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News 15 Jul, 2014

Land Rover has announced a series of upgrades for its Range Rover and Range Rover Sport models

VW outsold GM in China in the first half, keeping it on track to extend its reign as the best-selling foreign car company in the world's biggest vehicle market.

China's state-backed auto association forecast that vehicle sales will slow more than it previously projected, as the economy showed little signs of improvement and more cities consider purchase restrictions.

For customers and employees alike, the change in culture over the past few years at Bozard Ford-Lincoln in St. Augustine, Fla., has been like a breath of fresh air.

The next generation of the Toyota Prius, the world's best-selling hybrid, will offer a lithium ion battery and possibly an all-wheel-drive option.

VW has picked its U.S. plant in Chattanooga, Tennessee, instead of its factory in Puebla, Mexico, to build a new seven-seat crossover.

Toyota, after long neglecting the internal combustion engine in favor of hybrids, is preparing a sweeping powertrain makeover.

After more than five years of internal work and external carping, Sonic Automotive Inc. will roll out a bet-the-farm change in how it sells cars late this month at a Toyota store in Charlotte, N.C.

Having spent nearly two decades in various roles at Audi and the past two years as global president of Infiniti, Johan de Nysschen, 54, comes to Cadillac as it's new boss with intimate knowledge of the luxury market and some of the key competitors...

During his two-decade reign, Volkswagen Group Chairman Ferdinand Piech has created an automotive giant with broad geographic reach. But industry analysts say the No.

The next generation of the Toyota Prius will offer a lithium ion battery and possibly an all-wheel-drive option.

BMW has taken steps to ensure that tall people will still feel comfortable inside the new X4 by lowering the height of the seats. The X4 is lower to the ground than the X3, on which it is based, because of its coupe styling.

From STR

SRT Motorsports and driver Kuno Wittmer will make a surprise entry into the upcoming Pirelli World Challenge Championship Series doubleheader race weekend in Toronto in a Dodge Viper SRT GT3-R that will compete in events on Saturday, July 19 and Sunday, July 20.

Wittmer, a native of Montreal, will race an all-new No. 92 Dodge Viper SRT GT3-R prepared by Riley Technologies in the ninth and 10th rounds of the sports car championship on the downtown Toronto street circuit in an effort to promote the SRT Motorsports' customer Viper GT3-R racing program.

Wittmer previously competed in the World Challenge from 2008 to 2010 and tallied six victories in the series, including two Viper wins in Salt Lake City and Long Beach, Calif.

Pennsylvania governor Tom Corbett has signed legislation allowing Tesla to open up to five factory stores across the state.

As you probably know, Tesla is having a hard time implementing its unique business model, which involves selling cars directly to consumers and thus bypassing the traditional dealer system. We've already told you about some of the battles that took place in New Jersey, Arizona, Massachusetts, Virginia, and Texas.

The Pennsylvania law applies to any electric vehicle maker and carries certain conditions, not the least of which are dealing exclusively its own cars and not holding a controlling interest in another make.

Senator John Rafferty introduced the bill in June, claiming GM's Saturn was given a similar exemption back in 2000.

Tesla had already opened a store in King of Prussia in suburban Philadelphia, although Rafferty and state officials couldn't explain how it had qualified for a license.

Source : philly.com

Prof. Dr. Martin Winterkorn, Chairman of the Board of Management of Volkswagen, announced that the company will invest US$600 million in its Chattanooga (Tenn.) plant to build a new midsize SUV alongside the Passat, creating 2,000 additional jobs in the process.

We have little information about the vehicle for the time being. However, we know it will be based on the CrossBlue Concept, which was unveiled in Detroit 18 months ago, and specially designed to meet the needs of North American customers. Expect seating for seven.

Volkswagen will be investing a total of approximately US$900 million in the production of this new SUV — part of a US$7 billion plan for the U.S. and Mexico from 2014-2018. In fact, Volkswagen's goal is to sell 800,000 vehicles in Uncle Sam's land by 2018.

“The Chattanooga-built midsize SUV will allow us to fulfill the wishes of our dealer network, bringing new customers to our showrooms and additional growth for the brand,” said Michael Horn, President and CEO Volkswagen Group of America. “We are eager to be entering this growing vehicle segment with a world-class, 7-passenger SUV from Volkswagen.”

Volkswagen has yet to specify an on-sale date.

Source: Volkswagen

Photo: Volkswagen

Japanese automakers are the most reliable in the auto industry according to the results of a French study based on the mandatory inspection of all used vehicles that are at least four years old.

In France, cars with irregularities don't comply to standards, forcing owners to make the necessary repairs and pass a second inspection.

The following list reveals the percentage of vehicles that failed the first test. Lexus and Toyota easily came out on top, while Alfa Romeo and Fiat were a clear cut below everyone else.

Please note that Europe-only brands are absent from this list.

1. Lexus: 8.06%
2. Toyota: 9.54%
3. Suzuki: 11.58% (2014 is last model year in Canada)
4. Jaguar: 12.56%
5. Kia: 13.62%
6. Smart: 13.70%
7. Honda: 13.89%
8. Mercedes-Benz: 14.15%
9. Mazda: 14.35%
10. Audi: 14.78%
11. Nissan: 15.48%
12. Subaru: 15.98%
13. Hyundai: 16.24%
14. Land Rover: 16.26%
15. Saab: 16.67%
16. Mitsubishi: 16.87%
17. BMW: 17.43%
18. Volkswagen: 18.27%
19. Volvo: 18.89%
20. Jeep: 19.13%
21. Chevrolet: 19.19%
22. Ford: 19.35%
23. Dodge: 19.80%
24. Alfa Romeo: 23.37%
25. Fiat: 24.50%

Source: www.protegez-vous.ca

The list of automakers dealing with faulty airbags supplied by Takata continues to grow. After Honda, Nissan, Mazda, Toyota, BMW, and General Motors, it's now Ford's, Chrysler's, and Subaru's turn to suffer.

