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Automotive News Europe honors the winners of the 2014 Rising Stars awards. Every day through today a pair of the 14 winners will be featured. The Rising Star for Sales non-OEM is Robert Schnell of Faurecia.

Pros: The all-new 2014 Bentley Flying Spur V8 (despite dropping “Continental” from its name, the platform is the same) presents a muscular, yet elegant, exterior design. Inside, Bentley's famous craftsmanship is evident throughout, while touchscreen access to the latest in-car technology is provided for both driver and passengers. You can also expect ultra-high levels of luxury, comfort, and power. Likewise, consider the Flying Spur V8 if you're looking for good fuel economy from a Bentley.

Cons: While technically the most affordable 4-door Bentley in the lineup, this car's still expensive, even by luxury standards. Its sheer size also requires care and patience when driving in tight spots.

Photo: Bentley

2014 Bentley Flying Spur V8 Price: Contact your local dealer for detailed pricing.

2014 Bentley Flying Spur V8 Fuel Economy: The official ratings for the Flying Spur V8 have yet to be announced, but they should be similar to those of the Continental GT V8 coupe, which burns 13.7L/100km in the city and 8.3L/100km on the highway. Credit goes to fuel-saving features like cylinder deactivation, intelligent thermal management, and electrical recuperation.

Improvements and Changes: Complementing the flagship, W12-powered Flying Spur, the new V8 sedan provides the opportunity to experience the Flying Spur's unique blend of sculpted, sleek coachwork, exquisite craftsmanship, and advanced on-board technology. It will draw new customers to Bentley, looking to upgrade from a premium sedan.

Subtle styling differentiates the Flying Spur V8 from its W12 sibling. Figure of eight chromed exhaust finishers evoke the alternative powertrain, while the famous Bentley winged badge receives the usual red centre to denote the V8 engine.

2014 Bentley Flying Spur V8 Powertrain: The 4.0L twin-turbocharged V8 engine under the hood produces 500 of power and 487 lb-ft of torque. Coupled with Bentley's renowned all-wheel drive system and a smooth, quick-shifting, 8-speed automatic transmission, it delivers exhilarating performance (0-100 km/h in 5.2 seconds; top speed of 295 km/h). Said all-wheel drive system employs an advanced Torsen differential and a 40/60 rear-biased torque split.

Don't miss: Buyers who want a little more luxury can opt for the Mulliner Driving Specification which adds, among other bespoke features, diamond-quilted leather, an indented leather headliner, power rear seats, and 20” wheels.

Safety: The 2014 Bentley Flying Spur V8 comes standard with a full suite of airbags and electronic nannies including front, side, and curtain airbags, as well as anti-lock brakes, traction and stability control.

Comparing the 2014 Bentley Flying Spur V8: Rivals include the Aston Martin Rapide S, Audi RS7 and A8 4.0T, BMW M6 Gran Coupe and 750Li xDrive, Jaguar XJR, Lexus LS 600h L, Mercedes-Benz CLS 63 AMG and S 63 AMG, as well as the Porsche Panamera Turbo.

Adapted from GMM

There is a lot of discontent within the Formula 1 paddock in 2014.

One of the main problems has to do with the Pirelli tires, and not even ultra-dominant Mercedes AMG drivers are unhappy with the situation.

"Nico (Rosberg) and Lewis (Hamilton) are probably a bit happier (than the rest) as they have a better package, but even if you speak to them privately they say the driving experience is not as pure as it was," said David Coulthard.

In Barcelona, the 2014 F1 car was on average more than 4 seconds slower than in 2013. The main blame there fell on new rules that have curbed downforce.

On tight and twisty Monaco, however, the cars were also much slower than before, but the problem in the Principality was undoubtedly the tires.

A look at Sauber's numbers is dramatic. At Ste. Devote, cornering fell from 96 km/h in 2013 to just 90 km/h last weekend, while at the spectacular swimming pool, the cars shed 8 km/h in just a single season.

Elsewhere, it was even worse: the fast Casino curve dropped by a massive 15 km/h, while at Bureau de Tabac, F1 cars that had cornered at 149 km/h in 2013 were now doing just 135 km/h in 2014.

Pirelli engineer checking tires. (Photo: WRi2)

Pirelli has taken a much more conservative approach to 2014, following heavy criticism of its formerly 'aggressive' tires of the past, including the calamitous 2013 season.

