Auto News 5

After thinking about it long and hard, Porsche has abandoned the idea of building an entry-level roadster.

Auto executives say that the best response to Western sanctions against Russia is to continue investing there. Ford and Renault-Nissan plan to localize more production while BMW is continuing negotiations for a car factory in the country.

GM plans to broaden Chevrolet's green-vehicle offerings by adding an electric model to a lineup that includes the Volt plug-in hybrid and the Spark EV minicar.

The top-of-the-line touring model of the updated 2015 Honda CR-V has a new suite of electronic technologies called Honda Sensing that the company is rolling out across its lineup.

With the redesigned F-150 pickup, Ford is out to prove conventional wisdom that only bigger and heavier can deliver more power and capability.

From GMM

Sebastian Vettel will not be marginalised by Red Bull despite shocking the team with his sudden departure news last week in Japan.

That is the claim of team chief Dr Helmut Marko, who is already fending off claims the Ferrari-bound German received second-rate treatment during the Suzuka race.

Before his surprise news last Saturday, Red Bull had insisted reigning quadruple world champion Vettel would not be the victim of 'team orders' to support his title-contending teammate Daniel Ricciardo in the last races of 2014.

But then came Friday.

"There were some signs already," Marko told Austrian Servus TV on Monday. "He is sorry that it happened completely without warning, but it did not surprise me.

"I approached Sebastian on Friday at Suzuka because I noticed that something was wrong," he revealed. "We then had dinner and he told me that he will leave us."

Sebastian Vettel leading Daniel Ricciardo on the wet Suzuka track. (Photo: WRi2)

Marko insists he is "still friends" with Vettel, but also true is that the 27-year-old triggered an escape clause in his contract at the eleventh hour.

Germany's Auto Bild reported that the first sign of Vettel's new role as the departing 'number 2' driver is the fact his pit strategy in Japan seemed to disadvantage him compared with Ricciardo.

"That's not true!" Marko exclaimed.

"We asked Sebastian if he wanted to come in for new tires for the final sprint, and he wanted to take the risk. We had assumed that he could even have a crack at Rosberg with the new tires, but this has nothing to do with discrimination!

"With us there are no team orders. We remain fair and sportsmanlike, which is our philosophy," he insisted.

Helmut Marko also explained why Fernando Alonso was never considered as Vettel's replacement for 2015. Red Bull has elected instead to promote the Toro Rosso rookie Daniil Kvyat.

"Alonso would have been the safest card to play," the Austrian told Auto Motor und Sport, "but that does not fit with Red Bull. It would make our junior programme absurd."

Australian Ricciardo also backed Russian Kvyat's promotion.

"Alonso might have been the logical choice," he agreed, "but Red Bull took a similar risk with me and it paid off."

"Kvyat is also the cheaper solution, so hopefully Red Bull puts the saved money into the car," Daniel Ricciardo grinned.

From GMM

Jean Todt has delivered perhaps the most promising news about Michael Schumacher's condition since the F1 legend's fateful skiing fall last December.

The pair became close friends at Ferrari last decade as the Italian team dominated formula one.

Since then, 45-year-old Schumacher has retired and Frenchman Todt is now FIA president, but they remained close friends.

Todt has visited the Schumacher family since the seven time world champion returned to his home in Switzerland after months in hospital and rehabilitation.

Precious little is known about Schumacher's health condition, but Todt has reportedly now delivered an upbeat report to the Belgian broadcaster RTL.

"We may assume that Schumacher can live a relatively normal life within a short period of time," said the FIA president. "What we can say is that he will probably never again drive a formula one car."

RTL said Todt, 68, visited Schumacher at his home on the shore of Lake Geneva in the week before the Japanese grand prix.

"He fights. His condition improves, which is very important," said Jean Todt, "as is the fact that he is now home with his family."

