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From GMM

Two teams already have a "big head start" when it comes to the 2015 regulations, according to Sahara Force India technical boss Andy Green.

With the shape of this year's nose designs ranging from the odd to the unseemly, the FIA has moved to end the situation by tweaking the rules for 2015.

It means teams like Lotus, Sahara Force India, Toro Rosso, McLaren and Caterham - with the sorts of designs most targeted by the FIA rule change - are having to fundamentally re-design the front of their cars for next season.

Sahara Force India's nose. (Photo: WRi2)

With a slightly less radical approach this year was Red Bull, but designer Rob Marshall says the change to meet the 2015 rules will still make a big difference.

In initial wind tunnel testing, he said "We were surprised how much (downforce) we lost".

His counterpart at Sahara Force India, Andy Green, agrees: "The first wind tunnel test showed 20 points of downforce lost".

Green, however, thinks some teams have been dealt an advantage by the 2015 rule change, as the grid next year is expected to be filled with noses resembling those of this year's Ferrari and Mercedes cars.

Germany's Auto Motor und Sport said those two teams are very close to already complying with the 2015 rules.

Green said that is a "big head start" for Ferrari, and particularly Mercedes, having already gone through the long and expensive process of crash-testing the impressively short nose on its dominant W05 car.

He explained that the nose is central to the entire "aerodynamic philosophy" of the car, meaning Mercedes and Ferrari's rivals now have "a lot of lessons" to learn.

GPS manufacturer TomTom has signed a deal with Bosch to integrate its navigation technology and maps into Bosch's Advanced Driver Assistance Systems.
As a result, Bosch will be able to develop more advanced applications including intelligent cruise control, upcoming curve alerts, and jam tail warnings.
“Combining TomTom's navigation technology and maps with Bosch's proven advanced driving systems enables car manufacturers to create a competitive solution for drivers,” said Jan Maarten de Vries, VP Automotive at TomTom. “They benefit from having the most accurate information of what's happening on the road ahead, building an overall safer driving experience.”

Source : TomTom

The very first production Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat (chassis #0001), the only one to be finished in Viper SRT's Stryker Red paint, was recently sold at an auction for $825,000 USD.

It comes with special Hellcat badging, specific VIN documentation, and one-of-a-kind memorabilia including a special HEMI painted presentation box, an electronic vehicle build book and video documentary.

All proceeds from the sale will be donated to the charity organization Opportunity Village, which helps people with intellectual disabilities. The Engelstad Family Foundation matched that donation, bringing the total to $1.65 million USD.

Source : motorauthority.com

From DTM

DTM and the Japanese Super GT are making big steps forward in their goal to race under one set of technical regulations.

Since the beginning of the 2014 season, the technical regulations - mainly in the chassis and the aero areas - have been identical, in the two series and from 2017, there also will be joint engine regulations: two litres, four cylinders, turbocharged. These are the key data of the new ‘Class One' - how it will be internationally called.

That was agreed upon by DTM rights holder and promoter ITR e.V., the Japanese Super-GT organisers GTA and all the manufacturers involved during a joint meeting, on September 30th in Tokyo.

In addition, the American motor-racing association, IMSA, also plans to announce races according to the new Class-One regulations.

The current DTM cars (Photo: dtm.com)

Class One
While the names and specific characteristics of the different race series are supposed to be maintained, the DTM, Super GT and IMSA representatives agreed upon a range of technical details that are to be included into a common set of regulations, in force all over the world, under the name ‘Class One'.

The top priorities: spectacular cars, a high level of safety and a cutback of operation and development costs. While silhouette and looks are similar to the ones of the latest DTM and Super-GT vehicle generations, it was agreed that turbocharged four-cylinder two-litre engines with a horsepower output of some 600bhp will power the cars from 2017.

Moreover, a range of details like test limitations, tire specifications and the use of DRS also were addressed in the meeting of the so-called ‘steering committee' of the three race series. Thanks to these moves, those involved are convinced to be on a good way to being able to contest races in other championships without major modifications being necessary, with a Class One car from 2017.

From GMM

The high uncertainty surrounding Fernando Alonso's future could be connected with rumours emerging from the Honda camp.

It is well known that the Japanese manufacturer, returning to F1 with McLaren next year, has made an audacious bid to lure the highly rated and increasingly frustrated Spaniard from Ferrari.

In the past few days, the extent of the disintegrating relations between Alonso and Ferrari have become clear, making it seem more and more likely that he will leave the fabled but crisis-struck Maranello camp.

It has stirred real fears that McLaren could dump its protege Kevin Magnussen after just a single season, with many regarding Alonso alongside fellow champion Jenson Button as an ideal pairing to steer the early direction of the works Honda project.

