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-- The first annual "Wal-Mart Car Show" is actually an Internet gallery featuring wood-bedecked Oldsmobiles, sponged minivans, Avatar tribute Silverados, and Subaru Outbacks with giant logs for bumpers.

The retirement from Daimler's supervisory board of combative trade union veteran Erich Klemm may smooth management-labor relations at the company and boost the career of Wolfgang Bernhard, who is seen as a candidate to succeed CEO Dieter Zetsche.

Daimler and Beijing Auto will spend $1.37 billion to more than double Mercedes production capacity at their Beijing plant to keep pace with rising demand.

The transformation of the old Rover plant in the British Midlands, scene of so much labor strife, turmoil and heartbreak in the 1970s and '80s, is breathtaking.

The Tesla vs. dealers clash was already intense. Now the fight has escalated, with the addition of presidential politics and bidding for a battery factory.

Cam Clark knows he can recruit veteran service repair technicians from outside to work in his Airdrie, Alberta, Ford dealership. But he can never be sure what work habits they might bring with them.

Some of the vexing questions looming over General Motors' decadelong failure to recall cars with a deadly ignition-switch defect could get answers this week -- or at least a more glaring spotlight.

From 2005 through 2007, a key period when General Motors fixed a defective ignition switch in the Chevrolet Cobalt and Saturn Ion without recalling the old switch, GM sent five times as many early-warning reports of deaths and injuries to U.S.

Chrysler Group shocked many Canadians when it abandoned potential government help to overhaul its assembly plants in Windsor, Ontario.

A group of aspiring dealers who paid for the right to distribute Mahindra vehicles in the United States and didn't get refunds when the Indian company scrapped its U.S. sales plans won't be able to pursue collective relief.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration may have been so consumed with resolving an old safety crisis -- children being killed by airbags -- that it missed a new one: GM's defective ignition switch.

BMW's decision to approve the seven-seat X7 crossover was driven by competitive pressure -- especially in the United States, says CEO Norbert Reithofer.

Two years ago, suspecting deceit, Google deleted virtually all customers' reviews of auto dealerships that were sent from dealerships' computers. But the debate about in-store reviews continues to rage.

From GMM

The future of the F1 drivers' association appears in danger.

We reported after the season-opening Australian grand prix that current GPDA president Pedro de la Rosa wants to step down.

Speed Week said the Ferrari reserve driver informed his colleagues in Melbourne and scheduled a vote for his successor to take place in Malaysia.

But the same publication now reports that while the matter was put on the table at a meeting at Sepang, the drivers could not find a willing candidate.

The issue will reportedly be back on the agenda this weekend in Bahrain.

Alongside 43-year-old Spaniard de la Rosa, the other GPDA directors at present are Jenson Button and reigning world champion Sebastian Vettel.

From GMM

Lewis Hamilton has ramped up his rivalry with teammate Nico Rosberg by claiming he "blew him away" at Sepang on Sunday.

The 2008 world champion comfortably won the Malaysian grand prix from pole, and although German Rosberg finished second in the sister Mercedes, Hamilton claimed it was one of the easiest triumphs of his eight-year career.

"It's massive. I don't remember the last time in my career I had a gap like that, particularly with a teammate driving the same car," said the Briton.

Lewis Hamilton said he had built his advantage from the very start of the practice sessions, and "it worked and that is why I blew him away".

Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes W05, winner in Malaysia. (Photo: WRi2)

Nico Rosberg won the season opener in Melbourne but only after Hamilton - again from pole - retired with an engine problem.

"I'm pushing myself more than my teammate is pushing me. That's where the push is coming from," Hamilton said at Sepang late on Sunday.

"Nico is very quick, he's won the first race, he's always there, so naturally we are pushing each other. But this year I'm pushing myself that extra. I'm eking out more than I've ever been able to eke out."

Jenson Button, a former teammate of Hamilton's at McLaren, thinks Sepang on Sunday was a psychological as well as an actual victory for the 28-year-old.

"Looking at what Lewis did is going to hurt (Rosberg) a little bit. He was super-fast," he said.

"That is a lot to put between you and your teammate when you have both had a clear race. I am sure that is strike one to him," Button added.

Former F1 driver and BBC pundit David Coulthard agrees: "If that was a pure driver-to-driver battle, then Nico psychologically will have taken a bit of a hit."

