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The media preview days for the 2014 Moscow motor show will be 27 & 28 August. There will be various vehicle world premieres and this list will be updated as more are announced.

The media preview days for the 2014 Moscow motor show will be 27 & 28 August. There will be various vehicle world premieres and this list will be updated as more are announced.

The media preview days for the 2014 Moscow motor show will be 27 & 28 August. There will be various vehicle world premieres and this list will be updated as more are announced.

The media preview days for the 2014 Moscow motor show will be 27 & 28 August. BMW is the first manufacturer to have announced a vehicle world premiere for the event.

Ken Feinberg gained prominence compensating victims after the Sept.

BMW aims to leverage improved margins with the i subbrand at a time when it believes the global premium sector price war is easing everywhere except in Europe. BMW brand sales boss Ian Robertson spoke about the strategy.

BMW is hoping to leverage improved margins with the i subbrand at a time when it believes the global premium sector price war is easing everywhere except in Europe.

Martin Smith, Ford's longtime design director for Europe, is not a man of many words.

Everything about the new test program that Google co-founder Sergey Brin revealed last week points toward a personal transportation system that directly challenges the driver-centered, ownership-based business model the auto industry has relied on...

Scuderia Toro Rosso's Jean-Eric Vergne believes the tide will turn and bad luck will finally leave him and his car alone.

Despite running into a number of technical problems during the last few races, Vergne told Auto123.com that all is not dark and gloomy ahead of the Canadian Grand Prix in Montreal.

“There were still some bright spots. Monaco was a perfect weekend, and I could have finished in 5th place if I hadn't experienced some difficulties. We need to keep working hard, keep the ball rolling, you know. We can't afford to repeat all those little mistakes we made recently,” Vergne said.

“Obviously, it's a bit frustrating, but we've quickly gotten over it. We had a perfect weekend in Monaco, and we'll soon get another chance to finish strong and earn some points.”

So, what's holding him back during races?

“Technical stuff, essentially. Since the beginning of the season, I've had my share of troubles and couldn't finish four out of six races,” Vergne explained. “In Monaco, there was the safety car, plus my engine overheated. In Barcelona, it started on Friday when I lost a wheel that wasn't properly tightened. I didn't take part in the qualifying session, because the team wanted to keep fresh tires for the race. Later, my exhaust system started acting up. It seems like there's always a little something wrong. The tide is about to turn, though; I can feel it.”

Yet, at the same time, Vergne's teammate, Daniil Kvyat, managed to get decent results.

“Kvyat has been lucky so far. Very lucky, I might add. Toro Rosso is still satisfied with my performance. I've almost always enjoyed a better position on the grid,” the French driver pointed out.

What are Vergne's expectations for the upcoming Canadian Grand Prix on Circuit Gilles-Villeneuve, a semi-permanent track?

“Two years ago, I had an awful time here. Last year, on the other hand, I had my best race ever in Formula 1. Honestly, I have no expectations for this year's race. We'll just see how it goes!”

Auto123.com met with Red Bull Racing team principal, Christian Horner Friday at circuit Gilles-Villeneuve in Montreal. Here's what he had to say about the first six races of the 2014 season.

The start of the season has been tough for Red Bull Racing. What was a main reason for that?

“The big deficit is with the Power Unit. Guys at Renault are working very hard to close that gap down. We're approximately 60 bhp down at the moment, which is big, but we will work hard at closing this deficit. As a team, this is frustrating, because it is not our responsibility. However, we've made an awful lot of ground in recent months, and if we keep that rate of development, things will be looking good,” Horner told Auto123.com.

“We enjoy our relationship with Renault, Unfortunately, they found themselves on their back foot with this new regulation. We've won 8 world championships with Renault. Hopefully, they will close the gap. Renault cannot be in F1 just to make up the numbers. Yes, Mercedes has done a super job. They invested early in the program and they are ahead of Ferrari and Renault. It's up to the competition to catch up”, Horner explained.

Christian Horner and Sebastian Vettel, Red Bull Racing. (Photo: WRi2)

The Briton gave us some additional information about the technical problems the team is facing since the start of the season.

“It's all comes down with integration of the turbo, the combustion engine and energy recovery system. The challenge is to get these three components to work as unison. We have supported Renault with software development and integration in the chassis. Fuel development was also important, and Total has done a good job for us,” Horner told us.

The early season has also been quite difficult for four-time World Champion, Sebastian Vettel.

“It's been a tough start to the season for Seb. You can see that he is getting more and more confortable in the car. He's very sensitive on how the car behaves under braking. With this new brake-by-wire system in the car, he had problems reading what the car is doing,” Horner concluded.

