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Land Rover could take on Tesla with a battery-powered Range Rover model, according to a report. The electric vehicle would be based on one of the smaller models in the lineup rather than the Range Rover flagship.

Magneti Marelli supplies the Alfa Romeo 4C roadster with the technology that helps optimize the performance of its six-speed dual-clutch transmission.

Honda's latest entry to rank in our weekly viral video list is a two-in-one surprise.

The first production version of the aluminum-body 2015 Ford F-150 pickup rolls off the line today at a Ford plant in Michigan after years of preparation.

Mercedes is overhauling the names and nomenclature used to identify its vehicles to overcome consumer confusion as its product lineup expands.

Ralf Lamberti, manager of the connected-car area at Daimler, says the car is becoming a part of the Internet, meaning it will be "able to communicate with its environment and other vehicles."

The first production version of the aluminum-body 2015 Ford F-150 pickup rolled off the line today at a Ford plant in Michigan after years of preparation.

The 2014 Formula 1 drivers' championship will be decided next weekend in Abu Dhabi. However, the entire Williams team to be looking at scoring more points in what is its best campaign in over a decade.

Last year, Williams ranked 9th in the constructors' championship with just 5 points. This year, it lies in third place with an impressive total of 254.

“If you had said to any of us this time last year that we would be in P3 at this time next year, I don't think we would have believed it,” said deputy team principal Claire Williams.

“But the team has done a fantastic job to effect this turnaround and I am so proud of everybody involved. It is the reward of all our hard work. But as Frank [Williams] always says, 'It is P3 - we have got to win!' So it would be wonderful to end this year with a race win”.

Photo: Williams Martini Racing

Williams switched engine partners last winter, going from Renault to Mercedes. But that change alone cannot explain everything.

“I think it was Pat Symonds coming in last year that was the real key ingredient to our success,” Claire Williams told Formula 1.com.

“He is a great engineer - everybody knows that - but he is also a great man-manager as well. He has organised and restructured every area of our team. Then we've brought in a new level of senior management to work with Pat across each area. But it is not just about the management level - it's about the 520 other people at Williams who have stayed with us and made this turnaround possible. It is a real team effort,” she explained.

Finland's Valtteri Bottas finished five times on the podium so far this season. Some people claim he is a future F1 world champion. What makes him really special?

“His work ethic. Last year - when he didn't have the equipment that he needed - he was still delivering,” Claire Williams continued.

“He was still extracting more from the car than perhaps he should have done. It was his consistency as well. And he is extremely calm - he will never repeat a mistake. He does everything that you need him to do - and on top of that he is a really lovely guy”.

The British team has announced its 2015 driver line-up quite early, keeping Bottas and the vastly experienced Felipe Massa who finished third in Brazil last Sunday.

“Both drivers have worked together so well - there are no egos between Valtteri and Felipe. And this is how we are as a team: the constructors' [championship] is the most important thing, and both drivers understand that. That is why the driver pairing works so perfectly for us,” she explained.

Constructors' championship (before Abu Dhabi)
1- Mercedes 651 points
2- Red Bull Racing 373
3- Williams 254
4- Ferrari 210

From press release

Japanese car manufacturer Mazda announced that the new 2016 Mazda MX-5 Miata will be raced in a new Global Cup series, in North America, Europe and Asia.

Starting in 2016, there will be multiple Mazda Global MX-5 Cup series around the world, all using identically prepared cars.

Full details of the Global MX-5 Cup, including which countries will be involved and when the races will take place, will be announced as they are confirmed.

The Global MX-5 Cup will culminate at the end of 2016 with a Global Shootout at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca in Monterey, Calif., to crown the series champion.

Among other prizes, the series champion will receive a one-day test in Mazda's top-level TUDOR United States SportsCar Championship SKYACTIV prototype racecar.

While Mazda did not release final specifications, equipment or technical partners for the car, it was confirmed that the Global MX-5 Cup racecar will be equipped with a 2.0 liter SKYACTIV-G four cylinder engine.

Beginning this winter, Mazda Motorsports will undertake a development period to select the optimum tires, suspension and powertrain and safety modifications. The final specifications will be announced in 2015 when Mazda is ready to accept orders for the 2016 series.

In a first for Mazda, the Global MX-5 Cup racecars will be sold "ready to race" from a single supplier.

Despite years of development and research, aerodynamics remains some sort of black magic, especially in the case of race cars.

When running at speed on a road course, a Formula 1 car brakes, turns, accelerates, rides on kerbs, and follows other cars, all of which is far from being a perfect environment.

