Auto News 5

The use of big data to target customers online and cut marketing costs was a hot topic at the Digital Dealer Conference and Exhibition this month. Several presenters noted a looming regulatory crackdown aimed at protecting consumer privacy.

Jaguar Land Rover will become the second customer after Fiat Chrysler for Schaeffler's fuel-saving UniAir electrohydraulic variable valve lift system, sources told Automotive News Europe.

Volkswagen plans a lineup of Beetle-themed vehicles, including a new version of the iconic Microbus, according to European press reports.

Ford is launching 16 new vehicles in North America this year, which Ford says is the busiest and most ambitious launch schedule in its history.

Jaguar Land Rover will become the second customer after Fiat Chrysler for Schaeffler's fuel-saving UniAir electrohydraulic variable valve lift system, sources told Automotive News Europe.

Europe's vehicle production footprint is undergoing big changes as automakers race to right-size their operations. Automotive News Europe's interactive assembly plant map is the go-to resource to help stay on top of all of the changes.

Ford is launching 16 new vehicles in North America this year, which Ford says is the busiest and most ambitious launch schedule in its history.

From GMM

Fuel has emerged with a big role to play in F1's new V6-powered era.

Germany's Auto Motor und Sport said struggling Renault took a 12 horse power step forward last time out in Barcelona, thanks entirely to a new blend of fuel supplied by French partner Total.

And Red Bull team boss Christian Horner sees more gains to come.

According to correspondent Schmidt, it was at Red Bull's considerable expense that the new Total fuel was brought in line with homologation so that it could debut in Spain.

"We're talking about 20 horse power," he said. "Mercedes has the advantage -- you can see it in comparison to their customer teams."

According to correspondent Michael Schmidt, Horner may be referring to McLaren, who power their Mercedes V6 with fuel supplied by team sponsor Mobil.

But it appears the other Mercedes teams - the works outfit as well as Force India and Williams - are all using the currently-superior in-house fuel developed by Mercedes' title sponsor Petronas.

Renault engine boss Rob White said: "With the turbo engines, the fuel suppliers started at zero, which is why we see these big leaps in performance at the beginning."

Red Bull RB10-Renault. (Photo: WRi2)

According to Italian reports, Ferrari president Luca di Montezemolo has also recognised the importance of fuel in 2014, urging the Maranello team to move closer to its works supplier, Shell.

In Barcelona, only Red Bull got the 12 horse power-better new Total fuel, with Renault customers Lotus, Toro Rosso and Caterham having to wait until this weekend in Monaco.

Reigning world champions Red Bull have reportedly calculated the advantage of the Barcelona fuel versus the previous spec at three tenths on the straight.

Indeed, while Mercedes' Nico Rosberg got his W05 up to 334.5kph on the straight, Daniel Ricciardo was not far behind, at 328.8.

Horner said: "If we can reduce our engine deficit by 50 per cent, we can beat Mercedes."

From GMM

A source at F1 owners CVC have named Richard Scudamore as an ideal successor to the sport's embattled chief executive Bernie Ecclestone.

With 83-year-old Ecclestone fighting for his future and freedom in a Munich corruption trial, many names have been linked with his role at the top of formula one's commercial rights.

The latest is Richard Scudamore.

Briton Scudamore, 54, is the current chief executive of England's premier league football, but his job is now in doubt due to a series of allegedly sexist personal emails.

But if Scudamore does lose his job, CVC has admitted it is interested in hiring him for F1.

"TV rights deals are F1's lifeblood. That is what Bernie has been brilliant at," the source told the Daily Mail newspaper.

"That is what Richard Scudamore is brilliant at. If we can't have Bernie, we need someone like Scudamore. We have never thought he would be available, but if he is that would be worth very serious consideration indeed," the source added.

F1's TV coverage. (Photo: WRi2)

Pros: The 2014 Honda Civic Si 2014 continues to top the Civic range. It boasts various suspension, styling and chassis upgrades to handle the duties of high-performance driving. Track-validated brakes, tires and suspension components are all part of the package. At the same time, you'll find many high-end amenities, superior reliability, and excellent resale value. Plus there are once again two body styles to choose from: sedan or coupe. Consider it if you like the idea of a fun little sports car you can drive every day of the year.

Cons: Skip the 2014 Honda Civic Si if you're after all-out firepower for your dollar, or if you need an automatic transmission. What's more, comfort, fuel economy, and cargo room are not what will draw buyers to this model.

Photo: Honda

2014 Honda Civic Si Price: This high-performance version of the Civic starts at $26,710, a mild increase over the outgoing model.