Ferrari's Fernando Alonso set the fastest time in Friday's first free practice session but it was business as usual in FP2 when Mercedes' Lewis Hamilton went even quicker.

This morning, under grey skies, Alonso set the pace on 1m17.238 to head up the timesheet by just 0.016 seconds from Hamilton.

Ferrari has brought several updates here in Montreal. The F14 T features numerous changes under the bodywork in addition to new, low downforce front and rear wings.

(Fernando Alonso, Ferrari Photo: Rene Fagnan)

Hamilton ranked second ahead if his teammate, Nico Rosberg.

On this high-power circuit, the Red Bulls could only rank 4th with Sebastian Vettel and 6th with Daniel Ricciardo.

After the lunch break, the battle resumed. Hamilton drove like a man possessed and set the best time at 1m16.118.

Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes AMG (Photo: Rene Fagnan)

He beat his teammate Rosberg by almost two tenths of a second.

Sebastian Vettel planted his Renault-powered Red Bull RB10 in third place, beating the Ferraris of Kimi Raikkonen and Fernando Alonso.

The Williams-Mercedes came after, with Felipe Massa ahead of Valtteri Bottas.

Kamui Kobayashi, Caterham (Photo: Rene Fagnan)

The McLaren duo of Kevin Magnussen and Jenson Button followed in 8th and 9th place, respectively.

Jean-Eric Vergne made it two Renault powered cars in the top ten with the Toro Rosso ahead of Romain Grosjean in the Lotus and Ricciardo in the Red Bull to break the run of Mercedes engine cars.

Canadian Grand Prix, Friday, Free practice 1*
1 - Fernando Alonso (Ferrari F14 T) - 1m17.238 - 21 laps
2 - Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes W05) - 1m17.254 - 25
3 - Nico Rosberg (Mercedes W05) - 1m17.384 - 32
4 - Sebastian Vettel (Red Bull RB10-Renault) - 1m18.131 - 28
5 - Valtteri Bottas (Williams FW36-Mercedes) - 1m18.361 - 20
6 - Daniel Ricciardo (Red Bull RB10-Renault) - 1m18.435 - 26
7 - Jenson Button (McLaren MP4-29-Mercedes) - 1m18.446 - 33
8 - Kevin Magnussen (McLaren MP4-29-Mercedes) - 1m18.514 - 31
9 - Kimi Raikkonen (Ferrari F14 T) - 1m18.578 - 15
10 - Jean-Eric Vergne (Toro Rosso STR9-Renault) - 1m18.643 - 14
11 - Nico Hulkenberg (Force India VJM07-Mercedes) - 1m18.733 - 30
12 - Sergio Perez (Force India VJM07-Mercedes) - 1m18.959 - 22
13 - Adrian Sutil (Sauber C33-Ferrari) - 1m19.108 - 24
14 - Romain Grosjean (Lotus E22-Renault) - 1m19.142 - 32
15 - Daniil Kvyat (Toro Rosso STR9-Renault) - 1m19.177 - 21
16 - Pastor Maldonado (Lotus E22-Renault) - 1m19.340 - 37
17 - Felipe Massa (Williams FW36-Mercedes) - 1m19.575 - 7
18 - Esteban Gutierrez (Sauber C33-Ferrari) - 1m19.804 - 15
19 - Jules Bianchi (Marussia MR03-Ferrari) - 1m20.200 - 15
20 - Max Chilton (Marussia MR03-Ferrari) - 1m20.844 - 26
21 - Marcus Ericsson (Caterham CT05-Renault) - 1m21.404 - 33
22 - Alexander Rossi (Caterham CT05-Renault) - 1m21.757 - 27

Sebastian Vettel, Red Bull Racing (Photo: Rene Fagnan)

