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From GMM

Colin Kolles' new formula one team still has a high hurdle to clear before it can join the grid.

Media reports this week have claimed that - like the prospective 2016 outfit Haas Formula - the Ferrari-linked, Romanian-backed 'Forza Rossa' has also obtained the FIA's approval to enter the sport within the next two years.

It is believed Kolles, the former HRT and Force India chief, has received a 'letter of intent' from F1's governing body.

But PA Sport correspondent Ian Parkes explained on Tuesday: "They (Forza Rossa) have yet to lodge the required bond guarantee of $20m."

He said the team has until June 23 to lodge the bond.

Nonetheless, it appears that Kolles' plans are well advanced.

Italiaracing reports that the project has Romanian state and private links, held together by Ion Bazak, a senior Romanian politician and chairman of the Romanian importer of Ferrari road cars, also called Forza Rossa.

Also being reported from Italy is that Nicolo Petrucci, formerly Toro Rosso's aerodynamics chief and with links to both Ferrari and Dallara, could be set to join the Haas project.

Colin Kolles. (Photo: WRi2)

There are times when the idea is more brilliant than the outcome. Theory is often more tangible than concrete actions. In the case of the Nissan JUKE NISMO RS, I'd say it's never been more apparent. While the idea of driving a NISMO-spec JUKE is highly appealing, once behind the wheel the illusion kind of fizzles out.

Full disclosure: I enjoy driving the JUKE. Always have. With AWD and the CVT, the Nissan JUKE is a joy and tons of fun (and I can almost forget what it looks like). So, how is it that I managed to dislike a manual model with more power? Read on.


What is a Nissan JUKE NISMO RS?
Introduced in 2010, the JUKE was and still is a compact sport utility vehicle, with a twist. Competing with the likes of the MINI Countryman and Mitsubishi RVR, the Nissan JUKE is a quirky alternative to the “norm.”

Adding the NISMO name to the front and rear means aesthetic changes and suspension tweaks, and the additional RS means a jump in horsepower and torque, as well. It also means only a manual transmission with FWD.

2014 Nissan JUKE NISMO RS Price and Specs
The NISMO RS comes in one way and one way only; options are to paint colours that may set you back an extra $300). Pricing of the 2014 Nissan JUKE NISMO RS is actually quite reasonable at $28,298.

For that you get a 1.6L turbocharged direct-injection engine that's good for 215 horsepower out the front wheels controlled by a 6-speed manual transmission. There are no other transmission choices, and it only comes with FWD. However, a limited-slip differential is standard.

Driving the 2014 Nissan JUKE NISMO RS
I really liked the idea of the Nissan JUKE NISMO RS. In fact, I was quite looking forward to it. More ponies, a manual transmission, NISMO-tuned suspension and steering; really, what wasn't to like?

Then I came off a MINI Cooper S test the week before I got behind the wheel of the NISMO and it all just kind of fell flat.

While the JUKE is much more a competitor for the Countryman than the Cooper hatch, they are still very much in the same segment and so comparing the two is not far off the mark. Where the MINI felt grounded and surefooted the NISMO RS felt float-y, too high off the ground and not controlled in the way the Cooper was.

Granted, the 2014 Nissan JUKE NISMO RS is zippy. It wants to go, and go it will when asked, but there's refinement missing in the power delivery. There was something sloppy, something amiss, about the whole driving experience.

I expected more from the NISMO steering in the JUKE RS. It felt disconnected and a bit bus-like at times. And while I was thrilled to have a manual transmission, again it felt too floppy and “easy.” This is a track “capable” vehicle and it should require a bit of finesse to finagle into performing correctly on the street, however, the 2014 Nissan JUKE NISMO RS did no such thing. It just went complacently where I wanted (with a good amount of torque-steer to boot).

Inside and Out of the 2014 Nissan JUKE NISMO RS
Oh, that front end. I've said it before and I'll say it again: Nissan has some of the most polarizing exterior designs on the market. From the JUKE to the GT-R and all the way to the likes of the QX80, they really push the envelope sometimes.

With red-capped mirrors, front lip spoiler, side skirts, and roof spoiler, my white 2014 Nissan JUKE NISMO RS had some distracting bits to divert attention from its amphibious fascia. Its 18” NISMO alloy wheels and LED daytime running lights were also a nice touch to an otherwise unfortunate exterior.

Inside standard JUKE layout was present, save for a few key bits, namely the seats. Oh, those seats. The 2014 Nissan NISMO JUKE RS comes equipped with Recaro racing buckets up front. Yes, Recaro. Yes, heavily bolstered. And yes, they will violate you every time you get in and out of the car, but trust me you'll like it.

Alcantara adorns the steering wheel and the shift knob, and a NISMO tach is nestled in the gauge cluster. Otherwise it's business as normal with drive modes and climate controlled on the same screen in the centre stack and the same Nissan HMI we're used to.

Comparing the 2014 Nissan JUKE NISMO RS
As mentioned above, the MINI Countryman is a competitor of the Juke, but in JCW trim. The MINI is farther ahead in terms of performance refinement even though the JUKE wins out in horsepower numbers. Then there's the 5-door Volkswagen GTI which offers the same story as the MINI. What the Nissan JUKE NISMO RS has going for it is a cool, “different” factor, but not much else.

A few months ago, I wrote a blog questioning the merits of fully autonomous vehicles and the excessively fast pace at which technology is evolving. Following recent articles on the subject, a colleague and I found ourselves in a healthy and relevant debate about the safety and reliability of these self-driving cars.

