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Buick's U.S. lineup -- threadbare five years ago -- has emerged as a place where General Motors can gamble on different body styles and explore market niches that its rivals either haven't yet discovered or don't care to.

There's value in the traditional brick-and-mortar dealership showroom, industry experts say -- but it must evolve.

Mini USA expects a record year fueled by the redesigned Cooper hardtop and the new four-door hatch, said David Duncan, vice president of Mini of the Americas.

After struggling for years, Toyota's youth-oriented Scion brand aims to get back on a fast growth track by adding products that are more pragmatic and by gearing its advertising to a slightly older crowd.

BMW is trimming its Mini lineup from eight models down to five to boost the brand's prospects of long-term profitability. The carmaker is expected to discontinue three slow-selling vehicles -- the Coupe, Roadster and Paceman.

In an hourlong discussion at the Automotive News World Congress, Tesla's Elon Musk offered several pearls of Elonthink and a few prized revelations about his personal life.

Bill Fox takes over as chairman of the National Automobile Dealers Association at the group's convention in San Francisco as the 16,000-dealer organization is fighting for its members on two fronts.

Nissan's volume-leading Altima sedan is to get substantial midcycle changes for the 2016 model year. The company will not tip its hand on the details, but Nissan's North American product planner describes the planned freshening as "significant."

Jaguar Land Rover's partnership with Meridian is part of an intensifying competition among luxury carmakers to use high-end audio brands to enhance their vehicles' appeal. In December, Ford Motor Co.'

A group of race fans managed a take the first spy shots of the new Nissan GT-R LMP1 that will compete in this year's FIA World Endurance Championship.

Nissan's Le Mans prototype has been secretly tested at the company's proving facility in Stanfield, Nevada late last year.

The GT-R LMP1 was then recently tested at Circuit of the Americas near Austin, Texas where it was spotted and photographed by a group of Porsche fans.

The photos were posted on Twitter. “Super grainy, but definitely has a rear wing and looks to be front engine”, wrote PorscheLMP1Fans.

Nissan GT-R LMP1 (Photo: @PorscheLMP1Fans)

Nissan GT-R LMP1 (Photo: @PorscheLMP1Fans)

The shape of its headlights and nose combined with its long front—highly unusual for a modern prototype—gave it away.

This Nissan LMP1 will reportedly be the first front-mid-engined Le Mans prototype since the Panozes of the early 2000s.

The race car is expected to be shown for the first time during a Nissan TV ad to be broadcasted during the Super Bowl, Sunday February 1st.

From press release

Williams Formula 1 team announced that it has signed a new multi-year agreement with Hackett, the luxury British clothing and accessories company.

Hackett becomes the official clothing supplier of the team for the 2015 season onwards.

Founded in London in 1979, Hackett is the home of essential British clothing and style and enjoys a worldwide reputation for luxury menswear, personal tailoring and accessories.

As part of the agreement Hackett will supply the apparel worn by Williams Martini Racing personnel at each Grand Prix during the Formula 1 season, as well as the apparel and luggage used by team members during their travels around the world.

As part of the agreement Hackett will become an official partner of the team, with its logo appearing on the nose of the Williams Mercedes FW37 racing car, the shirts worn by team personnel, and the race suits and caps worn by drivers Felipe Massa, Valtteri Bottas and Susie Wolff.

From GMM

Volvo has set its sights on a global open-wheel championship -- and it isn't F1.

The Swedish carmaker already races in Scandinavian touring cars and Australian V8 supercars, although chief Alain Visser recently hinted that Volvo is rethinking its commitment to motor sport.

"Look at Land Rover and Jaguar," he told the Swedish edition of Auto Motor und Sport. "Full premium brands that do not race. I still do not see that racing suits our DNA, as Volvo should convey safety and low consumption."

However, the direction in recent times of top racing series like formula one and Le Mans is very much towards safety and low fuel consumption.

"Yes," Visser acknowledged, "but that's completely different money. I would say that Le Mans is the absolutely dumbest racing class you could be in. It costs 20 million euros for one car and you get press coverage for 24 hours!"

Photo: FIA Formula E

As for the FIA's new all-electric single seater category Formula E, however, Visser admitted Volvo is interested.

"We have looked at this," he said. "There is no decision, but it's definitely something we are thinking about.

"The audience figures and press coverage is still quite limited but this is a motor racing concept that I absolutely believe can grow.

"We follow the series very carefully and have done some deep analysis but are yet to take a decision. When you have a limited budget to spend, one must consider carefully where you invest that money.

"In comparison to other motor sports, Formula E is much better value for money," added Alain Visser.

