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With a stern foreman clocking their efforts on his stopwatch, the Chinese apprentices snap together their first Nissan vehicle, brick by brightly colored plastic brick.

In his last appearance before Sen.

A parade of new mainstream models equipped with advanced safety technologies that take control of the vehicle in certain instances will soon be in showrooms. But the goal of a car that makes its own way, sans driver, remains distant and uncertain.

GM's September promotion and dealer incentives are early salvos in what's likely to be a sustained offensive to capitalize on Ford's vulnerability as it negotiates the complicated changeover to its aluminum-body 2015 F-150.

Tesla, still operating in startup mode, is most worried about ensuring that the Model X and the rest of the new models on its agenda aren't a letdown from the Model S.

From the press release

The MERCEDES AMG PETRONAS Formula 1 Team is delighted to announce the appointment of Pascal Wehrlein to the position of reserve driver.

After a successful early career in go-karts, Wehrlein (19, Sigmaringen, Germany) won the 2011 ADAC Formel Masters before graduating to Formula 3 in 2012. In his maiden season, he secured second place in the F3 Euroseries championship and claimed the title of best rookie.

For 2013, DTM with Mercedes-Benz beckoned and 18-year-old Wehrlein became the youngest driver in series history, continuing the long-standing Mercedes-Benz tradition of developing young driver talent.

Yesterday at the Lausitzring, he took a commanding debut victory from pole position, leading every lap but one in wet-dry conditions on his way to becoming the youngest race winner in DTM history at just 19 years of age.

In addition to his DTM duties, Wehrlein has played an integral role in the Formula 1 team's race support operations during the 2014 season.

In total, he has completed more than 30 days in the simulator this season, covering over 12,000 km in the virtual F1 W05 Hybrid.

Pascal Wehrlein, Mercedes AMG F1 (Photo: Mercedes-Benz)

Pascal reached another important milestone in his career development last Thursday 11 September, when he drove a Formula One car for the first time at the Autodromo Internacional Algarve in Portimao.

As part of a Young Driver Evaluation test conducted by the team, Wehrlein took the wheel of the team's 2012 challenger, the F1 W03. Running a programme designed to familiarise him with the car, Pascal achieved a total of 500 km on the day, completing 109 laps and impressing the team with his progress and feedback.

Wehrlein will travel with the team from the Singapore Grand Prix onwards as part of his reserve driver duties.

From GMM

Daniil Kvyat might not be the only Russian on the Sochi grid next month.

The Russian publication Sportbox claims that, amid the cockpit reshuffling under Caterham's new management, 32-year-old Roman Rusinov is in the running to debut in Russia.

Caterham sidelined Kamui Kobayashi at Spa last month in deference to Le Mans winner and the Hype-sponsored Andre Lotterer, while Spaniard Roberto Merhi is tipped to race in Singapore this weekend.

When asked about the rumours, Rusinov - who tested for the Midland team in 2006 under the leadership of Colin Kolles - said: "Theoretically, I would not rule out such an option.

"However, it is on these days that I am racing in the world endurance championship in Japan. And I prefer that," he added.

Rusinov also clarified that he would not accept becoming a F1 'pay-driver'.

Roman Rusinov. (Photo: WRi2)

Canadian Lance Stroll Sunday captured the title of the 2014 Formula 4 Italian Championship in Vallelunga, Italy.

Stroll, a member of the Prema Power team, scored two wins in the weekend's three races to clinch the title early in the season, as there are still two rounds to go.

“My teammate [Brendon Maisano] was leading the race [race 3] but I pushed him as hard as possible because I wanted to clinch the title with a victory. I managed to pass him to collect the victory, which was a great satisfaction for me,” Stroll explained after the race.

Lance Stroll (No. 18), leading the race. (Photo: F4 Italian Championship)

Lance Stoll results:

Vallelunga
Round 1
Starting grid: P4
Finishing position: P2

Round 2
Starting grid: P9
Finishing position: P1

Round 3
Starting grid: P2
Finishing position: P1

Championship standings:
1-Lance Stroll, 302 points
2-Andrea Russo, 153
3-Leonardo Pulcini, 150

Races left:
Monza, September 28
Imola: October 12

From GMM

Michael Schumacher is being treated at home by a medical team numbering about 15, the German newspaper Bild am Sonntag reports.

