Auto News 5

Data released by the SMMT shows that there were 132,570 cars manufactured in the UK July - a rise of 2.8%.

Germany's Sixt said its DriveNow car-sharing venture with BMW is profitable in cities where it has been operating for more than a year as sign-ups exceed forecasts.

News 21 Aug, 2014

Crackdown on unrealistic tests for mpg and CO2 emissions due this year

News 21 Aug, 2014

Californian start-up Renovo Motors unveils production prototype of its all-electric Coupe at 2014 Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance

The UK has reported record car exports for July as production rose by nearly 3 percent year-on-year last month because of new models and strong sales of top-end vehicles.

The UK has reported record car exports for July as production rose by nearly 3 percent year-on-year last month thanks to new models and strong sales of top-end vehicles.

News 21 Aug, 2014

British-built car exports at record high with average price doubling since 2004

Mazda has promoted Kevin Rice, who rejoined the automaker from BMW last year, to lead its European design operations.

LG Chem says it will supply batteries for Audi's growing lineup of plug-in hybrids. Audi began European sales of its first plug-in hybrid, the A3 Sportback e-tron, in June and plans to add at least three more plug-in hybrids.

Continental executive Helmut Matschi says automated driving will emerge gradually in the next decade. He also believes that to be successful, suppliers will need to collaborate more than ever with non-automotive companies.

From press release

China Racing has today announced the signing of Red Bull Global Rallycross leader Nelson Piquet Jr and Chinese motorsport star Ho-Pin Tung as its driver line-up for the inaugural all-electric FIA Formula E Championship.

Formula E is the FIA's new fully electric single-seater championship designed to appeal to a new generation of motorsport fan.

Nelson Piquet Jr (Photo: WRI2)

Nelson Piquet Jr is the son of three-time F1 world champion Nelson Piquet and has experience in a variety of top motorsport categories including British Formula 3, A1GP, GP2, NASCAR and Formula 1 where he raced for the Renault F1 Team in 2008 and 2009.

The Brazilian is also currently leading the Red Bull Global Rallycross championship.

Ho-Pin Tung was the first Chinese driver to test a Formula 1 car, testing for Williams F1 in 2003, in addition to testing for Renault in 2009.

From GMM

Red Bull Racing was experimenting with an all-electric Formula 1 car at Spa on Wednesday, publications reveal.

Germany's Auto Motor und Sport and Italy's Autosprint say the reigning world champions' electric prototype was in fact a 2013 Red Bull RB9 sporting a 2014 nose.

But the real novelty was its propulsion -- an all-electric motor to power the car in and out of the pit lane 'box' as the mechanics practiced pit stops.

After a practice stop, Autosprint correspondent Alberto Antonini reveals, the mechanic in the cockpit pushed a button, a reverse warning 'beeps', and the car lurched backwards to be ready for another stop.

Red Bull pit stop (Photo: WRI2)

Normally, the car is pushed forward by two or three strong mechanics.

"This is the new Formula E," Auto Motor und Sport correspondent Tobias Gruner quoted a Red Bull mechanic as joking.

He added that among the fascinated observers in the Spa-Francorchamps pitlane on Wednesday was none other than FIA technical delegate Jo Bauer.

Two-time Formula 1 World Champion Fernando Alonso suggests that everyone should calm down about the arrival of a teenager in F1 next year.

Toro Rosso newly signed driver for next year Max Verstappen will make history in becoming the youngest ever F1 driver at just 17.

The Scuderia Ferrari driver maintains Verstappen's readiness for F1 shouldn't be judged on his age, but on how he performs in the opening half of next season.

Fernando Alonso, Minardi, 2001 (Photo: WRI2)

"I think it is just one number on your passport the age," Alonso told Sky Sports News HQ.

"At the end of the day you need to be ready for the challenge and be ready for Formula 1 Grands Prix. Some people are ready at 17, some people are ready at 28 - that is what we don't know.

"So before saying anything we need to see how Verstappen does next year and after six to eight races we can see if he was ready or not. But at the moment anyone is ready."

Fernando Alonso was 19 years old when he made his debut for Minardi at the 2001 Australian GP.

From GMM

Toto Wolff has admitted Mercedes came close to signing up F1 rookie sensation Max Verstappen.