The situation has been made even worse by a lack of track testing, with Pirelli moving to ensure its formerly delicate tires can cope with the extremely high torque of the turbo V6s.

But the result is an arguably much-too-hard tire.

"We could easily be using the compounds that we had in the second half of last season," Felipe Massa is quoted by Germany's Auto Motor und Sport.

Correspondent Michael Schmidt, however, said Pirelli is not ruling out making some mid-season corrections to its current design.

"With only four compounds for all 19 circuits, we had to compromise," the Italian supplier's F1 boss Paul Hembery said. "We would have liked more options."

Schmidt reported: "Hembery is not ruling out changes within this season."

From WEC

Aside from it being the biggest and most famous sportscar race in the world, the 24 Hours of Le Mans is for the third consecutive season the third round of the FIA World Endurance Championship.

As the longest race of the year, it carries a double allocation of points compared to the seven other rounds on the calendar, and success here can have a significant effect on a team or driver's world championship title hopes.

In LMP1, Toyota and its No. 7 driver line up of Davidson-Buemi-Lapierre are currently at the head of the World Endurance Championship classifications, with Rebellion Racing being uncontested in the bid for another FIA Endurance Trophy for LMP1 Privateer Teams.

G-Drive Racing, having won at both the 6 Hours of Silverstone and WEC 6 Hours of Spa-Francorchamps, lead the LMP2 standings with Rusinov-Pla-Canal all hoping that the 24 Hours will deliver as positive a result for them.

While the above-mentioned teams and drivers have a clear lead in their respective categories, the classifications for the LMGTE classes are a lot tighter.

Just one point separates Ferrari and challenger Porsche in the LMGTE Manufacturers' World Cup, and AF Corse's Bruni-Vilander pairing have a 3 point lead over Bergmeister-Pilet of Porsche Team Manthey in the GT Drivers' Championship. Drivers from Aston Martin, Porsche and Ferrari follow in close succession, and there's all to play for at Le Mans.

In LMGTE Am, Aston Martin Racing's Heinemeier Hansson-Poulsen duo hold a 9 point lead over AF Corse's Luis Perez-Companc-Cioci-Venturi but the challenges from Danes' Aston Martin Racing team mates is fierce.

The 24 Hours of Le Mans is notoriously challenging for both men and machines, but the rewards are high... not least in points towards a world championship title!

Before flying to Montreal, Ferrari driver Fernando Alonso spent a few days in the factory at Maranello, helping the team prepare for the race. At the same time, his teammate Kimi Raikkonen was involved in sponsor work in Scandinavia.

“After Monaco I felt a good atmosphere in the factory,” said Alonso on Ferrari.com.

“Everyone is very motivated and hungry for good results. We are realistic and well aware of where we are at the moment, but from now on, we want to be in a position to get better results and enjoy our race weekends a bit more and everyone is working in one direction to improve the car”.

Most of the work was devoted to suit the Ferrari F14 T to the circuit Gilles-Villeneuve.

“We have been improving the car on the aero side, while in the simulator, we have done a lot of work on the set-up with the aim of arriving in Canada with a better car,” revealed Alonso.

“It has only six or seven corners, but each one has something special. They have an element of danger and getting them right brings you a lot of lap time. There is definitely no room for error, as all the walls are very, very close. You can feel the city of Montreal has a lot of passion for the race and everyone gets involved in some way,” Alonso explained.

An Israeli company named Phinergy has teamed up with Alcoa to unveil a new electric car powered by an aluminum-air battery. Its estimated range is a whopping 1,600 kilometres.

Fifty aluminum plates react with water and air within the battery to extract energy from the aluminum itself. A single plate produces enough energy to power the vehicle over a distance of 32 kilometres.

Phinergy claims this technology delivers significantly higher performance than current EV systems at roughly the same cost. CEO Aviv Tzidon believes it will solve the problem of range anxiety which has limited EV sales so far.

Source : ici.radio-canada.ca

From GMM

F1's cost-saving efforts will shift into a higher gear in the month of May.

Ever since the powerful 'Strategy Group' teams nixed plans for a mandatory budget cap, the tension with the angry and disenfranchised small teams has been palpable.

FIA president Jean Todt wants to lock in some cost-saving regulations for 2015, but the final deadline is the end of June.

A few days before that, in just three weeks from now, the World Motor Sport Council would have to rubber-stamp any proposals.

