Auto News 5

Nissan will begin receiving some technology from the product-sharing partnership between Daimler and the Renault-Nissan Alliance, a senior Nissan executive says.

Bentley named Robert Engstler as its regional director for Europe. Austrian-born Engstler joins Bentley from the dealer group Porsche Holding Salzburg.

Once valued as a highly profitable vehicle niche, buyers have turned away from convertibles, hurting the business of roof systems suppliers such as Webasto, Magna CTS and Valmet.

Holger Engelmann, the CEO of German roof specialist Webasto, believes a drop in demand for convertible cars will lead to consolidation in the sector, but he sees potential growth opportunities in China.

Photo: Audi

Parallel to this, 3D camera images are compared in real time against graphical information stored on board. The system searches in each of the countless individual images for several hundred known features, such as building patterns behind the track, which it then uses as additional positioning information.

"We are pressing forward with one of the most important trends in the automotive world with our technical solutions for piloted driving," says Prof. Dr. Ulrich Hackenberg, Board Member for Technical Development at Audi AG. "The utter fascination of this development will be put on display at the DTM race in Hockenheim. A lap time of just over two minutes and lateral acceleration of up to 1.1 g speak for themselves."

The lap by the RS 7 piloted driving concept car can be followed via live stream (http://www.audimedia.tv/en). The broadcast begins at 12:45 p.m. on October 19th, 2014.

Some hot items used for the filming of Ron Howard's RUSH movie about the 1976 Formula 1 battle between Niki Lauda and James Hunt are now auctioned!

There are several items offered for sale, but here are the coolest ones.

Niki Lauda's Prop Ferrari 312T2 F1 car
The custom-built car is based on a Mygale chassis with a fibreglass body, aluminium front and rear wings, 2-litre Duratec Ford engine with a dry-sump lubrication system and a Hewland FT200 H pattern gearbox. In running condition.
Estimated price: $30,000-$50,000

Niki Lauda's Ferrari F312T2. (Photo: PropStore)

James Hunt's Prop Hesketh 308 F1 car
The custom-built car is based on a Reynard Opel Lotus chassis with a fibreglass body, 2-litre Vauxhall engine with a dry sump oil system and a Reynard gearbox casing with Hewland 5-speed H pattern internals. In running condition.
Estimated price: $30,000-$50,000

James Hunt's Hesketh 308. (Photo: PropStore)

Niki Lauda replica helmet 1976
Niki Lauda's (Daniel Brϋhl) racing helmet from RUSH. Brϋhl wore this helmet in scenes set during his time with Ferrari, and it screen matches to shots just prior to Lauda's crash during the fateful German Grand Prix.
Estimated price: $3,000-$5,000

Niki Lauda's helmet. (Photo: PropStore)

James Hunt replica racing suit 1976
James Hunt's (Chris Hemsworth) racing suit. This suit was worn by Hemsworth in the scenes when James Hunt was a McLaren driver.
Estimated price: $2,200-$4,000

To see all the items, click here.

James Hunt's racing suit. (Photo: PropStore)

Source : bloomberg.com

From nascar.com

NASCAR has assessed behavioral penalties to drivers Brad Keselowski and Tony Stewart for their involvement in post-race incidents on Oct. 11 at Charlotte Motor Speedway.

Keselowski has been fined $50,000 and placed on NASCAR probation for the next four NASCAR Sprint Cup Series championship events through Nov. 12.

Stewart has been fined $25,000 and placed on NASCAR probation for the next four NASCAR Sprint Cup Series championship events through Nov. 12.

"These penalties are about maintaining a safe environment following the race," said Robin Pemberton, NASCAR senior vice president, competition and racing development.

"We knew that the new Chase format was likely going to raise the intensity level and we want our drivers to continue to be themselves. However, the safety of our drivers, crew members, officials, and workers is paramount and we will react when that safety could be compromised."

The inaugural season will take place over the course of five weekends starting in May 2015. The race vehicles will all use the Micra's stock 1.6L DOHC 4-cylinder engine and 5-speed manual transmission, complete with the following modifications:

• NISMO S-Tune Suspension Kit;
• FIA-approved racing seat;
• 5-point harness;
• Fire extinguisher;
• Modified exhaust;
• High-performance brake pads;
• Safety cage;
• Driver protection net;
• Front and rear towing hooks;
• Stylized Fastwheels wheels with Pirelli low-profile, high-performance tires.

More than 25 Nissan Micras will compete on each race weekend which will include two hours of track time consisting of a 30-minute practice session, a 30-minute qualifying session, and two 30-minute races.

Each car competing in the Nissan Micra Cup will be prepared by the Motorsports in Action (MIA) team in St-Eustache. Everything in the interior of the vehicle will be removed: seats, floor, door panels, steering wheel, etc., to install the aforementioned features and transform it into the race version.