After eight months of coma and hospitalisation following his skiing fall last December, the F1 legend returned home to his estate on the shore of Lake Geneva last week.

But Bild am Sonntag claims Schumacher is now being tended to by a team whose size and expertise is comparable to the medical specialists who cared for him until recently at the rehabilitation clinic in Lausanne.

A spokesman for the clinic confirmed: "A large part of the team that cares for Michael now was trained by our specialists. We are following his treatment and are still a point of contact and entirely at his disposal."

Former Ferrari and Mercedes driver Schumacher's manager Sabine Kehm said last week that the 45-year-old German was not moving home because his medical condition had significantly changed.

Manfred Spitzer, medical director at a specialist brain hospital in Germany, told Bild: "I do not know the condition of Michael Schumacher, but if it is stable, then the familiar surroundings (of his home) can certainly help for now.

"Such emotional stimulation is very important for patients who have suffered a severe brain trauma," he added.

Peter Prodromou has today joined McLaren Racing's design department in the role of chief engineer.

Prodromou, who previously worked for McLaren between 1991 and 2006, joins the team after a successful stint at Red Bull Racing.

Peter Prodromou and Sebastian Vettel, Red Bull Racing. (Photo: WRi2)

He is a key appointment for the McLaren team as it pushes ahead with the specification and development of next year's, Honda-powered MP4-30 Formula 1 challenger.

“It's fantastic to return to McLaren, and to see a mixture of faces old and new,” said Prodromou.

“Of course, I have first-hand experience of just what a passionate, focused and capable race team exists within these walls, and I've already seen the enthusiasm and positivity that exists to return McLaren to world championship-winning glory.

“I, too, am determined to work flat-out to do everything I can to help initiate a new chapter of success in McLaren's history,” the British engineer added.

Racing director Eric Boullier declared: “He joins us at an auspicious time; we've spent much of 2014 working to develop and organise our design department, and his arrival neatly coincides with the conclusion of that restructuring”.

From GMM

Ferrari has given a cool welcome to the FIA's clampdown on radio instructions to F1 drivers.

The ban will fall on teams with immediate effect, and Red Bull's Christian Horner declared last week: "It is time for the drivers to drive."

Mercedes' Toto Wolff, however, is more concerned, fearing "essential on-track procedures will be affected" by the "complex and controversial" rule change.

Ferrari also thinks the clampdown will fundamentally affect the work of formula one teams and drivers under the increasingly complex new rules for 2014.

"Currently, drivers make two or three adjustments per lap based on information given to them by the engineers who monitor the situation via telemetry," the Italian team said in an online report entitled 'Radio gu-gu, Radio ga-ga'.

Ferrari pitbox. (Photo: WRi2)

Ferrari announced that it is "evaluating the effect of this technical directive relating to radio communications and ... the possible scenarios that could occur on track".

"There are still some uncertainties remaining especially regarding safety matters. Information about brake and tyre wear are among those currently banned but messages on these topics could prevent dangerous incidents," it added.

Ferrari said it has sought "further clarification from the FIA" on the issue.

From series' press release

Team Penske announced that it would form a partnership with one of the most successful motorsport teams in Australia to compete in the V8 Supercars Championship, beginning in 2015.

Working with Dick Johnson Racing (DJR), the longest-established motor racing team in Australia, Team Penske plans to race next season in the ultra-competitive touring car championship.

DJR Team Penske will compete with Ford Falcons in the 2015 V8 Supercars Championship with NASCAR driver Marcos Ambrose behind the wheel.

Ambrose will return to the category where he drew international acclaim to race the iconic No. 17 Ford for DJR Team Penske.

Ambrose is a two-time V8 Supercars champion; winning back-to-back titles in 2003 and 2004.

He transitioned to a winning career in NASCAR where he has earned seven wins and eight pole positions while competing in the Sprint Cup, Nationwide and Camping World Truck Series over the past nine seasons.