The airbag inflators can fill with excessive pressure during a crash and explode, sending metal fragments into the face of the driver or the front passenger.

According to Reuters, approximately 11 million vehicles worldwide may be at risk and subject to a recall.

Affected models include:

• BMW: 2001-2005 3-series sedan and wagon; 2001-2006 3-series coupe and convertible
• Chrysler: 2006 Dodge Charger (additional models unknown as of now)
• Ford: 2004 Ranger, 2005-2006 GT, 2005-2007 Mustang
• General Motors: 2003-2005 Pontiac Vibe, 2013-2014 Cruze (different Takata module, similar problem)
• Honda/Acura: 2001-2007 Accord, 2001-2005 Civic, 2002-2006 CR-V, 2003-2011 Element, 2002-2004 Odyssey, 2002-2007 Pilot, 2006 Ridgeline; 2002-2003 CL and TL, 2005 RL, 2003-2006 MDX
• Mazda: 2003-2007 Mazda 6, 2006-2007 Mazdaspeed 6, 2004 MPV, 2004-2008 RX-8
• Nissan/Infiniti: 2001-2003 vehicles (complete model list and most years unknown)
• Subaru: 2003-2004 Baja, Legacy, Outback; 2004 Impreza
• Toyota/Lexus: 2003-2005 Corolla, Matrix, Sequoia, Tundra; 2003-2005 SC430

Source : blog.caranddriver.com

From GMM

Italian tire manufacturer Pirelli can be ready to supply low-profile tires to formula one teams by 2016.

That is the claim of Pirelli director of motosport, Paul Hembery, in the wake of the test of the first 18-inch prototype at Silverstone last week.

Currently, the sport's old 13-inch standard is enshrined in the regulations, but both from an aesthetic point of view and also to bring F1 up-to-date with modern technology trends, a move to a lower profile tire is now being considered.

But, last week, reports suggested 18-inch tires are unlikely to feature on the grand prix grids until at least 2017.

Indeed, Hembery admitted that lower profile tires pose a development challenge, because the current 13-inch design is more resilient and easier to handle.

"The FIA is talking about the 2017 season," he is quoted by Russia's f1news.ru, "and I think the decision will be made this year.

"This is a realistic time frame, but if the teams want - and we will try - then we could implement these tires already in 2016.

"We're going to run 18 and 19-inch with GP2 cars," Hembery revealed, "but it will still require a lot of research."

From GMM

McLaren was the driving force behind F1's controversial move to introduce grid restarts next year.

Following criticisms of the change, namely that it is unfair or even unsafe, race director Charlie Whiting revealed recently: "First of all it has to be remembered that this was the suggestion from a team.

"I put it to the rest of the teams and they all agreed that it was a good idea."

The idea, with races to be restarted from the grid after safety car periods in 2015, was subsequently ratified by the World Motor Sport Council.

Whiting has now revealed the name of the 'team' who made the original suggestion.

"I was talking to someone at McLaren and we came up with this idea of how to make the show a bit better," the FIA official told the website of the new Russian grand prix.

"When you watch a race, what is the most exciting part? The start. So, why not have a second one?"

Whiting dismissed claims the FIA is compromising safety for excitement.

"If it's dangerous, you wouldn't even have the start of the race, would you?" he argued.

"I can't see any downside to it. It's been approved. Now we've got to work on making it work."

From Albatec

A promising start to the sixth round of the FIA World Rallycross Championship was prematurely ended for Albatec Racing in Belgium Sunday.

Placed just outside the crucial top 12 after yesterday's two heats, Canadian Jacques Villeneuve was poised to power his two-litre 16v Peugeot 208 to his first ever World RX semi final in front of an estimated 25,000 spectators at the Circuit Jules Tacheny.

Another strong opening heat this morning netted third, and the 14th overall heat time to keep him in contention. But just ahead of the fourth heats, a heavy downpour saw the Supercar teams rushing to switch to wet weather tires.

Jacques Villeneuve, Peugeot 208 (Photo: Albatec)

In the race held in slippery wet conditions a number of cars collided, several of which made contact with the No. 25 Cyclops-backed 208 of the former F1 World Champion, causing steering damage and seriously hampering his progress.

The team now faces a race against time to finish the necessary repair work to the cars ahead of being shipped to Canada, round seven of the 12-round global series at Trois-Rivieres on August 7 and 8.

“It's a very disappointing end to a weekend that started off quite well,” said Villeneuve.

“We had a pretty good pace yesterday, which allowed us to take two good results and put us in a strong position to qualify, however in the second heat today I got caught up in a first lap crash which caused damage to the steering. Without that I'm sure I could have qualified, as the track suited my driving style.”

“It's frustrating after all our efforts and the hard work that's gone into the cars over the last month, but looking ahead, I'm excited to be racing in front of my home crowd in Canada next month,” Villeneuve explained.