A race-ready Nissan Micra will be available by special order to JD Motorsports for the final price of $19,998.

From press release

Infiniti Red Bull Racing Formula 1 team has announced a new partnership agreement with EXNESS, one of the world's largest retail Foreign Exchange Brokers.

The association will formally begin on January 1st, 2015 and the logo of the new team partner will feature prominently on the cockpit surrounds of the RB11.

“We are very proud to become a Team Partner with Infiniti Red Bull Racing,” said Petr Valov, director of EXNESS.

“Red Bull and Formula One are two of the strongest and most exciting brands in the world, and our philosophy is very similar to that of Infiniti Red Bull Racing - we are both young teams and very ambitious, and we share the same values of freedom and drive.”

“We are delighted that EXNESS is joining our team next year,” added Infiniti Red Bull Racing team principal Christian Horner.

“Our approach as a team is to do things differently, with a strong commitment to quality and excellence. These are principles we share with EXNESS and we greatly look forward to our partnership during the upcoming season.”

This announcement by EXNESS follows a period of outstanding growth by the company and expansion across the globe. In September this year, EXNESS' trading volumes exceeded US$190 billion. Over the past two years, EXNESS has won awards for the best broker in Asia, Russia, the Middle East, and the UK.

From GMM

Former Ferrari driver Gerhard Berger says he is surprised world champion Sebastian Vettel is joining Ferrari.

The great Austrian told Germany's Sport Bild he thinks the long-time Red Bull driver's chances of repeating his recent successes at the beleaguered Italian team in the coming years is "50-50".

"The challenge Sebastian is taking on is one of the biggest you can have in formula one," said Berger.

"Even Fernando Alonso, one of the best in the business, has not become world champion there," added the 55-year-old, who had two stints at Ferrari in the 80s and 90s but is also close to Red Bull mogul Dietrich Mateschitz.

Gerhard Berger continued: "In my opinion, the situation at Ferrari at the moment is a little too turbulent. I simply would not have believed that Vettel would go there at this time."

Christian Horner and Sebastian Vettel, Red Bull Racing. (Photo: WRi2)

From wec.com

Keiko Ihara participated in the 6 Hours of Fuji, Round 5 of FIA World Endurance Championship on October 12, where she finished in 3rd position and climbed the podium at the Fuji Speedway as the first woman driver in the World Championship race.

Ihara has raced in European Le Mans series (ELMS) and Asian Le Mans series (AsLMS) as well as the World Endurance Championship series (WEC) including the 24 Hours of Le Mans.

The No. 35 Morgan-Judd car run by the OAK Racing started the race from the 27th grid due to a mistake using a non-approved component.

The car crossed the line in third place in LMP2 class, and 9th overall.

Ihara commented about her dream to climb the podium of the World Championship race: “It is fantastic to be on podium in my home country! It's quite tough for a woman to drive a race car in one of the top categories. Thanks to great support by OAK Racing and supporters in Japan, however, I finally arrived here. I really appreciate to all for their help so far. I got 2 podium finishes in a row from the AsLMS race in August. So, I will try to get on the top of the podium at my next WEC race in Bahrain.”

Keiko Ihara standing on the podium in Fuji (Photo: John Rourke/AdrenalMedia.com)

From GMM

McLaren is aiming to decide its 2015 driver lineup before the chequered flag waves in Abu Dhabi next month.

That is the claim of boss Eric Boullier, after the Woking team's lead driver Jenson Button revealed that as recently as the Suzuka race he was "annoyed" McLaren is leaving its decision so late.

"It is getting so close to the end of the season, it is actually getting funny (now)," the 2009 world champion added in Russia.

McLaren MP4-29-Mercedes. (Photo: WRi2)

It is not only 34-year-old Button's future that remains unclear, but also that of his rookie teammate Kevin Magnussen, as McLaren obviously negotiates with Fernando Alonso.

"It's true that it's taken a bit more time, but it (the 2015 lineup) is still on course to be announced before the end of the season," Frenchman Boullier told reporters during a team phone-in on Tuesday.

He acknowledged Button's frustration but insists the Briton - easily the most experienced active driver in F1 - does not have to prove he deserves a race seat in the remaining three races of 2014.

"We know the value of Jenson," said Boullier. "He is a world champion, and a world champion class driver.

"We don't need him to deliver next time on track to, let's say, save his job."

This weekend brings the DTM's 30th anniversary season to a close with the home race of Mercedes-Benz in Hockenheim.

With one race to go, Canadian Robert Wickens lies 10th in the point standings with a total of 41 points, one less than his fellow countryman Bruno Spengler.

Wickens, the 25-year-old driver of the FREE MAN'S WORLD Mercedes AMG C-Coupé will complete his third DTM season in Hockenheim.

"It's been a difficult year for Mercedes, but the second half of the season has gone pretty well for me, having scored points in the last three races,” said Wickens.

