't make too much sense does it?"

The Indian billionaire added the struggling teams are being hurt by an "imbalance" in the way F1's revenues are shared.

"The bigger teams take a major slice and the smaller teams get less as a result. The best way of doing it is to make a more rational formula which gives everyone a chance to not just survive but also compete,” he said.

It's a fact, there's a Transit designed (available in Europe) for just about any purpose you'd care to mention. That's why it has been the best-selling light commercial vehicle in Europe for 40 years now, and we are now finally to discover why!

What is a Ford Transit?
The Ford Transit is a range of light commercial vehicles produced by the Ford Motor Company. They have been marketed in Europe since 1965. In fact, it would be fair to say that the Ford Transit (now in its 5th generation) is to commercial vans what the F-150 is to pickup trucks. Much of this is due to its history of ultra-reliability/perfect sizing and superb handling characteristics.

It's also down to the countless variations Ford has made available over the years, and although North America won't be getting everything currently on offer in Europe and in other parts of the world, however, it won't take long before tradespeople here start demanding equality with their European cousins. Check out any Europe-based Ford commercial website and you'll see what I mean.


2015 Ford Transit Full-Size Prices & Specs
My tester was the 250 MR (Medium Roof) powered by the (optional) fabulous (and I do mean that) 3.2L I5 Turbo Diesel.

Pricing for the Transit range starts at just $30,052, but as my test vehicle boasted the above-mentioned turbo diesel (a $5,995 option), it ended up at $49,152, with a certain amount of additional luxuries, I must add. Now that's still highly competitive in the marketplace for this type/size of van and, in my opinion, it's worth paying the extra for the diesel version (it truly is superb).

The Transit range offers three power options:

• 3.7L Ti-VCT V6 FFV
• 3.5L EcoBoost® V6
• 3.2L I5 Diesel

Three wheelbases:

• 3,300 mm (150, 250 SRW)
• 3,750 mm (150, 250, 350 SRW)
• 3,750 mm extended (250, 350 SRW / 350HD DRW)
• Max Payload: 2,109 kg. (3750 mm ext. Van 350HD with 3.5L)
• Max GVWR: 4699 kg. (350HD DRW)

Warranty: 3 years Bumper to Bumper (60,000 km) and 5 years Powertrain (100,000km)

The tow rating for my tester was 2,041kgs (with the 3.31 limited slip rear diff), although this rises to 3,357kgs with the optional 3.73 gearing.

Fuel economy: No official figures available, yet I was averaging under 12L/100kms in a vehicle with less than 500kms on it, and we all know how diesel powerplants take a while to loosen up and return the best fuel economy, yes?

Driving the 2015 Ford Transit
Badged as a Power Stroke unit here in North America, the Duratorq inline-5 Turbo Diesel produces 185hp and a whopping 350 lb-ft of torque. Coupled to an incredibly smooth 6-Speed Automatic Overdrive with SelectShift, this large van is (and I can't stress this enough) almost car-like to drive. Sure, you're constantly aware of the hulking great box situated behind the cab, yet with such a refined powerplant and frontal vision worthy of solarium comparison, this would be an extremely relaxing place in which to spend your work day. You sit up nice and high which takes the boredom out of traffic jams, and when the road frees up you can take off faster than a lot of family sedans I've driven. Then again, the Ford Transit has always held a certain reputation for performance & handling (I'm not joking -- they race Transits in Europe!). In fact, the UK Police stated back in the ‘70s that it estimated in 95% of all robberies in which the criminals used a van-style vehicle, a Ford Transit was the getaway vehicle of choice.

The steering wheel might appear small when first entering the vehicle, yet it becomes comfortable with use and the turning circle of the Transit is impressive, to say the least. The same could be said of the 4-wheel disc brakes which are smooth in operation, yet powerful when required.

My tester came with the rear sides paneled out and the optional rear cargo floor mat. This probably had much to do with the quietness of the vehicle, which truly surprised me as the typical drumming noise you get from most panel vans was almost non-existent.

Inside & Out of the 2015 Ford Transit
Typically, commercial vans don't enter beauty pageants as they are designed first and foremost as workhorses. However, it must be said, the new Transit is a bit of a looker. Its frontal design is sleek and the non-slab-shape side panels not only add to its stylish looks, but also do a fine job fending off dings & dents (nothing ages a work van quicker than door dings and panel damage!).

The interior follows along similar lines with a smart yet useful dashboard which somewhat mirrors the design of other Ford products (Ford Focus, Fusion etc.). There's also plenty of storage bins and a large glove box that should help owners keep the cab area clean and uncluttered.

The side access doorway is large and operates one-handed with ease, and the design of the rear doors enables loaders to completely fold back the doors for maximum loading size. They're even magnetised so the wind doesn't grab them mid-load.

All in all, it's hard to fault the design and usability of the Transit. It is a truly impressive looking vehicle in which to turn up at a jobsite, yet it has been carefully thought out with the operator in mind.