For that reason, testing the aerodynamic performance of an F1 car is an extremely complex task.

CFD image of the air flow around the Sauber F1 car. (Image: Sauber AG)

British publication F1-Monitor found out that a few years ago Honda F1 team [now Petronas Mercedes AMG] opted to use a water tank - more normally home to boat hulls - to test some characteristics of rear wing flows.

Analysing their track data, Honda wanted to find out if normalised downforce levels fell when the car was decelerating.

Honda's simulation methods could not be relied on to accurately predict such subtle transient flows, so the engineers decided to use a full-sized rear wing in a water towing tank.

The tank used for the test was 200m long, 10m wide and 5m deep. The rear wing assembly was placed in the tank, inverted and attached to a six-component load cell, 1m below the surface.

Water provided here a huge advantage over air, because of the differing densities.

The key benefit of such a test is the fact that water's higher density effectively allows flows to be simulated in slow motion. Roughly speaking, for the same dynamic pressure across the wing, the speed of water flow over the wing element need only be 1/30th of that if it were in air.

Honda conducted tests with this system to assess the rear wing flows under deceleration, and was able to conclude that the wing was operating as it should at all times.

Former Spice Girl Gerri Halliwell is now officially engaged to Red Bull Racing team boss Christian Horner.

British newspaper The Times published the notice.

Halliwell's notice reads: "The engagement is announced between Christian, son of Mr and Mrs GM Horner and Geraldine, daughter of the late Mr LF Halliwell and Mrs A Parkinson."

No wedding date is included in the announcement for Gerri Halliwell and the former race car driver turned into a team director.

Halliwell has been seen alongside her partner at F1 races around the world since the couple got together last March.

Christian Horner and Gerri Halliwell in Montreal, June 2014. (Photo: WRI2)

From press release

Just as the 2014 karting racing season completed its final event at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park, heavy equipment rolled onto the site to begin upgrading the popular venue to enhance the presentation of the facility to its customers for 2015 and beyond.

In addition to the new facility entranceway, the transformation includes track design changes, re-grading, new paving, trackside kerbing and other enhancements featuring new administration and operating buildings.

"Most of auto racing's stars and high-level performers learned their craft in kart racing while at the elementary school age," said Ron Fellows, co-owner of Canadian Tire Motorsport Park.

Photo: Canadian Tire Motorsport Park

In addition to the physical upgrades, Canadian Tire Motorsport Park brings in new energy to the management of the Kart Centre. Daniel and Marco Di Leo will assume responsibility for the karting operations.

The Di Leo's are well-known for having transformed North America's oldest kart track, Goodwood Kartways, into a popular and successful facility.

"Ten years ago we began our venture into the business of karting," explained Daniel DiLeo.

"Through this period we gained valuable experience to better understand the growing demands of running a successful kart track. These lessons will be put to the test early at the new Canadian Tire Motorsport Park Karting Centre and we are very excited about the opportunities that come with a facility that is second to none in Canada."

It is understood Tuesday that Marussia Formula 1 Team administrators are in “serious talks” with one group about a possible takeover.

But Friday of last week, it was confirmed that the team was to be closed with a staff of around 200 being made redundant.

If the team can rise between 4 and 6$ millions before the end of this week, it would be able to compete in the season's finale in Abu Dhabi.

Sky Sports News HQ understands that talks are ongoing with an unnamed group about a proposed takeover.

“I don't feel like there's no way back. We're very competitive people and we'll keep fighting until there's absolutely no chance at all,” Graeme Lowdon, who was President and Sporting Director of Marussia, told Sky Sport last weekend.

“At the moment there's still very much a chance that we can compete in 2015 and beyond and indeed in Abu Dhabi.”

The small team has been entered as Manor F1 Team to the 2015 FIA Formula 1 World Championship.

Lotus Formula 1 Team technical director Nick Chester talked about the preparations for 2015's Lotus E23.

The 2015 project started a long time ago.

“We started working on the 2015 project in January this year. We have various cut off dates throughout the year: when certain parts need to be released by the aero department to go to design and then from design to production. Our first chassis is being laminated now and we will gradually produce all the parts for the car. We will be starting to build the E23 in early January,” Chester explained.

The design of the Mercedes-powered E23 requires massive work from the engineers, but less than it was for the E22.

“The E23 project is somewhat reduced due to more stable regulations and although we have a new power unit the architectural changes are much less challenging than changing V8 to V6 turbo,” he declared.

“There are still a few rule changes for 2015 like the front of chassis dimensions, which also has a bearing on suspension installation and also a significant change to nose regulations”.