“Hopefully, we can finish the season in the same way we've been doing in the last few rounds and continue to score points. We have a new car for Hockenheim and with a bit of luck, we can challenge for strong points and maybe a podium."

Robert Wickens, Mercedes AMG C-Coupé (Photo: Mercedes-Benz)

From GMM

Sebastian Vettel will not be able to make his test debut for Ferrari in the days immediately after next month's Abu Dhabi grand prix finale.

Italy's Omnicorse claims that, even though the Maranello team is yet to officially confirm that the German will be wearing red in 2015, it wanted Vettel to drive the F14 T at the post-Abu Dhabi test.

It is at the Yas Marina circuit that Ferrari would have been able to directly compare Vettel in the same car raced just days earlier by the departing Alonso and Kimi Raikkonen.

Also in Abu Dhabi, Pirelli will test its proposed 2015 tires for the first time.

Sebastian Vettel, Red Bull RB10-Renault. (Photo: WRi2)

But when asked by Speed Week when Vettel will be released, Red Bull team owner Dietrich Mateschitz answered: "Five days after the last race, he is free."

That will be November 28 -- immediately after the end of the Abu Dhabi test.

Not only that, reigning quadruple world champion Vettel is already being frozen out by the team and energy drink company that groomed him from boyhood.

"In every way concerning development for next year, Vettel is no longer involved and is receiving no information," Dr Helmut Marko told Kleine Zeitung newspaper.

And the Austrian also told Bild newspaper: "That goes from cockpit design to the aerodynamic configurations of the car for next season."

There's some confusion at Caterham F1 Team as to why Japanese driver Kamui Kobayashi retired on lap 21 of the Russian Grand Prix at Sochi Autodrom last Sunday.

Interviewed by BBC 5 Live just after he climbed out of the car, Kobayashi claimed there was nothing wrong with his Renault-powered CT05.

“Nothing wrong with the car. The team asked me to stop the car to save mileage,” Kobayashi declared.

"We have a lot of mileage limitation to avoid things going wrong with the parts. This is why I get message from top management."

Moments later, Caterham F1 team tweeted: "The reason for @kamui_kobayashi's retirement was that his brakes were overheating and it was too dangerous for him to carry on racing."

Kamui Kobayashi, Caterham CT05-Renault, Sochi. (Photo: WRi2)

Three days later, team boss Manfredi Ravetto said to be confused by his driver's comments.

“Actually, I was very surprised to hear Kamui referring to some mileage-saving instruction coming from the team's management,” Ravetto declared.

“We saw via telemetry that there was a potential issue with the brakes and we decided to avoid any risks; Kamui officially confirmed this as well and I'd like to add that he had also asked us to change the previous set before qualifying because he felt some vibration. To be clear: yes, we instructed Kamui to retire because the safety of our drivers is our first concern!” he added.

“Regarding Kamui's comment, all I can say - and again, I'm answering with facts - is that the team has continuously made progress since the British Grand Prix, we've managed to qualify very well in the last two races, getting very close to Q2, and in Suzuka we repaired Kamui's heavily damaged car in time for the next session without any problems, so I cannot understand his comment,” Ravetto explained.

McLaren Formula 1 team's director of racing, Frenchman Eric Boullier talked about the tough challenge of choosing the right drivers for next season.

Talking to Formula1.com, Boullier said there was still no decision taken yet about the 2015 driver line-up.

“We need a mix of experience and eagerness. In this time of recovery for McLaren I need a boost, so our driver line-up needs to be boosting the team's morale and team's determination to reach as quickly as possible the level where we should be,” Boullier explained.

Kevin Magnussen and Jenson Button, McLaren. (Photo: WRi2)

What would be the benefits of hiring a big name for next season versus those of staying low key in 2015 and then making a big splash in 2016 when the Honda ‘transition year' is over?

“I always said that we are working on the strategy for the coming years - plural - which means we could take on a big name now, or even two big names for next year, or we could stay the same and go for a big name - or again two big names - for 2016.

“We are still assessing what we should do, as it is a big decision that will obviously be driving our success for the medium term. If we take the wrong decision we could be successful in the short term but maybe not in the long term. And we are in the comfortable position of being able to wait. I know that doesn't make it comfortable for Jenson [Button] and Kevin [Magnussen], but I have to think about McLaren first. We also have to see who is on the market in 2015, but also who would be available in 2016 - maybe quite different names would come up then!” Boullier replied.

Eric Boullier admitted that hiring a big name, such as Fernando Alonso, could not be the greatest idea.

“Let's assume we will have a big name next year - or two big names - but do we have the right technical team behind them, the right leadership? Is everything in place? Can we make sure that everything is in place in six months? It's like Russian roulette: you only have one shot! If you bring the big name now and are not ready enough then you start to deliver too late and burn his determination - then what? So what we actually need is a massive boost for the whole system, and if we miss the momentum we will kill everything,” Boullier admitted.