From GMM

Pascal Wehrlein is a name on the fast-track to formula one.

Driving for Mercedes' premier team in DTM, the 20-year-old last year became the youngest winner in the German touring car series' entire history.

So the German carmaker signed him up in September to be the F1 team's new reserve.

Since then, he has been a regular in the team's Brackley simulator, he set the pace in the title-winning W05 in the post-race Abu Dhabi test, and has been linked with a Friday practice role for 2015.

Wehrlein told Schwabische Zeitung: "I want to be in F1 as soon as possible."

Pascal Wehrlein, Mercedes AMG. (Photo: WRi2)

It is rumoured Mercedes could place the youngster in a Friday driving role with a smaller team this year that could lead to his grand prix debut.

Wehrlein admitted: "A team that has nothing to do with Mercedes is not an option.

"So if there is a way to gain experience with a customer team, that's great." Mercedes' 'power unit' customers in 2015 are Williams, Sahara Force India and Lotus.

Also possible is that Wehrlein will split his F1 reserve and testing duties this year with another season in DTM.

"My plan for this year is not yet fixed, as for whether I do a double programme or whether the focus will be on one thing. I wouldn't like it if it was just DTM, but I think it's only a debate as to whether it is a double-programme or if I will just focus on formula one," Pascal Wehrlein added.

Hopes that Marussia could return to the Formula 1 grid in 2015 have been revitalized after the planned auction of the team's remaining properties was unexpectedly cancelled.

Sky Sports F1's sources have discovered that Marussia (Manor) is in serious discussions with a new group of investors about a takeover.

It is understood that it is a different group that the one that wanted to take control of the team prior to last year's Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.

Sky Sports F1 says that talks continue with an (very) interested party.

“Marussia currently have debts of £60m (US $91m), but if they do continue in existence they are in line for £30 million (US $45m)  of prize money based on their performance last season."

Several Marussia race cars and race-day pit equipment were supposed to be auctioned this week, but the sale was suddenly cancelled without explanations.

Despite the tough times and difficulties, former Marussia F1 Team boss Graeme Lowdon is refusing to give up hope of the team returning for the new season after the FIA provisionally included Manor F1 on the 2015 entry list.

From press release

The Quick 32 Sportsman Series and the Pro Bike & Sled Series announced schedules today for their upcoming 2015 drag racing seasons.

Comprised of Top Dragster and Top Sportsman cars running 7.95 seconds and quicker in the quarter-mile, the Quick 32 Sportsman Series will enter into its seventh year of competition, while the Pro Bikes and Pro Sleds of the PBSS, presented by Wiseco Performance Products, will start their fifth year.

Presently five events are scheduled for both groups, starting May 15-17 at the Grand Bend Motorplex in Grand Bend, Ontario.

The teams will return to the Grand Bend Motorplex June 12-14 for a weekend double-header featuring two separate qualifying and elimination sessions.

Another double-header weekend July 31 - August 2 will take place at Empire Dragway in Leicester, New York. Both Series are actively pursuing an additional date and venue to round out a six-race season.

Quick 32 Sportsman Series and the PBSS formats will be announced next week.

As in past seasons, the Quick 32 Sportsman Series, www.Quick32.ca and the PBSS, www.PBSS.ca will team up to race at the same venue, providing a colourful and exciting package of drag racing action.

Mercedes AMG's new Formula 1 World Championship car will be unveiled before running stats on the opening day of winter testing in Jerez.

After an intensive winter of development, the MERCEDES AMG PETRONAS Formula One Team will officially get back to work with the public unveiling of the F1 W06 Hybrid on Sunday February 1st, 2015 at the Circuito de Jerez, Southern Spain.

The next generation of Silver Arrows F1 car will make its first appearance in front of assembled media on the opening day of winter testing, with live coverage brought to the public via the team's social media channels.

Nico Rosberg will then take the wheel for day one of the test, returning to action again on day three. Reigning World Champion Lewis Hamilton will drive on days two and four. This driver allocation is the reverse of that which was used at the opening test of 2014.

Twenty-three-year-old Mexican Esteban Gutierrez recently paid visit to his new team Ferrari in Maranello.

After two full seasons in Formula 1 and 38 Grands Prix with Sauber, six world championship points and one fastest race lap to his name, Gutierrez decided to leave the Swiss team.

Today, the Mexican from Monterrey has got an opportunity to start over as the third and reserve driver with Ferrari.

Esteban Guttierrez and Sebastian Vettel, Ferrari, at Maranello. (Photo: Ferrari)

Esteban's career as a “ferrarista” has already begun, as he has met the personnel and had the necessary seat fittings. On the engine side, he already knows what to expect, because the Saubers he raced were Ferrari-powered.

