Auto News 5

Hyundai launched its Santa Cruz crossover truck concept and production Sonata Plug-in Hybrid, the company's first PHEV at the 2015 Detroit show.

PSA/Peugeot-Citroen's 32 percent increase in China vehicle sales last year, almost double the 17 percent BMW achieved, may mark an industry shift in favor of mass-market carmakers over premium brands in a cooling market.

News 14 Jan, 2015

Jeep boss says all-new 2017 Wrangler off-roader could feature hybrid powertrain

Bigger, less fuel-efficient engine cars could make a return in both the new and used markets thanks to falling fuel prices, predicts valuation guide Glass's.

Opinion 14 Jan, 2015

Editor-in-chief Steve Fowler on the amazing car tech that will change our lives

Following on from the Clarity, which was leased to a small number of California customers, Honda's FCV Concept - first shown in Tokyo last year - made its North American debut at the 2015 Detroit show.

News 14 Jan, 2015

New GT Line trim will add sporty top-spec models to the Peugeot range

News 14 Jan, 2015

Upcoming 911 GT3 RS will get powerful naturally aspirated engine and PDK gearbox

PSA/Peugeot-Citroen's deliveries rose for the first time in four years in 2014 as the automaker benefited from a surge in China and recovering demand in Europe.

Europe's volume compact segment may become a victim of its own success this year as compact car sales, which were on track to reach nearly 3 million in 2014, are forecast to dip below 2.9 million on a lack of new volume models in 2015.

Daimler CEO Dieter Zetsche and Tesla CEO Elon Musk have very similar timetables for when they think autonomous cars will be on the road.

When it comes to quirky names for SUVs, Volkswagen Group has the market pretty well cornered. Now we can add a new head-scratcher to the list: the Bentley Bentayga.

Jose Maria Lopez wants to keep his regular number in 2015 to defend his WTCC world champion title.

Even though the Argentinian driver is entitled to run with the coveted number 1 on his car, he has confirmed that he will stick with number 37 on his Citroën C-Elysée.

Jose Maria Lopez, Citroen, World Champion 2014 WTCC. (Photo: FIA WTCC)

All race numbers for the 2015 WTCC season won't be forthcoming until after the closing date for entries on 6 February. The 2015 WTCC season will start on March 6 in Argentina, the world champion country.

As Lewis Hamilton in Formula 1, which will keep his number 44, it seems that the number 1 is no longer a dream for the drivers.

Former Grand Prix winner David Coulthard admitted to be worried about the lack of experience of the two new Toro Rosso Formula 1 drivers.

Coulthard, the winner of 13 F1 races with Williams and McLaren between 1995 and 2003, fears Toro Rosso's engineering team will lack direction this season since rookies Max Verstappen and Carlos Sainz have no F1 experience.

Let's keep in mind that Verstappen only contested 47 car races so far in his career (Formula 4s and Formula 3s).

Max Verstappen, Toro Rosso. (Photo: WRi2)

While he recognises it is Toro Rosso's policy of promoting young talent, Coulthard fears there could be a high price to pay.

“The engineers and designers have to go with what they believe is the best package to develop the car, but you need leadership from behind the wheel,” the Scot told Sky Sports Online.

“You need a great interaction between the driver and the aerodynamicist or the chief mechanical engineer and that interaction is so important. In the respect of young drivers without the experience, they have to get the experience somewhere, but a better pairing in many respects would be one experienced and one rookie. But that is the format for Toro Rosso, it is a proving ground for young drivers and if they do well then they can move up to the next level.”

Coulthard thinks the Italian team will have to modify its engineering debriefings this season to get the correct information from the two rookies.

"They've got to run a slightly different format of debriefs and understanding and educating the drivers,” Coulthard added.

“With the benefit of experience you hone in on what they key area of development needs to be - what is it that is making it difficult for you to go faster? It seems like a simple thing to ask, but actually separating aerodynamic from mechanical is such a difficult thing to do at times,” the Scot explained.

Calgary's Matt Campbell and his team lost control of their vehicle on treacherous terrain last weekend in Bolivia during the famed Dakar Rally.

Campbell, the 64-year-old is the CEO of Rocky Mountain Equipment, and his crew made of co-driver Luis "Fito" Ramirez and navigator Nico Ambriz endured a frightening 174 km/h end-to-end rollover in a remote desert zone.

The crash took place at a water crossing, where Campbell and, were expecting a relatively shallow stream, based on the relatively tame "Danger 2" sign along the course.

The Calgary Sun reports "Campbell is now in a Chilean hospital, undergoing MRI tests to check for internal damage - but it appears he suffered no life-threatening injuries in the wreck".

VIDÉO :

Jules Bianchi's terrible accident during last year's Grand Prix of Japan proved that Pirelli's Formula 1 rain tires needed to be improved.

The recommendations of the accident panel indicated that one annual test should be focused solely on wet running.

The Italian tire manufacturer has faced criticism from F1 drivers about its wet tires, but it is restricted in what it can do by severe limitations on testing.

Paul Hembery, Pirelli's motorsport director told Autosport his company was willing to hold a full-on wet tire test, but team support was lacking.

"It is in the regulations, but a water tank around Jerez is not exactly what we had in mind," said Hembery, in reference to the use of a tractor to water the track last year.

"We thought maybe Paul Ricard or going to Fiorano [Ferrari's private test facility] would be ideal.

"These are the only circuits where you can do something sensible but that opens up other discussions. We feel a proper wet session at the start of each season would be beneficial for everybody. We are happy to do it but it has to be done in the correct way,” Hembery said.

Formula 1 under the rain. (Photo: WRi2)

From GMM

Mercedes is paying the highest ever fee to enter the 2015 world championship.

