Auto News 5

Brazilian driver Felipe Massa thinks the new Williams FW36 has the potential to lead the chase to the mighty Mercedes W05.

At the season opener in Australia, Massa's race was ruined when he was rear ended at the first corner by Kamui Kobayashi's Caterham.

His teammate Valtteri Bottas drove like a man possessed until he needed to pit to replace a punctured tire. The Finn eventually finished 5th.

Felipe Massa, Williams (Photo: Martini Williams Racing)

When asked whether Williams are 'best of the rest', the Brazilian replied: "I think it's not impossible. I think McLaren definitely did a good race, they finished both cars in the good points and they're leading the championship.

"Everything is possible now and looking how we are compared to the others, I would say Mercedes is for the moment too quick compared to us. But I think maybe after Mercedes, everything is open and maybe we can be there,” said the former Ferrari driver.

Despite a small lack of overall downforce, the Mercedes-powered FW36 is already quite impressive.

"There is still a huge margin to improve and I'm really pushing the team to go in a direction where the car will be better," Massa declared.

"There is a lot to do but looking where we are, it's a good start. In extreme conditions, we suffer a lot more than the other teams. It's not the rain; it's something else that's making these problems,” Massa indicated.

He concluded by saying that new parts should make the Williams more competitive in the next Grand Prix in Malaysia.

From GLORY DAYS Celebration of Speed

Following a successful launch at the Canadian Motorsports Expo show where the new GLORY DAYS Celebration of Speed received enthusiastic interest, we are pleased to announce that registration is open and entries are being received.

Interestingly, the first two confirmed entrants for the featured Hillclimb event couldn't be further apart in terms of racing worlds.

The first to get on board was Canadian racing legend, Bill Brack.

Brack is a three-time Formula Atlantic Champion who raced against and defeated coming greats like Gilles Villeneuve, Bobby Rahal and Keke Rosberg among others. He is an "all-rounder" having begun his career in Minis, moving on to Formula Atlantic, F1 and Stock Cars. Brack will be piloting his championship-winning Lotus 59/69 and he is eager to get back on track at Mosport and the challenge of the counter-clockwise uphill course.

Next to jump in was 'Cowboy Dan' Price, a favourite of the CME and the short ovals, especially Peterborough Speedway.

Price will be in his 1957 Chevy-bodied Thunder Car. He is looking forward to charging the 1.8-mile uphill course, which is six times longer than a lap at the speedway and comes complete with five corners, two of which are righthanders!

GLORY DAYS Celebration of Speed
Canadian Tire Motorsport Park - Mosport Grand Prix Circuit
Canadian Tire Motorsport Park, Bowmanville, Ontario Canada - June 27 - 29, 2014
For more information go to: http://www.glorydayscelebrationofspeed.com

From GMM

Briton Jenson Button, the most experienced driver on the 2014 Formula 1 grid, must now prove to McLaren he is also a man for the future.

The 2009 world champion is out of contract at the end of this season, and in Australia he was out-qualified and out-raced by his new rookie teammate, Kevin Magnussen.

"I've had a great career," Button is quoted by the Telegraph, "but for me it's definitely not near the end.

"People have said 'Ah, he's 34, end of your contract, what are you going to do at the end of this year?' It's going to be the same as any other year," the Briton insisted.

Jenson Button, McLaren (Photo: McLaren)

"It doesn't matter if you've got a contract, if a team don't think you're doing a good enough job then they'll get rid of you, and if you're doing a great job they'll want you for 10 years more."

Button said he has not considered what he would do if his only option would be to leave McLaren and join a smaller team.

"I'm here at McLaren and that's where I'm happy to be. I'm not going to get worried either way," he insisted.

The situation could, however, ramp up the tension between Button and the 13 years younger Magnussen this year, but McLaren's Eric Boullier insisted he is not worried.

"I think you should ask that question to Mercedes or Ferrari," he is quoted by Germany's Auto Motor und Sport.

"For us there is no problem."

From press release

Andersen Promotions today announced a new partnership with Delta, B.C., Canada-based Race Energy, a designer and manufacturer of state-of-the-art power conversion solutions for motorsports.

The new association will benefit all three levels of the Mazda Road to Indy as Race Energy will become the Official Battery Charger of the ladder series - Indy Lights, Pro Mazda Championship and USF2000 Championship.

Race Energy will be using the Mazda Road to Indy platform to debut its latest innovation - the Race Energy BCM21 motorsports battery charger, a revolutionary new Digital Signal Processor (DSP) based charger which allows precise programming to the exact charging profile recommended by a battery manufacturer.

Programmable from a laptop via USB, the charger allows a race engineer to positively ensure a race car battery is fully recharged and ready for the next on-track session in the shortest possible time.

As part of its new partnership, Race Energy will be providing customized BCM21 chargers to each race-winning team on the Mazda Road to Indy this season.

