Auto News 5

The demise of Vauxhall's 100,000-mile 'lifetime' new car warranty could provoke a 'domino effect', prompting other automakers to turn their back on promised long-term cover, an independent warranty provider said.

Hyundai Motor's union workers in South Korea agreed to end strikes that may have cost the company more than 900 billion won ($847 million) in lost output after they accepted the carmaker's proposal to increase wages.

Volvo CEO Hakan Samuelsson's belief in e-commerce got a huge boost because of the XC90.

Tesla Motors CEO Elon Musk sent out a cryptic tweet, saying it is "about time to unveil the D and something else," with an accompanying photo which mentioned a date, Oct. 9.

Fiat is touting the 500X's Italian styling as a standout feature that will help the car win sales in the booming but hotly contested subcompact crossover segment.

News 2 Oct, 2014

There'll be no new Lancer Evolution from Mitsubishi as it focuses on the SUVs it sees as its strongest suit

Ford CEO Mark Fields told just-auto at the Paris Show that Ford is aiming to have just nine global platforms for almost all products by the end of 2015.

Even without the Labour Day weekend, which went to August sales this year, September offered further proof the US light vehicle market remains robust.

Ford is forecasting sales growth in Europe next year as demand for new models helps narrow its loss in the region.

Renault has revamped the Espace minivan as a crossover/SUV as it seeks to revive it's European sales and follow a market shift to more rugged looking vehicles.

Following a record-breaking September, Kia is on track to sell 360,000 vehicles in Europe this year, an all-time best.

Lamborghini has unveiled the mid-engined, all-wheel-drive Asterion LPI 910-4 hybrid concept. The supercar uses a 5.2-liter V10 engine from the brand's Huracan model with three electric motors to produce 910hp.

Lamborghini CEO Stephan Winkelmann said the 910-hp Asterion LPI 910-4 plug-in hybrid supercar concept unveiled at the Paris auto show is a "ground-breaking, crucial step" for the VW-owned company.

Infiniti will launch a production version of its Q80 Inspiration concept sedan within three to five years to rival models such as the Porsche Panamera and help boost the brand's image and sales in Europe.

Fiat said the potential financial impact of a European Commission probe into a tax agreement granted by Luxembourg to one of its subsidiaries would not be significant.

News 2 Oct, 2014

Tesla's Elon Musk has tweeted a teaser shot of what he calls the new Model 'D', a new car that is shrouded in mystery

Land Rover pulled the wraps off its new compact Discovery Sport at a pre-show event for journalists, hauling it up the Seine River on a massive barge.

Forks of the Credit Road in Caledon is arguably the best driving road in all of Southern Ontario. This 5km ribbon of tarmac offers dips, climbs, blind
off-camber turns, short straights, plus some truly stunning scenery. It is a true car guy's paradise, a road you will most enjoy in a car that has power, grunt, and grip to serve.

I took, perhaps, the most ideal car to this road: The 2015 McLaren 650S Spider. Since Forks of the Credit Road also has an intersecting street called McLaren Road, it made the trek out there all the more special.


What is this supercar, exactly?
The 2015 McLaren 650S Spider is a two-seat, hardtop convertible supercar, which is the latest iteration of the MP4-12C model that was launched about three years ago. For supercar fans, it has all the right ingredients: like a carbon-fibre monocell chassis that provides excellent stiffness and offers three adaptive modes that allow you to adjust the car based on the kind of driving you're doing.

Mechanically, a twin-turbo 3.8L V8 motor that produces 641 horsepower at 7,250 rpm and 500 lb-ft of torque at 6,000 rpm powers the rear wheels via a 7-speed dual-clutch automatic gearbox.

Apart from the increased power figures, all the above-mentioned features were available on the MP4-12C that I tested two years ago. Where the 2015 McLaren 650S differs is in some obvious, and some not-too-obvious, areas.

Is the McLaren 650S better?
An obvious difference is in its front-end styling. Inspired by the look of the McLaren P1 hypercar, the new nose on the 650S does give the car a much more menacing appearance. Aside from that, the 650S looks nearly identical to the MP4-12C.

