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From WTCC

The WTCC Race of Argentina was a sweet dream for both the numerous Argentine fans that flocked to Termas de Rio Hondo and local hero Jose Maria Lopez.

In front of a huge crowd - 50,000 over the two days according to the official figures released by the circuit - the Citroen driver took a double victory, becoming the first driver this year to win both races in the same weekend, and bringing his personal number of successes this season to seven.

The emotional side of Lopez's triumph added something special to a weekend that won't be forgotten by anyone present at Termas in a very hot Sunday.

Lopez's perfect weekend started with the pole position and a lights-to-flag win in Race 1, while Race 2 saw him battling to emerge from the middle of the group and taking the lead seven laps from the end.

With Yvan Muller finishing third twice, Lopez has now extended his lead in the standings to 60 points.

The Argentine round had other and unexpected heroes: the LADA Sport Lukoil team that ended the weekend with its first WTCC podium ever, three other point finishes and having led a WTCC race for the first time since their involvement in the championship.

Rob Huff started from the reverse pole in Race 2, led for eight laps and finished a brilliant second, being beaten only by Lopez. The Russian team duly celebrated the achievement of the much-improved Granta cars.

Now the championship faces a two-month break before resuming at Beijing's Goldenport Park, China, on October 5, for rounds 17 and 18.

From GMM

Timo Glock has admitted he has all but given up on the thought of returning to formula one.

After Toyota withdrew from F1, the talented German raced for Virgin/Marussia for three years until he accepted a plum works BMW seat in the premier touring car series DTM last year.

And Glock, now 32, told the German news agency DPA that he is not thinking about mounting a bid to return to F1.

"It is pretty clear that in the current situation there are just three or four teams who can choose and pay for their drivers," he said.

"The rest look for how much money the driver can bring. In my eyes, that's not the purpose of the sport. That's why at the moment I don't see a future and don't waste thoughts thinking about it," Timo Glock added.

He said he is happy with BMW in the DTM.

"At the moment I'm having a lot of fun so I would be happy if I could continue for a few more years," said Timo Glock.

Timo Glock, BMW. (Photo: DTM)

From GMM

Niki Lauda says F1 should "welcome" the news that Bernie Ecclestone looks to have settled the high-profile corruption case that threatened his role at the top of the sport.

Suddeutsche Zeitung has reported that the 83-year-old Briton has agreed with prosecutors and the Munich court that a $100 million compensation payment will see serious criminal charges - which could have left him in jail - dropped.

"On behalf of formula one, Mercedes and all the other teams, I would only welcome it if Bernie can concentrate on formula one and together with the teams solve the existing problems," the newspaper quoted Lauda as saying.

"If Bernie stops, it would have been a disaster for formula one," the triple world champion and Mercedes team chairman added.

"He has built everything up over three decades and is the only one who knows everything -- the business, the details of the teams. Everything is in his head," said Niki Lauda.

A guilty verdict would have seen Ecclestone, F1's chief executive and long-time 'supremo', almost certainly ousted from his position by CVC chief Donald Mackenzie.

"If all the allegations are gone from the table, then Bernie has done everything right," Niki Lauda insisted.

"Then all the speculation ends. Continuity is very important at the top of formula one for the future," he added.

From GMM

Mere days after officially leaving Ferrari, Luca Marmorini looks set to take another high-profile job in formula one.

The 53-year-old's departure was interpreted as the latest rolling head at Ferrari amid the fabled Italian team's poor start to the new turbo V6 era.

Marmorini, formerly Ferrari's engine and electronics chief, could now take some of his closest colleagues at Maranello with him to another struggling F1 engine supplier, Renault Sport F1.

That is the claim of the Italian newspaper Corriere della Sera, reporting that Marmorini's arrival is part of a restructuring at Renault after also erring with its first turbo V6 prominently supplied to reigning world champions Red Bull.

The newspaper said the news could be announced officially within days.

Luca Marmorini, Ferrari. (Photo: WRi2)

And although the period of summer 'shutdown' is now beginning, there are also prominent developments elsewhere in formula one.

Italy's Autosprint reports that the well-known Toro Rosso engineer Laurent Mekies is on the move.

Reportedly arriving at the Faenza based team, meanwhile, is Jody Eggington, Caterham's technical boss who was among 40 staff controversially axed by new advisor Colin Kolles.

From GMM

Mercedes has vowed to stick with Michael Schumacher as the F1 legend continues his recovery from a skiing fall last December.

In June, as Schumacher remained in intensive care, one of the great German's personal sponsors - the bottled water brand Rosbacher - said it would end its advertising deal with the former Ferrari and Mercedes driver.

