Auto News 5

A major Ford Belgian union has reacted with fury to the automaker's decision to end talks with Punch Metals, branding the move "despicable" as the manufacturer's Genk site moves into its last week of production before closure.

Nissan has launched its NV200 taxi in Hong Kong with dual fuel capability.

News 12 Dec, 2014

Porsche's most hardcore 911 is back out testing ahead of its possible public unveiling in early 2015

Chrysler Group has agreed to further expand its regional recall of older-model Dodge and Chrysler vehicles equipped with airbag inflators manufactured by Takata -- a week after federal safety regulators criticized the automaker's response to the...

Features 27 Dec, 2014

It’s a driving lesson with a difference, as Ferrari experts teach our man how to tame 730bhp F12 Berlinetta

News 12 Dec, 2014

Bold styling revealed for new seven-seater Audi Q7, the first in a new-generation of Audi SUVs

News 12 Dec, 2014

Fiat's Doblo van-based people carrier gets updated styling and new technology for 2015

General Motors said it would spend an additional US$3.6bn in Mexico by 2018, primarily to modernise and expand its manufacturing factories in Toluca, Ramos Arizpe, Silao and San Luis Potosi.

Skoda will launch the third generation of its Superb flagship in mid-2015 after the midsize sedan debuts at the Geneva auto show in March. Skoda said the new Superb has shifted to the upper end of its segment.

Getrag Ford Transmissions, a joint venture between the U.S. automaker and the German supplier, has named Sue Slaughter as its chief operating officer. Getrag also appointed a new Asia boss.

Nissan is boosting production in Russia as the collapse in the ruble hits its profits. The company started production of its X-Trail SUV at its St. Petersburg factory this week and will add the Qashqai next year.

Audi has reduced the A1's CO2 emissions to below 100 grams per kilometer by adding three-cylinder gasoline and diesel engines to the subcompact's powertrain lineup as part of the car's mid-cycle refresh.

Relations between automakers and suppliers are deteriorating as vehicle manufacturers seek annual price decreases as high as 10 percent, according to the 2014 Global OEM-Supplier Relations Study conducted by IHS Automotive.

BWI Group provides added stability to the new Lamborghini Huracan with it optional magneto-rheologic suspension damper control system. Harman supplies the supercar's infotainment and navigation system.

Nissan is boosting production in Russia as the collapse in the ruble hits its profits.The company started production of its X-Trail SUV at its St. Petersburg factory this week and will add the Qashqai next year.

Getrag Ford Transmissions, a joint venture between the U.S. automaker and the German supplier, has named Sue Slaughter as its chief operating officer. Getrag also appointed a new Asia boss.

A rare tour of Nissan's UK battery plant demonstrated how tricky it is to build the product. The factory produces battery for the Leaf electric car and the e-NV200 electric van.

From press release

The World of Outlaws Late Models Series is set for a return to Brighton Speedway in 2015.

After a very successful debut at the 1/3-mile dirt oval in 2013, the top stars of Late Model racing in North America will invade Brighton on Saturday, June 20th for a full night of action.

Joining the 900-horsepower Late Models will be the Southern Ontario Sprints presented by Sanderson's Tire and Automotive and the OilGARD Anti-Rust Canadian Modifieds to provide a full night of racing action.

The Outlaws' stop at Brighton will be part of northern swing for the tour through upstate New York and Ontario. The full World of Outlaws Late Models tour 2015 schedule will be announced in the coming days.

Darrell Lannigan of Union, KY, the winner of the 2013 Excel Tower Service 50 at Brighton and the 2014 series champion, has already committed to running the entire World of Outlaws campaign in 2015. He will have the opportunity to defend his win in search of the winner's $10,000 paycheck.

Battling Lannigan will be World of Outlaws regulars Josh Richards of Shinniston, WV, Chub Frank of Bear Lake, PA who won a special dash race at Brighton in 2012, and Tim McCreadie of Watertown, NY.

Brighton Speedway weekly standouts Greg Belyea, Charlie Sandercock, Phil Potts and more will try to make a name for themselves as they defend home turf against the best in the business.

The Southern Ontario Sprints presented by Sanderson's Tire and Automotive provided some of the best racing of any series that visit Brighton in 2014. The SOS shows no signs of stopping in 2015 as they continue to grow for their 20th anniversary season.

From GMM

Formula 1 supremo Bernie Ecclestone refuses to give up his crusade against F1's current turbo hybrid engine formula.

Meeting with a select group of reporters on Thursday including Forbes' business journalist Christian Sylt, the F1 chief executive revealed that he intends to propose the sport brings back loud "normally-aspirated" engines for 2016.

He said he will table the matter at the December 18 meeting of the powerful Strategy Group.

Asked if he is contemplating V8s or V10s, and referring to the teams and manufacturers, 84-year-old Ecclestone answered: "It's up to them."

Ecclestone said to counter the argument that abandoning the quieter energy-recovery-boosted turbos would be a backwards step, the 2016 engines would be branded as 'Hybrid' and have KERS systems aboard.

And he played down suggestions carmakers like Honda and Mercedes will walk away by insisting it would actually be "a bit of a dream for them to build a normally-aspirated engine and develop it to about 1000 horse power".

Ecclestone denied that potentially putting off Volkswagen might be another obstacle, as the German giant has been "out there for long enough and haven't made a big enough effort to come in".

Fascinatingly, Ecclestone also said the FIA might not even be an obstacle to the move, given that president FIA president Jean Todt "sold the rights" in a recent commercial deal.

"The Strategy Group that we have got," he explained. "We made a contribution of $40 million a year to buy that actually.

"They sold the rights to have this new group set up in the way we thought it should be set up," Ecclestone added.

From GMM

Bernie Ecclestone has admitted Korea is unlikely to make its return to the Formula 1 world championship next year.

That is despite the country being listed provisionally as one of 21 races on the FIA's 2015 calendar.

Insiders interpreted the sudden appearance of a Korean race with high scepticism, as it is a neat way to give each driver an extra engine next year without having to obtain the unlikely agreement of all the teams.

Meeting with a group of reporters in London on Thursday, F1 supremo Ecclestone did not confirm that suspicion but he also agreed that Korea is perhaps unlikely to happen.

"We have a contract with them," he told Forbes' F1 business journalist Christian Sylt.

Asked whether a Korean grand prix will actually happen, however, Ecclestone answered: "They would rather it not happen."

Including Korea might then serve a dual purpose -- triggering the engine rule tweak, and extracting some money from the organisers for breach of contract.

"We wouldn't extract any more than the contract allows us to," said Ecclestone.

In other F1 race news, Ecclestone admitted that despite negotiating with a Qatari group recently, a race in the oil-rich Arab state is actually now unlikely.

That is because he made one of his famous "handshake deals" with Bahrain's crown prince years ago not to install any new races in the Persian Gulf.

"Now this other race (Qatar) has been proposed," Ecclestone said, "so I put the people together and said 'Can you sort this out between you?'. They haven't managed to do it."