2014 Honda Civic Si Fuel Economy: Official ratings for the 2014 Honda Civic Si are 9.9L/100km in the city and 6.6L/100km on the highway.

Improvements and Changes: The engine gets a slight boost in power (+4 hp) and torque (+4 lb-ft) from a revised exhaust system. The chassis benefits from a larger rear stabilizer bar, and the front spring rates have been increased.

Fresh, youthful styling makes the car look bolder and sleeker. The exterior features distinctive new bumpers, revised headlight and taillight clusters, wider tires, and redesigned 18” wheels for a sportier appearance.

It's the same thing inside where exclusive seat fabric and decoration in a dynamic black and red define the cockpit. The new Display Audio interface includes a 7” touchscreen that lets you swipe, tap and pinch (just like on a tablet or smartphone) to control the vehicle's audio system, display settings, and other advanced features. Let's not forget the next-generation HondaLink navigation system.

2014 Honda Civic Si Powertrain: The high-revving, 2.4L i-VTEC engine of the Civic Si now produces 205 horsepower at 7,000 rpm and 174 lb-ft of torque at 4,400 rpm. When drivers enter the upper limits of the engine's rev range, the i-VTEC system engages a more aggressive camshaft profile to ramp up power output and sound effects.

Once again, the Civic Si is available exclusively with a close-ratio, 6-speed manual gearbox featuring a lightweight and compact design and excellent shift feel. Power is sent to the front wheels through a helical-style Limited Slip Differential (LSD) that helps increase handling potential while reducing wheel slippage when powering out of tight corners.

Cargo Capacity: The trunk of the 2014 Honda Civic Si Sedan offers 353 litres of cargo room, whereas the Coupe's can haul 331 litres.

Safety: Civic Si safety begins with the Advanced Compatibility Engineering (ACE) body structure that was redesigned in 2013 to provide increased protection to occupants in a frontal collision. There are six airbags, ABS brakes, electronic brake force distribution, brake assist, and vehicle stability assist with traction control. A backup camera and LaneWatch blind-spot monitor also come standard.

Comparing the 2014 Honda Civic Si: The biggest rivals of the Civic Si are the Ford Focus ST, Hyundai Veloster Turbo, Kia Forte Koup SX, Mazdaspeed3, Mitsubishi Lancer Ralliart, as well as the Volkswagen Jetta GLI and Golf GTI.

From GMM

Daniel Ricciardo's seat at Red Bull is secure beyond 2014, team boss Christian Horner has confirmed.

Australian Ricciardo graduated this year from the energy drink company's second team Toro Rosso to replace his retiring countryman Mark Webber.

Team figures have said they were "surprised" by how quickly the 24-year-old settled in -- and how consistently quick he has proved alongside world champion Sebastian Vettel.

"Although Sebastian has had a lot of bad luck this year," said team owner Dietrich Mateschitz last week, "Daniel has surprised everyone by showing no weaknesses from day one.

"We were criticised when we gave Daniel this opportunity. But our decision was right," he insisted, referring to Red Bull's deliberations last year over signing Kimi Raikkonen instead.

Daniel Ricciardo, Red Bull RB10-Renault, in Bahrain. (Photo: WRi2)

As with all Red Bull-groomed athletes, Ricciardo has a long-term contract, but his place at the reigning world champion team also appears more than secure.

"I can't speak highly enough of what Dan has done in the first five races and managing this pairing is a walk in the park compared to previous years," team boss Christian Horner said.

"We've always believed in continuity and stability and Dan's on a long-term contract with the team," he is quoted by the Daily Mail.

"I think it would be highly unlikely he will be anywhere else next year," Christian Horner added.

From GMM

Triple world champion and F1 legend Sir Jack Brabham has died.

The Australian, who won the titles in 1959, 1960 and - uniquely whilst driving for his own team - 1966, died "peacefully" at his home on the Gold Coast at the age of 88 on Monday, his family said.

"He lived an incredible life, achieving more than anyone would ever dream of," said David Brabham, who raced for Brabham in 1990 and Simtek in 1994.

Brabham's other sons, Geoff and Gary, also raced, as do grandsons Matthew and Sam.

"I'd like to pay tribute to one of the most illustrious names in motor racing history," said Ron Dennis, whose job working as a mechanic for Brabham in the late 60s was one of his first in F1.

Sir Jack Brabham at Melbourne, March 2014. (Photo: WRi2)

On May 9th, Hyundai opened a brand new showroom in Seoul, South Korea, that's literally off the wall, as you can see from the pictures.

