Auto News 5

The death toll linked to defective Takata airbags grew to five today with Honda disclosing the first fatality outside the United States and calling back more cars.

Features 19 Nov, 2014

MINI has long led the way in Great British design. These are the ideas that brought the Mini and the MINI to life

Takata has modified the composition of an air bag propellant that contains a volatile chemical at the centre of a recall of millions of cars worldwide, the supplier told the Reuters news agency.

A Senate Committee hearing into the recalls of defective Takata airbags that have so far been linked to five deaths is slated for next Thursday, the committee announced today.

Russia October new passenger cars and LCVs sales improved markedly last month as the effects of the country's recycling scheme fed through, although were still 10% down compared with 2013.

Following an 18-month research and investment project, BMW Group Financial Services has unveiled a new business model for its network of 147 BMW and 143 Mini retailers across the UK.

Daimler's Mercedes-Benz plans soon to fit 84 LEDs per headlamp instead of the 24 in the current gridded high beam module in the CLS headlamp to boost light quality. In the medium term, as many as 1024 pixels per LED will enable optimum illumination of the road at every speed and in all traffic conditions - and without dazzling other road users, the automaker claimed.

Features 13 Nov, 2014

Our man buckles up for a super-sideways blast around Fiorano with F1 iceman Kimi Raikkonen. Watch the video…

The parent of Subaru said it will reach its mid-term sales target in North America at least three years ahead of plan, helped by demand for the Forester crossover and Legacy sedan.

News 13 Nov, 2014

Designer Henrik Fisker is bouncing back from the ill-fated Karma, and bringing what looks like a Mustang rival to Los Angeles this month

Daimler's Car2Go car-sharing unit will have more than 1 million registered users by the end of the year, a company executive said, up from 900,000 now.

The VW Group plans to add a proving ground for autonomous driving to its test track in Ehra-Lessien, Germany, Automotive News Europe sister publication Automobilwoche has learned from company sources.

Hoping to harness customer data to offer more services without eliciting an outcry over the misuse of personal information, major automakers today agreed to industry-wide principles to handle consumer data and safeguard individual privacy going...

The Mini five-door variant targets customers who need more space. Available for the first time with the option of a head-up display and adaptive cruise control, Mini says the five-door hatchback could become its best-seller.

Hoping to harness customer data to offer more services without eliciting an outcry over the misuse of personal information, major automakers have agreed to industrywide principles to handle consumer data and safeguard individual privacy going...

A new policy at Volkswagen's U.S. assembly plant would let organized labor groups hold regular meetings at the factory and engage with plant executives but stops short of extending collective bargaining rights to any particular labor union.

The folks at Dumoulin Competition have offered us a fantastic package for our latest Facebook contest, including a t-shirt signed by LP Dumoulin, the 2014 NASCAR Canadian Tire Champion!

The package includes a WeatherTech.ca Racing t-shirt, a second t-shirt signed by the champion, and an official team cap.


The contest is held on our Facebook page.

Here is the basic details:

- The contest begins Thursday November 13, 2014 at noon and ends Wednesday November 19, 2014 at noon (Montreal time).
- The contest is open to people 13 and over.
- One (1) entry per Facebook user per day.
- The contest is available in English and French. It is the same contest, for which the same prize is up for grabs.
- To participate in the draw, individuals must visit the Concours / Contest tab on Auto123.com Racing / Course Facebook page.
- The winner will be drawn Wednesday November 19 at 1pm (Montreal time) among all participants. The winner will be contacted via Facebook private message, will have 48 hours to claim the prize and his name will be posted on the Auto123.com Racing / Course Facebook page as soon as he claims his prize.

Click here to enter the contest. Good luck!

Louis-Philippe Dumoulin, the 2014 NASCAR Canadian Tire series' Champion (Photo: Dumoulin Compétition)

From press release

Tom Blomqvist claimed provisional pole for this Saturday's qualification race for the 61st running of the Macau Grand Prix.