Start of the Melbourne race. (Photo: V8 Supercars)

From GMM

Frenchman Jules Bianchi has revealed he is not sure he will still be driving for Marussia 1 Team beyond 2014.

The 25-year-old, who is the cream of Ferrari's driver development 'academy', has impressed since debuting last year with the backmarker team.

But regarding 2015, Bianchi's future is unclear.

"I have no idea where I will be next year," he told the Russian edition of Autosport on a visit to the Formula Renault 3.5 series in Hungary.

"I would like to have clarity, but at the moment I don't know anything for sure," Bianchi added.

"We are trying to find the best option for next year, but right now I just want to focus on the remaining races of the season."

The uncertainty could be because of the management turmoil at Ferrari, which might affect Fernando Alonso's commitment to the fabled marque amid the big-money interest of McLaren-Honda.

And Alonso's current teammate Kimi Raikkonen has struggled notably in 2014.

"Raikkonen has already said this year that he will probably retire from F1 when his current contract expires," former F1 driver turned BBC pundit Allan McNish said.

"So you have to ask how committed he is to next year if he is already coming out with remarks like that.

"If I was running Ferrari, I would want more results out of Raikkonen before the end of the year or I would be looking at the options," McNish added.

Also uncertain is the Ferrari 'power unit' customer Marussia's future, amid reports the team is struggling financially.

"It is obvious that we are very satisfied with Jules' work," team boss John Booth told Russia's Championat, "and of course we want to keep him in 2015.

"But if Ferrari needs him, it is very clear that he belongs to them.

"We love working with the Ferrari family and the relationship is very good," he said.

"We are talking with the drivers, but we will only do an announcement of the lineup, if possible, in December," he revealed.

Jules Bianchi, Marussia MR03-Ferrari. (Photo: WRi2)

Booth said American test driver Alexander Rossi, who almost made his debut for Marussia recently amid the recent Max Chilton contract kerfuffle, is a possibility for the future.

But arguably more crucial for Marussia is the basic direction of the F1 team. Earlier this year, it emerged that the British-based team had split with its Russian supercar-making owner.

The team is now owned by a company called Marussia Communications Limited.

"We are proud to represent in F1 Marussia and Mr (Andrei) Cheglakov," said Booth.

"I know that right now the supercar project is not implemented, but I hope that in the future it will be."

But Booth hinted that he is not exactly sure what the future looks like for Marussia.

"I cannot talk about it," he said when asked about investors' guarantees for the 2015 season and beyond. "These are confidential questions for internal discussion only."

Japanese car manufacturer Toyota has yet to reveal its true intentions, but it continued to test its World Rally Championship-built Yaris.

Last spring, Toyota started selling its customer rally car, the GT86 CS-R3.

We then learned that former World Champion, Tommi Makinen had built (and drove in Finland) a WRC version of the GT-86, a request from Akio Toyoda, the big boss of Toyota.

At the same time Toyota Motorsport built a WRC Yaris, which was tested in different types of roads.

In this video, the Yaris was driven on tarmac in eastern France. It was driven by Sebastian Lindholm, cousin of two-time former World Rally Champion and Peugeot driver, Marcus Gronholm.

The 2014 series finale for the Toyo Tires Championship was a fitting way to end the year - a huge grid and side by side racing all throughout the field.

One of the favourites, Jesse Lazare, had his car shut down on the pace lap in corner 2 at the same time as David Graham had to stop in corner 5, forcing Officials to run an additional pace lap.

Once the field got the green its was pole sitter Steve Bamford leading the first lap over Tristan DeGrand with Chase Pelletier and Zacharie Robichon in tow.

DeGrand moved into the lead as the battle intensified with the three cars behind. There were some very daring passes back and forth over the next few laps with Pelletier moving up to 2nd for a bit, then getting shuffled back as Robichon made his way forward, then Bamford.

The next group was a second back and a train of 10 cars led by Craig Willis and Caitlin Johnston was another pack of intense racing.