Ultimately, the 16-year-old Dutchman and his father-manager Jos went with Red Bull's famous driver programme, after Dr Helmut Marko promised him a race seat for 2015 at Toro Rosso.

"We had several meetings with Jos and Max," Wolff, Mercedes' motor sport chief, confirmed to the German newspaper Bild.

"He is certainly a great talent, but we would not and could not guarantee him a seat with us in Formula 1.

"So I advised them to accept the offer from Red Bull," Wolff confirmed.

Toto Wolff (Photo: WRI2)

Verstappen's signing at a very young age - before he even qualifies for a license to drive a road car - is controversial and it will be a big talking point throughout the Belgian GP weekend.

But F1 legend Emerson Fittipaldi thinks the talented Dutchman can be ready for his record-breaking 2015 debut.

"Today, with all the electronic help, young drivers with talent are able to go very fast right off the bat," he told Brazil's Globo.

"Last year I had the chance to drive a new Lotus and the car is really well balanced.

"The drivers also have a very large support team around them.

"I am good friends with Franz Tost, he has worked with the drivers who later went to Red Bull like Vettel and Ricciardo, so I trust him a lot," Fittipaldi added.

From press release

The Strictly Hydraulics Legend cars will take centre stage at Scotia Speedworld this week as they do battle for 50 laps under the lights Friday night.

Also on this week's racing card are the Coors Light Trucks who will also run a 50-lap feature and the Thunder & Lightning cars.

Admission is just $12 for Adults; Youth (8-15) are $2 and children 7 and under are free...all summer long! Tickets are available at the gate on race day. Grandstand gates open at 5 pm with racing action slated to get underway at 7 pm.

The Strictly Hydraulics Legends return for a highly anticipated 50-lap main event. Cole Butcher (Porter's Lake) has the point championship in a headlock but anything can happen as these drivers go the extra distance. Fan favorite Emily Meehan is the only other driver this season in the Strictly Hydraulics Legends class to win a feature and will look to make it two on the season this Friday.

Tim Hortons at the Airport Rookie of the Year candidate Nicholas Naugle (Dartmouth) enters off the momentum of a big win two weeks ago on the Maritime League of Legends Tour and will look to add another trophy to his case. These three, along with over a dozen others, are expected to strap in for an exciting 50-laps around the oval Friday night.

The Coors Light Trucks are set to embark on their biggest event in division history as they get set to run a 50-lap main event Friday.

This event marks the first time the Trucks will run a feature longer than 25-laps in length. Dan Smith (Lower Sackville) can still take one step closer towards his third consecutive Coors Light Truck Championship Friday night with a solid finish on Strictly Hydraulics Night. Smith has a 15-point lead on Tim Hortons at the Airport Rookie Cory Leonard and 27 points on Cy Harvey (Elmsdale).

From GMM

Kamui Kobayashi will spend the Spa-Francorchamps weekend out of the cockpit and assessing the potential 'lack of harmony' in his racing life.

Although still under contract to Caterham, the team's new management has sidelined the popular Japanese for at least the Belgian grand prix in favour of 32-year-old F1 rookie and reigning Le Mans winner Andre Lotterer.

"It's a shame not to drive Spa," Kobayashi told his more than 150,000 Twitter followers. "I feel sorry for all my supporters but this is motor sports -- I hope not!"

Able to bring little to the table for the increasingly sponsorship-minded new Caterham chiefs, Kobayashi has earlier lamented the increasing power of the 'pay driver' but also life at the back of the grid in 2014.

Kamui Kobayashi, Caterham CT05 (Photo: WRI2)

Asked in Hungary recently if the uncompetitive Caterham is giving him the tools to showcase his famously attacking style, he admitted: "Not really!

"It's not really happy but I need to hope that one day I'm going to make something, a really exciting race. A 'train' race is not really exciting," he said.

Now, after his ousting, Kobayashi posted a Leonardo da Vinci quote to his Twitter followers in Japanese.

In English, the quote is: "Every now and then go away, have a little relaxation, for when you come back to your work your judgment will be surer.

"Go some distance away because then the work appears smaller and more of it can be taken in at a glance and a lack of harmony and proportion is more readily seen," the fabled Italian painter had said.