When asked about the Alonso-Honda rumours, former McLaren champion Mika Hakkinen said: "You do have to wonder why they have not entered into any driver contracts for next season.

"This is obviously because McLaren is trying to put together the best possible package," he said in his latest interview with sponsor Hermes.

"Drivers who have won a championship will always find teams that want to take them. It's obvious that when you can get the highest expertise available, you should," added Mika Hakkinen.

Fernando Alonso, Ferrari. (Photo: WRi2)

But according to Italy's Corriere dello Sport, the spanner in the works of Alonso's sensational switch to McLaren could be some alarming rumours emerging from Japan.

The report claims Honda is about three months behind schedule in the development of its first turbo V6 'power unit', having encountered problems even greater than those struck by Renault as the troubled French marque prepared for 2014.

The specialist Autosprint said Honda's development V6 currently consumes too much fuel and produces too little power.

"To try to recover," the report explained, "Honda is investing massively and mobilising people and businesses around Japan."

Superleggera Vision concept will be on display as well

The all-new MINI 5 Door, a first in the company's history, will make its global debut on Thursday at the Paris Auto Show.

Set to become the 8th model in the lineup, it rides on a 72mm longer wheelbase and is 161mm longer overall, providing more interior room for passengers and their luggage. In fact, the 278-litre trunk is 30% larger than the regular 3-door Cooper's. Once the seats are folded, cargo capacity increases to 941 litres.

The MINI 5 Door boasts a sporty stance emphasized by a character line between the front and wheel arches. The cabin, meanwhile, features standard sport seats, electronic driving aids, and a modern infotainment system.

Photo: MINI

MINI Superleggera Vision

Also on display at the Paris Auto Show, the MINI Superleggera Vision concept is a compact roadster with electric drive, typical British styling, and a bit of Italian flair. Inside are classic materials such as aluminum and leather, not to mention the black chrome finish on the centre console.

The uniquely styled taillights will turn heads with their Union Jack-inspired design, but probably not as much as the bold-looking fin mounted on top of the trunklid.

Source: BMW

From GMM

An erupting volcano is threatening to affect this weekend's Japanese grand prix.

On Saturday, Mount Ontake - located less than 200 kilometres from the Suzuka circuit - erupted, killing dozens.

Smoke, ash and poisonous gas is still billowing from the volcano, and Germany's Bild newspaper reports that just as F1 personnel are flying into Japan, many flights about being delayed or diverted.

"Race organisers hope that all the drivers will have arrived in time for the first practice session on Friday," said correspondent Nicola Pohl.

Toyota is recalling 790,000 Tacoma pickups from 2005-2011, including 690,000 in the U.S., to fix a rear suspension defect.

There is a possibility that one of the leaves in the leaf springs could fracture due to stress and corrosion, the automaker warned in a statement. If this occurs, the broken leaf may come in contact with surrounding components, including the fuel tank, and cause a leak.

In related news, the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has launched an investigation after 163 Toyota Corolla owners complained of unintended acceleration -- similar to a flaw that led to a recall of 10 million Toyotas in 2009. This time, as many as 1.69 million Corollas from 2006-2011 are under scrutiny.

Source : autonews.com

There's no denying the importance of seat belts, airbags, disc brakes and other basic safety devices. In fact, they've helped save countless lives for decades. It's just that progress keeps yielding more and more advanced systems and technologies, leading drivers to take some older ones for granted. Heck, even stability and traction control are now yesterday's news.

In recent years, automakers and their partners have gone to great lengths to develop highly sophisticated safety features that take into account the faster, busier world we live in and the growing threat of driving distractions created by our new “connected” lifestyles. A few of them are what some people may call gadgets (head-up displays), others are annoyances (vibrating seat bolsters), but many are clever solutions that make a real difference.

Until autonomous vehicles take our streets by storm, here are the top 10 car safety innovations on the market right now, in no particular order:

LED headlights and taillights
Laser headlights aren't quite here yet, although BMW and Audi are working hard on it, so the next-best thing is LED headlights. These crisper, more powerful units make vehicles easier to see by other drivers while lighting the road up to 300 metres ahead for superior visibility. You can even find them on entry-level cars like the 2014 Corolla.

Although LEDs currently fall a little short of the brightness achieved by high-intensity discharge (HID) headlights, they hit maximum brightness within a millionth of a second. When used in brake and indicator lights they're said to improve the reaction time of other road users by around 30%.

