Auto News 5

Volkswagen will assign 200 people at its Chattanooga plant in the United States to take on a task that has troubled its German headquarters for decades: figuring out what American consumers want and finding a way to give it to them.

Automotive News will host a half-day conference devoted to dealer issues on Jan. 22 in San Francisco at the Hotel InterContinental during the National Automobile Dealers Association convention.

Authorities working to stop the flowof high-end cars overseas have run into a significant obstacle: Exporters arranging the shipments may not be breaking any laws, even if so-called strawbuyers are sometimes deceptive.

Griffith Motors is one of hundreds of Honda and Acura dealers that American Honda is asking to add service bays, hours or both by 2018 to accommodate the automaker's forecast of rising sales.

By Christmas, AutoNation Inc. customers will be able to initiate a vehicle purchase online.

If Volkswagen does buy Fiat Chrysler -- despite the companies' denials of a report that they are in talks -- it would be because the fixations of VW Chairman Ferdinand Piech may line up perfectly with the needs of the family that controls Fiat...

The self-driving car is moving from research lab to product plan, with a wave of advanced features due to hit the market by 2020, automakers and suppliers say.

Because of the ubiquitous smart phone, car shoppers are flooding dealerships with phone calls instead of e-mail inquiries. The sudden change in consumer behavior has dealers pushing employees to brush up on an ancient skill: answering the telephone.

Ford launched a salvo in the escalating heavy-duty pickup towing rivalry last week. And Ram promptly fired right back.

Automotive News will host a half-day conference devoted to dealer issues on Jan. 22 in San Francisco at the Hotel InterContinental during the National Automobile Dealers Association convention.

This year's Automotive Hall of Fame inductees -- Keith Crain, Ferdinand Piech, Dave Power and Alex Tremulis -- have a lot in common.

In conjunction with its announcement last week that it would invest $900 million to expand its Tennessee factory to accommodate a mid-sized cross-over tailored to the U.S.

From wfaa8

A teen girl sadly lost her life this weekend in a freak crash outside Texas Motor Speedway.

Kierstin Eaddy, 14, was competing in an autocross event held in a parking lot of the Speedway when her kart failed to stop after crossing the finish line, said the witnesses.

Her kart went through a low fence, stripping her crash helmet.

Kierstin Eaddy was airlifted to Texas Health Harris Methodist Hospital after the accident, but was later pronounced dead.

Sharron Neal, Fort Worth police spokeswoman wrote Sunday in an e-mail to the Fort Worth Star-Telegram: "It is unknown if she lost control because of a medical reason or if there was mechanical failure”.

A jammed throttle or a brake failure could be the mechanical cause of the accident.

We would like to extend our deepest sympathy to the member of her family and friends.

Photo credit: Taka Yokoyama / WFAA

Hollywood actor and star of the famous “Grand Prix” movie, James Garner died of natural causes at his Brentwood, California, home.

Garner was found dead of natural causes at his home in the Brentwood area of Los Angeles Saturday evening.

Garner played the role of F1 driver Pete Aron alongside Eva Marie Saint and Yves Montand in the iconic “Grand Prix” movie of 1966 directed by John Frankenheimer.

Since then, Garner became a die-hard motorsport fan, attending several Indy 500s and Formula 1 races.

James Garner, « Grand Prix » movie, 1966

Canadian Lance Stroll of Montreal captured victory in Race 2 of the Mugello meeting of the Italian Formula 4 Championship.

Fresh out of karting, Stroll - a member of the prestigious Ferrari driver development program - contests this year his first season in car racing.

Stroll won one race every meeting and stands on top of the point standings with 175 points. He leads Andrea Russo (114 points) and Leonardo Pulcini (84 points).

Lance Stroll (No. 18) (Photo; Formula 4 Championship)

The young Canadian has shown impressive consistency so far this season. He won a race at Adria (June 8), Imola (June 29) and now Mugello on July 13.

Interestingly, Stroll drives for Prema Powerteam, the team led by Angelo Rosin. It is more of less the same team that ran a young Jacques Villeneuve (son of Gilles) during his days in the Italian Formula 3 Championship in the early 80s.

Scientists working for Toyota believe that the future assault of fully autonomous cars may end up increasing overall fuel consumption and air pollution, despite the fact that these vehicles feature a bunch of technologies designed to eliminate traffic accidents and congestion, and in turn reduce fuel use.

Okay, how is that possible, you say? Well, they argue that by making daily commutes faster and more enjoyable, allowing drivers to complete various tasks instead of actually driving, autonomous cars will simultaneously add to urban sprawl and encourage people to hit the road more often.

Photo: Ford

“U.S. history shows that anytime you make driving easier, there seems to be this inexhaustible desire to live further from things,” Ken Laberteaux, senior principal scientist at Toyota Research Institute-North America, said in an interview at the Automated Vehicles Symposium in San Francisco. “The pattern we've seen for a century is people turn more speed into more travel, rather than maybe saying ‘I'm going to use my reduced travel time by spending more time with my family.'”

While Toyota is preaching more of a “co-pilot” approach, U.S. safety regulators want to accelerate the development of so-called driverless cars in order to reduce traffic accidents that annually kill more than 30,000 people.

Do you think drivers will spend more time on the road with autonomous cars than they do right now with regular cars?