The Dodge Challenger is getting old. Not the name. That's old already since the Challenger launched originally when my dad, who is old, was 8. But the new-age Challenger, which launched in 2008, is also starting to get old. The exterior looks the same as it did when it launched to the drooling masses 7 years ago in that original batch of 500 SRT-powered units. The interior, with a few minor exceptions, is the same, too.

The Challenger is, however, an old-school car that's aged well and remains, in my opinion, a benchmark product in its segment, and in the industry as a whole, for several reasons.


What is a 2014 Dodge Challenger R/T Shaker?
The Challenger R/T Shaker is a standard Challenger R/T fitted with an optional package that adds, primarily, a functional shaker hood intake on top of the engine which protrudes through an opening in the hood to provide cool, fresh air to the airbox while twisting and shaking around when the engine is started or revved. The Shaker package also adds a number plaque, sport suspension and steering wheel, heavy-duty brakes, a big honkin' stereo, numerous graphical and feature content upgrades, and more.

2014 Dodge Challenger R/T Shaker Pricing and Specs
The Shaker upgrade is priced at $5,000 -- though the list of add-ons is lengthy. Pricing for the tester, including the optional 6-speed manual transmission ($2,000) and some other toys, came in around $53,000 with freight. Skip the sunroof and navigation system, and you'll come in around $50,000. Look for the 5.7L HEMI V8 with 372 horsepower.

Driving the 2014 Dodge Challenger R/T Shaker
Several aspects of driving the Challenger R/T Shaker make it an appealing every-day muscle car.

First, it's great on the highway. Even with the sport suspension, the ride is laidback and set more to the comfort side of the equation without ruining the Challenger's ability to carve corners at surprising speeds when called upon. It virtually floats on smooth roads, and the suspension handles even moderately rough roads well. Steering, even at speed, is light and lazy and easy to manipulate with just one finger. Locked-on? Heavy? No. But very easygoing steering-wise.

It's a quiet ride, too. There's always a whiff of HEMI rumble in the background, but road and wind noise are kept nicely in check.

Even the mileage is appreciable on the highway: rolling in sixth gear a touch north of the speed limit saw a 9.3L/100km highway cruising mileage figure on one road trip.

Third? It feels so American. The Challenger does its own thing where character and attitude are concerned, and makes no apologies for it. It's a big, heavy car, sprung slightly soft, and with a light and lazy steering feel. So, a performance car that's easy to relax in. It's not huge on racetrack precision, per se, which is fine since most owners will be driving on public roads most of the time.

The manual gearbox offers the smoothest shifts when you're shifting fast and hard, and browsing the forward gears with your boot down via the Tremec transmission's pistol-grip shifter is an experience virtually unparalleled in manliness. Plus, since it's not a prissy sort of sports car, you can smash gears while eating fries from a greasy box on the dashboard and blasting ACDC, if you like.

The full-throttle sounds from the 5.7L HEMI V8 are classic, too. Opened up, the thing sounds like a generic Hollywood car-chase soundtrack, and drivers can feel the variable-valve timing system ramp up engine power as the revs climb.

Inside and Out of the 2014 Dodge Challenger R/T Shaker
Here's an easy muscle-car to use on the daily. You step down into the Challenger, but the door openings are massive, the rear seats are easy to access, spacious once settled into, and can fit two grown-ups without making them chew their knees. Up front, for the driver, there's plenty of space. You can stretch out. Lounge. Chill. You don't feel like you're wearing the Challenger, even if you're horizontally robust. It's a big-ass coupe that's ready for a four-adult road trip. The trunk is even surprisingly large.

Visibility is a challenge, thanks to the thin window openings, though parking radar helps to compensate. Drivers familiar with proper use of their mirrors should have no issues.

From the outside? I'd argue that Challenger is the most cohesive-looking of the three modern retro rides from the Big 3, offering a more authentic and old-school look than either Camaro or Mustang. It's truer to its roots while turning in a look that's modern, menacing and old-school charming all at once.

