Auto News 5

Next week at the 2014 Geneva Auto Show, Volkswagen will unveil a new compact SUV concept called T-ROC.

Riding on oversized 19'' wheels, it's about the same size as a Golf, more precisely 4.18 metres long (with a wheelbase of 2.59 metres), 1.83 metre wide, and 1.5 metre tall -- making the T-ROC a possible future rival of the Nissan JUKE.

Photo: Volkswagen

Under the hood is a 2.0L 4-cylinder TDI engine that produces 182 horsepower through a 7-speed DSG and 4MOTION all-wheel drive system, shooting the T-ROC from 0-100 km/h in 6.9 seconds. Fuel consumption is estimated at 4.9L/100km. Three drive modes are available including Street, Offroad, and Snow.

Photo: Volkswagen

These are the first pictures released by Volkswagen ahead of the T-ROC world premiere in Geneva.

Photo: Volkswagen

Citroen Racing has signed Chinese driver Ma Qing Hua for the 2014 season of the FIA World Touring Car Championship.

At the age of 26, Ma Qing Hua has solid bakground in single-seater racing, right up to Formula 1 level. He also won the China Touring Car Championship (1600cc class) in 2011.

Ma Qing Hua's programme for 2014 includes the Moscow, Spa-Francorchamps, Shanghai and Macao meetings. He will also take part in a fifth race, which has yet to be determined.

Ma Qinq will drive a C-Elysee WTCC alongside Sebastien Loeb, Yvan Muller and Jose-Maria Lopez.

Yves Matton and the four Citroën Racing's WTCC drivers will be present at Geneva International Motorshow on March 4.

Ma Qing Hua. (Photo: Citroën-Racing)

ItalDesign-Giugiaro, a member of the great Volkswagen family, will attend the 2014 Geneva Auto Show to present an all-new vehicle. Here's a teaser showing the front.

According to reports on social media, "The Maestro" himself, Giorgetto Giugiaro, penned the car as a potential rival for Maserati or BMW (Gran Lusso).

Last year, ItalDesign-Giugiaro introduced the Parcour coupe concept, designed by Fabrizio Giugiaro.

Source : wardsauto.com

Photo: ItalDesign-Giugiaro

From press release

Off road racing star Robby Gordon spent some days in Los Cabos, Mexico to hang out and start developing friendship and sharing ideas with Matt Campbell and the El Martillo Racing team looking forward to the 2015 Dakar Rally.

Campbell, from Calgary, Team Principal and driver of El Martillo Racing invited Gordon to come to Cabo spend time fishing and have a little party with some of the local racing community of Baja California Sur, a nice evening dinner with tacos, speed energy drink and lots of people hanging out with one of the most admired off road racers of Baja.

Matt Campbell and Robby Gordon. (Photo: El Martillo Racing)

At the event Matt Campbell made a statement about the plans with Robby Gordon and the motive of his visit. “There was no agenda in fact, but Robby and I are planning and talking about going to the Dakar as a solid North American team, not mixed on cars and teammates but maybe getting together to share some of the logistic and infrastructure...”

Getting clear about this as a project and nothing as a fact, Robby thanked Matt´s invitation and said that he is looking forward to get this alliance cleared out for the benefit of both El Martillo Racing and Robby Gordon Racing. Gordon was very emphatic saying that he wants to win the Dakar and that getting a solid team is the best way to go.

From GMM

The prospect of a grand prix on the historic streets of London have raced back into the F1 headlines.

Two years ago, McLaren sponsor Santander dreamed up a layout taking in Big Ben and Buckingham Palace as a publicity stunt, but this week the famous British team said the plan is in fact "grounded in reality".

McLaren said "new government legislation will make it easier for public streets to be sanctioned for motor sport events, and that means the much-vaunted London grand prix once again moves a step closer to reality".

Photo: Santander

Also hoping to race on the streets of the British capital is the new FIA-sanctioned electric single seater series Formula E, with organisers having even scheduled a 2015 date.

The Times newspaper added: "Motor sport organisations, including F1, have been told that a consultation that will make it easier to hold races on public roads (in the UK) will be launched within days."

Less convinced is the Guardian, saying that given the hurdles, top British driver Jenson Button "would be retired in the unlikely event of it (a London GP) ever taking place".

And a spokesman for the UK's motor sport association (MSA) said: "Silverstone's got a long-term contract to host the British grand prix. The push from the MSA about getting this change in legislation is much more aimed at hill climbs, sprints and stage rallies around the country in less traffic heavy routes than Park Lane and Horse Guards Parade."

From GMM

Crisis-struck Red Bull is hoping to merely "survive" the looming first race of the 2014 season.

The reigning world champion team looked to have taken a step forward as the final pre-season test began on Thursday in Bahrain.

At the wheel of the troubled Renault-powered RB10, Daniel Ricciardo had a promising morning -- until the latest technical problems left him stranded in the garage for most of the rest of the entire test day.

Afterwards, the Australian was his usual upbeat self.

"From the outside, it looks like we are not doing many laps and that the times are not good," he is quoted by Germany's Auto Motor und Sport.

"But as a team we are confident that we will be with the frontrunners (in 2014)," Ricciardo insisted. "It is difficult to really predict what will happen, but we can say that we will not dominate in Melbourne as we did at the end of last season."