Comparing the 2015 Ford Transit Full-Size
We've witnessed these types of large-scale vans from Mercedes-Benz (first sold as Dodge products). Since then, we've seen the Sprinter go from Dodge back to Benz and a Fiat become a Ram (ProMaster). Somewhat confusing, but what's not is the usefulness and practicality of these vehicles. Speaking as someone born into the trades, this is precisely what the Canadian workforce has been waiting for. A van that can carry everything you need, is tall enough to stand in, and one that returns great fuel economy. What's not to like about that?

From nascar.com

Deciding that there was insufficient evidence to warrant criminal charges, an Ontario County (New York) grand jury will not bring any charges against NASCAR champion Tony Stewart for his involvement in a sprint car accident during an Aug. 9 race at Canandaigua (N.Y.) Motorsports Park that fatally injured fellow driver Kevin Ward Jr.

Ontario County District Attorney Michael Tantillo held a news conference Wednesday afternoon to deliver the findings, ultimately saying that "there was no evidence to charge Tony Stewart with a crime."

He said the grand jury examined the evidence and heard from two dozen witnesses for "the better part of two days" before reaching its conclusion.

The two charges it considered were second degree manslaughter and criminally negligent homicide. In the state of New York it takes 12 of 23 votes from the grand jury to return charges. They delivered their verdict in less than an hour.

Tantillo said of the two dozen-plus witnesses that testified, they included two accident reconstructionists, eye-witnesses, track workers and medical responders along with photographs and two video recordings. He said Stewart was able to testify, but by law he could not reveal who else did or did not.

Tantillo indicated however there was a toxicologist report conducted on Ward and it found that Ward was under the influence of marijuana "enough to impair judgment."

From GMM

Toto Wolff says F1's struggling teams would be the victims if a push to relax the engine development 'freeze' is successful.

As Mercedes continues to utterly dominate in the first season of the turbo V6 era, behind-the-scenes discussions have turned to allowing struggling rivals Ferrari and Renault to catch up.

"If we look at this year's season we're seeing that there's such a big disparity between the different engines," said Monisha Kaltenborn, whose Sauber outfit is using Ferrari power and having the "worst season in the history of the team".

Mercedes V6 turbo hybrid engine. (Photo: Mercedes-Benz)

For cost-cutting purposes, F1 operates under strict engine homologation rules, more commonly referred to as a 'freeze' that severely limits performance development.

Under the existing rules, engine makers will be able to change up to 48 per cent of their 2014 'power unit' design ahead of the next pre-2015 homologation.

But Mercedes' rivals, notably Ferrari, are pushing hard behind the scenes for even more freedom.

The current 'freeze' operates on the basis of allowing engine makers to exchange a certain number of FIA 'tokens' for performance-related design improvements.

Ferrari is arguing for at least eight more tokens to be available to teams for a mid-season design tweak.

Ferrari V6 turbo hybrid engine. (Photo: Ferrari)

Predictably, field-leading Mercedes is not happy with the idea.

Toto Wolff told Auto Motor und Sport: "It would be stupid of us to argue that we have the best engine and so nothing else interests us. On the other hand, we must raise the question of costs.

"Eight tokens would cost tens of millions of euros," said the Austrian. "Who should pay, if not the customer?"

It is here that relaxing the engine 'freeze' will meet considerable objection.

The cost of renting engines from Mercedes, Ferrari or Renault for customer teams - some of whom are struggling merely for survival - has already gone up considerably in 2014 compared with the old V8 regime.

"We're paying about 20 million pounds for our engine in a period when we're trying to control costs in formula one," said Mercedes customer Williams' deputy chief Claire Williams.

Renault V6 turbo hybrid engine. (Photo: Renault Sport F1)

Even Kaltenborn, whose struggling Sauber team would benefit from a stronger Ferrari engine, is not keen on the idea of a 'freeze' relaxation if it means her bills are higher.

"We do support the idea that development of an engine is allowed within certain given parameters," she said, "but it not necessarily leads to the fact that we, as customers, should actually bear the costs for that."

Brabham, one of the most successful and iconic names in motorsport history, is aiming to be back in the midst of racing once again at the highest levels and its target is the FIA World Endurance Championship.

David Brabham, ex-F1 driver, Le Mans winner and multiple sportscar champion, has today launched Project Brabham which is an innovative model of open source racing to build and fund a sustainable team. It is planned that the motorsport community can become a key part of the team and shape its future through crowd funding.

Sir Jack Brabham in Formula 1. (Photo: Brabham Project)

Brabham aims to return to the track in the FIA World Endurance Championship next season with a three-year LMP2 programme. In year four, the marque aims to return as a constructor by way of LMP1, with firm intentions of winning the only world title for sportscars and the greatest endurance race on earth, the Le Mans 24 Hours.

“Looking at the normal racing model was not exciting or sustainable enough for me to rebuild the team from scratch. For me to bring Brabham back we have to do things differently,” said David Brabham, son of three-time F1 Champion, the late Sir Jack Brabham.

“After careful consideration and research we have created a new model of open source racing, which will bring fans closer to the action, inspire drivers and engineers around the world and offer the rare opportunity to be a part of this new, but historical, race team.

“Project Brabham gives people the chance to be part of the team from the start. Once we have built a large community we will start to see the power of a collective force that will attract the funds and partners to make this journey a success. Come and join us and create another piece of history.”

Click here to discover Project Brabham.
--- http://igg.me/at/project-brabham