Comparing the 2014 Dodge Challenger R/T Shaker
After a modern-day muscle car? The Challenger should be cross-shopped with machinery like the Hyundai Genesis Coupe, upcoming new Ford Mustang, and Chevrolet Camaro. Ultimately, the Challenger R/T Shaker will likely appeal most strongly to a shopper after long-haul comfort, plenty of space, and one of the most instantly recognizable looks on the road.

From GMM

As Jules Bianchi lies critically ill in a Japanese hospital, grave questions are being asked about the circumstances surrounding his terrifying collision with a recovery vehicle on Sunday.

Alain Prost, the F1 legend and quadruple world champion, told Europe 1 radio it is clear "serious misconduct" took place as the light faded and the rain intensified towards the end of the typhoon-affected Japanese grand prix.

"There was an error, that is clear," said the Frenchman. "Whose? I still have doubts. Was it the direction of the race or the officials who were at the corner?"

FOM, the Bernie Ecclestone-run company controlling the sport's commercial rights, has suppressed the release of any official video footage of the crash.

"I saw images that I will never forget," Adrian Sutil, who was at the scene as Bianchi struck the vehicle and also when the French driver was extricated, is quoted by Switzerland's Blick newspaper.

Late on Monday, terrifying amateur footage of the incident emerged, although FOM has been working busily to have copies quickly removed from social media sites.

20minutes.fr claims the video was shot by Phillip Dabrowiecki, a spectator in the grandstands.

"FOM has not contacted me, but I think they are trying to bury the video because it shows all the mistakes," he said.

"I shared the video for the truth to be shown to all F1 fans."

One of the thousands to watch the video is Prost himself, who said he was alarmed to see that a marshal right next to the incident was waving a green flag.

"It should have been at least a hundred metres away," he insisted.

Indeed, the green flag being waved from the marshal tower just after the incident scene is causing a great deal of controversy after the amateur footage emerged.

Photo taken right after the impact. The green flag (on top) was waved by the marshal. (Photo: WRi2)

But former driver Emanuele Pirro, who also serves as a driver steward for the FIA, says that it is "perfectly regular" for green flags to be waving at the very next marshal post after a caution zone -- even if this is just a metre away.

He told Autosprint that those who say otherwise are "mistaken".

Nonetheless, British newspapers report that the FIA and Bernie Ecclestone have ordered an urgent investigation into the circumstances of Bianchi's life-threatening crash.

The FIA confirmed that, and Ecclestone told The Times: "Things happen and we have to find out the cause."

Former FIA president Max Mosley described Sunday's events as a "freak accident".

"I can't really fault any of the people involved, the marshals or the race director or any of those people," he is quoted by Britain's Sky.

"For some reason the driver didn't see the yellow flags. It would appear he didn't slow down as perhaps he should have done, but it's certainly the case that the yellow flags were deployed."

Others also think it was simply a tragic accident. Red Bull's Dr Helmut Marko told Servus TV on Monday that there was "no specific reason why driving was impossible" at the time of the crash.

Williams driver Valtteri Bottas also played down concerns about the fading light, telling Auto Motor und Sport that he could "see the flags and there was also the flashing light" in his cockpit.

The driver steward on duty at Suzuka was Mika Salo, and he suggested that Bianchi was simply driving too quickly in the yellow flag zone.

"No car should go out of control in that situation," he is quoted by the Finnish broadcaster MTV3. "I saw everything. There was way too much momentum."

Mika Salo also backed Charlie Whiting's decision not to bring out the safety car.

"It was the right decision," he said. "At the corner was a single accident, the driver (Adrian Sutil) did not need help so there was no need to release the safety car. This was a standard situation."

Salo also played down claims the race should have been stopped for the intensifying rain.

"Some of the drivers had switched again to heavy rain tires, but some were staying on worn intermediates," he said.

Wet race at Suzuka, Japan. (Photo: WRi2)

Red Bull's Marko described what happened as "a chain of very, very unfortunate circumstances".

"After the safety car start, it was then a normal wet race," said the Austrian.

