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PSA has hired Renault's former China chief, Chen Guozhang, to oversee its upscale DS brand in Asia, a Chinese newspaper reported.

Chen Guozhang, Renault's former China chief, will oversee PSA's DS subbrand in Asia, a China newspaper reported. PSA is upgrading the DS range to a stand-alone premium marque.

BMW plans to announce in July it will build its first assembly plant in Mexico and has identified two regions where the site could be built, media reports said.

-- South Korea's automotive legacy may not be as rich as, say, Czechoslovakia's, but don't tell collector Baek Joong-gil that. Not to his face, anyway.

After 1,300 miles, 96 hours, two engines, three transmissions, a busted exhaust, a bent shifter, a stuck throttle, countless bottles of water, much swearing and the looming threat of heat exhaustion,

There would be a significant impact on the overall performance and cost of vehicles, plus an effect on targets for fuel efficiency and reduced CO2 emissions, if established battery applications were to be replaced with alternative technologies, according to a study by Europe's automotive and battery industries.

Pictures See all 7 pictures 20 May, 2014

Porsche hopes its Macan compact SUV will be able to repeat the success of its Cayenne, which accounted for 84,000 of the sports car maker's 162,000 global sales last year.

A slew of new videos made our viral list this week, including Ford Motor Co. announcing the chance for European buyers to pre-order the 2015 Mustang.

Fiat Chrysler Automobiles' new London headquarters will have a staff of about 50 people, most of whom will have a finance background, said two people familiar with the details of the automaker's plan to shift its tax residency to the UK.

Fiat Chrysler Automobiles' new London headquarters will have a staff of about 50 people, most of whom will have a finance background, said two people familiar with the details of the automaker's plan to shift its tax residency to the UK.

PSA CEO Carlos Tavares has chosen former Renault colleague Stephen Norman as senior vice president of group marketing coordination to help implement his Back in the Race turnaround plan.

The Formula 1 Grand Prix of Monaco is the most prestigious race of the season; it features great history, difficulty and prestige, as well as massive media attention and glamour.

Ferrari's Kimi Raikkonen is no exception and is eager to get on track for what is a truly unique event on the calendar.

“This season especially, with the new generation cars, we can expect it to be particularly exciting,” said Raikkonen on Ferrari's official web site.

“These new cars tend to slide easily and in Monaco there's not much room to drift off line.”

Kimi Raikkonen, Ferrari F14 T, in Barcelona. (Photo: WRi2)

As always, the car plays an important role, but Monaco also highlights a driver's ability. Raikkonen knows what he's talking about since he won that race in 2005 behind the wheel of a Mercedes-powered McLaren.

“This track is unique, as you have to give your all from the first to the 78th lap,” Raikkonen explained.

“Qualifying can have a big effect on the outcome, an area on which we are doing our utmost to improve. After the last race, we stayed on in Barcelona for the test, which was reasonably positive: we had problems at the start, but by the end, I can say I was pleased with the work we managed to get through. The F14 T is improving and I am sure that, step by step, the results will come, but we must push harder to get them.”

“The Monaco race is very complicated right from Thursday morning,” the Finn explained.

“It will be vital not to lose any time in free practice, trying to do as many laps as possible to quickly get a feel for things in between the barriers. It's difficult to do well here, but it's enormously satisfying when you get it right,” Raikkonen said.

From GMM

Amid the F1 paddock's usual scepticism, the sport's newest team is pushing ahead with its plans.

Gene Haas - a top Nascar team co-owner and boss of Haas Automation, a world-leading machine tool maker - has secured a two-year license to make his F1 debut either in 2015 or 2016.

After a visit to Haas' North Carolina headquarters, Auto Motor und Sport correspondent Michael Schmidt says the Gunther Steiner-led team's "plan A" is to race next year.

Schmidt said Steiner, who has worked with Jaguar and Red Bull, is now rapidly building a workforce, with many experienced F1 people showing interest because Haas can offer new challenges and high-ranking positions.

"There are many interested parties, but we can only hire people when we know who our engine partner is," a source said.

Stewart-Haas' factory. (Photo: Stewart-Haas Racing)

The front-runner is Ferrari, who are also keen to supply a lot of other components to Haas.

Mercedes has already ruled itself out of the running to fill Haas' needs.

"We can only offer engines and transmission," said team chairman Niki Lauda.

The Haas car will almost certainly be built by Dallara.

Schmidt reports: "A 200-strong staff is under construction. In September, the factory in Mooresville will be ready."

At the same time, Haas is also looking for somewhere to base itself in England, the report added.