The German team may have triumphantly dominated last year's titles, but one unpleasant consequence is a hefty FIA bill to the tune of almost $5 million.

The cost of merely entering the world championship was changed in recent years, when instead of a flat fee teams were also asked to pay per point scored in the previous season.

But the cost just got even higher. Last year, the flat fee was $508,000, while now it is $516,000, the German specialist publication Auto Motor und Sport repored.

And the variable performance element of the entry cost has also gone up for 2015, with each point now costing teams $5,161, up from $5,080 just a year ago.

Mercedes, World Champion 2014. (Photo: WRi2)

The champion team, meanwhile, now pays a hefty $6,194 per point scored, meaning that Mercedes' bill for simply entering the 2015 world championship is nearly $4.9 million.

It is significantly more than the $2.6 million entry fee payable by runner-up Red Bull.

But the good news for Mercedes is that the team's official prize money haul has also significantly increased, after receiving $87 million for finishing the 2013 championship as runner-up.

The 2014 prize for winning the constructors' title, on the other hand, is a cool $102 million, the German report added.

In addition to Mercedes and Red Bull's nearly $8 million in fees, the FIA will receive a further combined total of almost $16 million from the other teams on the 2015 grid.

As it is likely Caterham and Marussia will not be in Melbourne or beyond, however, the governing body will ultimately lose their extra million in fees.

From GMM

It remains possible the FIA will do a u-turn after excluding Honda from the new engine development 'unfreeze'.

McLaren and its new 2015 works partner Honda were undoubtedly unimpressed recently when the FIA agreed that last year's engine makers - Mercedes, Renault and Ferrari - will be allowed to develop their turbo V6s this season.

That is because F1's governing body argued that Honda, as a new competitor, will be the only one that has to stick to the 28 February homologation date, just as the 2014 suppliers did.

McLaren told us that, in response to the ruling, the British team had been in contact with the FIA, while a Spanish newspaper quoted a Honda spokesman as saying the Japanese manufacturer is "angry and sad".

F1 Honda V6 turbo hybrid power unit. (Photo: Honda Racing)

Italy's Autosprint reported last week that the disgruntled Honda had "been heard" by the FIA in a recent meeting, and the Paris federation had "decided to reconsider its position" with regards to the so-called unfreeze.

"Taking note of their (Honda's) concerns, the question remains open and will probably be defined at a later meeting", correspondent Roberto Chinchero said.

The BBC reported on Wednesday that the subsequent meeting involving top FIA and Honda officials in fact happened on Monday.

"The meeting went well," said an FIA spokesman, "and we are discussing matters that arose."

The BBC said it is possible one solution to the issue could be that Honda submits its 2015 engine for homologation on February 28th, as per the regulations, but is then allowed to join its rivals in having 32 development 'tokens' to use throughout the season.

A spokesperson said Honda will not comment on the latest developments "until we can get a further update from FIA should they reveal something".

After 9 days of racing, Qatari Nasser Al-Attiyah stands just one step away from his second Dakar rally victory.

Setting the pace on Day 9 was Nani Roma (MINI), taking his first stage win after a disastrous run at an event where he was a pre-rally favourite for victory.

Although Roma ended the day over six minutes clear of Al-Attiyah (MINI) in second place, the valuable time lost through mechanical problems on the first stage means he sits a lowly 25th overall.

Nasser Al-Attiyah, MINI. (Photo: Dakar.com)

Vladimir Vasilyev made it a MINI sweep of the top three on the stage, followed by the Toyotas of De Villiers and Yazeed Al Rajhi, then two more MINIs driven by Krzysztof Holowczyc and Orlando Terranova.

South African Giniel De Villiers lost over quarter of an hour to Al-Attiyah on Stage 9 after a self-confessed “terrible, terrible navigational mistake” where the South African struggled to find a waypoint.

Overall standings (after Stage 9):
1. Nasser Al-Attiyah, MINI,  31h29.38
2. Giniel De Villiers, Toyota,  +23m58
3. Yazeed Al Rajhi, Toyota,  +39m29
4. Krzysztof Holowczyc, MINI,  +1h17m41
5. Erik Van Loon, MINI,  +2h41m46

The Lotus driver has a new approach for 2015 with a revamped driving style.

"The car and the regulations, a little bit, haven't suited my driving style," Romain Grosjean told Autosport.

"I had to change it at first to get on top of it, and the car was unpredictable when you drive it. I like to understand everything about the braking, turning and exit and then the next lap analyse and improve. Last year, one lap you got oversteer, lap two it's understeer and then maybe the next lap it's going to be good. You can't understand and analyse things, so you just have to go with the feeling, which Pastor did pretty well.

"So I have been improving myself in that aspect and I had to try different driving skills. As a driver, purely driving, I think I am able to do more things, but it didn't reflect in the results," added the Lotus driver.

Romain Grosjean, Lotus E22-Renault. (Photo: WRi2)

The problem for Grosjean is the reduction in rear downforce combined with him getting onto the throttle as soon as possible.

"I like to go very early on the throttle, but this year it wasn't possible," he said.

"I had a little less feeling in the front end and I like to brake late and turn late, but this year it didn't work. It (exhaust blowing) would have made me more confident and I could push more, but things change. There were no blown exhausts in GP2 and they go quick, so I'm not worried.

"Once everything works consistently and everything is stable, I will produce quick lap times. That's something I have learned to do and will help for the future," to conclude Romain Grosjean.

Lotus has appointed Julien Simon-Chautemps as race engineer this season for Grosjean.

Simon-Chautemps worked with Pastor Maldonado last season and has previously been Kimi Raikkonen's performance engineer.