The runner-up in this year's FIA Formula 3 European Championship moved up to the top of the timing screen around the halfway point in the 40 minutes' first qualifying session at the 6.12 kilometres long Guia street circuit and managed to hold on to this position until the chequered flag was out.

In second place, Italian Antonio Giovinazzi completed the 1-2 for the Jagonya Ayam with Carlin team.

In the closing seconds of the session, Nick Cassidy moved up into third place from Lucas Auer.

Tom Blomqvist (Photo: Macau GP)

The final starting grid positions for the qualification race will be known after second qualifying tomorrow at 15.10 hrs local time (8.10 hrs CET). The fastest time set by each driver in any of the two sessions will decide on the grid position.

Rather unusually for Macau, the entire qualifying session ran without any red flags.

The only major incident were impacts by Tatiana Calderón, who crashed into the barriers at the police station corner and damaged the front suspension of her car, and a crash by Martin Cao who hit the barriers at Fischerman's Bend early in the session.

After free practice, Max Verstappen (Van Amersfoort Racing) and Esteban Ocon (SJM Theodore Racing by Prema) were given penalties for failing to come in for their cars to be weighed. The two will be dropped two places each on the grid for Saturday's qualifying race.

From GMM

Yet another week is threatening to pass with Fernando Alonso's future still unclear.

Most insiders are utterly convinced that the Spaniard is heading to McLaren-Honda, amid reports the 33-year-old is even scheduled to visit Woking this week to sign what is expected to be the most lucrative deal in F1 history.

But Fernando Alonso has posted photos to his Facebook and Twitter accounts of what is obviously a post-Brazil break in Dubai, some 7,000 kilometres from the UK.

"Sunny in Woking today!" one of his Facebook followers commented cheekily.

At the same time, Ferrari is also continuing the apparent contractual impasse with its number 1 driver.

New president Sergio Marchionne, pressed by the media about Alonso this week, is quoted by La Gazzetta dello Sport: "I do not talk about the drivers, that is the task of the team management."

The uncertainty is also prolonging the wait for Jenson Button, who could be the existing McLaren driver who is pushed aside for Alonso and out of F1 altogether.

"Hopefully soon I'll be able to give you more info about my future," the Briton said this week on Twitter, adding the hashtag 'ExcitingTimes'.

If his 15-year F1 career does end, it is believed 34-year-old Button will either become a full-time triathlete or switch to Le Mans prototype sports cars.

Speed Week linked him with the 2015 Le Mans competitors Porsche, Toyota, Audi or Nissan.

Mark Webber, who made the switch from F1 to Porsche this year, 'tweeted' to Button: "Matey, just sign that sports car contract and get on with it.

"Be mega to have you with/against us next year," the Australian added.

Caterham's administrators launched a 'crowdfunding' project last week in an attempt to raise enough money for the small team to compete in Abu Dhabi, but the campaign ends tomorrow Friday.

The team has reached 54% of the required 3.7$ millions required to send the two CT05s in Abu Dhabi with equipment and personnel.

Without an FIA super licence, British driver Alice Powell, 21, wanted to take part in Friday's free practice session.

However, her dream faded Thursday when the team's administrators told Sportsmail that they would sign two drivers for the full three days rather than take on someone extra for the practice sessions.

“We have had five people show real interest in driving,” said Finnbar O'Connell, of administrators Smith & Williamson.

“Whichever two are picked will be involved in each practice session.”

Another young British driver, Jolyon Palmer, son of former F1 driver Jonathan Palmer, is now a front-runner to race one of the Caterham-Renaults, according to one well-placed source.

Jolyon Palmer clinched the GP2 series' title last month.

Finnbar O'Connell also told Sportsmail: “I do believe we will be in Abu Dhabi”, adding that “one individual and one group of investors have made contact about helping in the long term”.

Will Caterham be in Abu Dhabi's garages? (Photo: WRi2)