The BCM21 is compatible with all 12-volt lead acid, Gel, VLRA and Lithium-ion batteries.

JR Hildebrand, who has not had a full-time drive since splitting from Panther Racing midway through last year, will drive Ed Carpenter Racing's second entry for the upcoming Indianapolis 500.

The American says he is excited at the prospect of being at the Indy 500 where he finished second in 2011.

Team owner Ed Carpenter, who will drive the team's lead car at all oval races during 2014 including Indy, said that he expects Hildebrand's input to make the entire team stronger.

Hildebrand will drive the No. 21 entry.

Start of the Indy 500. (Photo: IndyCar)

The Regal name has been part of GM for over 40 years now. However, this is the first time an all-wheel-drive option has been available on the Regal, and it has to be said that GM has done the job right.

Photo: Kevin Corrigan

The Haldex System
This Haldex XWD system is similar to that found in the Cadillac SRX, the European Opel Insignia, and that used in the last of the Saab 9-3 models. In fact, the system debuted on the Saab 9-3 Turbo-X performance sedan back in 2008.

Like most all-wheel drive systems, it has a clutch that dictates the levels of torque going through it at any given time. To decide these levels, the system analyses signals from the vehicle's onboard sensors. Those signals include: engine torque, individual wheel speed, throttle position, yaw, latitude and longitude sensors, and more. The system then decides how much torque is to be sent back to the rear wheels.

During acceleration, the clutch demands a high torque level. It then looks for wheel slip and backs off if slip is not detected. For a normal, everyday launch (say, from a stoplight), the torque split between the front and rear is roughly equal. After the initial acceleration, the system backs off and returns to a more traditional front-wheel drive configuration. This obviously greatly assists fuel economy, but also makes for excellent traction when you need it most.

On the highway while cruising, the system drops to near zero and all but a small amount of torque, for clutch preload, is sent to the rear wheels. However, the system is continuously variable and will react depending on the sensor inputs. Again, fuel economy comes to the forefront as you're basically now driving a FWD vehicle.

eLSD
The system also features a proper electronic limited-slip differential, not one of those erratic brake-operated traction-control systems which try to mimic an LSD. The eLSD enables side-to-side adjustment to the torque split between the rear wheels to optimize vehicle stability and cornering capabilities.

The Interactive Drive Control system
Available on the 2014 Buick Regal GS is an Interactive Drive Control system which allows the driver to select various drive modes (Touring/Sport/GS). In GS mode, the setting increases steering efforts for more direct feedback to the driver. It also increases damping levels and alters the shift points of the 6-speed automatic transmission.

Put to the test
We recently had the opportunity to test drive the new all-wheel-drive 2014 Buick Regal GS. Take it from me, the addition of AWD turns this sedan into a truly fun-to-drive Buick, especially in GS mode. The car feels properly confident going into the turns (those Brembo brakes certainly help), and there's grip galore on exiting those corners. We also managed to locate an ice bridge in Quebec on which to drive. There, on sheet ice, the advantages of AWD were obvious and the benefits of the eLSD came at us like a slap in the face. This system works, and it does so extremely well.

This all-wheel-drive system literally transforms the Buick sedan, and it's going to be interesting to see just how many other GM products feature this system in the future.

Photo: Kevin Corrigan

From GMM

The long-serving chairman of Australia's grand prix in Melbourne is stepping down.

Ron Walker, a stalwart of the almost twenty-year-old Albert Park race and a close friend and political ally of Bernie Ecclestone, will retire after the 2015 event.

"I'm 75 this year and it's good governance to let someone fresh take the reins," he told News Limited publications in Australia.

Walker, a former Melbourne lord mayor and a multimillionaire businessman, selected his own replacement, current cricket world cup chairman John Harnden.

"It's not public knowledge," said Walker. "We haven't made the announcements, because we wanted to continue to do what we do without any fanfare."

The fact that Harnden will only take over for the 2016 race is a clear sign that Melbourne wants to keep the grand prix beyond its 2015 contract.

Start of the 2014 Australian Grand Prix. (Photo: WRi2)

Ron Walker, who was recently battling lung cancer, revealed last week that he has negotiated a basic new deal with Ecclestone.

"I think the foreplay is over so to speak and it's now a case of talking to the government about whether it is worth it or not," he is quoted by the AFP news agency.

"I think everyone in the government wants the race. The assessment is going to be made over the price," Walker added.

He told News Limited: "We are asking for three extra years. We are not like the Arab states and some other countries -- we have to be very careful the way we spend taxpayers' money."

From GMM

Mercedes' advantage over its 2014 rivals might be bigger than is currently thought.

Nico Rosberg won the Melbourne race with a half-minute advantage, but Ferrari's Fernando Alonso was quoted afterwards by Auto Motor und Sport as suspecting the German was "playing with us" on the roads around Albert Park.