Continue reading Top 10 modern car safety innovations

From Ferrari

With the 2014 title already in the bag, Canadian teenager Lance Stroll ended the sixth and penultimate round of the Italian Formula 4 championship with two third places.

The fifteen-year-old from Montreal, racing for the Prema Powerteam began his weekend with a very closely contested race, which he actually led for several laps. Towards the end, he lost out in the usual slipstreaming battle, but Stroll still managed to come home third.

The last step of the podium also awaited him come the end of Race 2, in a contest in which lack of top speed meant he had to drive defensively on the long straights of the Monza track.

Lance Stroll, Monza (Photo: Ferrari.com)

The third and final race of the weekend was definitely less successful, with Stroll only completing a few metres. As the lights went out, Stroll drove into another car, trying to avoid another that was very slow off the line. The damage to his car was enough to put him out of the race without completing a single lap.

The points' table sees Stroll, the 2014 champion and a member of the Ferrari Driver Development programme, now on 331 points, ahead of Mattia Drudi who is up to 194.

From press release

British rallycross team Albatec Racing has released Canadian Jacques Villeneuve from his contract to contest round 11 of the FIA World Rallycross Championship presented by Monster Energy.

The 1997 Formula 1 World Champion has clashing media commitments, which mean he will be unable to compete in World RX of Turkey, at the new Intercity Istanbul Park circuit on October 11 and 12.

The 1995 IndyCar World Series Champion, who narrowly missed a semi final place in his home World RX event in Trois-Rivieres, and then took double race wins last time out in Italy, will return to World RX action in the season finale in Argentina on November 29-30.

Albatec Racing will announce his replacement in the second two-litre, 16v Peugeot 208, alongside 2011 British Rallycross Vice-Champion Andy Scott, within the next few days.

From GMM

F1's governing body has cleared the way for Max Verstappen to make history this week at Suzuka.

Under existing rules, a hopeful rookie can qualify for the mandatory 'super license' credential by testing for more than 300 kilometres under FIA supervision.

Verstappen, who turns 17 on Tuesday, did that recently at Adria in Italy, as Red Bull pushes F1's youngest ever driver into action at an unprecedented speed.

"He did 396 kilometres without any problem," said Toro Rosso boss Franz Tost in Singapore. "People were really impressed with his performance and now it's in the hands of the FIA."

Indeed, the Faenza based team announced on Monday that the Dutchman has been granted a super license, and will therefore make his Friday practice debut at Suzuka in Jean-Eric Vergne's place.

Max Verstappen. (Photo: ToroRosso.com)

Even so, the Verstappen issue is a contentious one.

Some believe it is ridiculous that a driver who does not even qualify for a road-driving license can leap almost directly from karting to motor racing's highest category.

"His appearance (in Japan) will underline fears that the sport is simply too easy," The Times correspondent Kevin Eason reports.

"The FIA ... is said to be examining ways of making F1 cars harder to drive," he revealed.

Another measure under scrutiny is the ease with which drivers can obtain the super license, after the FIA recently vowed to "review the qualification and conditions" for the credential.

Nonetheless, Max Verstappen is unfazed by the controversy.

"I don't look at social media too much," he is quoted by the Dutch website racexpress.nl.

"There are many negative things written, but also many positive things as well. I just concentrate on what I'm doing."

From press release

The 2014 schedule for the Ontario Modifieds Racing Series, powered by Torque Builders Inc. is about to come to a close and the popular open-wheeled tour will wrap things up for the season with a double-header - Friday and Saturday, October 3 and - as part of the Octoberfest Classic at Flamboro Speedway.

This year's events have been a level playing field, with strong competition and only one two-time feature event winner after five shows.

Powering and preserving affordable open wheel modified racing for racers by racers, OMRS teams are dedicated to working together to give the fans the best possible show. Spokesperson and competitor Randy Hollingsworth says that point was most evident during the Saturday, September 6 show at Flamboro Speedway.

"A failure with a component in the right front corner of the car caused the No. 61 machine - driven by Bill Pickford - to hit the retaining wall at nearly full speed, just as the field was completing the first lap of the qualifying heat," said Hollingsworth.

"The damaged car was towed to the pits and the rest of us finished the race. It wasn't long before the car was being swarmed by crew members from other teams and offers of parts. While we all originally thought it was too damaged to continue, Pickford was able to make it back out for the feature and while he wasn't in contention for the win, fans saw a full field of OMRS teams in action."

Friday, October 3- pit gates open at 3 pm, with racing at 6 pm. The Ontario Modifieds Racing Series is scheduled to run their qualifying heats and a 25-lap main event.

Saturday, October 4 pit gates open at 9 am and racing at 3 pm. OMRS teams are on the agenda for a last chance qualifying event and another 25-lap feature.

