Auto News 5

Nearly all Saab dealers reached a dead end after the Swedish brand's bankruptcy in 2011. But not Park Ave Saab in Maywood, N.J.

Germany's premium automakers aim to show that they still have a leading edge in autonomous driving and car connectivity technology at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas.

Plummeting gasoline prices have shaken up some of the mathematical calculations that made diesel an attractive alternative fuel for efficiency-minded drivers.

Ford is rolling out a new set of commercials with actor Matthew McConaughey behind the wheel of a Lincoln as the luxury brand extends its most talked-about advertising campaign in years.

Adapted from GMM

The former F1 driver and IndyCar champion gives his impression on the current top Formula 1 drivers.

Discussing with the Ferrari insider Leo Turrini's Quotidiano blog, Alex Zanardi comments: "In my opinion, Hamilton is the best of anyone who drives a car at the moment. Perhaps the only one who comes close to him in absolute terms is Alonso."

As for Sebastian Vettel, the now former four-time world champion and Ferrari's new driver, Zanardi is less convinced.

Sebastian Vettel, Ferrari. (Photo: Ferrari)

"I think Vettel is a great driver," he said, "but maybe not at the level of Hamilton or Alonso. However, we are talking about a very, very competitive driver who is going to Maranello with the right spirit.

"Apart from the car, which of course is important, it will be interesting to see how Vettel and Raikkonen will go in 2015 in reaction to their latest experiences.

"In 2014, Seb was beaten by Ricciardo, and it was the same with Kimi compared with Fernando. How will the new Ferrari couple do with a car that we are told will not be on top?

"It will be very interesting to see their performance," Alex Zanardi concluded.

Maurizio Arrivabene and Kimi Raikkonen, Ferrari. (Photo: WRi2)

From GMM

Lewis Hamilton has taken home yet another plaudit after winning his second drivers' title in 2014.

A coveted award in Europe is the Polish press agency's Sportsman of the Year, in which 18 similar sports news services cast their votes.

In 2014, it is Mercedes driver and Briton Hamilton who secured the prize with 82 points, in front of German goalkeeper Manuel Neuer's 81 and tennis' Novak Djokovic coming in with 74 points.

In fourth place was Cristiano Ronaldo, with 72 points.

Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes AMG. (Photo: WRi2)

Alex Zanardi, the former F1 driver who has inspired millions with his feats in the wake of his 2001 crash and injuries, said F1 crowned the deserving champion in 2014.

"I am not talking about the car, I'm talking about the driver," he told the Ferrari insider Leo Turrini's Quotidiano blog.

"In my opinion, Hamilton is the best of anyone who drives a car at the moment. Perhaps the only one who comes close to him in absolute terms is Alonso," said Zanardi.

From GMM

On the one-year anniversary of his skiing crash, Michael Schumacher's inner circle has hit back at the latest claims about the seven time world champion.

Former F1 driver Philippe Streiff, who was paralysed in a 1989 crash, told Le Parisien newspaper on Sunday that while the great German is still not able to speak, he is "starting to recognise those close to him".

As for Schumacher's future, Streiff added that "long term, he could hope one day to walk with crutches".

Streiff said he had heard the news from Schumacher's wife Corinna and the FIA-linked doctor Gerard Saillant.

But speaking to the French-language news agency AFP, Saillant hit back at Streiff's claims.

"For a year, I have had no verbal, written or physical contact with Philippe Streiff," he said through a FIA spokesman.

And Schumacher's manager Sabine Kehm was quoted by the German newspaper Bild as also rejecting the report based on Streiff's comments.

"I can only wonder about these statements of Philippe Streiff," she said. "He certainly has no contact with Professor Saillant or with Corinna. Between Mr Streiff and Michael, there has also never been a friendship," added Kehm.

As for Streiff's comments suggesting Schumacher, 45, is making progress one year after his skiing accident, Sabine Kehm said: "We need a long time.

"It's going to be a long time and a hard fight. He is making progress appropriate to the severity of the situation," she told Reuters.

From GMM

There are fears a third team could follow Caterham and Marussia out of F1 as the new year beckons.

Caterham, although still in administration, is hoping to race in 2015 but Marussia's assets and factory are being sold to pay back creditors.