Photo: Hyundai

The idea, which Hyundai promises to apply in other large cities around the world (starting in Moscow later this year), is to give customers an all-around view of its vehicles by putting them on rotators — like rotisserie chickens — behind street-facing windows.

The structure uses 118,110 feet (36,000 metres) of steel pipes and anodized steel panels. It features an auto library, children's lounge, premium customer lounge, car-tuning lounge, gallery, and cafe. No vehicle sales are made there, however.

From GMM

Luca di Montezemolo has hinted he will increase Ferrari's budget in order to catch up with dominant Mercedes.

The fabled Italian marque has struggled early this season, prompting the exit of team boss Stefano Domenicali.

But recent rumours suggest Ferrari is now prepared to 'break the bank' to woo F1's highest-paid engineer, Adrian Newey, to Maranello.

Ferrari can afford him. The Financial Times reports that the company recorded "record revenues, profits and cash flow" last year, with net profit up to EUR 246 million.

Luca Montezemolo is quoted by La Gazzetta dello Sport as saying that while the exclusivity of Ferrari road cars remains a priority, that is a challenge "given heavy investment and F1, which requires an exceptional effort economically to recover the gap to the opposition".

Spain's El Mundo Deportivo reports that one Ferrari recruit is to be the retired 68-year-old Jean-Jacques His, an engine expert best known for leading Renault's technical efforts during the French manufacturer's dominant era.

Ferrari F14 T. (Photo: WRi2)

From NASCAR.com

J.R. Fitzpatrick entered the weekend with a 15-race winless streak, he'll head home having added to his NASCAR Canadian Tire Series all-time wins lead at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park.

Fitzpatrick picked up his first win since August 18, 2012, in an exciting green-white-checkered finish to the Pinty's presents the Clarington 200 on Sunday.

It was the ninth career series win for the 26-year-old out of Ayr, Ont., and fourth at the Bowmanville 2.459-mile road course. Fitzpatrick also picked up his second win in a Canadian Tire Series season-opening event. He also won the 2012 opener at CTMP.

Jeff Lapcevich challenged Fitzpatrick late in the race, but was unable to overtake the driver of the No. 84 Equipment Express Chevrolet, settling instead for his second-consecutive runner-up finish in a season opener at this track. It's his third top five at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park and 13th overall in the series.

Lapcevich was followed across the line by Robin Buck, 2013 event winner L.P. Dumoulin and two-time series champion D.J. Kennington.

Kerry Micks, Hugo Vannini, Luc Lesage, Peter Klutt and Ray Courtemanche Jr. completed the top 10 in the first of 11 events on 2014 calendar, with Vannini and Courtemanche both picking up career best finishes.

Two-time series champion Andrew Ranger collected his 13th career series pole award in qualifying for the event, but began the race from the 24th position after unapproved impound adjustments.

He worked his way into the top 10 early in the race, but ignition problems ultimately derailed his afternoon. Ranger ended the day 21st on the grid, his worst finish at the track. His previous worst Canadian Tire Motorsport Park finish was sixth.  

The field was slowed due to caution five times, including a red-flag for track cleanup after Noel Dowler's No. 5 machine leaked oil across several areas of the track.

The NASCAR Canadian Tire Series presented by Mobil 1 will return to action on June 14 for the inaugural Budweiser 300 at Autodrome Chaudiére in Vallée-Jonction, Quebec.

It will mark the series' first visit to the quarter-mile oval located 40 miles southeast of Quebec City.

Christian Horner claims that engine supplier Renault is behind schedule in its development of the V6 turbo hybrid engine because it simply "started too late" working on it.

Red Bull Racing team boss Christian Horner claims that engine supplier Renault is behind schedule in its development of the V6 turbo hybrid engine because it simply "started too late" working on it.

While rival Mercedes AMG went on to collect five consecutive wins, Red Bull Racing was left behind with a myriad of technical problems.

Renault Sport F1 has made huge progress since the start of the season but Horner maintains that the French car manufacturer has paid the price for being too slow off the mark.

The Renault engine installed in the RB10 chassis. (Photo: WRi2)

Talking to Sky Sports F1, Horner said: "It's quite simple really: we've had a massive engine regulation change and Renault has turned up and it wasn't as ready as some of their competitors were. So we've been playing catch-up. Renault is working tremendously hard at it and we're slowly closing that gap down”.

Christian Horner added: "As you can see we've got a very good chassis, I just think that they started too late. It's as simple as that."

It seems a bit strange that Renault felt behind, as they were well aware of the engine change for several years.

"That's a very good question and perhaps one you should ask Renault because they were the guys who pushed very hard for this regulation change, so one would have thought that they'd have been the most prepared for it,”' Horner said.