"When the accident happened, Sebastian (Vettel) did not request extreme wet tires so it was justified for the race to go to the end," Marko added.

Derek Warwick, another former driver and sometime FIA steward, told the Guardian: "Let's not get too carried away, it was a one-off.

"You will always have these extraordinary situations and we have to be careful not to make kneejerk responses to them," he told the Guardian.

Warwick said one kneejerk response would be a rule change that every time a recovery vehicle is on track, the safety car should be deployed.

"But I think it's better to let people like Charlie and his team make the decision. Will he get it right every time? Probably not, but my vote will always be for the professionals to make the decision at the time," he added.

This is precisely where opinions are starkly and emotionally split up and down the paddock.

Galvao Bueno, the influential lead commentator for Brazil's Globo, described Sunday at Suzuka as "the biggest mistake I've seen in 40 years in formula one".

"I have no fear of speaking despite having a very good personal relationship with Charlie Whiting," he insisted. "This was a race that had no condition to be run. I spoke with Felipe Massa and he said he saw nothing -- if it looks dark on TV it's because it's dark as hell. This could have been avoided."

FIA president Jean Todt will attend this weekend's Russian grand prix.

From GMM

Jules Bianchi was on course for a future wearing Ferrari red -- and perhaps as soon as 2015.

That is the claim of outgoing Ferrari president Luca di Montezemolo, who told Italian media at the Genoa Boat Show on Monday that he was "very sad" to know the team's leading 'academy' driver is now fighting for his life in Japan.

"This boy was born with us, and we thought of him as our driver of the future," Montezemolo is quoted as saying.

Frenchman Bianchi was a Ferrari-powered Marussia driver when he tragically ploughed into a recovery vehicle during the rain-affected Japanese grand prix.

Jules Bianchi, Ferrari F14 T, at Silverstone. (Photo: WRi2)

But Luca di Montezemolo said he had a definite future at Maranello.

"If - as I think we will have to - we line up with three cars next year, we thought of him for the third car and he would have been perfect for the coming years," he revealed.

"I just hope we have some good news soon. Unfortunately, we always talk about these things with the benefit of hindsight, but we do have to think of what happened if something did not work at Suzuka. If there was something wrong we have to change," said Montezemolo.

"Definitely it was a very special race with little visibility at 3 in the afternoon and plenty of water. We have also had other races in these conditions and nothing happened. The important thing is to understand the reason and prevent it from happening again," he added.

Last week in Paris, Rolls-Royce launched the new Phantom Metropolitan Collection. Only 20 units will be produced, and while no technical specifications have been provided, they'll most likely use the familiar 6.75L V12 engine.

The Phantom Metropolitan Collection pays homage to the world's great metropolises through the meticulous application of marquetry (the art of inlaying small pieces of wood veneer to form decorative motifs). When open, Phantom's signature picnic table presents occupants with an elevated view of the city, created through the expert application of 500 individual wood veneer pieces.

Meticulous care is taken when selecting the individual wood veneers. Minute imperfections such as knots and flecks lead to instant rejection. Adjustments to the colour of each piece are made through the traditional hand-process of hot-sand shading before a final inspection under magnification on a light box to ensure perfection.

Photo: Rolls-Royce

Inside, a specially developed Aetherius Grey leather colour was created to echo the colour palette of the modern city while 6,800 two-tone stitches to the central rear seat flutes depict an abstract image of a skyscraper. For the first time in the brand's history, a rotating bezel expressing 24 of the great cities of the world and their time zones -- Paris included -- adorns the centre console of a Rolls-Royce car.

The show car in Paris sported a Darkest Tungsten body paint inspired by city skylines. However, as afforded to any Rolls-Royce customer, the full palette of 44,000 colours is available to those commissioning a Phantom Metropolitan Collection car. Should that not be enough, the marque's Bespoke craftspeople will create a perfect match of any colour or object a customer may wish to replicate.

Source : Rolls-Royce

Photo: Rolls-Royce

Honda Motor Company has released a video showing its new Formula 1 power unit being bench tested in their facility in Japan.