F1 business journalist Christian Sylt wrote in the Telegraph that the team's engine and technology suppliers Ferrari and McLaren, for example, are owed $25 and $11 million respectively.

Sylt said administrator Geoff Rowley acknowledged that Marussia is unlikely to race in 2015.

Caterham and Marussia in Russia. (Photo: WRi2)

Now there are fears a third team could collapse, potentially reducing the 2015 grid to just 16 cars. Last year, 11 teams began the championship, filling a 22-car grid.

But the sport's rising costs are beginning to bite, and at the latest meeting of the Strategy Group, little was achieved in terms of any relief.

"Forget the festive spirit," a source told Times correspondent Kevin Eason. "We have people drinking in the last-chance saloon this Christmas and no one seems able or willing to do anything about it."

On the latest 2015 entry list, Lotus has been listed with a conditional asterisk alongside its name.

Bob Fernley, deputy boss at Sahara Force India, said he was warning a year ago that modest-budget backmarkers like Caterham and Marussia were at risk of collapse.

"(Now) we are talking about teams with budgets of $155 million plus and employing 350 people or more.

"We are about to start a new year with the same warning, but no one seems to grasp what is going on and how urgent things have become. They are like sailors rearranging the deckchairs on the Titanic while the ship sinks," he added.

From GMM

Tony Fernandes' already bad 2014 turned black at the weekend.

This year, the Malaysian entrepreneur sold his ailing backmarker F1 team Caterham, his London football club Queens Park Rangers has disappointed, and now a flight operated by his airline AirAsia has gone missing en route to Singapore.

The flight had 155 passengers and 7 crew on board.

"My heart bleeds for all the relatives of my crew and our passengers. Nothing is more important to us," he wrote on Twitter.

The German newspaper Die Welt said 2014 was the "worst year of Fernandes' career".

From GMM

Korea has been removed from the latest 2015 calendar issued by F1's governing body.

Insiders were initially stunned early in December when next year's schedule featured an unprecedented 21 grand prix dates and the return of a race in unpopular South Korea.

Korean organisers played down the inclusion and even Bernie Ecclestone admitted it was unlikely, as experts explained it was probably a mere 'trick' to trigger a loophole in the long-life engine use rules for 2015.

But at the latest Strategy Group meeting, the engine rule loophole was closed, and in the hours before Christmas the FIA issued a definitive 2015 calendar on which Korea does not feature.

However, the final 2015 calendar does declare that next year's world championship will be played out over "21 competitions", even though only 20 races are subsequently listed.

Driven by surging Mexican factories, North American light-vehicle production in 2014 is headed for the second-highest level on record. Full-year 2014 output for the United States, Mexico and Canada will total 17.

Not everything went as planned in 2014. Here are some of the auto world's top blunders of the year, from our annual Lists of 10.

Almost a year after Michael Schumacher injured himself in a skiing accident, DVAG is still sponsoring the seven-time world champion.

Schumacher's manager Sabine Kehm confirmed the news.

"We never saw our partnership with DVAG as strictly professional. It's also a personal relationship. That's why it is still going strong," she is quoted as saying by several German reports.

DVAG boss Robert Peil added that his company never considered dropping Schumacher "in such difficult times", unlike Jet Set and Navy Boot, which recently ended their partnership with the racing legend.

The investment company has been sponsoring Schumacher since 1996.

Former Sauber driver Adrian Sutil seems to be running out of options in Formula One.

The German and his teammate during 2014, Esteban Gutierrez, were replaced by Marcus Ericsson and Felipe Nasr at the end of the season, leaving them both without a race seat.

Gutierrez settled for a reserve driver role at Ferrari, but Sutil seems ready to leave F1 again, according to Autosport.

"There are plenty of opportunities in categories that are really interesting - it doesn't need to only be Formula 1," he told the British magazine.

Mark Webber is among the F1 drivers who recently switch to endurance racing (Photo: WRI2)

"Maybe the year after Haas is coming to Formula 1, and this is an interesting project. The WEC could [also] be an interesting project," he added.

"Everyone is saying good words about it, and that's how I feel about it. The cars are quick and probably similar to Formula 1.

"I definitely want to do the 24 Hours of Le Mans in my career, and I'm looking at certain Formula 1 drivers who did that step and are very happy."

