Auto News 5

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

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.

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.

From GMM

In the days and hours before scrutineering at Hockenheim, uncertainty reigns when it comes to Formula 1's new technical controversy.

FIA's Charlie Whiting has warned teams that unless they reach an unanimous decision regarding the controversial technology called 'Fric', the risk of protests in Germany and beyond will swirl around the paddock.

'Fric', or front and rear inter-connected, is a complex, hydraulically controlled system that legally mimics active suspension.

It has become almost widespread on the F1 grid, and yet the reasons for the FIA's sudden clampdown is the subject of intense speculation.

But at the end of the day, Whiting's position has pushed the teams into a corner: agree, or allow the spectre of unpopular team protests to rule.

So in the past days, a concerted effort for unanimity has been taking place.

Russia's f1news.ru reports that seven of F1's eleven teams have unofficially committed to allowing 'Fric' to remain until the end of the year, before it is banned from 2015.

Those teams are reportedly Ferrari, Red Bull, Mercedes, McLaren, Marussia, Lotus and Williams.

That leaves Toro Rosso, Caterham, Sauber and Force India.

It is rumoured that, of the undecided teams, Force India does not even have a 'Fric' system aboard its 2014 car.

Asked by Sky if the Silverstone based team will protest, chief operating officer Otmar Szafnauer said: "It depends if we're running it or not.

"We'll do what the majority want," he added. "But it's not about majority, it's about unanimity.

"I think the likelihood of unanimous agreement is zero. There will be people out there that will say if the FIA think it should be banned then let's do that."

Meanwhile, a McLaren spokesman told us: "As always, we'll comply with whatever the FIA decides."

Pasadena, CA -- Being many things to one person is always better than one thing to many. Providing love, understanding, patience, and being attentive are qualities the lonely patron should have held in order not to lose his baby. They would likely have kept him from ordering drinks from the bartender and getting drunk "'til he's off of his mind."

The Macan will be many, many things to 50,000 buyers in the next year or so. This was Porsche's main point behind the short lead event held between Pasadena and Willow Springs International raceway.

The roads that led to the track were nothing short of maniacally twisty, sharp, with no run-offs or room for error. The Macan took it all in stride and made light of some of the harder corners, elevation changes, and blind switchbacks. With the right hands on the wheel, the Macan can tackle roads that are typically reserved for the sportier of cars. Then, we took it to the track, followed by off-roading.


Like its big brother, the Cayenne, the Porsche Macan fears nothing.
At this program involving Porsche's latest offspring, I was given the opportunity to put the Macan through some serious tests. You see, Porsche doesn't simply build something, make it "good enough" for some applications and then send it on its way. No, Porsche will hone and sharpen their vehicle's skills until they are satisfied thus ensuring that drivers and owners alike will not only be happy with their purchase, but also want to come back for more.

This German manufacturer has always been known for producing some of the most stellar sports cars in the world. Almost 13 years ago, Porsche added an SUV to their lineup and thus also built a reputation for building "trucks." If trucks or SUVs have fallen out of favour, the compact crossover has never been more popular. Porsche has now tapped into this vein and with a starting price of just under $55,000, it will win. Again.

The Cayenne and the all-new Macan are not typical SUVs/CUVs, and Porsche will always make sure that consumers are well aware of the fact. Hence why I got to do what I did with the Macan so that I can tell you about it.



Tech talk
The S' 3.0L and the Turbo's 3.6L V6 engines are one and the same. The extra displacement stems from the 3.6 sporting a longer stroke. The extra 60 horsepower seem conservative, but they are alive and well. I'm going to venture a guess that the Turbo S edition will push out 475 or so hp from the same mill in the not-too-distant future.

Suspension variations play a big role in how the Macan behaves in all situations. The basic steel spring setup does the Macan proud by keeping it on the right side of a perfect blend between comfort and agile handling.

From here, Porsche Active Suspension Management (PASM) and its active dampers play an important role in keeping the Macan flat and stable regardless of how the driver is manipulating the pedals or the steering wheel. It offers three modes: Comfort, SPORT, and SPORT PLUS.

The final and decisive trick is the option of an air suspension including PASM ($3,140 on the Macan S). It ponies up the extremes between comfort and cliff-hanging, high-speed grip. The Macan sits 15mm lower (normal level) than with the steel spring suspension (read: sexy stance) and can be dropped a further 10mm for improved aerodynamics (low level). If mild rock crawling is your thing, the air suspension will raise the Macan 40mm above Normal Level (terrain level).

Photo: Mathieu St-Pierre

The Tests

One Scotch
On the track, the Porsche Macan connects with the driver akin to the Cayman. It goes something like plugging into the Macan's central nervous system à la Matrix and communication between man and machine becomes unobstructed.

On the Horse Thief Mile portion of Willow Springs Raceway, the three suspension alternatives were put through their paces on this highly technical -- with dramatic elevation changes -- short track. The steel springs did well, but nose-dive under hard braking or the opposite with heavy throttle. With PASM, weight transfers were better manipulated, but ultimately the air suspension takes all margins of error from the chassis out of the equation. In this application, the tires are by far the weakest link.

On the Raceway itself, we were challenged with taming the track with the S and the Turbo. Suffice it to say that the Turbo is quicker out of the bends, but the driver needs to jump hard on the big pedal in order not to go through the corner.