Daimler chairman Dieter Zetsche, however, said Mercedes-Benz is not looking to terminate its contract with brand ambassador Schumacher despite the seven time world champion's continuing recovery in a Swiss rehabilitation hospital.

"We are pleased with the positive development," Zetsche, referring to the reported improvement in Schumacher's condition, told Bild am Sonntag newspaper.

"We hope fervently that it continues," he added.

When asked about Mercedes' commitment to Schumacher despite his injuries, Zetsche answered: "We have given no thoughts to changing something in the contract."

He said he had not visited Schumacher in hospital or rehabilitation since the skiing accident due to his "highest respect" for the family's privacy.

Michael Schumacher. (Photo: Mercedes-Benz)

Nissan and Mitsubishi have partnered to build and sell a small, affordable electric vehicle by 2016-2017, according to the Japanese newspaper Nikkei. It would be priced at around 1.78 million yens, or $16,000.

Both Nissan (LEAF) and Mitsubishi (i-MiEV) already have one electric car in their portfolios. They've also formed an alliance to develop the Dayz and Dayz Roox microcars in Japan, among other projects.

Nissan told AFP that further details will be announced at a later date, but insisted that the company is moving as fast as it can to bring this new electric vehicle to market.

Source : auto.lapresse.ca

A new study of American drivers reveals that nearly 70% have driven while drowsy, while millions have engaged in other risky behaviour that put the lives of road users in danger.

According to CarInsurance.com, U.S. drivers routinely use vehicles that should either be parked or repaired. More than 60% have overlooked a “Check Engine” light, while 30% have headed out on a winter morning when they couldn't see through snowy or icy windshields.

What's more, 10% of drivers have driven cars whose doors had to be held closed because of faulty locks.

Drowsy driving is causing one in eight highway deaths, according to the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety. Experts caution that the problem could be under-reported because motorists may not realize when they've experienced a second or two of so-called “micro-sleep.”

Fatigue is not the only cause of “impaired” driving, mind you. The CarInsurance.com study indicates that 53% of drivers hit the road despite having a headache, while 35% did so when they were sick enough to be in bed. A full 23% admitted driving because they were less drunk than a friend, while 16% got behind the wheel without the contact lenses or glasses they normally should wear.

While the study was conducted in the U.S., it's safe to assume Canadian drivers are no different.

Source : thedetroitbureau.com

Ford today announced Canadian pricing for its all-new 2015 F-150, which will arrive at dealerships across the country in late 2014. The lineup includes five models -- XL, XLT, Lariat, King Ranch, and Platinum -- with prices ranging from $21,399 to $66,999.

Lets not forget that the F-150 has a body made ​​entirely of aluminum, which reduces its weight by 700 pounds over the outgoing model.

XL Reg. Cab 122 Inch Wheelbase 4×2	$21,399
XL Reg. Cab 141 Inch Wheelbase 4×2	$21,799
XLT Reg. Cab 122 Inch Wheelbase 4×2	$32,399
XLT Reg. Cab 141 Inch Wheelbase 4×2	$32,699
XL Reg. Cab 122 Inch Wheelbase 4×4	$32,699
XL Reg. Cab 141 Inch Wheelbase 4×4	$32,999
XLT Reg. Cab 122 Inch Wheelbase 4×4	$36,899
XLT Reg. Cab 141 Inch Wheelbase 4×4	$37,199
XL Super Cab 145 Inch Wheelbase 4×2	$33,899
XL Super Cab 163 Inch Wheelbase 4×2	$36,999
XLT Super Cab 145 Inch Wheelbase 4×2	$36,399
XLT Super Cab 163 Inch Wheelbase 4×2	$38,899
Lariat Super Cab 145 Inch Wheelbase 4×2	$48,099
Lariat Super Cab 163 Inch Wheelbase 4×2	$48,099
XL Super Cab 145 Inch Wheelbase 4×4	$38,399
XL Super Cab 163 Inch Wheelbase 4×4	$41,999
XLT Super Cab 145 Inch Wheelbase 4×4	$40,399
XLT Super Cab 163 Inch Wheelbase 4×4	$43,499
Lariat Super Cab 145 Inch Wheelbase 4×4	$52,299
Lariat Super Cab 163 Inch Wheelbase 4×4	$52,799
XLT Super Crew 145 Inch Wheelbase 4×2	$38,199
XLT Super Crew 157 Inch Wheelbase 4×2	$39,499
Lariat Super Crew 145 Inch Wheelbase 4×2	$49,399
Lariat Super Crew 157 Inch Wheelbase 4×2	$49,399
XL Super Crew 145 Inch Wheelbase 4×4	$43,099
XL Super Crew 157 Inch Wheelbase 4×4	$43,099
XLT Super Crew 145 Inch Wheelbase 4×4	$41,549
XLT Super Crew 157 Inch Wheelbase 4×4	$43,349
Lariat Super Crew 145 Inch Wheelbase 4×4	$53,799
Lariat Super Crew 157 Inch Wheelbase 4×4	$54,299
King Ranch Super Crew 145 Inch Wheelbase 4×4	$64,999
King Ranch Super Crew 157 Inch Wheelbase 4×4	$64,999
Platinum Super Crew 145 Inch Wheelbase 4×4	$66,999
Platinum Super Crew 157 Inch Wheelbase 4×4	$66,999