Mercedes chairman Niki Lauda is quoted by Speed Week: "I have no idea why Nico could not drive at Lewis' level. But I am glad that they were not fighting with each other. Now we have to analyse what was the issue with Nico's car as it must be corrected and then we move to Bahrain."

From GMM

Red Bull continued to grapple with fuel flow problems in Sunday's Malaysian grand prix.

While Sebastian Vettel finished third, it was his teammate Daniel Ricciardo's sister RB10 - disqualified in Melbourne over the very same issue - that was once again affected.

The sensor failed early on, but the team avoided disqualification this time around by simply following the FIA's advice about how to comply with the rules in the absence of the troublesome Gill device.

"Yes," Dr Helmut Marko told German television Sky, "this time the FIA asked us to check the correlation of our data and we did it."

Team boss Christian Horner suggested the continuing problems demonstrates that Red Bull has a strong argument to put forward at the forthcoming appeal hearing.

"I think it clearly demonstrates that there are issues with these sensors," he said.

Sebastian Vettel and Daniel Ricciardo, Red Bull RB10-Renault. (Photo: WRi2)

Christian Horner added that he has "no idea" why Red Bull is having more problems than any other rival.

A theory has been bouncing around the paddock that Red Bull's Total fuel might be a contributing factor.

"We are yet to understand why we always have problems when the others don't -- it could be something related to the fuel, but we are trying to understand," said Marko.

Germany's Auto Motor und Sport said the Lotus driven by Pastor Maldonado in Malaysia also had a fuel sensor problem, so another theory is that the frequencies produced by Renault's turbo unit could be causing issues.

The publication also said it is possible that installation modifications made to the Gill unit by the Renault-powered teams could be damaging it.

Ricciardo's problems did not stop at the fuel sensor at Sepang, as he struggled with a pitstop problem and a subsequent stop-go penalty and a wing failure.

The 'unsafe release' from the pitstop will also cost him ten grid places in Bahrain this weekend, but boss Horner says he has been impressed with the Australian so far in 2014.

"Today didn't go his way but he gets out of the car and he's got a smile on his face," he said. "He knows that it will come right."

Every year, and for the last 10 years or so, I've made my way to the Canadian International Auto Show in my tester car of the week. This year was no different.

I typically try and get something that fits as many of the “road trip” criteria as possible. In other words, the car has to be fast, quiet, comfortable, decently economical and (at this particular time of the year) sport AWD. Enter Cadillac's flagship XTS sedan.

The 2014 XTS4 Vsport Platinum is at the absolute peak of Cadillac's lineup of cars, and after travelling over 1,500km with it, I can attest that this car is superb on nearly every conceivable level. Plenty powerful, smooth, and solid, the XTS faces only one minor flaw: the transmission. I loved the car, but read on.


What is a Cadillac XTS?
The 2014 Cadillac XTS was called upon to replace the old STS and DTS sedans. At one point in time, the STS was a hot product, but its appeal fizzled out and it was time for a strong replacement.

The XTS arrived in 2012 as a 2013 model year car. Its “large-midsize” stature lends itself well to limousine duty, and serves as the luxury poster boy of the re-emerging status symbol that once was Cadillac.

2014 Cadillac XTS Price and Specs
The basic FWD XTS Standard has a retail price of $48,940. At the top of the heap sits the XTS Vsport Platinum with AWD and its starting price is of $73,745.

My tester was the latter and included the White Diamond Tricoat paint job as well as the optional Entertainment System for a grand total of nearly $30,000 more than the base price or $77,035.

A 3.6L V6 does double duty for the XTS. In non-Vsport cars, it develops 304 horsepower and 264 lb-ft of torque. As such, FWD and AWD are offered. For more fun, Caddy will throw on two turbos that boost output to 410 horsepower and 368 lb-ft of torque. In this guise, only AWD with an electronic limited-slip rear differential is standard. A 6-speed automatic transmission is equally standard across the board.

All XTS Cadillacs benefit from Magnetic Ride Control, and its continuously variable real-time suspension setup. Brembo provides the four-wheel disc brakes.

Driving the 2014 Cadillac XTS4 Vsport
Of my list of road-trip car criteria, you may have noticed that “fast” was the first element. For this, I was served a fancy American five-course meal. The V6 pounces on the opportunity to claw away at surfaces along with the AWD system, and once given the chance, blasts forward.