Gerard Lopez, co-owner of the Lotus Formula 1 team, underlined the sharp upward career trajectory of Frenchman Romain Grosjean.

In fact, Grosjean has out qualified his teammate, Pastor Maldonado five times in a row since the start of the 2014 season.

Talking to Sky Sports F1, Lopez said proper tutelage have transformed the former GP2 series' champion into one of F1's most consistent drivers.

Some people are seeing similarities between the accident-prone Maldonado and the early crash filled career of Grosjean.

"We've lived partially the same thing with Romain (Grosjean), and people wrote him off, but now...we've people knocking on our door to see if he can be in their team”, said Lopez.

"Romain's drives last year meant there were a couple of teams knocking on the door to find out what he was doing, and now we've the same this year," said Lopez after Grosjean opened Lotus's 2014 points account at the Grand Prix of Spain.

"I'm not saying Romain is going, but what I am saying is that here is a driver who was criticised, and now suddenly people are saying he is a driver who could pretty much drive for any team,” Lopez mentioned.

From press release

Race 2 of the F1600 Duals presented by Juniper Networks was a hard fought battle throughout the field and contained a little more drama than Race 1.

The sun was shining and thousands of fans lined the fences around Canadian Tire Motorsport Park near Bowmanville, Ontario to witness some of North America's finest young racers taking on a deep field of veteran talent.

Chase Pelletier had finally broken Tristan DeGrand's string of successive pole positions with a convincing lap in his Britain West ride earlier in the day and was very confident heading into the race that he would have something for the Exclusive Autosport driver.

Connor Wagland continued his dominance over the “B” Class field in qualifying with his sweep of the pole positions.

Pelletier took the field to the green but was squeezed slightly by DeGrand who finished the pass for the lead on the exit of corner one. Zacharie Robichon attempted to follow DeGrand through and he and Pelletier would be side-by-side heading into two, allowing DeGrand to start to eek out a lead.

Much like race one on Saturday, DeGrand was able to put his head down and turn very quick laps while second through ninth were engaged in a ferocious battle to the delight of the fans.

On lap seven the race was slowed due to a full-course caution for an incident involving Shane Jantzi, Max Hanratty and Zacharie Robichon.

The three drivers were putting on an incredible display of racing skill, trading positions several times per lap. As they powered up the back straightaway they went three wide just before corner eight. Hanratty and Jantzi touched, sending Hanratty up against the outside wall and Jantzi into Robichon.

Robichon would continue, but was slowed with the rear toe knocked out of alignment and started to drop through the field. Jantzi would bring his car to pit lane to the attention of his crew and retired from the race. Hanratty's car was too damaged to continue and ended his day on the flatbed.

DeGrand took the green for the restart and never looked back. Pelletier and Jeffrey Kingsley waged a good battle for several laps for the second step on the podium, with Pelletier eventually prevailing.

Young Quebec standout Olivier Bedard had a very good performance in his debut at the challenging circuit, finishing in an impressive performance ahead of Jayson Clunie and hard charging Caitlin Johnston. Craig Willis, impressive rookie Reid Arnold, the damaged Zacharie Robichon and Michel Legrand would round out the top ten.

Next up on the Super Series calendar is the F1 Grand Prix of Canada. Over 35 cars are expected to take to the historic track in front of tens of thousands of racing fans.

An off-season crash in 2000 rendered IndyCar driver, Sam Schmidt quadriplegic. Last Sunday, Schmidt took to the famed oval in a 2014 Chevrolet Corvette C7 Stingray adapted to his needs by Arrow Electronics, Inc.

Schmidt, today a successful IndyCar team owner, took the specially fitted Corvette up to 97 mph around the famous Brickyard.

Afterward, Schmidt used the words “exhilarating” and “unbelievable” to describe the feeling he said came after a nine month planning process.

Schmidt, who chairs the Sam Schmidt Paralysis Foundation, said the experience gave him hope that the technology utilized can be transferred to other applications to help many who are disabled.

The specially equiped Corvette Sam Schmidt drove. (Photo: Sam Schmidt Motorsport)

The Corvette uses an advanced infrared camera system, a bite sensor and a GPS system to steer the car around the track. Schmidt averaged 73.712 mph on his 10-mile run, hitting 97 mph down the main straightaway.

A highly technical series of algorithms controls the vehicle. Four sensors mounted on the driver's helmet are connected to infrared cameras mounted on the dashboard. They detect his head tilt motions to aid in steering and acceleration. The driver also has a bite sensor device in his mouth, and the pressure of his bite helps control the car's braking and steering. The GPS keeps the car within 1 1/2 meters from the edge of the track.