Honda will return to F1 next season by supplying turbo hybrid power units to team McLaren.

This video shows the recent development of the engine. And it marks the first opportunity to hear the sound of the motor.

Volvo today revealed its new High-Performance Drive-E Powertrain Concept, which consists of a triple-boost, 2.0L, 4-cylinder gasoline engine rated at 450 horsepower.

No, this is not a misprint.

“When we launched the Drive-E powertrain family, our aim was to deliver the most advanced 4-cylinder engines in the industry based on emissions and fuel consumption relative to performance and drivability,” said Dr. Peter Mertens, Senior Vice President for Research and Development at Volvo Car Group.

The engine utilizes two parallel turbochargers, which are fed by an electrically powered turbocompressor. The compressed air from this unit, rather than being fed to the cylinders, is instead used to spool up the two parallel turbochargers. Fuel is fed by a dual fuel pump working at 250 bar pressure.

“It may sound odd, but the 450-hp concept is an important part of our Drive-E development program. Downsizing must offer customers attractive and usable power for broad-scale emissions reduction to work. Compact powertrains free up space and weight in the structure of the car, which can be used for electrification and even further emissions reduction. And that is our ultimate ambition,” added Mertens.

Volvo has yet to specify whether some of its current models could incorporate the High-Performance Drive-E Powertrain Concept, but it has already caught the attention and involvement of Volvo suppliers AVL, Denso and Polestar Racing.

Source : multivu.com

From press release

Newly crowned FIA World Rallycross Champion Petter Solberg will compete at the 2014 Race Of Champions in Barbados.

Solberg has dominated this year's inaugural championship with four victories, sealing the title last week with two rounds to spare.

The Norwegian also won the 2003 World Rally Championship so he has now secured his place in the driving elite by reaching the top of the world in two different fields of motor sport.

Such a blend of ability - coupled with his recent experience of the exciting all-action short-track racing that makes up rallycross - is sure to stand Solberg in good stead as he bids for more glory at the 2014 Race Of Champions.

Now Solberg joins a ROC line-up featuring stars from all over the world: nine-time Le Mans 24 Hours winner Tom Kristensen, Formula 1's Romain Grosjean (the reigning ROC Champion of Champions), Australian V8 Supercar legend Jamie Whincup and this year's Indianapolis 500 winner Ryan Hunter-Reay have already signed up.

The rest of the ROC 2014 field will be announced in the run-up to December's event.

A study published on October 6th by Roland Berger Strategy Consultants predicts a 35% increase in the use of carpooling worldwide by 2020. This will be fuelled by a radical shift in consumer habits, where many people want to make the most of a product or service without necessarily owning it.

In addition to a 35% increase in carpooling, car-sharing services will expand by 30% over the same period and reach $7.9 billion in global revenue, the study forecasts.

Bicycle-sharing services are expected to be 20% more popular in cities, while shared parking will gain 25% more fans by 2020.

Roland Berger Strategy Consultants also points out that people aged 18-25 are two times more likely to use carpooling and car-sharing services.

Source : tempsreel.nouvelobs.com

John Hennessey and his team wanted to create a Ford Mustang to rival the new 650-horsepower Chevrolet Corvette Z06 and 707-horsepower Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat. They now have one with the 717-horsepower Mustang GT HPE 700!

However, the tuning expert is not stopping there: a 375-horsepower, 4-cylinder EcoBoost  is also in the works.

Under the hood of the Hennessey Mustang GT HPE 700 is the familiar 5.0L V8 equipped with a new exhaust system, fuel pump and injectors as well as a Roots supercharger.

Changes were made to the exterior design, too:

• 20” wheels and Michelin Pilot Super Sport 2 tires;
• High-performance Brembo brakes;
• Body kit including front splitter, side skirts, rear spoiler, and diffuser.

The Hennessey Mustang GT HPE 700 will be sold at $59,500 USD. Production is limited to 500 units.