100% safe?
Companies like Google (which is working on its own prototype) will tell you that autonomous vehicles will one day be 100% safe and reliable -- heck, maybe even 200%. We all know that's impossible. While these automobiles are designed like well-oiled machines and most likely integrate some kind of fail-safe devices, there could always be a problem somewhere.

What if the car can't slow down in time and runs a red light, harming someone? What if the “driver” has to take control? Will they have the time and reflexes to avoid an accident? That brings us to the second point in our discussion...

Who or what is responsible?
Autonomous vehicles are and will be programmed to obey the letter of the law. However, in the event of a glitch that leads to a traffic violation, who will the police officer give the ticket to? Technically, you're not the driver. According to Google, the manufacturer should be held responsible and pay the fine. That opens up another can of worms, though.

Did you know that 41 million people in the U.S. get caught speeding every year, totalling $6.2 billion in fines? We're not even counting other violations, such as running a red light or a school bus stop sign. If we all use autonomous vehicles that supposedly can do no wrong, then...

How will governments make up for the loss in revenue?
Just imagine the drop in speeding tickets. As car owners, we'll be ecstatic. On the other hand, this may very well have terrible consequences on the economy. Less money in the government's coffers means more policemen could lose their jobs. And what about repair shops? Auto parts companies? Do you see all the collateral damage autonomous vehicles may cause?

Naturally, governments will want to make up for the loss in revenue. How? Well, they could decide to increase taxes, fuel prices, and parking fees or else implement toll systems on just about every road. Think about that.

The BIG silver lining
Of course, autonomous vehicles have major upsides, too. According to Weekly Science, they have the potential in the U.S. to save:

• 1.9 billion gallons of fuel, equal to $101 billion;
• 4.95 million accidents;
• 30,000 related deaths;
• 4.8 billion commuting hours.

Surprisingly (maybe), drivers in emerging countries have the most faith in autonomous vehicles. Brazilians (94%) and Indians (86%) top the list, while Canadians are about 50-50. Only 28% of Japanese drivers trust them.

One thing's for sure: Autonomous vehicles will take over our streets in the next decade, with a growing number of manufacturers already working on their technology. Even Google has started experimenting with new driverless cars that have no steering wheels and no gas or brake pedals!

What's your take on autonomous vehicles? Is technology moving forward too fast, and are we too dependent on it?

From GMM

Gene Haas has confirmed reports his new formula one team will not debut until 2016.

Recently, it was reported the Nascar team co-owner's 'plan A' for his newly-granted F1 entry Haas Formula was to join the grid next season.

But he confirmed this week to F1 business journalist Christian Sylt: "From a personal standpoint, I really would have liked to go racing in 2015. It was hard to sit there and say no.

"Trust me, I really wanted to go," Gene Haas told Forbes. "The first year is always going to be going to be tough but I think that by waiting a year we will probably only have six months of it being really tough because we will be better prepared."

Christian Sylt said the extra year will give Haas time to set up its design and aerodynamics department in North Carolina, and find a satellite headquarters in the south of England.

"The plan is absolutely to launch in 2016 and we are fully committed to that," said Haas. "I don't think there is any doubt about that whatsoever."

Initially, the plan was to have the first Haas car built by the Italian manufacturer Dallara, while leaning heavily on Ferrari for technical support.

Haas said: "I think (by debuting in 2016) we will be a better team because we will have more time to plan and we will be able to do a lot more engineering in Kannapolis.

"We decided that it would be better to be 100 per cent sure we are going to make the race rather than scramble and not make the race," he added.

Kannapolis' factory. (Photo: Stewart-Haas)

Haas will, however, be trackside this weekend in Montreal, as the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve hosts the Canadian grand prix.

"There's a lot of logistics that we are going to learn and this weekend we are going to be asking a lot of questions like 'How do you get that box from here to there?'" he said.

Also being reported from Italy is that Nicolo Petrucci, formerly Toro Rosso's aerodynamics chief and with links to both Ferrari and Dallara, could be set to join the Haas project.

General Motors apologized to families of accident victims who have been notified to bring in cars for replacement of defective ignition switches.

BMW topped Mercedes in May sales as cheaper models and fashionable crossover vehicles helped luxury brands gain traction in the United States with new buyers enjoying rising disposable income.

Tesla Motors won't decide until year end where to build a battery 'gigafactory' even as it readies multiple plant sites, CEO Elon Musk told investors on Tuesday.

The large car's comeback appears over. After a solid rise in 2013, U.S. sales of nonluxury big sedans dropped 5 percent through May, while car sales were flat and total light-vehicle sales jumped 5 percent.

The 2015 MKC, Lincoln's entry in the fast-growing compact luxury crossover segment, appeared on the sales charts for the first time in May with 677 units sold.

UAW delegates -- following a contentious debate -- today approved a 25 percent dues increase for members that will raise about $50 million annually by taking an extra half-hour of pay a month from rank-and-file workers.

Ford edged out Chrysler for the top spot in May sales in Canada by 256 units as the country set an all-time monthly light-vehicle sales record.

The upcoming

Grede Holdings, which supplies specialty iron castings to automakers, said it completed the sale of its operations to private equity firm American Securities LLC.

General Motors' U.S. sales rose 13 percent in May on a strong performance from its mainstay Chevrolet brand, a sign that consumers are looking past GM's unfolding recall crisis.

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