Auto News 5

Johnson Controls says it will supply its lithium-ion batteries for the hybrid Range Rover.

Aleris says it has signed a definitive agreement to sell its aluminium extrusions business to Sankyo Tateyama, a Japanese building products and extrusions manufacturer.

As someone said to me this week: "The older you get, the faster the years go by." He's not wrong. Where DID 2014 go? The year may be winding down to the Christmas break but things have still been busy in the autobiz.

Features 19 Dec, 2014

Put your motoring knowledge to the test this christmas with 20 car-related brain teasers. How many can you get right?

ZF Friedrichshafen has appointed Franz Kleiner and Peter Lake, members of ZF's Board of Management.

A study by auto industry lobby group Anfavea on the evolution of the Brazilian market for the next 20 years, presented at a recent Harvard Business School (HBS) seminar in São Paulo, attracted considerable interest from companies eyeing the local market.

Daimler India Commercial Vehicles has now built over 20,000 BharatBenz and Fuso trucks at its plant in Chennai, south west India.

Federal-Mogul Powertrain says it has developed a new product, Protexx-Shield 3007, which protects batteries from high engine compartment temperatures that would otherwise shorten battery life.

SKF says it has made the first deliveries of its low-friction hub bearing units to Mazda, which will equip the recently launched Mazda2, manufactured at the automaker's new plant in Mexico, as well as other models to be launched during 2015.

News 19 Dec, 2014

Hyundai's new Display Audio system with Carplay and Android Auto integrated will appear in new models by 2016

BASF's Coatings division says it is the sole supplier of automotive coatings for the new plant of the Chinese automaker, Chery in Jacarei, Brazil, which started operations in August, 2014.

In what the partners say is "a ground-breaking collaboration", Volvo Cars, protective gravity sports gear manufacturer POC and Ericsson will present an innovative safety technology connecting drivers and cyclists for the first time ever at the International CES in Las Vegas (6-9 January 2015).

China's Geely Automobile Holdings saw its Hong Kong listed shares drop by over 20% this week after it told regulators that net earnings for the year are expected to decline by 50% due to the economic crisis in Russia.

Nissan and French partner Renault have stopped taking orders for some cars in Russia and could raise prices on others if the ruble's plunge continues, alliance CEO Carlos Ghosn said.

From press release

Ferrari announces that, as from next season, Jean-Eric Vergne will join the Scuderia in the role of test driver to work on car development in the simulator.


The rest of the driver line-up consists of the race pairing of Kimi Raikkonen and Sebastian Vettel, along with test and third driver Esteban Gutiérrez, while Marc Genè and Davide Rigon are confirmed in the role of test drivers.

Pedro de la Rosa leaves the Scuderia at the end of this year. Everyone in the team thanks him for the work he has done over the past two years.


“On behalf of the entire team, I welcome Jean-Eric, who I'm sure will make an important contribution to our development work in the simulator,” commented Scuderia Ferrari Director General and Team Principal, Maurizio Arrivabene.

“He will fit in to a programme aimed at improving important areas, invigorating and strengthening an already strong and capable group of professionals.”


“I feel very honored to be joining the Ferrari family and becoming a part of the most prestigious team in the history of Formula One,” commented Jean-Eric Vergne. “The objective is a unanimous one and that is to help the Scuderia get back to the top step of the podium. Having had two years working in the simulator for a top F1 team and three years racing with Toro Rosso, my experience will add to the great efforts that are currently being made in order to get the team back to its winning ways. I look forward to fulfilling my dream in becoming a member of the Ferrari Formula One team and having the Tifosi behind me every step of the way.”

From GMM

Bernie Ecclestone and a German bank are still locked in a legal fight.

Earlier this year, the F1 supremo controversially ended a criminal trial in Munich by paying $100 million.

At the same time, amid the same Gerhard Gribkowsky corruption affair, Ecclestone made an offer of $25 million to the aggrieved bank and former F1 shareholder BayernLB.

The offer was turned down, because earlier, the Munich state bank was seeking some $400 million.

The financial news agency Bloomberg now reports that BayernLB has filed a new lawsuit in Munich against Ecclestone seeking a whopping $423 miillion plus interest.

The report also claims Briton Ecclestone is returning fire with his own lawsuit against BayernLB, filed in London, and yet another filed by his trust Bambino.

The new Sauber driver will race with No. 12 in Formula 1.

Reserve driver for Williams in 2014, Felipe Nasr was No. 40 during the Friday practice sessions.

His full race number is now 12.

Felipe Nasr published on Twitter: "This will be my number from now. Thanks for Marcelo and the IMX staff who created the logo! #nasr #12 #f1".

Logo: Felipe Nasr/Facebook

From GMM

F1 is now speeding towards yet another new set of engine regulations.

On Thursday at a Geneva meeting of the Strategy Group, Bernie Ecclestone proposed to scrap the current turbo V6 rules.

Michael Schmidt, of the respected German trade magazine Auto Motor und Sport, said that although his proposal did not produce a "definitive result", the sport is now headed towards an all-new set of regulations for 2016.

"The engines are to be louder, more powerful and cheaper," said Michael Schmidt on Friday.

"The goal is 1000 horse power and a cost of 10 million euros per team. An expert group must deliver results (on the proposal) by the end of January," he added.

It is now too late, however, to make significant changes to the 2015 rules, which will be almost identical to the turbo V6 formula that saw Mercedes cruise dominantly to the title this year.

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

Geneva, however, did produce one or two rule tweaks for 2015.

Recently, when Korea was surprisingly added to the 2015 schedule, it was said Ecclestone had done it as a mere trick to give every driver an extra engine to use throughout next season.

But on Thursday, that loophole was closed and - regardless of whether 20 or 21 races are ultimately held next year - each driver will be limited to just 4 engines for the 2015 season as originally intended.

Schmdit said the tweak was made because the extra engine would have cost already struggling teams up to an extra 800,000 euros.

Adapted from GMM

The F1 Supremo is targeting a revival of the South African grand prix.

"We're in the middle of trying to do something in South Africa," he said at Sochi, where he received a government honour.

"We used to have a race there and it would be nice to get back there again, to that part of the world," he told the Russian news agency Ria Novosti.

As for America, however, Bernie Ecclestone said there is already one US grand prix and "I'm not too sure" he wants to add another.

Alain Prost (Williams) winner of the last South-African Grand Prix in 1993. (Photo: WRi2)

From GMM

Pedro de la Rosa has refused to comment on whether he will be following his countryman and friend out of Ferrari.

It is rumoured that, with Esteban Gutierrez and his Mexican backers arriving at Maranello to be 2015 reserve, Spaniard de la Rosa might return to McLaren to complement Fernando Alonso's new Honda-powered era.

Pedro de la Rosa, 43 and a former long-time McLaren test driver, would also be yet another high-profile Ferrari departure as the beleaguered Maranello marque sweeps its old era clean.

Fernando Alonso and Pedro de la Rosa, McLaren, 2007. (Photo: WRi2)

He said at a Santander sponsor event this week: "I'm sorry, but I cannot talk about it.

"I don't know what I'm doing yet," Pedro de la Rosa is quoted by Speed Week.

"I am used to nibbling on my Christmas nougat without knowing what I am doing the next year," he smiled.

When asked what his preference would be for 2015, Pedro de la Rosa said tellingly: "I like to work with the best -- with champions.

"Do not forget that Sebastian Vettel is also a world champion," he noted.