Step inside, and you'll be hard pressed to find many changes, but there are a few. For instance, now there are some extra storage pockets, and customers can also finally opt for a backup camera -- although the image on the infotainment screen is tiny.

But, how does it drive?
OK, enough with the details, time to hit the road.

Being a bright, sunny day, the first thing I did was drop its top -- which disappears under a hard cover in just 17 seconds flat, and can be operated while on the move as long as your speed doesn't exceed 30km/hr.

On my way to my favourite road, cruising on the highway, I noticed how comfortable the McLaren 650S actually is, especially if you leave everything in Normal mode.
The ride characteristic changes noticeably when you switch to Sport mode, and really changes when you engage Track mode. Since this latter setting opens up the valves in the exhaust to make it louder, sharpens the throttle response, and turns the traction control off, I chose to drive it mostly in this setting -- just for fun.

At speed, with the roof down, there was a bit more wind buffeting than I would have liked, but still quite manageable.

It took some time to get to my favourite road, but I got there. Thankfully, it was largely empty that day, which gave me some opportunities to bury the throttle for a few short bursts. It was here that the 2015 McLaren 650S felt most at home. It relished being on a challenging tarmac; where I could enjoy the sound and power of its force-fed V8, test the grip of its now standard Pirelli P-Zero Corsa tires (235/35R19 front, 305/30R20 rear), and its carbon-ceramic brakes. The brakes have excellent stopping power, but they do work a bit like an on-off switch -- not much bite on initial application, then they grab hard -- so a firm foot is needed.

Through the tightest bends, you notice that the car exhibits almost zero body roll. McLaren opted to not give this car any anti-roll bars; instead they use a complicated interlinked hydraulic suspension system, which reacts to the road, steering angle, and the vehicles speed. It all works seamlessly and just makes you feel like a hero.

A supercar and so much more
I could go on and on about what the McLaren 650s can do -- like tell you it can cover the 0 to 100km/hr sprint in 3.0 seconds flat, and that it has a top speed of 333km/hr, and how the noise it emits will make all your hair stand on end, but I have a word count limit for this article, and I've just about exhausted it.

If you have the means to buy a supercar, you really need to take a very close look at the 2015 McLaren 650S. Pricing for the coupe model starts at $287,000, while the Spider begins at $305,500 (my very well-equipped tester was worth $383,000).

Complaints? Yes, I had to give it back.

From GMM

Toto Wolff has admitted tension between Mercedes' title-warring teammates is inevitable over the decisive final five races of 2014.

In the last hours, despite their obviously fractious relationship recently, Nico Rosberg declared that the atmosphere inside the silver camp is now "very good".

And Lewis Hamilton, who now holds a 3-point championship lead after Rosberg's problems in Singapore, declared that things are "back to normal" following the recent turmoil.

But Dr Helmut Marko, a boss at Red Bull whose Daniel Ricciardo is still a long-shot hope for the drivers' crown, declared this week that "This peace (at Mercedes) is not real".

"Eventually, Hamilton and Rosberg will be side by side again, and when they see it is the title in front of them, there are no more rules," he told Bild.

Nico Rosberg and Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes AMG. (Photo: WRi2)

Mercedes boss Wolff has now hit back by admitting it is obvious tension still remains between Rosberg and Hamilton as the title battle intensifies.

"There is no need for a peace pact to show to the public," he said ahead of the Japanese grand prix at Suzuka, one of five remaining races this season including the double points finale in Abu Dhabi.

"If you've been programmed for 25 years to fight for and win the drivers' championship, no one can ask you to suddenly make your greatest enemy also your best buddy," Wolff admitted.

Former F1 driver turned German television pundit Marc Surer agrees: "Of course there is no peace.

"Either of them can be world champion," he told Speed Week. "Why should they make peace -- so the other one can win?"

Foxconn, which manufactures iPhone products for Apple, wants to expand its foray into the car industry by launching an electric vehicle that would sell for $15,000 or less.

The company is not joking around, having recently invested more than $800 million to build several plants in China, where it already produces smartphones.

Foxconn currently supplies battery systems for electric vehicles sold in China.

Source : caradisiac.com