“Now, the important thing for me is to adapt and to settle in to this new environment as quickly as possible,” he explains.

“I need to get to know the people I will be working with and I hope that my experience with the Ferrari engine will mean I can contribute to the development of the new power unit.”

During his visit of the Ferrari factory, Gutierrez met four-time World Champion and also new Ferrari driver, Sebastian Vettel.

From press release

Yokohama Tire (Canada) Inc. will support reigning Canadian Rally Championship (CRC) driver Antoine L'Estage for the 2015 Canadian Rally Championship season, which kicks off the weekend of February 6 in Maniwaki, Quebec — the 50th anniversary of the event.

L'Estage is coming off an amazing 2014 season, which saw him win all CRC events to comfortably capture the overall driver's championship with co-pilot Alan Ockwell, who joined him after the first event of the campaign.

Antoine L'Estage, Rallye Defi 2014 (Photo: René Fagnan)

“It's unbelievable, to win all the rallies in one year has never been done before,” said L'Estage after the season ending Rally of the Tall Pines in Bancroft, Ontario. “Thank you to Yokohama who stepped in to help with this season. We wouldn't be here without them.”

For the 2015 season, L'Estage will be looking to defend his 2014 title aboard a Subaru WRX STI for Subaru Rally Team Canada (SRTC) and Rocket Rally Racing.

The 2015 campaign marks a long-standing sponsorship between Yokohama Tire (Canada) and L'Estage, with all his major rally titles having been won on the performance tires.

“I've been racing on Yokohama tires since 2004,” says the native of St-Jean-sur-Richelieu, Quebec.

“We've won seven Canadian Rally Championships together, including back to back titles as we head into 2015 and I'm looking forward to another successful campaign.”

From GMM

Fernando Alonso shelved his plans for a professional cycling team amid the turmoil of his switch from Ferrari to McLaren.

That is the claim of Paolo Bettini, a former cyclist who left his job as head coach of Italy's national team in order to help Alonso set up a team for cycling's top World Tour.

But during the course of last year, it became clear Alonso's plans were fading and eventually the Spaniard met with Bettini to apologise.

"We sat down in December," Bettini told the Italian sports daily La Gazzetta dello Sport. "It was a frank meeting, we looked each other in the eye and he apologised."

That is because Bettini, currently without a job, gambled everything on Alonso's dream, which for now has been put on the shelf.

"If he needs help again and calls me then we can see if I'm still free and if we can find the right agreement. Would I be wary? Inevitably, yes," he admitted.

Fernando Alonso, Ferrari. (Photo: WRi2)

Paolo Bettini said the main problem for Alonso's cycling plans was the timing, as turmoil began to build at Ferrari last year and his negotiations for a return to McLaren intensified.

"It all started in the wrong year for Fernando," he explained.

"His job is a formula one driver, so then the changes in Ferrari that everyone is now aware of began and he began to try to change teams.

"It was a crucial year for his career and he had to focus on that," Bettini said. "There was no room for another challenging project, fascinating as it was."

He said he has no intention of suing Alonso, even though his two-year contract to be the new cycling team's director was technically breached.

"There is no legal aftermath," said Bettini. "We are on stand-by. Fernando sees this team for the future.

"I know that may not seem credible, because there was also the attempt to buy Euskaltel, but we have talked so many times and I assure you that he is competent and passionate.

"He is also proud and does not want the story to end this way."

From GMM

Mercedes has reportedly dismissed claims it will begin the 2015 season with its 'old' V6 engine of last year.

With the FIA agreeing to allow a development loophole under the existing 'freeze' rules, the sport's engine makers are currently contemplating how best to deploy their 32 upgrade 'tokens' throughout the 2015 season.

One rumour this week suggested Mercedes, having utterly dominated last year with its title-winning turbo V6, in fact planned to start the season with the 2014 unit in order to strategically upgrade to a 2015 specification over time.

Mercedes V6 turbo hybrid. (Photo: Mercedes-Benz)

But Italy's Omnicorse insists those reports are untrue, claiming the Brackley team is "assembling the car that will be taken to the Jerez test, and it will have the power unit configuration of 2015".

"The rumour that has spread in recent days about Mercedes doing the first four races with the 2014 power unit was denied," the report added.

Not only that, Omnicorse claims that Mercedes' 2015 engine will be significantly different this year, including a new Bosch injection system capable of turbo pressure to the regulations-maximum of 500 bar.

The report claimed Mercedes' 2014 turbo was limited to little more than half that figure.