The Lotus E22 sporting the new nose at Austin. (Photo: René fagnan(

Switching engine suppliers - from Renault to Mercedes - means integrating a brand new power unit to the chassis.

“There are a number of differences that we need to take into account like the packaging, the heat rejections, and the cooling requirements'. Chester said.

“In some ways, it will be relatively painless as Mercedes are quite fixed about what they need for their power unit installation. It means that there won't be too much iteration, at least less than when the V6 was introduced last year. It is a more defined programme,” the British engineer said.

He also confirmed that the new car would look different than the current E22.

“The nose will look different as we could already see during the practice session test we did in Austin last week. I guess that it can be described as more conventional. The bodywork of the E23 will be a bit tighter: the engine cover and the rear wing will be different. The front wing should look quite different too by the first race,” he declared.

From GMM

For the first time since 2007, Fernando Alonso will make a visit to Woking this week, authoritative media sources are reporting.

Spain's El Mundo Deportivo claims that after a deal between the Spaniard and McLaren was finally struck in Brazil, he is set to travel to the team's British headquarters on Wednesday to sign what is probably the most lucrative contract in F1 history.

Flavio Briatore, involved in Alonso's management throughout his F1 career, hinted at the McLaren move in an interview with Italian radio Rai.

"Fernando wants to go to a team where there is the possibility to win in the future, even if it is not immediately," said the Italian.

Briatore suggested Alonso's patience with Ferrari had slowly faded over five championship-less seasons.

"Ferrari will always remain in Alonso's heart, it is a team he loves, even though every year it was always spoken about the next one and nothing happened. There was also a little disappointment in not seeing an aggressive recruitment of engineers and staff that could raise the bar of the team," Briatore added.

It is believed the only obstacle to a McLaren-Honda announcement being made now is the collaboration's decision on who will be Alonso's teammate.

Kevin Magnussen and Jenson Button, the 2014 McLaren's drivers. (Photo: WRi2)

On the face of it, and judging by his comments and body language in Brazil last week, Jenson Button looks set to be ousted, leaving the young Dane Kevin Magnussen as Alonso's teammate.

But Alonso is said to prefer to have Button on his side, as the former world champions' combined experience will push along the development of the new Honda V6 engine.

"I hope he (Button) stays (in F1)," France's Le Figaro quotes Alonso as having said at Interlagos. "He is a very talented driver and a good person. People like him are good for our sport."

Jenson Button, however, is not so sure Alonso will have the power to influence the decision.

"It's a tricky one. Who knows what's going on inside Fernando's head?" Button is quoted by British newspapers after the Brazilian grand prix.

In the end, McLaren's decision could be a financial one, with Button costing the team multiple millions per year more than the rookie Magnussen.

Jenson Button, however, has hinted that he might be prepared to take a pay-cut.

"I still want to earn money from it," he said, "but I'm not a driver who takes the mick and I will race somewhere even if I'm not getting the big bucks, unlike a few drivers who are out there."

If he does go, it will be a sad farewell for F1's long-serving Button, who might be forgiven for sounding disappointed in McLaren for not going him more notice after an illustrious 15-year career.

"It's like if your parents were to turn round and say 'We're not sure we want you at Christmas this year. But your brother can come, he's great'," Jenson Button said.

"Feeling part of a family is more important than money."

Jenson Button, McLaren, at Monza. (Photo: WRi2)

Former McLaren driver David Coulthard agrees that McLaren has treated Button disrespectfully, having accusing the Woking team of seeing drivers as "light bulbs".

"Maybe it (that comment) has had some reaction from the team, but I stand by my view," the Scot told the Telegraph newspaper.

"The right thing is to treat people well. To have him (Button) hanging on like this is unfair. Going into the last race should be a celebration - if it is to be his last - but we may not know. He deserves better," Coulthard added.

Alain Uyttenhoven, the head of Brussels-based Lexus Europe, has told just-auto that it is "impossible to catch the German three, worldwide" but that the brand is determined to be "number four".

Randall Ford in Fort Smith, Ark., has been ordered to pay a former used-car manager $128,750 after failing to accommodate his post-spinal surgery disability and then firing him, the

When it comes to public relations crises in the automobile industry, the Ford-Firestone tire controversy in the early 2000s was the biggest. Jason Vines should know. He was in charge of PR at Ford at the time.

General Motors has sold more than 13,000 new vehicles via its online shopping tool Shop-Click-Drive since it debuted for use on dealership websites a year ago, the automaker said today.

Julie Brown, the embattled former CEO of Plastech Engineered Products, is back in court six years after her company was liquidated under bankruptcy.