Auto News 5

Continental says it predicts increased opportunity for its content supply as steeply falling oil costs translate into greater consumer confidence, particularly in the US.

Japan will introduce self-service hydrogen filling stations and ease other regulations related to fuel cells to promote the technology, which carmakers including Toyota are using in vehicles.

Toyota Motor Europe (TME) has posted 2014 full year sales of 888,000 Toyota and Lexus vehicles, up 4.6% from 2013 and passing the company's target of 865,000 sales. The group's market share reached 4.8% for the year.

SEAT's Martorell plant built 442,677 vehicles in 2014, up 13.5% over 2013, executives said at a conference in Madrid.

Features 16 Jan, 2015

A new course aims to educate drivers to help before paramedics arrive at a road accident casualty - we went along to pick up some advice

While the Canadian dollar is declining in value Hyundai Auto Canada has cut prices by up to C$1,300 (US$1,086), citing the recent implementation of the Canada-Korea Free Trade Agreement (CKFTA).

BorgWarner has provided its initial guidance for 2015 net sales, earnings per diluted share, operating income as a percentage of net sales, effective tax rate and free cash flow. The company also reaffirmed its 2014 earnings per diluted share guidance and updated its 2014 net sales guidance.

General Motors has reported its second consecutive year of record global sales. In 2014, the company delivered 9,924,880 vehicles worldwide passing by 2% the record set in 2013.

Johnson Controls has developed its FreshPer4mance coating to keep vehicle seats stain-free. The coating repels dirt and liquid, and protects passengers from germs and static.

General Motors has said it remains committed to Canadian investments but made no specific promises about the future of its Oshawa, Ontario operations or requests for government assistance for Oshawa, Ontario Economic Development Minister Brad Duguid said after a meeting with GM chief executive officer Mary Barra, according to a local newspaper report.

Chris Urmson, director of self-driving cars at Google, has told an industry conference that Google has started talks with car companies and assembled a team of global suppliers to speed its push to bring self-driving cars to market.

News 15 Jan, 2015

Kia Cee'd family hatchback gets a makeover for August launch, likely with three-cylinder engines for the first time

Russian car sales are set to decline by 24 percent this year after falling 10 percent in 2014 as the country heads for recession. Major Western automakers including Ford, GM, and VW saw their Russian vehicle sales plunge steeply last year.

Continental says despite weak growth in Russia coupled with political uncertainty, its relatively small volume there will not significantly impact financial performance.

Opel said its new Karl minicar will cost 9,500 euros in Germany. The Karl will offer safety and driver systems not common in the segment including lane departure warning, Opel said.

Volkswagen has made a big effort to ensure its latest Passat remains Europe's best-selling midsize car, including adding a feature that can back the car and a trailer autonomously into a parking space.

From press release

The 2015 racing schedule for Ontario's Ohsweken Speedway was officially released on Tuesday.

Racers will hit the track for the first time in 2015 with a Test & Tune Night scheduled for Friday, May 8, while the season concludes with the 11th annual Canadian Sprint Car Nationals on Saturday, September 19.

The schedule features 22 events, beginning with the 20th annual Opening Night on Friday, May 15.

All weekly racing events at the speedway will begin at 7:30 p.m. again in 2015.

Regular weekly racing events will include 20 lap features for the Corr/Pak Merchandising 360 Sprint Cars and Affordable Towing & Recovery Thunder Stocks, 15 lap features for the Strickland's GMC Crate Sprint Cars and HRW Automotive Mini Stocks, and a 12 lap feature for the Gale's Auto Aftermarket Bombers.