So far, little progress has been made.

"I would think so far we've probably saved about 10,000 euros, but we're going in the right direction," said Christian Horner, boss of the big-spending reigning world champions Red Bull.

For the big teams in particular, the risk of failing to appease their struggling rivals by the June deadline is that the FIA will then be free to introduce whatever rules it likes in 2016.

Curiously, Horner suggested that is exactly what should happen.

"I think the promoter and the regulator need to get together and say 'This is what formula one is going to be', and then the teams have the choice of whether they enter the championship or not," he said.

F1 trucks. (Photo: WRi2)

But Monisha Kaltenborn, boss of the two-decades-old team Sauber that last year almost collapsed, hints that many in the second half of the grid cannot wait that long.

"It's not about us wanting to be equal, and not even an attempt to improve our competitive position," she insisted to Germany's Auto Motor und Sport. "It's about not letting formula one drift into an untenable financial dimension, so that the smaller teams are constantly wondering if they are still racing from one month to the next."

Monisha Kaltenborn is a staunch supporter of a budget cap, even if it begins with a high ceiling of EUR 200 million next year, and is then steadily tightened.

"Formula one has this image of a money-consuming machine," she said. "It puts sponsors off and in 2009 it drove the car manufacturers away -- because losing was too expensive. If a prestigious team like McLaren is still looking for a main sponsor, there must be something wrong."

TomTom has just published its 2013 Traffic Index, and Vancouver tops the list of the most congested cities in Canada with an annual delay of 87 hours for the same 30-minute commute.

What's more, traffic shortcuts drivers take to avoid congestion are actually ''long cuts,'' adding 50% more travel time to journeys.

Around the world, commuters are spending an average of eight working days a year stuck in traffic, TomTom says.

"Traffic congestion is nothing new, and continues to be a global challenge. The traditional responses to congestion, such as building new roads or widening existing ones are no longer proving to be effective. Real time traffic information can help drivers find the quickest shortcut on their journey, and assist governments to make smarter decisions to improve traffic flow for their cities," said Harold Goddijn, CEO of TomTom.

Here are the seven most congested cities in Canada based on the 2013 TomTom Traffic Index:

1. Vancouver
2. Toronto
3. Ottawa
4. Montreal
5. Calgary
6. Quebec City
7. Edmonton

Source : TomTom

From press release

Friday, June 6th officials of the Grassroots Racing Series will unwrap a very exciting motorsports venture.

After sitting dormant for nearly the entire 2013 season, Kawartha Speedway - the province's premier auto racing facility - will once again roar to life with the sound of stock cars in a unique 8 race schedule, split equally between 4 Friday nights and Sunday afternoons. After nearly a year of hard work, organizer and promoter Andrew McFadden is excited to see the opening night and feels he has a solid team of experienced people in all the right places.

"I've been knocking on more doors and shaking more hands than most candidates in the upcoming provincial election," said McFadden with a smile. "Some excellent sponsors and marketing partners have stepped-up to the table to offer their support and many of the staff members who were part of the Kawartha Speedway team in the past will be back on board when we throw the first green flag. I think the series is in very good shape to get things rolling."

McFadden says that fans should expect strong car counts and full fields in each division during the calendar. Looking at the Late Model division as an example, just short of 25 teams have registered for competition in all 8 events. Kawartha favourites from past years, including names like Mercer, McHattie, Kimball and former general manager/promoter Derek Lynch are likely to run each show.

There will also be competitors from the Ottawa Valley, Western Ontario and well-known runners like Gord Shepherd and former track champion Chris Morrow who attended special events in the past. The Grassroots Racing Series team has been working hard to give the fans a memorable racing experience when they return to the Fraserville, Ontario 3/8th mile speedplant.

"I know there will be some opening night glitches along the way, but it's still very much a work in progress," said McFadden. "It'll take a bit of time to have all the pieces fall into place. More and more items get added to the raceday checklist every minute, but even so it's still possible that something can be overlooked. I'm hoping everyone will have a great time and be patient with us while we work out some of the kinks."

Pit gates are scheduled to swing open at 3pm Friday, June 6th with rotating practice session sessions - for Thunder Car, Mini Stock, 4Fun, Ontario Legend and Late Model teams - beginning at 4pm. Spectator grandstands will be unlocked at 5 pm, with the first round of qualifying heat race action taking the green flag at 6:30pm.