This chance only comes when the 6-cog slushbox finally picks a gear. Under calm and collected urban crawling, the XTS' transmission glides from one gear to another, displaying silky smoothness that is expected from the grand brand that is Cadillac.

Given that this is a Vsport, old-man cruising is out of the question when not necessary. From a standstill, the transmission pops from one gear to another, knocking at the 100 km/h in as little as 5.5 seconds. Passing manoeuvres are as blisteringly fast, once the transmission finally selects a gear, occasionally crashing into it, and then the XTS is off like a rocket. The V6 suffers no lag whereas the autobox does. Once sorted, I can only imagine how furious this luxury boat will feel.

In the 2014 Cadillac XTS Vsport, this is the only lacking element. The AWD XTS' hydraulic steering (electric with FWD) is light and not particularly sharp, however, in this application it is plenty sporty. The big Brembo brakes provide not only strong stopping power, but the pedal has better than decent feel.

The big Caddy's Magnetic Ride Control suspension is impressive. On the long highway stretches, the whole getup firms up for a taut and stable ride. A degree of suppleness and comfort level can be just as easily attained, all without input from the driver.

Inside and Out of the 2014 Cadillac XTS
The 2014 Cadillac XTS' styling is highly original and thus instantly recognizable. As the first to sport the now-signature vertical head and taillights, the XTS looks just as good sitting still as it does barrelling down the highway.

The sharp body creases, large distinct wheels and unique “Twin-Turbo” grille have seriously grown on me, and with every new Caddy the effect is exponential. The white paint job helps quite a bit, too...

The cabin is equally fashionable. I would like for Cadillac to drop the capacitive-touch control, haptic feedback and gesture recognition CUE business because it seems to work whenever it feels like it -- it is incredibly frustrating at times. The same applies to Ford. The only interesting feature is proximity sensing...

As far as the remainder of the cabin goes, the seats are very comfortable, room abounds everywhere, the trunk is capacious, and fit and finish are very nice.

Comparing the 2014 Cadillac XTS
The 2014 XTS Vsport is next to impossible to match power-bang-for-the-buck wise. $65,575 will get you all of 410 hp. There are many alternatives here, such as the Audi A6, BMW 535i xDrive, Mercedes-Benz E 350 4MATIC as well as some Japanese options. None will deliver the oomph factor this way.

However, my tester closes in on some serious players such as the Audi S6 ($85,500), the BMW 550i xDrive (443 hp and $76,750!), and the Merc E 550 4MATIC. Equipment levels are not on par with the XTS compared to the Germans. Fact is, if your dreams are made of Caddies, only one will do.

From GMM

Mercedes' rivals have acknowledged the gap to the dominant championship leaders will not be easily overcome.

Reports on Sunday suggested Red Bull was quickly catching up with the silver clad team in the development race, after Sebastian Vettel finished within striking distance of the second-placed Nico Rosberg in Malaysia.

But Red Bull's Christian Horner said after Sepang: "It's a big gap. They have plenty up their sleeve."

Ferrari's Fernando Alonso, meanwhile, acknowledged the Italian team is not yet even in a position to beat the second force of 2014, Red Bull.

Two weeks after Nico Rosberg in Australia, Lewis Hamilton wins in Malaysia with Mercedes. (Photo: WRi2)

"For Bahrain we can't expect any miracles, because we are practicing again in just five days and so no teams are going to make any sudden, giant steps," said the Spaniard.

"Top speed is also important in Bahrain and so I expect Williams to be strong as well. I want to be in the top five again. We need to keep finishing as close as we can to the top, so that we can think about the championship later on if the car is more competitive," Alonso is quoted by Speed Week.

As for McLaren, racing boss Eric Boullier was forthright when asked if the British team can close the gap to Mercedes for the start of the European season, when the first major development steps will be made.

"No," he answered.

Is Eric Boullier confident the gap can be closed at all in 2014? "That's the right question," he added. "Maybe by Europe next year, yes."

For nearly 17 years Richard Wagoner was either in command and control at GM or else part of a tiny klatch of executives running the company. Not since Alfred Sloan had one executive held so much power for so long at GM.

Chrysler was forced to delay the launch of its 2014 Jeep Cherokee by two months last fall as engineers struggled with a software flaw in the SUV's nine-speed automatic.