Piero Lardi Ferrari thinks his father Enzo would have approved Sergio Marchionne.

"I think so, yes," he replied when Italy's La Gazzetta dello Sport asked if the two would have gone along well.

"(Marchionne) is a hard worker. He can identity problems and solve them quickly. The more I get to know him, the more I like," added Lardi Ferrari.

Piero Lardi Ferrari and Sergio Marchionne (Photo: WRI2)

Enzo's son also seems to approve the shake up at Maranello, which reminds him of the 1961 season.

"I think the changes going on right now are good," he says. "Formula One is in constant evolution, so you have to keep up.

"I've seen this kind of shake up before. I remember at the end of 1961, seven people lost their job. That's when Mauro Forghieri arrived."

And under his leadership, the Scuderia won four titles with John Surtees (1964), Niki Lauda (1975 and 1977) and Jody Scheckter (1979).

Rumours about Volkswagen/Audi's potential involvement in F1 are still swirling.

Having recently hired former F1 men Stefano Domenicali and Jörg Zander, Audi is now reportedly considering buying Toro Rosso to race under Lamborghini's name.

According to Italy's Omnicorse, Red Bull would be open to the idea of selling its junior team to a serious company like Audi.

The two brands do have a history together, the energy drink company being a sponsor of both Audi and Volkswagen in the DTM and WRC championships.

Lamborghini also has a history in F1 before. It supplied engines to several teams between 1988 and 1993, including its own Modena Team in 1991. At the time, the company was owned by Chrysler.

It belongs to the Volkswagen group since 1998.

Derek Warwick behind the wheel of a Lamborghini-powered Lola in 1993 (Photo: WRI2)

From press release

Canadian David Bensadoun and his co-driverPatrick Beaulé of the ALDO Dakar Racing Team, have left for South America to compete in the 37th running of the Dakar Rally Raid, the longest annual off-road race in the world, scheduled to take place January 4-17, 2015.

Facing the challenges at the Dakar is the reason why Bensadoun competes in the event.

"This will sound nuts but I look forward to the really tough moments because that's where Pat and I do our best. I also visualize the feeling of being on liaison after the stage is over. It's a great moment of satisfaction and freedom knowing you finished another day and can actually look around and eat something!"

ALDO Racing's Toyota Tacoma Overdrive (Photo: ALDO Racing)

The Marathon stages on Day 7 and 8 (January 10-11) between Iquique, Chile and Uyuni, Bolivia particularly seem to be a concern for the ALDO Team as they will be on their own to fix their vehicles prior to the return trip to Iquique. "The marathon run will be a huge test of man and machine," concludes Bensadoun.

"It means that we'll be sleeping in a very rough camp overnight without some of the spare parts or mechanical support. In a marathon stage, we will have to be the mechanics! The best approach will be to drive very carefully so that we minimize the work to be done."

The 2015 Dakar Rally will cross the Andes Mountain range twice during their trek across Argentina, Chile and Bolivia from January 4th to the 17th.

Audi will spend $29 billion to develop technology and expand production, boosting its five-year investment plan by $2.44 billion as it chases BMW for the top spot in luxury-car sales.

American collectors who envision a wave of classic cars from Cuba coming onto the market will need to temper their expectations.

From WRC.com

In only its second season, the German manufacturer broke many records competing in the World Rally Championship (WRC).

When title-winner Sébastien Ogier won Wales Rally GB, for example, he presented VW with its 12th victory from 13 rallies - a new record for the number of wins in one season that eclipsed the previous record of 11 held by Citroën. VW also equalled the record eight one-twos in a season, set by Peugeot back in 2002.

Volkswagen wrapped up the Manufacturers' title at the earliest point of the season for 25 years, as well as becoming only the second manufacturer in WRC history to provide all of the top three drivers in the Drivers' World Championship. Only Lancia had achieved this feat before them - in 1987 and 1988.

The season added more impressive statistics to the winning record of the Polo World Rally Car. Since its WRC debut in January 2013, the car has racked up 22 victories and 41 podiums in 26 rallies. This year it powered Ogier, Latvala and Mikkelsen to 197 stage wins from a possible 249.

Jari-Matti Latvala, VW Polo R WRC (Photo: WRI2)