Caterham's decision to axe Kobayashi has been criticised by former team technical boss Mike Gascoyne, who is still involved in the wider Tony Fernandes-led Caterham Group.

"Such a shame that Kamui is not driving for Caterham at Spa," the Briton said on Twitter. "He was their only hope of regaining tenth place but (the decision is) typical of the new management."

From press release

The Grand Bend Motorplex will once again celebrate the upcoming Labor Day weekend with its traditional "Thunder by the Beach" weekend offering a great three-day show of drag racing action.

Presented by Teamsters Canada and Local 879, fans will be able to watch a wide variety of racing August 29-31 at the quarter-mile facility in Southwestern Ontario.

Coming into its final event for 2014, teams in the Pro Modified Racing Association will take to the track running on all cylinders in the tight Championship Point Award Series race. The two companion series of the PMRA, the Quick 32 Sportsman Series, presented by NAPA Auto Parts, and the Pro Bike & Sled Series, presented by Wiseco Performance Products, will also be racing over the holiday weekend.

Some of the other highlights of the Thunder by the Beach show will be the appearance of nitromethane-burning race cars and crowd-pleasing jet-powered cars.

Four Nitro Altereds will compete, while the Top Secret and GoJo Firebird Jet Funny Cars will light up the track along with the Jet Dragster Queen of Diamonds in the Saturday "Night of Fire" program presented by Performance Unlimited.

Continuing with the fire theme Saturday evening, a large fireworks display will also take place after the show's racing.

Included in the three-day show will be Grand Bend's regular program competitors in the Thunder Series, Junior Series, and Extreme 32 Series championship racing programs.

Gates for this event open Friday at 3 pm with qualifying in the PMRA, the Quick 32 Sportsman Series, and the Pro Bike & Sled Series at 7:30 pm. Gates open at 8 am Saturday and Sunday with the racing program getting underway at 10 am and 9 am respectively. Camping on the grounds is available, and ticket prices range from $10 Friday to $30 Saturday and Sunday. A weekend pass is available for $55, and children 6-12 are $5 any day or $8 for the weekend.

Tony Stewart will not drive this weekend in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series IRWIN Tools Night Race at Bristol Motor Speedway.

Instead, Jeff Burton will once again be behind the wheel of the No. 14 Chevrolet.

Stewart has not raced in the past two Sprint Cup events following the death of Kevin Ward Jr.

This change only pertains to Bristol. Stewart's plans for upcoming Sprint Cup races have yet to be determined, according to a team release.

Stewart-Haas Racing officials said last weekend at Michigan that there is no timetable for Stewart's return to NASCAR racing and that the decision will be the driver's call to make.

Thierry Neuville rolled his Hyundai i20 WRC heavily in shakedown at ADAC Rallye Deutschland Thursday morning.

The accident happened at a double left corner in the vineyards, 1.7km after the start of Neuville's third pass at the Konz shakedown.

After leaving the road on the outside of the bend, the car rolled six times downhill among the grapes.

Neither Neuville nor co-driver Nicolas Gilsoul were injured.

The damaged Hyundai of Neuville. (Photo: wrc.com)

The car has heavy panel damage on Gilsoul's side but it is thought the vines may have absorbed some of the impact.

FIA technical officials inspected the car after it was returned to the service park. It was confirmed there was no damage to the roll cage and the car could be repaired.

Blue screens were erected around the i20 in the Korean manufacturer's service area and mechanics this afternoon began the long job of stripping the car and rebuilding it.

From GMM

Russian race car driver Sergey Sirotkin is still hopeful he will make his Formula 1 weekend debut in 2014.

Earlier a shoo-in for a Sauber seat amid the Swiss team's supposed Russian rescue deal, the 18-year-old has more recently appeared to be on the backburner.

"I'm just a test driver," he told Russia 2 sports television this week.

Sergey Sirotkin, Sauber C33 (Photo: WRI2)

"With the test in Bahrain I got the (super) license so it is very possible that I will drive at Sochi on Friday. At the very least I will be with the team.

"For me it's a positive thing -- to gain experience.

"There are some options for next year, on which we are working very hard," Moscow-born Sirotkin added, "and I think that one of them should work out."