Red Bull's always-blunt Marko, however, sounded a less positive note.

"We have to somehow survive Melbourne," the Austrian told Germany's Sport Bild.

He said Renault's troubled 'power unit' means Red Bull is often missing 165 horse power to the leading Mercedes, "which is about 30kph on the straights!

"That's why we have sent a taskforce to France. Our people have just helped Renault write a new software programme," revealed Marko, referring to Renault's Viry headquarters.

Daniel Ricciardo, Red Bull. (Photo: WRi2)

Renault says it had made real progress, which is timely given the FIA's looming engine development 'freeze' deadline of Friday.

"Yes, some problems we are yet to understand," Remi Taffin acknowledged, according to the Russian website f1news.ru.

"But over the past six years, approximately 95 per cent of the parts in the V6 engine were refined compared to the first version. We have made a big step forward between the first test and now with the new power unit. Yes we're a little behind schedule, we still have certain problems, but they are gradually being resolved," Taffin added.

From press release

Vitaly Petrov, Russia's first Formula 1 driver will also become the country's first Russian DTM driver as he will enter this year's championship with Mercedes-Benz.

Petrov will make his race debut at the wheel of a DTM Mercedes AMG C-Coupé at the DTM season opener on 4th May in Hockenheim. On 23th January, the former Formula 1 driver tested a DTM car with Mercedes-Benz for the first time in Portimão, Portugal. Last year, Petrov drove a Mercedes-Benz DTM race taxi at the Moscow City Race around Red Square and at the DTM premiere at the Moscow Raceway.

Vitaly Petrov in Portimao. (Photo: Mercedes-Benz)

Petrov finished the 2009 season in second place in the GP2 standings and moved up in the following year to compete in Formula 1, where he contested 57 Grand Prix for Renault, Lotus Renault GP and Caterham. Between 2010 and 2012, Petrov secured a total of 64 championship points and clinched third place on the podium at the 2011 season opener in Melbourne.

Vitaly Petrov: "The DTM is a great racing series and I'm very happy that Mercedes-Benz are giving me the chance to compete against the world's best touring car drivers in the DTM. I'm aware that I've got a steep learning curve ahead of me, but I love a challenge and accept it gladly. At my first test in Portimão, I was able to make my first acquaintance with the team and get a feel for the car, which is very important for me in order to play to my strengths. Motor racing is becoming ever more popular in Russia - last year, the DTM debuted at the Moscow Raceway and Sochi will host Formula 1 for the first time this year. I am certain that we will see many more Russian racing drivers in various series in the future and I hope that I can do my part in the DTM to make our sport more popular in my home country."

From GMM

Renault has asked for an extension to Friday's deadline for the development 'freeze' of its troubled turbo V6 power unit.

Actually, the homologation deadline is Friday at mightnight, when the basic performance specifications of Mercedes, Ferrari and Renault's new power units are set to be formally homologated by F1's governing body.

Photo: Renault

But Auto Motor und Sport reports that Renault, grappling so obviously with its new V6 and related systems, asked the FIA for a postponement of the deadline on Thursday.

Correspondent Michael Schmidt claims Renault, supplier to the reigning world champion team Red Bull and three others, has asked for "two to three" more months to get to the bottom of its technical problems.

Renault's request will be on the agenda at Friday's meeting of the strategy group in London, Schmidt added.

It is reported Renault president Carlos Ghosn has already met with FIA president Jean Todt "to convince him of the seriousness of the situation".

From GMM

Amid team supremo Vijay Mallya's high-profile problems, it emerges that another key Sahara Force India figure is also in major trouble.

Team boss Mallya's grounded Kingfisher airline has hogged all the headlines, but now the owner of Force India title sponsor Sahara is also in hot water, according to domestic publications including The Indian Express.

The report said police have raided the house of Subrata Roy, after a non-bailable warrant for his arrest was issued by the supreme court.

Subrata Roy, Sahara Force India. (Photo: WRi2)

The police "failed to find him there", the newspaper said, but Roy insisted in a statement on Friday that he is not on the run.

"I am not that human being who will abscond," he said. "In fact, being a law-abiding citizen, I shall hate myself to do any such thing ever in my life."

The warrant was issued after Roy failed to appear in court to answer a case about unpaid refunds to investors.

The 2015 Subaru Forester will cost $23,045, including destination, when it goes on sale in March or April.

News 27 Feb, 2014

New Volkswagen T-ROC SUV concept bound for Geneva Motor Show in March

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Volkswagen is recalling 589,000 Caddy small delivery vans worldwide to fix a problem that may cause an open tailgate to snap shut.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) is investigating why General Motors took years to recall 1.6 million small cars over an ignition switch defect linked to 13 deaths in crashes.

German tuner ABT Sportsline is bringing its modified Audi RS6-R Avant to the Geneva motor show.

Ford is celebrating the 80th anniversary of its Australian invention of the iconic 'ute', or utility or pickup truck, which led to the development of vehicles such as the F-Series and Ranger.

Pictures See all 9 pictures 27 Feb, 2014

Pictures See all 6 pictures 28 Feb, 2014

Ford of Europe's marketing head has said that changing demographics and continuing weak economies mean that for many years to come, European carmakers will be faced with a European car market almost a fifth below pre-crisis norms.