For complete Grassroots Racing Series news and information, check the series tab at www.kawarthaspeedway.com.

Here is the entry list of the 22 drivers who will contest the 2014 Formula 1 Canadian Grand Prix this weekend.

The 70-lap race will be held Sunday at Circuit Gilles Villeneuve on Ile Notre-Dame near downtown Montreal.

Red Bull Racing
Chassis RB10
Engine: Renault
1
Sebastian Vettel
3
Daniel Ricciardo

Ferrari
Chassis F14 T
Engine: Ferrari
14
Fernando Alonso
7
Kimi Raikkonen

Mercedes AMG
Chassis W05
Engine: Mercedes
44
Lewis Hamilton
6
Nico Rosberg

Lotus
Chassis E22
Engine: Renault
8
Romain Grosjean
13
Pastor Maldonado

F1 drivers, 2014 season (Photo: WRI2)

McLaren
Chassis MP4-29
Engine: Mercedes
22
Jenson Button
20
Kevin Magnussen

Sauber
Chassis C33
Engine: Ferrari
99
Adrian Sutil
21
Esteban Gutierrez

Sahara Force India
Chassis VJM07
Engine: Mercedes
27
Nico Hulkenberg
11
Sergio Perez

Williams
Chassis FW36
Engine: Mercedes
19
Felipe Massa
77
Valtteri Bottas

Toro Rosso
Chassis STR9
Engine: Renault
25
Jean-Eric Vergne
26
Daniil Kvyat

Caterham
Chassis CT05
Engine: Renault
10
Kamui Kobayashi
9
Marcus Ericsson

Marussia
Chassis MR03
Engine: Ferrari
17
Jules Bianchi
4
Max Chilton

French engine supplier Renault has confirmed that its four teams will be allowed to use the full power of its V6 turbo hybrid power unit during this weekend's Grand Prix of Canada.

For the first time this season, the four teams under contract with Renault Sport F1 - Red Bull Racing, Toro Rosso, Caterham and Lotus - will be allowed to use the full potential of their V6 engines.

“At the start of the season we said that we would be out of recovery mode and back on track from the Canadian Grand Prix onwards,” said Remi Taffin, Renault Sport F1 head of track operations.

Red Bull Racing garage (Photo: DPPI/Renault)

“In the last four races we've introduced several new upgrades and we will complete the process in Montreal, effectively giving us the first full opportunity to see where we are versus the competition,” he added.

“We have several new parts to debut here, primarily designed to give us greater reliability. As in previous races we have more upgrades to software to further enhance driveability and energy management,” Taffin continued.

“Additionally we have investigated the reasons for the failures in Monaco and have taken measures to ensure they do not reoccur. In particular we have looked at Sebastian Vettel's issue, which was traced back to a mechanical problem with the MGU-H. The part in question has been revisited and further end of line checks have made it more robust now,” Taffin explained.

The issue of increased fuel consumption
“The exhaust issues on the Toro Rossos have also been investigated with the team and together we have seen how we can avoid further issues in future thanks to improvements to our diagnosis and understanding of the full exhaust system behaviour in the car,” the French engineer said.

Renault Sport F1 also confirmed that the Gilles-Villeneuve circuit is mechanically very demanding.

The long straights require maximum power for a high percentage of the lap, putting a huge stress on the V6 engine.

The frequent accelerations will also greatly increase fuel consumption, and 100kg of petrol may not be enough to complete the 70 laps of the race.

Ohsweken Speedway's 19th season of racing continues this Friday, May 30 when Styres Gas Bar presents weekly racing for the Corr/Pak Merchandising 360 Sprint Cars, Strickland's GMC Crate Sprint Cars, Affordable Towing & Recovery Thunder Stocks, HRW Automotive Mini Stocks, and Gale's Auto Aftermarket Bombers.

JAMIE COLLARD/DUANE MAUSTELLER RECOVERY FUNDRAISER
Ohsweken Speedway regular Jamie Collard and Pennsylvania driver Duane Mausteller suffered serious injuries in a crash at the Empire Super Sprints tour event at Selinsgrove Speedway on May 17. A group of fans and friends have organized several fundraising activites at Ohsweken starting this Friday to help Jamie and Duane during their recoveries.