“We get a ton of emails and correspondence from folks who maybe didn't want to leave their house or didn't know what they could do with their disability,” Schmidt declared.

“I'm a firm believer that everything happens for a reason. I think the reason I'm sitting here today without the use of arms and legs is so I can look somebody in the eye and say, ‘Get up off your butt and be a productive member of society.'

The Grand Prix of Monaco is undoubtedly the most prestigious Formula 1 race on the calendar. Here are 8 things to know about the race held on the streets of Monte-Carlo.

1
The winner of the first Monaco Grand Prix in 1929, William Grover-Williams (a Frenchman despite his English name), would later become a member of the French Resistance during World War II before eventually being captured by the Germans and executed in the Sachsenhausen concentration camp near Berlin.

2
Nico Rosberg's father, Keke Rosberg won the race in 1983. The start was given on a damp track, but Rosberg, driving a less powerful Williams- Cosworth, quickly moved up to the front of the pack and won the race from the powerful turbo cars.

Keke Rosberg, Williams FW07 C-Cosworth, Monaco 1983. (Photo: WRi2)

3
The slowest corner of all Formula 1 races is the Grand Hotel downhill hairpin, taken in first gear at very low engine speed at about 65 km/h.

4
The great Ayton Senna holds the record for the highest number of race wins in Monaco with 6 (1987, 89, 90, 91, 92 and 93).

5
The oldest driver to take the start of an F1 Grand Prix was Frenchman Louis Chiron in Monaco in 1955 at the age of 55 years and 292 days. At that same race, Chiron also became oldest point scorer !

Stirling Moss, Mercedes W196 8, Monaco 1955. (Photo: WRi2)

6
During the final laps of the 1982 race, six different drivers traded the lead! Alain Prost spun and retired. Riccardo Patrese took the lead but spun and stalled his engine. Didier Pironi ran out of fuel, Andrea de Cesaris and then Derek Daly also spun. Patrese managed to get his engine restarted and won the race!



7
Michael Schumacher holds the lap record in 1m14.439 established in 2004 in his Ferrari.

8
The 1996 edition of the race went down in history as the smallest field to complete an F1 race - just three drivers made it to the end, with Olivier Panis, who started in 14th in his Ligier, claiming his only F1 win ahead of David Coulthard and Johnny Herbert.

Olivier Panis, Ligier JS43 Mugen-Honda, Monaco 1996. (Photo: WRi2)

Mercedes-AMG has released a teaser for its all-new GT, which is scheduled to make its official debut in the third quarter of this year (as a 2016 model).

A microsite is also live at www.mercedes-amg.com/AMGGT, showing additional pictures and telling us exactly when new information will be available.

Check it out!



Source : motorauthority.com

Here is the schedule of the 2014 Formula 1 Grand Prix de Monaco held this weekend on the streets of Monte-Carlo.

Wednesday May 21
Formula 1 Press Conference - Press Room 15h00

Thursday May 22
Renault 3.5 Practice Session 08h30 - 09h15
Formula 1 Practice 1 10h00 - 11h30
GP2 Practice Session 12h00 - 12h45
Formula 1 Practice 2 14h00 - 15h30
Formula 1 Press Conference - Press Room 16h00 - 17h00
GP2 Qualifying Session (Group A) 16h15 - 16h31
GP2 Qualifying Session (Group B) 16h39 - 16h55
Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup Practice Session 17h30 - 18h15

Friday May 23
Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup Qualifying Session 09h45 - 10h15
GP2 First Race (42 Laps or 60 Minutes) 11h15 - 12h20

Saturday May 24
Formula 1 Team Pit Stop Practice 08h00 - 08h30
Formula 1 Paddock Club Pit Lane Walk 08h00 - 08h30
Renault 3.5 Qualifying Session (Group A) 09h00 - 09h25
Renault 3.5 Qualifying Session (Group B) 09h30 - 09h55
Formula 1 Practice 3 11h00 - 12h00
Formula 1 Paddock Club Pit Lane Walk 12h15 - 13h45
Formula 1 Qualifying 14h00
GP2 Second Race (30 Laps or 45 Minutes) 16h10 - 17h00

Sunday May 25
Formula 1 Paddock Club Pit Lane Walk 08h00 - 09h00
Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup Race (16 Laps or 30 Mins) 09h45 - 10h20
Renault 3.5 Race (40 Mins + 1 Lap) 11h10 - 11h55
Formula 1 Paddock Club Pit Lane Walk 12h25 - 13h15
Formula 1 Drivers Track Parade 12h30
Formula 1 Starting Grid Presentation 12h45 - 13h15
Formula 1 National Anthem 13h46
Formula 1 Race