Full schedule details can be found by checking www.flamborospeedway.net.

Round 15 of the 2014 Formula 1 World Championship brings us to Suzuka for the Japanese Grand Prix, held at the Suzuka Circuit, one of the most thrilling and challenging road courses in the world.

Here are seven things to know about the Grand Prix of Japan.

1
Suzuka features a crossover and is the only figure-of-eight circuit on the calendar, meaning that it features both clockwise and anti-clockwise elements. It was designed by Dutchman John Hugenholz in 1962 and hosted its first Grand Prix in 1987.

2
The Japanese Grand Prix has been run 24 times at Suzuka (1987-2006, and from 2009 onwards) and four times at Fuji (1976-77, 2007-08). The only other Japanese track to host a Grand Prix is the TI Aida circuit, which staged the Pacific Grand Prix in 1994 and 1995.

3
The inaugural Japanese Grand Prix in 1976 was held at Fuji and won by Mario Andretti in a Lotus 77. James Hunt, driving for McLaren, dramatically clinched the ‘76 drivers' title by finishing third, narrowly beating Niki Lauda in the title chase.

Mario Andretti, Lotus 77, 1976 Japanese Grand Prix (Photo: WRI2)

4
The furthest back on the grid any Japanese Grand Prix winner has started is 17th. That was Kimi Raikkonen in 2005 in a McLaren-Mercedes, when he thrillingly took the lead on the final lap.

5
Michael Schumacher has won the Japanese Grand Prix 6 times (1995, 1997, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2004). Team McLaren won the race 9 times.

6
Kojima entered its own Japanese F1 cars in the 1976 (Kojima KE007-Cosworth) and 1977 Japanese Grand Prix (Kojima KE009-Cosworth). Driven by Masahiro Hasemi, the KE007 finished 11th in 1976. The KE009, driven by Noritake Takahara retired from the race in 1977. These marked Bridgestone's first attempt in F1.

The Kojima KE009-Cosworth (Photo: Bridgestone)

7
Peter Warr (former team manager of Lotus F1 Team) won the very first Japanese Grand Prix held in 1963, driving a Lotus 23 sportscar.

Alejandro Agag, CEO of the new FIA Formula E championship recently answered questions of fans and said there were major changes for the series in the works.

“In year two team will be allowed to build their own batteries and their own motors. They could build their own whole car if they want. But the regulations are quite strict and they don't allow a lot of development in aerodynamics, but they do allow development of the motor and the batteries. I would hope that we have three or four different makers of motors and batteries in the championship for year two,” Agag said.

Williams Advanced Engineering makes the current batteries and the motor is supplied by McLaren Electronics Systems.

Photo: FIA Formula E

Alejandro Agag also talked about the battery life.

“We see wireless charging as one of the potential elements of the future in Formula E. Definitely battery development - new chemistry will bring the battery capacity to last longer. Maybe in three to five years, the batteries will last the whole race, but we may decide to stick with the current system, because we like it to keep two cars with twice the amount of power and go much faster, we will see what makes a better show, I think probably a combination of both will happen. The wireless charging can be static or dynamic. Imagine dynamic wireless charging - the whole track has dynamic pads under the surface, the cars just go we could do the 24 electric hours with this system,” he explained.

Alejandro Agag confirmed that he wants to increase the number of races per season.

“Definitely yes, there are plans to go to more than 10 cities. Next year we will probably be in 12, and we want to grow slowly to get to a figure of around 18 races per year. We are talking to many cities. After Beijing we probably received requests from over 40 or 50 cities from all over the world to host a race, so that's been really positive. The number of entries is 20 because we race with two cars per driver, so to move 40 cars around the world is already a lot. But I think when the batteries will last longer; we go down to just one car per race. We would then add two other teams, so that would be a total of 24 drivers,” Agag said.

Ford aims to raise global sales 52 percent annually by 2020 by tapping fast-growing Asian markets, investing heavily in Lincoln, and expanding its global offerings of small cars and utility vehicles.

Japanese auto parts maker Toyoda Gosei agreed to plead guilty to price-fixing and pay a $26 million fine, the Justice Department said.

The UAW and two top German labor groups have signed a letter of intent to jointly organize the Volkswagen AG assembly plant in Chattanooga, a top UAW official said today.

Toyota said it would recall about 690,00 Tacoma 4X4 and Tacoma pre-runner pickup trucks in the U.S. to fix issues with the vehicles' rear suspension system.

Toyota in the US will recall 690,000 Tacoma pickup trucks for corrosion checks, CNBC reported.