Ohsweken Speedway drivers will also pass the helmet for Jamie and Duane in the front grandstand and pit grandstand during intermission this Friday.

Visit the official Ohsweken Speedway website at www.OhswekenSpeedway.com, like us on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/OHSWEKENSPEEDWAY, follow us on Twitter @OhswekenSpdway, and subscribe to our YouTube channel at www.YouTube.com/user/OhswekenSpdway

From GMM

Mercedes will impose no "restrictions" on Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg, despite their dramatic falling out in Monaco.

Briton Hamilton was furious after the fabled street race, where he suspected his German teammate deliberately ruined his run for pole position.

But more recently, the 2008 world champion said on Twitter that he and Rosberg are "cool, still friends, no problem".

Not everyone is convinced all is well.

Speed Week correspondent Mathias Brunner said Hamilton's social media posting "seems like a bandaid for a blister -- it helps but pretty soon it falls off".

And the Daily Mail's Jonathan McEvoy doubts Hamilton even penned the 'tweet' or picked out the old photo of the then teenaged teammates riding on unicycles.

"The timing was mysterious," he wrote, "as only a few hours earlier a Mercedes spokesman said he thought Hamilton was in the air, travelling to North America" for the Canadian grand prix.

The same team spokesman insisted that Hamilton "tweeted independently of them", McEvoy added.

Whatever the truth, Mercedes team chairman Niki Lauda claims the worst of the saga is now over.

Nico Rosberg leading Lewis Hamilton in Monaco, Mercedes AMG. (Photo: WRi2)

Asked about Hamilton and Rosberg's supposed reconciliation, he told Osterreich newspaper: "Lewis has now accepted that Nico won in Monaco and he (Hamilton) was second. There is no shame in that."

"In Montreal we will get together again and discuss everything calmly, and afterwards the fight for the world championship goes on with both of them in equal cars," said Lauda.

The triple world champion, however, acknowledged that more conflict is likely.

"Having two alphas sitting in the best car is of course tricky," said Lauda. "But at least it makes the races interesting given the superiority of our team."

Niki Lauda said he is well qualified to help keep the situation under control.

"I know a situation like this very well thanks to Mr Prost," he said. "We let our drivers race against each other without restrictions, because while tension is quite normal, it can also escalate. Then I can get involved as a mentor."

Niki Lauda tipped the Hamilton versus Rosberg battle to be fascinating this weekend in Montreal.

"Nico was clearly faster over the Monte Carlo weekend," he said, "but now Lewis will be doing everything to fight back, which of course is stressful for us. But for the fans and the sport there can be nothing better."

Mercedes-Benz will launch three plug-in hybrid vehicles in the U.S. next year to bolster the S-Class, C-Class and ML-Class lineups.

We don't know if and when these models will be available in Canada.

The Mercedes-Benz S-Class Plug-In Hybrid will arrive first in select states (including California) beginning next spring after debuting in Europe this fall. It combines a 328-horsepower, 3.0L V6 engine with an 80kW (107 hp) electric motor and an 8-speed automatic transmission.

Somewhere in the fall of 2015, the Mercedes-Benz C-Class Plug-In Hybrid will hit the U.S. market, likely as a 2016 model. Look for it to make an appearance at the Detroit Auto Show next January.

Finally, the Mercedes-Benz ML-Class Plug-In Hybrid will roll out at roughly the same time as the small sedan, and pick a fight with competing models from Volvo, BMW, and possibly Land Rover.

Source : greencarreports.com

From GMM

Jean-Eric Vergne says he is not worried Red Bull could dump him at the end of 2014.

In the nine year history of the energy drink company's second team, only two drivers have appeared in a Toro Rosso cockpit for three consecutive seasons.

They are Sebastien Buemi, the Swiss who was surprisingly dropped at the end of a solid season in 2011, and Frenchman Vergne.

So far, the signs for 24-year-old Vergne do not appear to be good. Young rookie Daniil Kvyat has scored just as many points so far, and has stood out as perhaps a champion in the making.

Vergne, in contrast, has been almost anonymous in 2014.

Jean-Eric Vergne, Toro Rosso STR9-Renault. (Photo: WRi2)

Demonstrating a Red Bull F1 car at the Spa-Francorchamps round of the Formula Renault 3.5 series last weekend, the Frenchman was asked by Italiaracing if he is worried about the future.

No driver, for instance, has ever raced for Toro Rosso for four consecutive seasons.

