Auto News 5

General Motors Canada has named Stephen Carlisle as president and managing director, succeeding Kevin Williams, who has led the organisation since 2010.

News 21 Nov, 2014

Exclusive: Volkswagen explores uncharted technological territory for its new Volkswagen Golf Mk8

News 6 Dec, 2018

Mk8 Volkswagen Golf teaser image revealed, with new hatch set to be revealed in the middle of next year

Opel Group has appointed current executive chief engineer, vans, light commercial vehicles and Alliance Programmes, Charlie Klein, as VP vehicle engineering Europe.

News 21 Nov, 2014

Audi will launch an e-tron hybrid version of its second generation Q7 SUV in 2015

News 21 Nov, 2014

Audi's new Tesla Model S rival will offer a 280-mile all-electric range with room for a whole family

BMW is testing Google Glass eyewear for use in quality assurance in production at its Spartanburg plant in the US.

American Honda says it will launch an updated Acura ILX sedan in early 2015, with distribution at nationwide dealers.

Opel named Charlie Klein as its new engineering chief, promoting the executive from his current post as the brand's chief engineer for light commercial vehicles.

Deutsche Post's DHL unit is in talks with Volvo Car Group on a partnership that would allow the parcel delivery service to remotely deliver to Volvo Car customer's cars according to reports.

China is poised to replace the US as Volvo Cars largest market in 2014 with sales of at least 80,000 cars, up from 61,146 in 2013.

The United States will be the biggest market for the new Mercedes-AMG GT and is expected to account for 25 percent of the car's worldwide volume.

Suzuki will return to two-shift production at its plant in Hungary as it prepares to launch the new Vitara subcompact crossover, a report said.

Messring, a German manufacturer of crash-test facilities, has established a wholly owned Chinese subsidiary. The company has built ten crash-test facilities in China over the past decade.

Gestamp, a Spanish supplier of metal auto parts, predicts that by 2015 China will become its third-largest market worldwide, after Germany and Spain.

Prompted by lifestyle changes among Generation Y buyers, Honda, Fiat and Mazda joined the stampede to introduce smaller entries in the booming crossover market as the industry seeks younger buyers.

BMW may have to increase production of its i8 plug-in hybrid supercar to meet high demand. The waiting time of up to 18 months for the 120,000 euro coupe is too long, BMW sales chief Ian Robertson said.

With two teams currently in administration (Caterham and Marussia), and several other small teams being very concerned with the escalading costs of racing in Formula 1, let's look here at the money it needs to run a team.

In Abu Dhabi for the final race of the season, Caterham administrator Finbarr O'Connell has identified the next few weeks “absolutely key” for the team's chances of surviving in its current form as he prepares to meet with three different groups of would-be investors.

“It is about what they invest rather than the price tag. The price tag will get them into Formula 1 - the big thing then is the ongoing costs," O'Connell explained.

“At this end of the grid it's probably £70 million ($110 million) a year of costs that you have to cover so only people who know they can cover that, either through sponsorship, driver sponsorship or these motor companies effectively can use it for R&D or for marketing, it's those sort of entities that we're looking at.”

How is that money spent over a year?

Here is the breakdown for an average team, such as Caterham (as published by Autosport magazine):

Hybrid power system (power units): $28 million
Gearbox and hydraulics: $5 million
Fuel and lubricants: $1.5 million
Pirelli tires: $1.8 million
Electronics: $1.95 million
Information technology (IT): $3 million
Salaries: $20 million
Travel and trackside facilities: $12 million
Chassis and parts production/manufacturing: $20 million
Windtunnel/CFD facilities: $18.5 million
Utilities and factory maintenance: $2 million
Human resources and professional services: $1.5 million
Freight: $5 million

Total: $120.25 million

From GMM

Four-time Formula 1 World Champion Sebastian Vettel may be joining Scuderia Ferrari at just the right moment.

Ferrari has had a tumultuous start to the new V6 era and has been busily shedding top staff all year including Stefano Domenicali, Luca Marmorini and president Luca di Montezemolo.

According to Italy's La Gazzetta dello Sport on Friday, Vettel will have plenty of help.

The Italian newspaper said that since October, Ferrari has signed key personnel from Red Bull Racing, Mercedes AMG and McLaren.

"It is no coincidence that many engineers are following Vettel from Red Bull," said correspondent Luigi Perna, "and others have come from Mercedes, McLaren, Lotus, Williams and Renault.

"Within the racing division at Ferrari, there have been 60 new hirings," added Perna, revealing that one of them is Mercedes hybrid specialist Wolf Zimmermann.

And "Cedric Cornebois, an expert in combustion, also comes from Mercedes," Perna said.