Tristan DeGrand. (Photo: Toyo Tires F1600 Championship Series)

At the checkered flag it was Tristan DeGrand getting the win followed closely by Chase Pelletier and Steve Bamford grabbing the final step on the podium by a mere inches over Zacharie Robichon. Craig Willis, Reid Arnold, Bruno Chapinotti, Jeffrey Kingsley, Caitlin Johnston and Max Hanratty round out the top 10.

“I am really happy with the race today,” said a relieved Tristan DeGrand. “I had cars in my mirrors the entire race and just needed to stay focused on driving my race with the Championship already decided. The team has done such an amazing job all year with the car and I have had a dream season.”

In the “B” Class race it was all Graham Lobban. He ran in the top 10 overall and cruised home, sweeping the weekend. Steve Bodrug had a very impressive drive to 2nd place in only his 2nd appearance of the season. The newly crowned “B” Class Champion, Connor Wagland, brought his car home in 3rd in front of Stephen Adams, Keith Lobban and Mike Lee. Sean Gocher, Amy Castell, Bruce Kitchen and Byron Leis round out the top 10.

“I can't tell you how stoked I am to win this Championship,” said an elated Connor Wagland. “When I first came to the series last year I had no expectations. I started to run pretty good at the end of the season then this year I won my first race and here we are, with the Championship. I can't thank my Dad and Gary enough for all the hard work and dedication they have for this and am going to have an awesome off-season.”

DeGrand had a record setting season with 10 wins and collected 1128 points. Chase Pelletier, who a short time ago won the Super Series, was 2nd with 928. 3rd in points was the 2013 “B” Class Champ Craig Willis with 724.

Wagland amassed 994 points on the strength of 5 wins over the course of the season. 2nd place was Mike Lee with 818 over Amy Castell with 796.

The 2nd Annual Night of Champions, celebrating all of the achievements by the Toyo Tires competitors will take place mid November in Toronto, ON.

In exchange for its $5 billion investment toward the construction of a giant battery factory in Northern Nevada, Tesla will receive $1.25 billion in tax abatement from the state after the Nevada Legislature approved the deal last week.

According to Senate Bill 1, Tesla made a commitment to invest $3.5 billion in the state within the first 10 years of the agreement. It passed the Senate with a 21-0 vote.

Three other deals were approved in the same process including:

1. Assembly Bill 1: Provides Tesla with eight years of discounted electricity from NV Energy. The law expands the existing discount period to eight years from four years and requires the company to sign a 10-year contract to purchase grid power from the utility. The value of the discount is estimated to be about $8 million over the eight years. Northern Nevada power customers will see their bill go up about $1.52 a year to pay for Tesla's discount.
2. Assembly Bill 2: Allows electric car manufacturers to sell directly to consumers, bypassing the need for a dealership. This has been a contested issue in Texas and Arizona, where auto dealers and their lobbying arms worked to prevent Tesla and other manufacturers from selling directly to customers.
3. Assembly Bill 3: Eliminates a tax break for insurance companies that locate their home offices in Nevada. The tax break is worth about $25 million a year. That money will be shifted to pay for Tesla's tax incentive package. Insurance companies will keep their tax break until Jan. 1, 2016, when the program will shrink to $5 million a year. It will be completely eliminated in 2021.

Source : rgj.com

Pros: Toyota has applied significant improvements to the road handling characteristics of the 2015 Corolla. Soundproofing is improved and the interior has expanded, mostly in the rear. The familiar 4 cylinder engine is now mated to a CVT transmission for improved fuel economy. The electric rack and pinion steering system is fairly precise.

Cons: Although fairly precise, as mentioned, the steering system offers little feedback. Mechanically speaking, Toyota has not increased the engine output, as the 2015 Corolla accelerates quite noisily. We must point out that the outdated 4-speed transmission offered on the base model does nothing to quite the engine.

Photo: Toyota

2015 Toyota Corolla Price: The 2015 Corolla is available in seven versions, the CE 6M at $17,640, ($19,375 with A/C package), the CE 4A at $20,145, the S 6M at $21,110, the LE CVT at $21,470, the S CVT at $22,095, the LE ECO CVT at $22,220 and the LE ECO tech Group, at $26,945.