In fact, I preferred the linear action of racing the Macan S as opposed to the balls-out rush and near chaos of taming the Turbo. Chasing a 911 Turbo S probably did not help the cause but, as I just noted, it was the performance-oriented yet street-biased tires that were unable to keep up with both of the Macans' inherent abilities.

On both "trims," the brakes held up very well except for one S that I suspect was not "properly" abused by the previous drivers. Steering is sweet, and delivers a tremendous amount of feedback despite the Macan being a CUV and not a sports car.

Photo: Mathieu St-Pierre

One beer
Off the road, Porsche's Macan is quite nearly as happy being redneck-like as it is clipping apexes, late braking, and accelerating flat out.

Every 2015 Porsche Macan is delivered with a standard off-road button that includes hill-decent or Porsche Hill Control (PHC). Once selected, the off-road mode utilizes all manner of electronics to optimize traction. Porsche's traction management (PTM) sends power wherever it can do the most good, up to 100% either way.

Should the Macan be equipped with the optional air suspension, it will raise the "truck" for maximum clearance, up to 9".

We set off with a trio of properly equipped Macan S on some steep uphill sections where we experienced firsthand how well PTM works. In fact, because the Macan uses the PDK transmission instead of a conventional automatic with torque converter, the compact CUV suffers from less delay in the transfer of power to the wheels, thus enabling quicker AWD reaction times and better off-road performance on loose surfaces. The lead Cayenne (8-speed Tiptronic) struggled far more than the Macan over the same terrain.

The way down was far too easy as PHC did all the work. It can be set to speeds between 3 and 30 km/h and all I had to do was keep the front wheels pointed in the right direction. Mild throttle or braking adjusts the speed and everything else is handled automatically.

Photo: Mathieu St-Pierre

For the money, with no regrets
With all the right options and for a decent penny (in Porsche terms), the Macan can truly explore the depth of each apex as well as crawl its way up to the cabin by the lake on the same weekend.

The way it executes everything it can do is what I find most appealing about the 2015 Porsche Macan. Its poise, neutrality, and nearly over-confident behaviour in all conditions make it one of the best driving "tall" vehicles I've ever come across.

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.

From GMM

Bernie Ecclestone has warned that a Formula 1 race on the streets of London is not just around the corner.

British Prime Minister David Cameron announcing that major motor races on public roads can now take place with mere local permission has raised hopes.

Cameron was speaking at Williams' Grove headquarters, where he officially opened the team's new Advanced Engineering facility.

"More races, more events, more money coming into our country and more success for this extraordinary industry," he said.

Cameron's news is a boost for events like the new electric single seater series Formula E, who are planning a street race in Battersea Park next year.

"The news is good," F1 chief executive Ecclestone agreed, "but I don't know whether you'd have street racing because it's not cheap to put on something that's safe.

"Street racing is expensive," he is quoted by the Daily Star.

"It just depends on what we can come up with commercially because how are we going to fund it?" he added.

"If they ever get it together then we'll see what happens. At least it's a good sign, a step in the right direction."

A spokesperson for London mayor Boris Johnson said: "He (Johnson) is positive that London would do a spectacular job of hosting a grand prix.

"But it is impossible to say what the impact might be without detailed planning and research and the question of air quality and noise impact would have to be looked at very carefully."

From GMM

Mika Hakkinen has questioned countryman Kimi Raikkonen's admission that he will "probably" retire after the 2015 season.

Finn Raikkonen, who replaced Hakkinen at McLaren when the double world champion retired in 2001, said at Silverstone that he is unlikely to seek a new contract once his current Ferrari tenure ends.

"Everyone does what he thinks is right," Hakkinen said in his latest interview for sponsor Hermes, "but in my opinion that was not tactically very smart.

Kimi Raikkonen and Mika Hakkinen, 2001 (Photo WRI2)

"If the mechanics and everyone else knows that a driver intends to just hang up his helmet in a year and a half, then they will probably pay more attention to the other driver, in this case Fernando Alonso," the 45-year-old added.

Hakkinen also thinks Raikkonen's admission reveals a lot about his current state of mind.

"When you start to think about quitting," he said, "it has a negative effect on your motivation.

"You find you can no longer focus on many things that you need to focus on in formula one."

But, unlike some others, Hakkinen does not think Raikkonen's huge crash at Silverstone was a case in point.

Some have criticised the Ferrari driver for the way he rejoined the track after running wide at the start of the British grand prix.

But Hakkinen said: "Silverstone is a good track, but why is there such a big bump?

"When a formula one car loses contact with the ground at speed, no driver can control it anymore.

"The race has just started and the drivers are full of adrenalin, so of course he wants to come back as soon as possible. I wouldn't blame Kimi," Hakkinen insisted.

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.

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 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."

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

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

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

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

Turkish automotive production is expected to hit a record this year as a recovery in European demand drives up exports from the region's fifth-biggest producer, the Automotive Manufacturers Association said.

New models by Ford, Toyota and Hyundai are expected to help boost Turkish automotive production to a record this year as a recovery in European demand drives up exports.

New models from Ford, Toyota and Hyundai are expected to help boost Turkish automotive production to a record this year as a recovery in European demand drives up exports.

A software change that makes a continuously variable transmission sound and feel less like a CVT will go into every CVT-equipped Nissan model.

The redesigned 2015 Subaru Outback has more interior room, technology and comfort features than its predecessor. But it's still a conservatively styled Subaru.