Indeed, Rosberg's best lap of the race was set on lap 19, with a still relatively high fuel load, while most of his rivals had their best pace in the last 20 laps, with lighter tanks.

Red Bull team boss Christian Horner suspects: "I think Mercedes were simply maintaining a pace without pushing hard.

"Probably they have some more tricks up their sleeve, so we have a lot of work to do," he is quoted by Italy's Tuttosport.

Nico Rosberg, Mercedes W05, winner in Australia. (Photo: Mercedes AMG F1 Team)

Christian Horner said he thinks Red Bull is currently in a group behind Mercedes that also includes McLaren and Ferrari.

And he thinks Williams has the edge on that group, "I'm sure they did not give their best and that they are at least second best at the moment."

It is clear that Red Bull's biggest handicap is with its Renault powertrain.

"90 per cent of the problems are associated with the software and how the ERS and the engine work together," Horner is quoted by Germany's Sport1.

Daniel Ricciardo, although disqualified, finished second behind Rosberg in Australia, but Horner doubts Red Bull is ready to challenge for outright wins.

"The break after Australia is just too short (to win in Malaysia)," he said.

Worse still for Mercedes' rivals is that the Brackley based team is not resting on its laurels.

The team took an updated front wing to Melbourne but decided not to use it.

"We only had two, and we didn't want to risk damaging one and then running one car with the new wing and one with the old wing," said Mercedes designer Aldo Costa.

The other issue is that the new, radically-short nose that goes with the new wing design reportedly failed the mandatory FIA crash test.

When it launched in 2009, the new Regal defied typical Buick traits by being a properly agile sports sedan instead of a massive, geriatric land-sponge with a chassis made of pizza dough. New, fuel-saving engines, new features, and new styling all helped the Regal put a younger shopper in its crosshairs.


What is a 2014 Buick Regal Turbo AWD?
In a nutshell, 2014 sees the Regal become a slightly more potent and capable version of its former self. Engineers and designers worked to make things even more relevant, partially by delivering more of the features, hardware, and attributes popular with entry-luxury shoppers. Those shoppers will notice revised styling, a more confident presence, and a fresh new take on the Regal's signature blend of athletic character and classiness.

With more power from the turbocharged 4-cylinder engine standard on most models, they'll notice the Regal has become a bit of a rocket, too.
For the first time in a Regal, that engine is hooked up to an all-new AWD system designed by Haldex for all-season traction, confidence, and stability with an eye for impressing those active on Canadian roads 365 days a year. The fast-acting AWD system splits power between the axles in milliseconds to keep drivers going though even the crankiest of Mother Nature's climatic mood swings.

2014 Buick Regal AWD Prices and Specs
For 2014, the Buick Regal starts at $34,795 with turbocharged power and front-wheel drive, with a mild-hybrid e-Assist powered front-drive model ditching the turbo and adding a battery-driven electric motor from $36,425. Turbocharged AWD models open the bidding at $37,075, and my tester, with the Premium II package and AWD landed around $44,000 with some options.

In a nutshell, 2014 sees the Regal become a slightly more potent and capable version of its former self. (Photo: Justin Pritchard)

Driving the 2014 Buick Regal AWD
Fitted with Michelin X-ice winter rubber to support the AWD system, the 2014 Buick Regal AWD felt unstoppable in deep snow, slush, and was driven for three hours through conditions that resulted in a highway closure on one trip I attempted unsuccessfully.

Plenty of power is transmitted to the front axle to keep the Regal on course and planted when pushed around in the snow. The AWD system isn't instantly frisky or tail-happy, which is great for a driver after an AWD sports sedan that feels stable, predictable, and locked-on.

The suspension is sprung with a comfortable tautness that's firm without being uncomfortable, and younger drivers will appreciate how the suspension always talks to them, and how it's always ready to support the 2014 Buick Regal in ripping around fast bends with an eye for agility and poise. This is a confident car when pushed, should you find occasion.

The steering and brakes aren't quite as sharp and athletic as the suspension, and have a touch of softness dialed in around the edges which contributes to laid-back highway cruising. A quiet ride adds to the effect. Ultimately, the Regal should impress a test-driver looking for a rig that's a fair bit sporty, but still comfortable overall.

The new 2.0L turbo 4-cylinder cranks out 259 horses, which shouldn't leave most looking for any more jam. The midrange torque is almost face-peeling which makes for impressively quick highway passing, even if the engine is nothing special to listen to.

Over a week, I most appreciated the 2014 Buick Regal's ride and suspension, both in terms of the above-average handling abilities and a robust, honed, solid and well-built feel over the roughest of roads. Even travelling over potholes and ice ruts at 30-degrees-below where bushings, shocks and struts are stiff and frigid, Regal's ride remains quiet, tight, and refined.