2015 Toyota Corolla Fuel Economy: Fuel economy ratings vary according to model and transmission type: CE 6M (8.3/6.2 city/highway); CE 4A (8.6/6.5); S 6M (8.3/6.2); S CVT (7.9/6.1); LE CVT (8.2/6.2); LE ECO CVT (7.7/5.6).

Improvements and Changes: There are no significant changes to the 2015 model other than a few colour and option package modifications.

2015 Toyota Corolla Powertrain: The only available engine option under the hood is the 1.8 litre DOHC inline 4-cylinder engine that produces 132 hp in the CE, S, and LE models, and 140 hp in the LE ECO model due to the presence of the VALVEMATIC valve timing system.

Cargo Capacity: The cargo capacity of the 2015 Toyota Corolla varies between 50 to 368 litres, with raised or lowered rear seatback.

Safety: The various safety features of the 2015 Toyota Corolla include ABS brakes, braking assistance, electronic brake force distribution, dymanic stability control, traction control, hill-assist as well as Smart-Stop assistance when descending hills.

Comparing the 2015 Toyota Corolla: Comparable vehicles in this compact vehicle segment include the Chevrolet Cruze, the Ford Focus, the Honda Civic, the Hyundai Elantra, the Kia Forte, the Mazda3, the Mitsubishi Lancer, the Nissan Sentra, the Subaru Impreza and the Volkswagen Jetta.

On October 2nd at the Paris Auto Show Toyota will unveil the new C-HR Concept. This compact crossover will feature an all-new design and offer an engaging driving experience courtesy of a hybrid powertrain.

No other details are available at this point.

For the first time in Europe, Toyota will also present the final design of its upcoming fuel-cell sedan, which is set to hit the market in 2015.

Source : Toyota

Photo: Toyota

From GMM

Despite being supported by Red Bull, Antonio Felix da Costa has admitted his Formula 1 "dream" is probably over.

Last year, the young Portuguese was the cream of Red Bull's driver development programme and apparently destined for a Toro Rosso debut in 2014.

But just as da Costa's Formula Renault 3.5 campaign faltered, Red Bull decided instead to pluck teen Daniil Kvyat straight out of GP3.

Perhaps bolstered by the success of its daring choice, the energy drink company has now controversially decided to put 16-year-old Max Verstappen into F1 next year straight from F3 and karts.

In the meantime, Antonio Felix da Costa is acknowledging that his F1 dream may be over.

"At the start of the season I had hoped still to go into formula one," he told Speed Week.

"But although I am only 23 and it's a bit young to give up a dream, I had to decide what to focus on, and that is DTM," da Costa said.

Still with Red Bull backing, he has raced a BMW in the premier German touring car series this year, scoring only 4 points so far.

Antonio Felix Da Costa, BMW. (Photo: WRi2)

But he insists that seeing first Kvyat and now Verstappen race ahead of him into F1 is "not hard" to cope with.

"I enjoy DTM very much and from the beginning it has gone well," da Costa said, "so I have decided to concentrate on this.

"If I was to spend ten years here, I would be happy," he insisted. "This is my goal.

"Max is a very, very good racing driver, and I could not have achieved at 16 what he has achieved. He is clearly a special talent," said da Costa.

"At the same time I am very sorry for Carlos Sainz jr," he added. "He was developed by Red Bull, they invested a lot in him, and he is now ready for promotion to the premier class.

"I hope he gets the chance and that we will see Max and Carlos on the grid next year."

In the meantime, da Costa is focusing not only on DTM, but also the all-new Formula E series, even though a clash last weekend meant he had to sit out the season opener.

GM is hit with another huge blow as sales of the 2015 Chevrolet Corvette will be suspended due to a pair of new recalls that affect approximately 2,800 units.

Car and Driver reports that Chevrolet dealers have just received an indefinite stop-sale notice.

The first problem involves a driver's side airbag that could come unseated when deployed in a crash, thereby increasing the risk of injury. Moreover, the parking brake may not have been properly installed.

Most of the affected Corvettes are still in dealer lots. It remains to be seen whether some of them can be found in Canada.

Source : caranddriver.com

Photo: Chevrolet