Canadian Grand Prix, Friday, Free practice 2*
1 - Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes W05) - 1m16.118 - 42 laps
2 - Nico Rosberg (Mercedes W05) - 1m16.293 - 39
3 - Sebastian Vettel (Red Bull RB10-Renault) - 1m16.573 - 26
4 - Kimi Raikkonen (Ferrari F14 T) - 1m16.648 - 31
5 - Fernando Alonso (Ferrari F14 T) - 1m16.701 - 27
6 - Felipe Massa (Williams FW36-Mercedes) - 1m16.774 - 37
7 - Valtteri Bottas (Williams FW36-Mercedes) - 1m16.893 - 37
8 - Kevin Magnussen (McLaren MP4-29-Mercedes) - 1m17.052 - 42
9 - Jenson Button (McLaren MP4-29-Mercedes) - 1m17.059 - 38
10 - Jean-Eric Vergne (Toro Rosso STR9-Renault) - 1m17.180 - 40
11 - Romain Grosjean (Lotus E22-Renault) - 1m17.626 - 28
12 - Daniel Ricciardo (Red Bull RB10-Renault) - 1m17.644 - 36
13 - Nico Hulkenberg (Force India VJM07-Mercedes) - 1m17.712 - 35
14 - Sergio Perez (Force India VJM07-Mercedes) - 1m17.819 - 33
15 - Pastor Maldonado (Lotus E22-Renault) - 1m17.868 - 27
16 - Adrian Sutil (Sauber C33-Ferrari) - 1m17.964 - 47
17 - Esteban Gutierrez (Sauber C33-Ferrari) - 1m18.340 - 43
18 - Max Chilton (Marussia MR03-Ferrari) - 1m18.693 - 34
19 - Daniil Kvyat (Toro Rosso STR9-Renault) - 1m18.732 - 9
20 - Kamui Kobayashi (Caterham CT05-Renault) - 1m20.244 - 38
21 - Marcus Ericsson (Caterham CT05-Renault) - 1m22.418 - 13
22 - Jules Bianchi (Marussia MR03-Ferrari) - 1m32.127 - 3
*Unofficial timing

(Nico Rosberg, Mercedes AMG Photo: Rene Fagnan)

The second-generation 2015 BMW X6 will arrive at Canadian dealers by the end of this year, offering for the first time a rear-wheel drive model (X6 sDrive35i) powered by a 6-cylinder TwinPower Turbo engine.

The lineup also includes the X6 xDrive35i and X6 xDrive50i models with all-wheel drive. The latter houses a 4.4L TwinPower Turbo V8 engine rated at 445 horsepower. All models get an 8-speed automatic transmission.

In terms of styling, the 2015 BMW X6 combines the versatility and rugged attributes of a BMW X vehicle with the sporting elegance of the automaker's coupes. Bi-xenon headlights come standard, while LED adaptive headlights are available.

The luxurious and roomy cabin of the new X6 features premium materials, a driver-oriented cockpit, a raised driving position, and upscale ambient lighting.

Pricing for the 2015 BMW X6 will be announced later.

Photo: BMW

Pros: The 2015 Acura RDX is a compact luxury crossover with a host of high-performance features (including a powerful V6), sporty handling, and a smart interior. It also drives with confidence thanks to an acclaimed AWD technology with Intelligent Control System as standard equipment. The RDX undercuts BMW and Mercedes-Benz in pricing, and offers more bang for your buck than most vehicles in its class.

Cons: Fuel economy doesn't match 4-cylinder rivals. Many people just don't like Acura's bold design language. Also, some will feel that the transmission is hesitant at times. What's more, the RDX lacks some of the industry's latest active safety features.

Photo: Acura

2015 Acura RDX Price: The lineup consists of two trim levels including the base RDX at $41,390 and the more upscale RDX Tech at $44,390. Standard features include 18” wheels, a one-touch power moonroof, a multi-angle rearview camera, high-intensity discharge headlights, Bluetooth, leather seats, and smart entry with push-button start.

Meanwhile the Tech Package adds a power tailgate, a GPS-linked, solar-sensing, dual-zone automatic climate control system, navigation with voice recognition, an 8” LED backlit display, and the amazing 410-watt Acura/ELS Surround sound system with 10 speakers, hard disk drive, in-dash CD player, DVD-Audio and Dolby Pro Logic II.

2015 Acura RDX Fuel Economy: Based on Natural Resources Canada's new 5-cycle testing procedure to determine fuel consumption ratings, expect to burn 12.1L/100km in the city and 8.7L/100km on the highway with your RDX.

Improvements and Changes: None. The RDX was redesigned just a couple years ago.

2015 Acura RDX Powertrain: Unlike many competitors that now opt for smaller, turbocharged engines, the RDX once again relies on a tried-and-true 3.5L i-VTEC V6 rated at 273 horsepower and 251 lb-ft of torque. It's all handled by a 6-speed SportShift automatic transmission with paddle shifters. Using Variable Cylinder Management, the RDX shuts down cylinders that aren't needed in certain driving conditions in order to save fuel.

Cargo Capacity: The 2015 Acura RDX offers 739 litres of cargo room in the trunk alone. When you fold the rear seats, you get up to 2,178 litres.

