Auto News 5

Czech car factory TPCA, a joint venture of Toyota and PSA/Peugeot-Citroen, cut its 2015 production outlook by 10 percent to 220,000 vehicles.

Honda was so concerned by mounting recalls for Takata airbags -- and frustrated by its supplier's failure to explain why some have exploded, killing five people with shrapnel -- that it bought used and scrapped cars in Japan to conduct its own tests.

Asian carmakers, which have been gaining market share in Russia at the expense of European and U.S. rivals, have been hit as the ruble plunges and auto sales skid.

Geely has said that it expects full-year net income to fall by around 50% due to the impact of the sliding rouble and lower sales.

Genk is to organise a "loudest shift" for tomorrow (18 December) with the city's mayor branding Ford's decision to end production after five decades "a disaster" for the region.

Hyundai has launched its redesigned Sonata Hybrid with "unique hybrid design" styling changes, new safety and convenience features and an upgraded powertrain that delivers claimed class-leading fuel economy of 18.2km/litre.

Data from LMC Automotive suggests that the global light vehicle market slipped back in November on weak sales in Eastern Europe, Japan and South America.

Honda Motor bought used and scrapped cars in Japan to conduct its own tests of Takata airbags after becoming concerned by mounting recalls and frustrated by its supplier's failure to explain why some have exploded, killing five people with shrapnel, a media report said.

ZF says that it has been delivering Just-in-Time and Just-in-Sequence complete axle systems to automotive manufacturers' production lines for 20 years.

Navistar's revenue for the fiscal fourth quarter ended 31 October 2014 was up 9.34% to US$3.01bn compared with $2.75bn in the fiscal fourth quarter ended 31 October 2013.

UK car output fell by 277 units in November with 137,347 cars produced. Year to date output was stable at 1,419,427 units, a drop of 0.3%.

BASF India and Würth India have announced that effective 1 January 2015, Würth India will take over the import, distribution and technical service in India of Glasurit, a BASF premium automotive refinish paint brand.

Wolf-Henning Scheider has been appointed chairman of the Mahle group management board with effect from 1 July, 2015. He will join the group on April 1, initially assuming the role of vice chairman.

News 17 Dec, 2014

Drop in cost of oil could take fuel prices to lowest level since May 2009

Mahindra & Mahindra says it may stop production and observe 'no production days' at some of its plants for up to seven days a month, effective until March 2015.

Alfa Romeo plans to introduce new high-performance engines, including a range-topping V-6, in a bid to reconnect the brand to its sporty heritage.

Mercedes-Benz's marketing plan for the new S-class plug-in hybrid aims to show prospective buyers that going green doesn't mean slowing down or paying more.

Adapted from GMM

Undoubtedly the highest-profile change at Ferrari for 2015, however, is the departure of Fernando Alonso, although as he leaves for McLaren the Spaniard has been quoted as predicting a "very strong" season for the Maranello marque next year.

According to La Repubblica, however, he decided to leave the fabled Italian outfit because "in these five years we (Ferrari) lost a bit in terms of technical expertise".

"At first it was aerodynamics and now it is the power unit," he explained.

"Now from the outside it will be difficult to judge how Ferrari is doing but they have talented people, resources and motivation from everyone in the team, then in time they will win," said Alonso.

Some of those resources will be funded by new reserve driver Esteban Gutierrez's incoming Mexican sponsors, including Telmex, Telcel and Claro, the team also announced on Tuesday.

Fernando Alonso said he will miss Ferrari.

"I will certainly miss Italy in general," he is quoted by La Gazzetta dello Sport, "but particularly the family atmosphere of the team.

"At McLaren I will certainly not find this Latin ambiance," said Fernando Alonso.

Finally, Ferrari said it has signed up the respected and experienced Autosprint journalist Alberto Antonini to run the team's press office.

Fernando Alonso, Ferrari F14 T, Brazil. (Photo: WRi2)

Stand 21 Racewear and the Ayrton Senna Foundation present a limited edition of 41 replicas of Ayrton Senna's racing suit from the 1985 Portuguese Grand Prix at Estoril.

This racing suit in JPS-Lotus team colors is an exact replica of that worn by Ayrton Senna on his first Formula 1 victory.

Produced by Stand 21 under the watchful eye of Yves Morizot, founding president of the company who in 1985, personally looked after the development of the Brazilian champion's personal equipment, this edition limited to 41 copies (the number of Ayrton Senna' F1 wins) and manufactured in accordance with the period's standards, comes inside a beautiful wooden frame protected by safety glass.

Ayrton Senna's racewear. (Photo: Stand 21)

This framework includes a numbered plaque and a certificate of authenticity signed by the hand of Mr. Morizot.

The portion of revenue from Ayrton Senna brand goes to Ayrton Senna Institute.

Price: €5000 (VAT excluded), about US$6,200.

Certificate of Authenticity of Ayrton Senna's racewear. (Photo: Stand 21)

From GMM

Alain Prost gave Mercedes crucial advice early this year to help avoid a repeat of his troubled pairing with Ayrton Senna in the late 80s.

Only in the past days has the bitter extent of the intra-team championship clash between Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg become clearer.

Briton Hamilton suspected Rosberg deliberately faked a mistake to spoil his qualifying session at Monaco, and a few months later at Spa all-out "war" was declared as the pair collided.

It reminded many observers of the iconic Prost versus Senna battles of 1988 and 1989, when the fiery duo went head-to-head as dominant McLaren teammates.

Ayrton Senna and Alain Prost, McLaren-Honda, Suzuka 1989. (Photo: WRi2)

Mercedes' similar 2014 clash was managed by relative team boss newcomer Toto Wolff, who confirmed to Italy's Autosprint this week that he took advice straight from Frenchman Prost's mouth.

"You have to learn from past mistakes. I discussed it a bit with Niki Lauda when we signed Hamilton and Rosberg," Wolff said.

"Then at the beginning of this season I was talking with Prost and I asked him his opinion about what I should do not to fall into the same all-out war situation he had with Ayrton," Austrian Wolff explained.

"Then he said the magic word -- transparency. He told me that at the time McLaren did not act in a transparent way with the drivers. Perhaps because Senna was the last to arrive so he was the novelty.

"Prost said that in the end he couldn't understand how the team was organised as disagreements and rivalries between the drivers spread to the mechanics. The team was split in two.

Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg, Mercedes AMG, Spa-Francorchamps 2014. (Photo: WRi2)

"So Alain gave me very precise advice not to do the same. (He said) 'Put the two drivers on an even footing and tell everyone exactly the same things. Do not play favourites. It is the only way to contain the rivalry'.

"And so I did. It was one of the most important lessons I have learned about becoming a good team leader," Toto Wolff added.