2015 Ohsweken Speedway schedule of events:
(subject to change)

Friday, May 8 - TEST & TUNE NIGHT
- All divisions competing at Ohsweken Speedway in 2015
Friday, May 15 - Weekly Racing - 20TH ANNUAL OPENING NIGHT
Friday, May 22 - Weekly Racing
Friday, May 29 - Weekly Racing
Friday, June 5 - Weekly Racing
Friday, June 12 - Weekly Racing - WALL OF FAME NIGHT
Friday, June 19 - Weekly Racing - CORR/PAK VS. PST
Friday, June 26 - Weekly Racing - SPORTSMAN SHOOTOUT
Tuesday, June 30 - TRIPLE CROWN SHOWDOWN
Friday, July 3 - Weekly Racing - CORR/PAK VS. SOS
Friday, July 10 - Weekly Racing - FRANKIE TURKEY MEMORIAL NIGHT
Friday, July 17 - Weekly Racing - BROCK LEONARD MEMORIAL NIGHT
Friday, July 24 - Weekly Racing - "CHRISTMAS IN JULY" & AUTOGRAPH NIGHT
Monday, July 27 - NORTHERN SUMMER NATIONALS
Tuesday, July 28 - 9TH ANNUAL "SIX NATIONS SHOWDOWN"
Friday, August 7 - Weekly Racing - "CORR/PAK VS. ESS"
Friday, August 14 - Weekly Racing - ART HILL MEMORIAL NIGHT
Friday, August 21 - Weekly Racing - CANADIAN NATIONAL AUTISM FOUNDATION "KIDSRACE" NIGHT & AUTOGRAPH NIGHT
Friday, August 28 - Weekly Racing
Friday, September 4 - Weekly Racing - SEASON CHAMPIONSHIP NIGHT
Friday, September 11- End of season

CANADIAN SPRINT CAR NATIONALS
Thursday, September 17 - NATIONALS TEST & TUNE NIGHT
Friday, September 18 - "NIGHT BEFORE THE NATIONALS"
Saturday, September 19 - 11TH ANNUAL CANADIAN SPRINT CAR NATIONALS

From GMM

The Nurburgring has lost its round of the 2015 world championship, Germany's Bild newspaper reported on Thursday.

The fabled circuit was due to host the German grand prix this year, after Hockenheim staged it in 2014.

Until now, the two German circuits have annually alternated a single race allocation on the calendar.

But media reports earlier on Thursday said Hockenheim will in fact host the race for a second season in succession.

Start of the 2014 German Grand Prix at Hockenheim. (Photo: WRi2)

Capricorn, the Nurburgring's current operating company, confirmed to Bild: "There is no contract. As for what Bernie Ecclestone is discussing with the Hockenheimring, we cannot comment."

Troubled Nurburgring's fate had appeared brighter in recent months, after Capricorn took over the circuit.

But the deal fell through, and the latest news in November was that another buyer - a Russian billionaire - was being lined up.

F1 supremo Ecclestone, however, told Reuters on Thursday: "It (the German GP) is going to be at Hockenheim, we're in the middle of doing something with them.

"It can't be Nurburgring because there's nobody there. We've got a contract in place (with Hockenheim), we just have to amend the years of the contract. It was alternating with Nurburgring so we'll just take that out," he added.

Newly recruited four-time World Champion Sebastian Vettel spent Thursday at Ferrari in Maranello.

The short press release said: “At the request of Team Principal Maurizio Arrivabene, Sebastian Vettel came to Maranello to visit the Gestione Sportiva.

Vettel's selfie at the factory. (Photo: Ferrari)

“The purpose of the tour was to allow the four times World Champion to visit all the departments and to get better acquainted with everyone he will be working with this season.”

A look at 2015
Meanwhile, Ferrari unveiled to the official Scuderia uniform replica collection, which is premiering now exclusively online.

Everything from T-shirts to polo shirts, sweatshirts, dress shirts, jackets, baseball hats - all ready for a truly passion-fuelled new Formula 1 season.

Raikkonen wearing the new team uniform. (Photo: Ferrari)

Enstone, UK's Lotus Formula 1 Team has reshuffled its engineering department.

Frenchman Romain Grosjean will now work with a new race engineer, fellow countryman Julien Simon-Chautemps.

The latter joined Lotus in 2011 after previous stints at Toyota and Caterham. He has also worked as Performace Engineer to Vitaly Petrov, Kimi Räikkönen and Pastor Maldonado at the team.

Grosjean's former race engineer, Ayao Komatsu has been promoted to the role of chief engineer.

Komatsu's first job in F1 was at BAR Honda in 2003 before he moved to be a tire engineer at Lotus (then Renault F1) in 2006.