Source : www.autos.ca

A 31-year-old Latvian driver named Marina Usaceva has been sentenced to six years in prison after ramming her Jaguar X-Type into Sukhdeep Singh Johal's Peugeot 206, causing the death of the 27-year-old biomedical science graduate.

Usaceva was texting on two separate phones while driving at 110 km/h before the fatal crash. Witnesses argue she was driving even faster than that when she violently hit the brakes to avoid getting caught by a speed camera. She wound up rear-ending the Peugeot and causing a 3-car pileup.

A police examination found Usaceva had used a Sony phone to send and receive text messages right before the accident occurred.

Judge Sean Enright called texting while driving a “plague on society,” and took away Usaceva's driving licence for eight years in addition to giving her six years in jail.

The woman had previously been caught twice using her phone behind the wheel.

Darwin must be rolling over in his grave...

Source : independent.co.uk

Jaguar Land Rover will unveil three performance models during this year's Pebble Beach Automotive weekend (August 14-17, 2014), kicking things off on Thursday at the famous Concours d'Elegance.

The first one is a 550-horsepower Range Rover Sport SVR (global debut), which last week became the world's fastest SUV by completing the legendary Nürburgring Nordschleife in 8 minutes and 14 seconds. SVR, by the way, is a new designation which will be worn by all future Jaguar Land Rover high-performance models.

Next up is the U.S. production version of the Jaguar F-TYPE Project 7, an all-aluminum, fully road-legal two-seater roadster with bespoke carbon-fibre aerodynamic aids. It also features a sleek fairing inspired by the D-type (2014 marks the 60th anniversary of the iconic Jag). Similar to the Range Rover Sport SVR, Project 7 was created by Jaguar Land Rover's Special Vehicle Operations division.

Finally, Jaguar will unveil the prototype of the new Lightweight E-type — of which six customer cars will be built (18 were initially planned) and sold at about £500,000 ($920,000) apiece.

Land Rover will also feature its full product lineup including the long-wheelbase Range Rover, the Range Rover Evoque Autobiography, and the “Great Divide” past and present 1990 and 2014 edition vehicles.

Source: Jaguar Land Rover

From press release

The 10th annual Canadian Sprint Car Nationals weekend at Ohsweken Speedway is coming up in less than two months, and preparations are well underway for the track's signature event.

The 2014 Canadian Sprint Car Nationals weekend will kick off with a Test & Tune session on Thursday, September 11, while racing will commence Friday, September 12 with the "Night Before the Nationals" presented by Burger Barn, and finish with the 10th annual Canadian Sprint Car Nationals presented by Arrow Express on Saturday, September 13.

This year's "Night Before the Nationals" again includes Twin 15 lap features for the 360 Sprint Cars, plus the Ohsweken Shootout, Dave McLeod Memorial "Mr. Sprint Car Challenge" 1-on-1 match races, and the HRW Automotive Mini Stock division.

Each Twin 15 winner will be guaranteed a starting spot in the Canadian Sprint Car Nationals A-Feature. The Ohsweken Shootout features drivers qualified drivers from the Empire Super Sprints, Patriot Sprint Tour, and Southern Ontario Sprints challenge events held at Ohsweken in 2014, and the Corr/Pak Merchandising 360 Sprint Car feature on August 29, plus the top drivers from Sprints on Dirt and the National Racing Alliance.

The 10th annual Canadian Sprint Car Nationals will include group time trials for the 360 Sprint Cars, plus 6 heat races, 3 B-Feature races, a dash race for heat race winners to determine the top 6 starting positions in the A-Feature, the 15 lap "Little Feature", and the 35 lap A-Feature which will pay the winner $12,000 from the lucrative purse.

While the format remains largely the same as in recent years, one small change has been made, as starting positions 7-18 in the A-Feature will now be lined up by passing points. The Affordable Towing & Recovery Thunder Stocks will be the support division for the 360 Sprint Cars on Saturday, September 13.