Verizon IndyCar Series team owner/driver Ed Carpenter claimed pole position for a second Indy 500 in a row.

He was the final qualifier May 18 in the Fast Nine Shootout on the 2.5-mile oval. He recorded a four-lap average of 231.067 mph in the No. 20 car to bump Canadian James Hinchcliffe from the top spot on the speed chart.

His four-lap average was the fastest since 2003, when Castroneves won the pole (231.725 mph) and was the race runner-up.

Hinchcliffe, who eight days earlier suffered a concussion in the Grand Prix of Indianapolis and was cleared to drive May 15, registered a fast lap of 231.618 mph on his first lap in the session and averaged 230.839 mph in the No. 27 car.

A few days after his crash, James Hinchcliffe gets a nice second place on the Indy 500 grid. (Photo: LAT for IndyCar)

Team Penske's Will Power (230.697 average) will start on the outside of Row 1 -- his second front-row start.

Helos Castroneves, seeking his fourth Indy 500 victory, recorded the fastest qualifying lap of the two days (231.671) in the Fast Nine Shootout in the No. 3 Team Penske car. Simon Pagenaud (230.614) and Marco Andretti (230.544), who qualified third last year, will join Castroneves on Row 2.

Carlos Munoz, who started and finished second last year as a rookie, qualified on the inside of Row 3 (230.146) in the No. 34 Cinsay AndrettiTV.com HVM car. Josef Newgarden, in his third season with Sarah Fisher Hartman Racing, qualified eighth (229.893) and JR Hildebrand (228.726), the 2011 race runner-up as a rookie and the first qualifier in this session, qualified ninth.

Canadian Alex Tagliani will start the race from 24th in the Sarah Fisher Hartman Dallara-Honda while former Formula 1 World Champion Jacques Villeneuve will start 27th in the Schmidit Peterson Motorsports Dallara-Honda.

Ed Carpenter will start from the pole position at the Indy 500. (Photo: LAT for IndyCar)

2014 Indy 500 starting grid:
1. Ed Carpenter (Ed Carpenter - Chevrolet)
2. James Hinchcliffe (Andretti Autosport - Honda)
3. Will Power (Team Penske - Chevrolet)
4. Helio Castroneves (Team Penske - Chevrolet)
5. Simon Pagenaud (Schmidt Peterson Motorsports - Honda)
6. Marco Andretti (Andretti Autosport - Honda)
7. Carlos Munoz (Andretti Autosport - Honda)
8. Josef Newgarden (Sarah Fisher Hartman - Honda)
9. JR Hildebrand (Ed Carpenter - Chevrolet)
10. Juan-Pablo Montoya (Team Penske - Chevrolet)
11. Scott Dixon (Team Ganassi - Chevrolet)
12. Kurt Busch (Andretti Autosport - Honda)
13. Jack Hawksworth (Bryan Herta Autosport - Honda)
14. Justin Wilson (Dale Coyne Racing - Honda)
15. Mikhail Aleshin (Schmidt Peterson Motorsports - Honda)
16. Tony Kanaan (Team Ganassi - Chevrolet)
17. Sebastien Bourdais (KV Racing - Chevrolet)
18. Oriol Servia (Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing - Honda)
19. Ryan Hunter-Reay (Andretti Autosport - Honda)
20. Graham Rahal (Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing - Honda)
21. Carlos Huertas (Dale Coyne Racing - Honda)
22. Pippa Mann (Dale Coyne Racing - Honda)
23.Takuma Sato (AJ Foyt - Honda)
24. Alex Tagliani (Sarah Fisher Hartman - Honda)
25. Townsend Bell (KV Racing - Chevrolet)
26. Charlie Kimball (Team Ganassi - Chevrolet)
27. Jacques Villeneuve (Schmidit Peterson Motorsports - Honda)
28. James Davison (KV Racing - Chevrolet)
29. Martin Plowman (AJ Foyt - Honda)
30. Ryan Briscoe (Team Ganassi - Chevrolet)
31. Sage Karam (Ganassi with D&R Racing - Chevrolet)
32. Sebastian Saavedra (KV Racing - Chevrolet)
33. Buddy Lazier (Lazier Partners - Chevrolet)

From GMM

Mercedes boss Toto Wolff has revealed he is trying to lure departed chief Ross Brawn back into the team's F1 garage.

Ross Brawn, 59, stepped down at the end of last year but, during his first year of retirement, he has already been linked with a return to Ferrari, having even visited the fabled Italian team's base recently.

Toto Wolff has now told the Telegraph that Briton Brawn can take some of the credit for Mercedes' current dominance of F1, insisting he still would have a valuable contribution to make.