The Volkswagen Jetta is the German company's best-selling product here in Canada. Yes, we Canadians love the Jetta, which is basically a Golf with an added trunk. We're not alone, as Volkswagen has sold over 14 million Jettas worldwide since its introduction back in 1979.

Even a mid-cycle refresh like the one we're getting for 2015 is worth getting excited about. However, as they say, “it's all in the details,” and that's exactly where one needs to look to discover what's new for 2015.


2015 Volkswagen Jetta Prices & Specs
Pricing starts at a staggeringly low $14,990 for the base model, and even if you plump for the top-of-the-range (Highline), you'll still have loose change left over from $30k. However, the big news for 2015 is the introduction of a new 2.0L TDI Clean Diesel unit (now 150 hp, 236 lb-ft) which will be available across the range. Yes, you read that right! This means Volkswagen now offers the cheapest diesel-powered vehicle in Canada (the entry-level Trendline: $23,890).

Available in three trim levels (Trendline, Comfortline and Highline), the 2015 Jetta comes with a choice of three powerplants.

• Standard: 2.0L 4-cylinder (115 hp, 125 lb-ft, 5-speed manual or 6-speed auto with Tiptronic);
• Optional: 1.8L turbo 4-cyl (170 hp, 184 lb-ft, 5-speed manual or 6-speed auto with Tiptronic);
• Optional: 2.0L turbo-diesel (150 hp, 236 lb-ft, 5- or 6-speed manual or 6-speed automatic DSG with Tiptronic)..

There's also a new 150-hp Turbo Hybrid model coming later in the year.

• Fuel economy (city/highway/combined):
• 2.0L manual/automatic: 9.5/6.9/8.4L/100km, 10.4/7.0/8.9L/100km
• 1.8L TSI manual/automatic: 9.3/6.3/8.0L/100km, 9.3/6.3/7.9L/100km
• 2.0L TDI manual automatic: 7.7/5.2/6.5L/100km, 7.5/5.3/6.5L/100km

Driving the 2015 Volkswagen Jetta
I'm going to concentrate on the new diesel unit here as, in my opinion, it's the smartest choice.

If you've driven Volkswagen diesels before, then you don't need me to explain just how good they are. However, this new unit takes things one step further -- more power (10 extra hp over previous version), smoother, and even quieter. When I say this, I truly mean it. You can feel the added power and, in many ways, the refinement of this new diesel units puts some modern gasoline engines to shame.

With 236 lb-ft of torque on hand, there's not much pedal pressure required to get the new TDI Jetta up and running, and from there on, this number simply supplies bonus fun!

The Jetta feels nicely planted on the road, like a German car should, yet is light and nimble enough to enjoy, especially when one pours on that TDI torque while exiting a corner. This is something which can rather quickly become addictive, but there are so many people out there who simply can't see past the rather low horsepower figures which sit alongside the diesel torque numbers. To them I say, “Try a modern diesel, you'll be pleasantly surprised.”

Inside & Out of the 2015 Volkswagen Jetta
The Jetta gets a freshly designed grille/face for 2015 which gives it the appearance of a wider car. It's a little different, but I like it as it adds to the stateliness of the vehicle, almost approaching that of the higher-priced Passat. The rear also receives a mild makeover in the way of a redesigned bumper.

New for 2015, there's an available active radiator shutter system which is said to improve aerodynamics and overall fuel economy.

Stepping inside, the improvements are somewhat less noticeable. A touch of Piano Black here, some brushed aluminum/chrome where we haven't seen it before, but that's about all. However, things have changed quite considerably, you simply need to dig a little deeper. Bluetooth is now standard across the range, and even the base Jetta comes well equipped (SiriusXM® touchscreen satellite radio, backup camera, vehicle immobiliser, multifunction steering wheel, tilt and telescopic steering column, trip computer, 60/40 split rear seat).

As nicely appointed as the Jetta is, it should be noted that in order to get A/C, heated seats/mirrors, and iPod connectivity, you will need to step up to the slightly more expensive Trendline Plus.

Also new on the Jetta are a host of available safety features including blind spot monitoring/rear-traffic alert systems, and even a forward collision warning system available on top models.

Like I said, the improvements for 2015 are there, you just need to look for them!

Comparing the 2015 Volkswagen Jetta
The Jetta operates in a very busy playground and has several potential competitors (Mazda3, Honda Civic, Ford Focus, Chevrolet Cruze, Toyota Corolla, Dodge Dart, Hyundai Elantra, Kia Forte, and Volkswagen Golf).

However, with the exception of the Cruze, not one, bar its own stable-mate (the Golf), offers the option of diesel, so this pares those numbers down pretty well and my vote would still go to Volkswagen's established history in oil burners.