From Formula1.com

Williams' technical director Pat Symonds says the British team success across the first half of the 2014 Formula 1 season will not prove short-lived.

Frank and Claire Williams' team has scored three podiums so far this season - all through Finland's Valtteri Bottas and currently lied fourth on the constructors' standings.

That renaissance led some in the paddock to say that Williams' form was track-dependent.

The vastly experienced Symonds believes the team have a genuine claim to being the third best on this year's grid, and expects success to continue over the final eight races.

“There is an element of it - always has been, always will be,” Symonds told Formula1.com when asked about McLaren's Eric Boullier's view that track layout was a major factor in Williams' results.

Valtteri Bottas, Williams FW36-Mercedes. (Photo: WRi2)

“Our objective is to design a car that works equally well on all 19 circuits, but none of us achieve that, not even Mercedes.

“But I do think that is a bit of wishful thinking from Eric [Boullier] as well. Don't get me wrong, I do recognise the differences for us at places like Austria, but I still believe we have the third quickest car, and if we use it and develop it properly we will be third quickest at most circuits,” Symonds continued.

“It is very close this year - no one will say anything other than Mercedes AMG is the best car, in my opinion Red Bull Racing is second, and then you have Ferrari, Sahara Force India, Williams and McLaren. That is quite a tight bunch, (but) arguably we have the third-best car at the moment,” he explained.

Symonds warned, however, that Williams' fortunes would not just hang on the FW36's underlying pace, but also the team's efficiency and ability to avoid mistakes.

“I don't believe up until Austria that we performed or achieved what we should have, for all sorts of reasons,” Symonds said.

“What makes it difficult this year is that 43 points are taken by Mercedes AMG at pretty much every weekend, which means the rest of us are fighting for a lot less.

“The difference between finishing third and sixth overall might be quite small. If we are the third-best team, we ought to finish third in the championship - but in 2005 [when Symonds was executive director of engineering at Renault] we won the championship with Fernando Alonso despite McLaren having the better car. We were a better team and we won by our racing,” Symonds declared.

Daimler has seen booming growth in the Russian auto market weaken due to the Ukraine crisis, CEO Dieter Zetsche told a German newspaper.

Daimler has seen booming growth in the Russian auto market weaken due to the Ukraine crisis, CEO Dieter Zetsche told a German newspaper.

GM has asked its main Chinese supplier to find an alternative source of components after an explosion ripped through a factory in Kunshan, China, killing 71 people.

GM has asked one of its Tier 1 suppliers in China to find an alternative source of components after an explosion ripped through a factory on Saturday, killing at least 75 people and injuring 185.

For the first time in decades, more people are buying SUVs than sedans. Americans are feeling a little jauntier as the economy improves and are willing to indulge in a lifestyle upgrade.

French supplier Valeo has developed an electric turbocharger that it says eliminates "turbo lag." The new turbocharger is powered by an electric motor instead of exhaust gases.

Valeo has developed an electric turbocharger that it says eliminates turbo lag. The new turbocharger is powered by an electric motor instead of exhaust gases.

From press release

Finland had a reason to celebrate, this Sunday, as local hero Jari-Matti Latvala beat his Volkswagen teammate Sébastian Ogier.

Latvala dominated most of the four-day Rally Finland but a brake problem yesterday evening threw his win into doubt. However, he held off a determined charge from Volkswagen team-mate Sébastien Ogier to win by 3.6sec.

Jari-Matti Latvala, VW Polo R WRC (Photo: WRi2)

Latvala, aware of the fact that no Finn had won here in four years, said he was motivated to fend off Ogier by the support from his fans. He was embraced by father Jari after finishing the final Ruuhimäki special stage.

Mikko Hirvonen, Ford Fiesta RS WRC (Photo: WRi2)

“It was so hard to take this victory,” he said. “I had a fantastic feeling with the driving but when I had the brake problem yesterday I was in a difficult position. I was so close to losing the victory but I fought back. I was nervous today but managed to hold it together."

Elfyn Evan, Ford Fiesta RS WRC (Photo: WRi2)

Latvala won 13 of the opening 19 stages to build a 31sec lead over the first three days but broke the front right brake caliper on his Polo R when he hit a large hole.

Ogier, who had earlier conceded victory, seized his chance and slashed the margin to under four seconds.

Juho Jannien, Hyundai i20 WRC (Photo: WRi2)

But with the Finn's car restored to health today, Ogier had to settle for second. The Frenchman gained maximum bonus points by winning the live TV Power Stage and heads Latvala by 44 points in the title battle with five rounds remaining.

Mads Ostberg, Citroën DS3 WRC (Photo: WRi2)