Austrian Wolff said it was Brawn who "realised" what Mercedes needed to do in order to succeed in the wake of Mercedes' 2010 takeover.

"Ross Brawn realised in 2012 that it was not getting any better - he started to recruit and to add some of the people to the organisation in key areas," he said.

Mercedes celebrate a fourth 1-2 finish of the season, at the Spanish Grand Prix. (Photo: WRi2)

Toto Wolff also hailed Brawn's input in other key areas.

"If there is a heated situation on a race weekend, I am trying to imagine what Ross would have done. If needed, I give him a call, but I can well see us missing Ross's calmness and experience in the heat of races, or in the heat of the championship. Ross has a considerable part in the success of this year. It's a big shame he's not here," said Toto Wolff.

"I'm speaking with Ross regularly, and we are trying to get him to one of the next races to have a look at the team. He was so important in building the base, and setting in place some of the structures, and we would like him to be part of the team and see what's happening this year. He's going to come eventually -- he's promised to," Toto Wolff added.

From GMM

F1 will continue to push for louder engines, according to disgruntled Australian grand prix chief Ron Walker.

Last week in Barcelona, Mercedes tried a trumpet-shaped exhaust attachment designed to turn up the volume of this year's turbo V6s.

The unanimous conclusion was that F1's first try at loudening the sport's aural spectacle did not work, and many were relieved that artificially tweaking the new and highly-sophisticated engines had not proved so simple.

F1, however, will not stop here, Walker insists.

In Barcelona, the Australian led a rare meeting of almost every single promoter on the entire F1 calendar, and "Everybody agreed", he has now told Fairfax Media.

2014 Australian Grand Prix. (Photo: WRi2)

Until now, the subjects discussed at the meeting had not been confirmed, but "We're all concerned about the noise level," Walker now reveals.

"We can't wait until next year. Something has to be done soon," he insisted.

"Everybody agreed. We're all in the entertainment business. The people in the stands don't understand the new regulations. They want aggression, they want a gladiatorial contest," said Ron Walker.

"My customers don't care about only using 100 kilograms of fuel in a race. Ticket sales are hard to get these days because the sports market is so competitive."

But according to quadruple world champion Alain Prost, the mixed messages coming out of formula one at the moment is a bigger problem for the sport.

Frenchman Prost is now involved in the brand new Formula E series, where the entirely battery-powered single seaters are almost completely silent.

Prost thinks F1's move to modern, hybrid engines is "fantastic", but the mixed messages are drowning out the good news.

"Right now the (F1) cars have the same power (as before) but are using 30 to 40 per cent less fuel, which is amazing, so big," he said.

"But the fans perhaps do not care too much, so there is a little bit of confusion and young people aren't following and aren't interested," Prost explained. "With Formula E it is much more interesting, and with the organisers we are all in the same boat."

From GMM

F1's dominant championship leader Lewis Hamilton will try to play "mind games", according to former teammate Jenson Button.

Amid the dominance of their Mercedes car, Briton Hamilton, the 2008 world champion, has beaten current teammate Nico Rosberg on the last four outings in Malaysia, Bahrain, China and Spain.

The major German newspaper Bild fears Rosberg is "too nice" to regain the upper hand now.

"Both are equally fast; equally good. But is Nico Rosberg too nice for the title?" wondered correspondent Helmut Uhl.

Indeed, Hamilton's previous teammate Button recalls that Hamilton reverted to "mind games" to gain the upper hand when they were paired at McLaren until 2012.

Lewis Hamilton and Jenson Button, McLaren, in 2011. (Photo: WRi2)

And with Mercedes now so dominant in 2014, "I am sure there will - if there aren't already - be mind games going on," Button said.

"There were a few things he played on me. It would work on some drivers, whereas others it just makes them stronger because they laugh it off.

"Nico is intelligent to know if Lewis is playing mind games or not, which in some ways could help Nico or harm him. He might just end up getting fed up with it."

At the end of the day, however, Button said form and confidence are the most important elements in a driver's armoury, and Hamilton is currently on top of his game.

"Lewis is full of confidence at the moment and he is a fierce competitor when he is like that, even when he is not having a good day," he told the Daily Mail.

But Button said that, given Mercedes' utter dominance this year, the battle between Hamilton and Rosberg will be an important factor in 2014 to keep interest levels high.

"The thing is, because they (Mercedes) are going to walk away with it - I know we are only five races in, but they have such a big lead - they're not going to favour just one driver," he said.

"They will let their drivers race because they need to keep the show going, and we need them to keep the show going and let both drivers race," Button added.