The 2014 Buick Regal AWD felt unstoppable in deep snow, slush, and was driven for three hours through conditions that resulted in a highway closure on one trip I attempted unsuccessfully. (Photo: Justin Pritchard)

Inside and Out of the 2014 Buick Regal AWD
Inside, the revised cabin gets a new centre stack as its design centerpiece to make room for a new easy-to-use IntelliLink infotainment and communication system. It's ritzy, but not decked out with more fake chrome than the front row of a 50 Cent concert, almost everything is intuitively laid out, and the heated steering wheel and touch-activated climate controls were slick. Ditto for the much-loved remote start which saw frequent use during a January cold snap, er, Polar Vortex.

The cabin of the 2014 Buick Regal AWD, though pleasing to look at and mostly nice to touch, was also my largest source of complaint. First, rear-seat headroom is confusingly tight. I'm about 5”11 on a good day, and I had, maybe, a quarter-inch of headroom to spare. Further, the heated-seat touch-pad controls won't activate if you're wearing gloves, which you will be, because you're cold.

The instrument cluster, further, is hard to read: the numbers wrap to the dials, meaning many of them are sideways or upside down -- not to mention too small. The entire thing is back-lit in grey, which is gross and made me want to cover the whole thing with a paper bag.

First, rear-seat headroom is confusingly tight. I'm about 5”11 on a good day, and I had, maybe, a quarter-inch of headroom to spare. (Photo: Justin Pritchard)

Comparing the 2014 Buick Regal Turbo AWD
Shoppers are advised to compare the 2014 Regal Turbo AWD to any number of other semi-sensible, go-fast, AWD models from Volvo, Acura, Chrysler or Lexus. A Ford Fusion in its highest grade with EcoBoost power and AWD makes a compelling cross-shopping endeavor, thanks to a more striking cabin and more interior space.

From GMM

It could be "several weeks" before the outcome of Red Bull's appeal against the Daniel Ricciardo disqualification is known.

On Thursday, the reigning world champions lodged the official appeal papers with the governing FIA, after stewards took away Australian Ricciardo's second place finish due to fuel flow irregularities.

But it is not known when the appeal - surely to be held in Paris - will take place.

"How long will it take? Several weeks," the respected correspondent for Italy's Autosprint, Alberto Antonini, predicted.

"With two races in sequence, Malaysia and Bahrain, it would be ideal to get a ruling before the end of next week," he added. "But the timing may not allow it."

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

At the very least, the FIA is expected to announce a date for the appeal hearing within the next few days.

But "When the case will be held is not known," agreed Tobias Gruner, the correspondent for Germany's Auto Motor und Sport.

"Depending on the complexity of the information that is submitted, it could take weeks. It will probably not be before the third race in Bahrain," he added.

Eddie Jordan, an outspoken former team boss and owner, said he doubts Red Bull's penalty will be overturned by the international court of appeal.

"They say the (fuel flow) sensor was unreliable," he is quoted by the German-language T-Online, "but rules are rules."

Jordan, now a pundit for British television, said he thinks Red Bull's decision to go through with an appeal is therefore "quite arrogant".

General Motors CEO Mary Barra will testify April 1 on Capitol Hill about the company's handling of its unfolding recall crisis, the House Energy and Commerce Committee said Thursday.

The Saturn Ion, one of the vehicles covered by General Motors' ignition-switch recall, also is the subject of a long-running investigation by federal safety regulators into whether GM should have included it in a 2010 recall for power-steering...

An Arizona Senate committee has pushed forward a bill that would let electric-vehicle maker Tesla Motors sell its cars directly to consumers.

Google CEO and co-founder Larry Page says that when he dies he has a plan for where his billions should go -- not to charity, but to people like Tesla founder Elon Musk.

Serious buyers and tire kickers alike can find everything on Bring a Trailer, from all-out American classics to pre-war antiques and Italian muscle.

A U.S. judge approved a deferred prosecution agreement with Toyota Motor Corp. on Thursday that resolves an investigation into safety issues and could serve as a model in a similar probe of General Motors.

VW's management board will sign off on a budget car for emerging markets likely sell for between 6,000 euros ($8,300) and 8,000 euros after ending a struggle to meet cost targets for the vehicle, a report said.

VW's management board will sign off on a budget car for emerging markets likely sell for between 6,000 euros ($8,300) and 8,000 euros after ending a struggle to meet cost targets for the vehicle, a report said.

A day after his company agreed to pay a record $1.2 billion to settle a criminal probe into safety issues, the head of Toyota Motor Corp. called the preceding recalls a turning point for the carmaker.

In the second part of this month's briefing, just-auto's future products editor, Glenn Brooks, completes his reflections on the significant trends and vehicle world premieres at the 2014 Geneva Salon de l'Automobile.