"Well, if the situation is as you say it is, then there is little to do," he smiled. "I'll go home now.

"Seriously, I do not believe that these situations can be reduced to an evaluation of statistics," Vergne, better known in the paddock as 'Jev', added.

"At Red Bull and Toro Rosso, they have never been afraid of leaving aside drivers they do not believe in anymore, but if they had lost faith in me I think they would have let me go at the end of last year," he insists.

"If they did not, and I'm still here, it is because they believe in me and my abilities."

Vergne does not agree with the assessment that he has been outshone this year by the vastly less experienced Kvyat, who leapt straight into F1 as GP3 champion.

"As I have said, my integration with the technical staff of the team has developed significantly," he said, "and the results show that it is bearing fruit -- something that the team takes fully into account.

"As for me, I feel at home, as if the team is my family, so I don't think they have the intention to pull apart a package that works," said Vergne.

From Pirelli

Just as was the case for Monaco, the Pirelli P Zero Yellow soft and P Zero Red supersoft tires have been nominated for the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve in Montreal, home of the Canadian Grand Prix

The track is in fact a semi-permanent facility, which combines bespoke sections of track with normal park roads.

However, Montreal is a very different proposition to Monaco, with much higher average speeds, frequently changeable weather conditions, and a low-grip surface that often catches out even the most experienced drivers - many of whom have had contact with the famous ‘wall of champions' in the past.

F1 cars reach 330 km/h on the main straight in Montreal. (Photo: Pirelli)

Other important factors affecting the tires in Montreal include braking, with heat from the brakes warming up the tires (although this year, the behaviour of the brakes is different, with the new brake by wire system).

There are also some notable kerbs in Montreal, which force the tire to absorb impacts as part of the car's suspension.

One of the biggest challenges for the tires in Canada is the fact that the asphalt is extremely inconsistent, made up of a number of different surfaces that offer variable levels of grip. The job of the tyre compound is to smooth out these differences to offer as consistent a level of grip as possible.

Maximum mechanical grip
“We're expecting the tires to be worked a lot harder in Canada than they were in Monaco, with a lot more energy and greater forces going through them due to much higher speeds. This should lead to the maximum possible mechanical grip, which is certainly what's needed in Montreal. There's a high degree of track evolution and we frequently see a lot of sliding - especially with reduced downforce this year - which obviously puts an increased amount of stress on the tire,” said Paul Hembery, Pirelli motorsport director.

“But we are still expecting to have contained wear and degradation this weekend, even on the two softest tires in the range. Canada always tends to be an unpredictable race where strategy can make a real difference, also because of the high probability of safety cars. As we saw in Monaco, taking the right strategy opportunities when they present themselves under unusual circumstances is a key element to success at any circuit that falls outside the usual mould, with Canada being a prime example. Historically, there's a reasonable chance of rain, in which case judging the crossover points - sometimes without previous data, if each previous session has been dry - becomes crucial.”

Organisers of the Grand Prix of Canada confirmed June 5 would be “Open House” day at the Gilles Villeneuve circuit of Montreal.

True to tradition and with the cooperation of the Formula 1 teams, the organisers will enable racing fans in Montreal to live an exceptional immersion by visiting the pit lane, facing the garages.

The event will be held from 9:00 am to noon, on Thursday, June 5. F1 fans will be admitted for free at the track. They are strongly invited to take the metro to reach the Notre-Dame Island.

The popular Open House day attracts a lot of fans. (Photo: Groupe de course Octane inc./Muriel Brousseau)

Fans who intend to purchase grandstands or general admission tickets to live the fever at the 2014 FORMULA 1 GRAND PRIX DU CANADA must reach the box office at 514 350-0000 or 1-855-790-1245, seven days a week between 9 a.m. and 8 p.m. Tickets can also be purchased on our secure websites at www.circuitgillesvilleneuve.ca or at www.admission.com.

A tug-of-war between Mexico and Tennessee over financial incentives is delaying Volkswagen's decision on where to build a make-or-break crossover in North America, sources told Reuters, delaying the German group's efforts to fix its ailing U.S.

Ford has pledged to reduce the weight of its vehicles with each redesign. The next Mustang may fall short of that goal.

BMW intends to cut 100 million euros ($136 million) of German labor costs annually from 2015 onwards, a German newspaper reported, citing workers' representatives.