Safety: Beyond ABS, brake assist, and electronic brake force distribution, you'll find Vehicle Stability Assist with Traction Control, Hill Start Assist, and six airbags. HID headlights enhance your ability to identify what's ahead, too.

Comparing the 2015 Acura RDX: In this luxury CUV segment, you'll also find the Mercedes-Benz GLK, BMW X3, Audi Q5, Volvo XC60, Porsche Macan, Lexus RX, Range Rover Evoque, and Infiniti QX50.

The all-new 2015 Chevrolet Corvette Z06 boasts the most powerful production engine in the company's history, namely a 6.2L supercharged LT4 V8 that produces 650 horsepower -- eclipsing the Porsche 911 Turbo S by 90 horsepower -- and 650 lb-ft of torque -- about 28% more than the V12-powered Ferrari F12 Berlinetta.

These numbers are also up 29% and 40%, respectively, from the previous Corvette Z06 engine.

The 2015 Chevrolet Corvette Z06 will go on sale in the fourth quarter of this year.

Source : media.chevrolet.com

Photo: Chevrolet

From GMM

Red Bull boss Christian Horner has announced that the reigning world champions are staying with Renault power in 2015.

In recent days, the team's more outspoken director, Dr Helmut Marko, has suggested the forthcoming Austrian grand prix is the deadline for Renault to prove it has overcome its early-season competitive crisis.

The blunt Austrian has even mentioned Volkswagen as a potential alternative.

"There are no ultimatums for Renault other than we want to improve as quickly as we can," Horner insisted ahead of the Canadian grand prix.

Although the reigning quadruple world championship-winning team, with 'genius' Adrian Newey designing its industry-leading cars, Red Bull's engine alternatives are scant.

Mercedes and Ferrari, also suppliers of F1 engines, are Red Bull's fiercest on-track rivals, while the incoming Honda's works team next year will be McLaren.

So for now, Red Bull is sticking with Renault.

Red Bull RB10-Renault. (Photo: WRi2)

"They know the situation," Horner is quoted by Germany's Auto Motor und Sport. "(Renault president) Carlos Ghosn reassured us on his visit to Monte Carlo.

"We must not forget that we have also had a lot of success with Renault, and we trust them to solve their problems."

As for rumours Red Bull might axe the Renault contract on the grounds of poor performance, Horner answered: "We will have Renault engines in our cars next year -- 100 per cent."

A couple in Alberta had the scare of their life when lightning struck their Chevrolet Silverado while driving on the highway. The airbags deployed, and smoke filled the cabin very quickly.

Luckily, both occupants were unharmed. An RCMP officer who witnessed the scene immediately came to their rescue.

The strike has left a few holes in the pavement, some of them several centimetres wide.

What you'll see here is security footage from a nearby plant.

Source : edmonton.ctvnews.ca

Lustre wears off, and shiny bits get dull. I know this because the polished lips on my 3-piece BBS RS wheels get dirty and I need to clean and polish them once in a while. On the other hand, however faded some things may get; they continue to shine for some reason.

The Toyota Yaris is one of these “things” that remains shiny despite the years piling on and the competition growing fierce. Toyota has polished it up recently, but little has changed regarding its nature.

The 2014 Toyota Yaris hatchback is a dated product, behind on current available technologies, and yet in its most basic form the car makes for a decent runabout so long as the more basic trims are selected to keep costs down.


What is a Toyota Yaris?
The Yaris hatchback sits on Toyota's lowest echelon and serves as the lure into its full-to-the-brim lineup that includes the ever-popular Corolla.

The Yaris was once known as the Echo, Tercel before it, both of which were extremely well liked with consumers seeking a simple and mostly reliable mode of transportation. The Yaris continues the lineage.

2014 Toyota Yaris Price and Specs
A three-door 2014 Toyota Yaris CE hatchback can be yours for $14,255. Moving up to a five-door CE, which makes loads of sense, will set you back $14,895. The top-line Yaris five-door SE goes for $20,255.

My tester was a five-door LE with an automatic transmission, and the convenience package, and retailed for $16,995.

All Yaris trims and body styles feature a 106-horsepower 1.5L 4-cylinder engine. Transmission choices reside between a 5-speed manual and a 4-speed automatic. As stated, the Yaris is a very basic car and thus it has a torsion beam rear suspension, and standard rear drum brakes. Steering is electrically assisted.

Driving the 2014 Toyota Yaris
The non-SE cars match their looks with their road manners and skill set. The 2014 Toyota Yaris is a point-A-to-point-B car. In this respect, it is excellent.