Source : bloomberg.com

Remember the SyScan 360 conference we told you about last week, more specifically the $10,000 prize for anyone who could successfully hack into a Tesla Model S and take control of the car? Well, it's been done, folks!

Chinese security experts were able to gain remote control of the electric luxury sedan's door locks, headlights, wipers, sunroof, and horn.

Qihoo 360, which co-sponsored the event, declined to reveal details about how the hack was accomplished, however. According to one unnamed source, the hackers managed to crack the 6-digit code for the Model S' mobile app.

The company also said it reported the hack to Tesla and offered to work with them to fix the vulnerability.

"While Tesla is not associated with the conference and is not a sponsor of the competition, we support the idea of providing an environment in which responsible security researchers can help identify potential vulnerabilities," the company said in a statement. "We hope that the security researchers will act responsibly and in good faith."

Source : cnet.com

Photo: Tesla

From GMM

Fernando Alonso has urged teammate Kimi Raikkonen to "improve".

Spaniard Alonso has utterly dominated his fellow former champion at Ferrari since the Finn returned to the Maranello team for 2014.

He argues Raikkonen's struggles are now hurting Ferrari, who at Hockenheim fell behind Williams in the fight for third place in the constructors' standings.

"In the constructors' championship we have lost a bit of ground to Williams," Alonso confirmed to the Spanish sports daily Marca after the German grand prix.

"We have only been able to count on one car again and we have to improve on that."

Three world champions in action: Sebastian Vettel, Kimi Raikkonen and Fernando Alonso. (Photo: WRi2)

Pros: The 2014 Audi S5 Coupe stands out with a lowered and tightened suspension (featuring an available sport rear differential that can actively distribute power laterally across the rear axle for even more balanced handling), sexy and discreetly aggressive looks, standard all-wheel drive, a powerful V6 that's commendably fuel-efficient, as well as a rich combination of luxury, refinement, and technology.

Cons: Once again, the MMI controls will not prove user-friendly to all drivers. The back seat, even for a coupe, is pretty tight.

Photo: Audi

2014 Audi S5 Coupe Price: As was the case last year, the lineup includes two trim levels -- Progressiv and Technik. The first one starts at $55,900, and the second retails from $60,700.

2014 Audi S5 Coupe Fuel Economy: Expect to burn 13.1L/100km in the city and 8.3L/100km on the highway with the manual transmission. These numbers drop to 11.7L/100km and 7.7L/100km, respectively, when opting for the dual-clutch autobox.

Improvements and Changes: The newly available Audi Drive Select helps you customize individual vehicle components at the push of a button and thus alter the dynamics of the car. Other changes are in the areas of enhancements to packages and standard-equipment lists.

Powertrain: The 2014 Audi S5 Coupe accelerates from 0-100 km/h in a mere 5.1 seconds thanks to a 3.0L supercharged TFSI V6 engine with direct injection that channels its 333 horsepower and 325 lb-ft of torque through a standard 6-speed manual gearbox or the available 7-speed S tronic dual-clutch transmission. As mentioned earlier, power is distributed to all four wheels by way of Audi's acclaimed quattro system.

Cargo Capacity: The S5 Coupe boasts a 346-litre trunk.

Safety: Six standard airbags keep 2014 Audi S5 Coupe occupants protected from the front and sides, while stability control helps secure the trajectory at all times. In the event of a collision, intelligent sensors automatically unlock the doors, switch on interior and hazard lights, and cut off fuel flow to the engine. Adaptive cruise control and a rear parking system are available.

Comparing the 2014 Audi S5 Coupe: The BMW 435i xDrive, Cadillac ATS Coupe V6 (2015) and CTS Coupe, Lexus RC (2015), Infiniti Q60 Coupe, and Mercedes-Benz C 350 4MATIC are all strong competitors of the S5.

From GMM

Niki Lauda has used an expletive to describe the quality of the cars produced by Mercedes' grandee rivals in 2014.

The F1 legend is the chairman of the Mercedes team, whose W05 car is utterly dominating the sport this year.

"McLaren has the same engine as us and the car is sh*t," he told the Spanish newspaper El Pais. "Where are they? Nowhere. The same with Ferrari -- another sh*t car. Next year will be different because they can change half the engine."

Niki Lauda had been asked about Mercedes' huge advantage in 2014, and whether it is fair that the regulations restrict the rivals' freedom to fight back.

"The rules are written clearly. You cannot penalise Brixworth because others have been stupid," he said.

But the situation has left Fernando Alonso as perhaps the most frustrated driver in F1, seemingly always stranded in a midfield car despite his talents.

"I'm sure he is very frustrated, but the money he makes should help him," said Lauda.

"He can't just go to McLaren because he has a contract that he can't get out of unless he's sacked. Sometimes you choose a car and you're wrong. Remember Ronnie Peterson? He was the best but always in the wrong place," Niki Lauda added.

Fernando Alonso, Ferrari F14 T. (Photo: WRi2)

When asked about Lauda's expletive-laden description of the 2014 Ferrari, boss Marco Mattiacci played down the controversy.

"I do not intend to comment on a phrase taken out of context in an interview," he is quoted by Italy's Autosprint. "For me, Niki Lauda is an icon of motor sport, one of the most intelligent drivers of all time and my esteem for him is huge."