Source : caradisiac.com

Photo: Hennessey

Starting October 1st, 2014, the driver's licence in Quebec is valid for a period of eight years instead of four. This won't affect renewal procedures, and the new licence will be delivered at the same time as the province's public heath insurance card.

The Quebec government wants to improve customer service, and this is one more step toward that goal. It will also save tons of plastic and paper.

Note: Drivers aged 16-23 will have to wait until 24 to get a new 8-year licence.

Source : saaq.gouv.qc.ca

From press release

TOYOTA Racing will be without driver Nicolas Lapierre for the next round of the FIA World Endurance Championship, the 6 Hours of Fuji.

Due to personal reasons, a mutual decision has been reached for him to take a break from participating in the No. 8 TS040 HYBRID he shares with Anthony Davidson and Sebastien Buemi.

Yoshiaki Kinoshita, Team President: “Nicolas is taking a break due to his personal circumstances and the team will support him during this period. This was a decision we have taken together. Our driver line-up is close to completion for 2015 and beyond, and Nicolas remains a long-term member of our team.”

Nicolas will not be replaced in the No. 8, leaving Davidson and Buemi to defend their lead in the drivers' World Championship, which stands at 11 points after four of eight races in 2014.

Toyota TS040 #8 at circuit Paul Ricard. (Photo: Toyota Racing)

In the No. 7 TS040 HYBRID, Kazuki Nakajima returns to his regular spot after missing the last race in Austin due to his Japanese racing programme. That reunites him with fellow two-time Fuji winner Alex Wurz, alongside Stephane Sarrazin.

The first four races of the season saw the 1,000-bhp, four-wheel-drive TS040 HYBRID take two victories and start from pole position three times, whilst showing the performance to win at each event.

Going into the Fuji race, TOYOTA Racing is second in the Manufacturers' World Championship, just 18 points behind Audi.

From GMM and Autosport

Gerard Saillant, the well-known trauma surgeon with close links to Jean Todt and Michael Schumacher, has arrived in Japan to get involved with Jules Bianchi's fight for life.

Meanwhile, Grand Prix Drivers' Association GPDA new president Alex Wurz has urged his colleagues to temper their reactions to Bianchi's horrific accident.

"Obviously, such a terrible accident throws up a lot of questions and opinions," said Wurz to Autosport magazine.

"By nature, we all like to have answers, conclusions and solutions as soon as possible. But we shall not jump to conclusions without having all evidence and information, and also having the chance to hear other parties' point of view,” Wurz explained.

Doctors around Jules Bianchi, after the crash. (Photo: WRi2)

Wurz has also warned that Formula 1 drivers should not discuss the accident in public while it is still being understood.

"We would rather not debate this accident until we have all information collected. Most certainly, I recommend to all the drivers to refrain from a public discussion. We need to give the experts time to analyse everything and, of course, we offer our full support to whichever authorities may be involved in this process,” the Austrian added

"But foremost, we want to support the family and friends of Jules. We do this in the best way, not by inflaming knee-jerk conclusions,” he said.

From GMM

Carlos Sainz jr is not the only candidate to replace the Red Bull-bound Daniil Kvyat at Toro Rosso Formula 1 team next year.

Christian Horner and Dr. Helmut Marko have already admitted the talented Spaniard, the current cream of Red Bull's famed young driver programme, is the frontrunner for the newly vacant seat in the wake of Sebastian Vettel's shock news.

But there may be other frontrunners too.

Marko told Austria's Servus TV that it is minimally "a very safe prediction" that Red Bull will appoint Kvyat's successor from the Red Bull talent pool.

The obvious candidates are Sainz, 18-year-old Frenchman Pierre Gasly and 21-year-old GP3 championship leader Alex Lynn.

Lynn said at the weekend: "I'll certainly be doing everything I can to be the one who gets promoted."

But Marko suggested he would wait some time before making the final call, because "There are championships still open".

"After that we will sit down together and see that we take the best possible decision," he said.