The 1.5L engine is surprisingly peppy and doesn't mind being pushed to 6,000 rpm. It responds appropriately to throttle inputs, be they harsh or soft. Although a little noisy, generally speaking, the mill is perfectly adapted to the Yaris.

Sadly, for all of its good, the 4-speed automatic dramatically affects the whole of the driving experience, from trying to have fun to saving on fuel. The lack of cogs affect acceleration, and in mild throttle demands, takes away smoothness of operation as engine revs drop significantly between gears. The daily commute is well served by the ‘box.

My weeklong test drive returned a fuel consumption average of just over 7L/100km. This result is no better than some efficient compact cars in normal day-to-day driving. Some inevitable transmission revisions are in order.

The 2014 Toyota Yaris' ride is good, not sporty but because of the car's lightweight and compact dimensions, it can be entertaining. The car can be tossed around, but prefers the cosiness of an urban setting; its suspension is more than capable of soaking up broken pavement without loosening fillings.

Steering is light and responsive and the brakes function as expected. All in all, the Yaris is fine to drive so long as it isn't a hobby of yours.

Inside and Out of the 2014 Toyota Yaris
There are numerous hits and misses here as well. The car's outer shell says cute with a little bit of a frown up front. The five-door's proportions are by far better sorted out and, in the end access to the rear is tremendously eased.

The SE model, trimmed with Colour-keyed Full Skirt Package, Rear Spoiler, alloy wheels, and fog lights is somewhat laughable. For its price, a well equipped Kia Rio5 or Nissan Versa Note are more appealing choices.

The cabin suffers a fate created by the materials, and a further lack of visual appeal. The many different portions of the dashboard butt into each other and the various surface textures clash and some even look cheaper than they should. Nods are given for presentation, which is simple and to the point.

On the up side, the passenger quarters are very roomy, airy even. The seats are decent to good all round and the trunk is quite useable. Though, I would have liked more storage spots up front.

Comparing the 2014 Toyota Yaris
On its own, the Yaris fares well enough, offering room, some fun behind the wheel, and reasonably economical motoring.

When matched with some of its competitors, the Yaris hurts a little. It may be better on gas than the Koreans, but it cannot match them for styling and content. The Nissan Versa Note is our favourite in the segment as it won our Auto123.com Subcompact Car of the Year award.

The Toyota name continues to carry the Yaris and that's fine. I'm also convinced that the next Yaris will pick up where Toyota leaves off.

From GMM

Bernie Ecclestone says he offered to pay more than $40 million to stop the Gerhard Gribkowsky bribery affair.

Writing in the Independent newspaper, F1 business journalist Christian Sylt said the money Ecclestone used to pay the jailed banker was funded by his commission for the sale of BayernLB's commercial rights.

Prosecutors allege Ecclestone was bribing Gribkowsky, but the 83-year-old F1 'supremo' says the jailed German was in fact extorting him.

Either way, Ecclestone admits he offered to pay the money back.

"I don't know why I offered to pay back the commission," he said. "Early on we said (we will do it) if that is what is necessary to get this rubbish out of the way."

The Munich authority's indictment against Ecclestone confirms that Ecclestone did in fact offer to pay back the money "including interest".

From GMM

Ferrari is already turning its attention to 2015.

That is the claim of the Italian team's lead driver Fernando Alonso, after his teammate Kimi Raikkonen recently ruled out his chances of the 2014 title.

Canada, however, was earmarked as a crucial weekend for the Maranello outfit, with changes to the struggling F14-T car so significant that some reports are referring to a 'B' model.

But with Mercedes so far ahead this season, Alonso suggested that Ferrari's mind is now turning considerably to 2015.

"We need to keep fighting for important goals and we have targets to achieve this year," he said on Thursday. "However we must not compromise next year's project this year."

Fernando Alonso explained that the 2014 car should still be developed, because similar rules next year mean that many of the improvements can "carry over".

"But if there is something fundamental for next year," he added, "obviously we mustn't take any time away from that."

Motor-home Ferrari. (Photo: WRi2)

Alonso's openness about 2015 indicates he will be staying in red beyond this year, despite rumblings in the press about moves elsewhere, perhaps to McLaren.

It has been claimed his relationship with president Luca di Montezemolo is strained, and that he did not support friend Stefano Domenicali's ousting in favour of new team boss Marco Mattiacci.

But Alonso told the BBC on Thursday that he has "zero problems" with Montezemolo.

And as for Marco Mattiacci, "everything is moving in the right direction", he insisted.

"He has good vision and a very clever approach and we are going to be stronger and stronger," Fernando Alonso added.