Auto News 5

Outgoing Vauxhall CEO Duncan Aldred has reiterated the goals for GM's UK unit under the 'One Plan'.

BMW is expanding engine production in China to potentially double capacity as it seeks to close the gap with Audi in the world's largest car market. A new plant will build four-cylinder gasoline engines for locally built cars starting in 2016.

BASF says new and safer batteries with a higher capacity will boost the range of electric cars, helping the market for electric-vehicle batteries to be worth $20 billion by 2020.

BASF says new and safer batteries with a higher capacity will boost the range of electric cars, helping the market for electric-vehicle batteries to be worth $20 billion by 2020.

Fiat wandered in the desert for the newest spot on our auto brand viral video rankings.

From press release

Williams F1 Team has bolstered its senior race operations line-up as it prepares for the 2014 Formula 1 World Championship season, with the appointments of Rob Smedley and Richard Lockwood.

Frank Williams' team welcomes Rob Smedley as Head of Vehicle Performance, a newly created position which will strengthen the trackside team whilst also supporting the development work back at the factory to help bring more performance to the car throughout the season.

Smedley's proven track record and experience stand him in good stead for the challenges that 2014 bring. Rob will join Williams prior to the Bahrain Grand Prix.

The Briton will be supported by Race Engineers Andrew Murdoch, who is engineer to Felipe Massa, and Jonathan Eddolls, who remains with Valtteri Bottas in 2014.

Richard Lockwood completes the trackside operation line-up, joining the team from Marussia as Head of Race Strategy. Lockwood will work with current Strategist Randeep Singh who remains with the team for the 2014 season.

Felipe Massa (Williams) and Fernando Alonso (Ferrari). (Photo: WRi2)

From GMM

Kimi Raikkonen's newly-healed back withstood a hefty shunt as the first week of Bahrain testing came to a close.

The Finn sat out the last races of 2013 to have surgery and physiotherapy on an old and increasingly painful back injury.

When he returned to the wheel of Ferrari's new F14-T car at Jerez late last month, he reported: "At least now, on the first day of driving, I did not have any problems.

"And I don't expect any either, even if you never know what's going to happen in the future."

The Ferrari F14-T of Kimi Raikkonen, after the crash in Bahrain. (Photo: WRi2)

What happened on the last day of Bahrain testing on Saturday was a sizeable crash, causing plenty of damage to the new red single seater.

However, it caused no damage to Raikkonen's back.

"The back has been quite ok since the surgery," Raikkonen told the Finnish newspaper Turun Sanomat.

"I hope it stays that way, but for now it seems pretty normal."

Schmidt Peterson Motorsports IndyCar team has confirmed it will enter a third Honda-powered Dallara DW12 in this year's running of the Indy 500.

The team headed by Sam Schmidt said the car will be driven by a former Indy 500 race winner.

Jacques Villeneuve (Photo: René Fagnan)

Several motorsport web sites claim that this driver will be Canadian Jacques Villeneuve. The official announcement will be made tomorrow, Wednesday during a press conference in Indianapolis.

Villeneuve has been pretty successful in the two Indy 500s he ran. He finished second in his rookie year (1994) and claimed victory one year later in 1995, despite receiving a harsh two-lap penalty.

The Canadian also captured the 1997 Formula 1 World Championship. This year, he will compete in the new FIA World Rallycross Championship, driving a Peugeot 208 for Team Albatec.

From GMM

Red Bull has denied claims the struggling world champions are secretly running the troubled Renault-powered RB10 between the two Bahrain tests.

Spaniard Pius Gasso, a respected and reliable F1 source and former racing driver, said he believes an RB10 is running at the Idiada facility in Spain, south of Barcelona, ahead of the resumption of official testing later this week in Bahrain.

Gasso even 'tweeted' a link to an audio file of the alleged 'secret' testing.

Another source told Speed Week correspondent Matthias Brunner that Red Bull's Idiada running would be contrary to the tight testing limitations.

"They would only be able to drive at Idiada with a current car if they had declared it a 'PR day'. And the rules say clearly that it would be purely for marketing and PR purposes," said the F1 source.

A Red Bull spokeswoman said simply: "We are not at Idiada!"

Photo: WRi2

From press release

Stock car racing is all about give and take. You give absolutely everything your equipment will take in search of that next checkered flag.

Tackling a tight, demanding layout like Peterborough Speedway takes a special kind of racing talent. A driver needs to display the perfect combination of patient aggression.

A gentle nudge at the right time or place could be the difference between a trip the winner's circle or a mid-pack finish. Track owner/promoter J.P. Josiasse says that's the type of performance that packs the grandstands week after week.

"We've earned a reputation as a driver's track and the word gets around pretty quickly," said Josiasse. "It usually takes just one trip through our pit gates for a racer to know what to expect. We don't condone people taking each other out on purpose, but there's only so much time to react when you're out there with 15 or 20 other drivers who have their eyes on the same prize."

In 2013, the track's regular divisions saw over 100 drivers make at least one start in weekly action. A quick check of the final point standings shows two classes were decided by a margin of 10 points or less, while the maximum difference between first and second place point positions was 33 markers.

With three of last season's five track champions returning to defend their titles and some familiar faces in different places, the upcoming campaign will be one of the most exciting in years.

Peterborough Speedway's 2014 schedule will take the green flag with the Country 105 Season Opener, presented by Pepsi - with free spectator grandstand admission - Saturday, May 17th.

The stock car racing portion of this year's agenda concludes with the 22nd running of the Autumn Colours Classic - sponsored by Lucas Oil Products - October 10,11 and 12. Sandwiched in between will be 14 Saturday nights; and one Sunday afternoon of thrilling fender-to-fender excitement.

Fan Appreciation/Toonie Grandstand Admission Nights are planned for Saturday, May 31, July 19 and August 16. The popular OSCAAR Outlaw Super Late Models have dates with the tight bullring on Mount Pleasant Road, west of the Liftlock City Saturday, August 3, August 30 and October 11, during Autumn Colours.

Lucas Oil Sportsman Cup teams will tackle Canada's Toughest 1/3-Mile Oval for a 100 lap affair Saturday, August 9. Fans, race teams and even track officials are looking forward to this year's lid-lifter.

Fans can find the complete 2014 schedule at www.peterboroughspeedway.com.

From GMM

Just as Renault's problems mounted, the troubled F1 engine supplier's track boss Remi Taffin was rushed to hospital.

Blogf1.it reports that the Frenchman missed the first week of testing in Bahrain, where Renault's V6 'power unit' crisis continued to unfurl, because he had to have his appendix removed.

The report said Taffin is now recovering.

It is an awkward time for Renault Sport, mere days before performance development of its troubled 2014 'power unit' is mandatorily frozen by the FIA.

Clearly, the Mercedes-powered teams Mercedes, McLaren, Williams and Sahara Force India - in roughly that order - are leading the pack.

"It would be engine dominated this year," said Sahara Force India's deputy boss Bob Fernley, "and the biggest differential for teams would be who got the right engine and at the right time."

It is said Ferrari is next best, but Germany's Auto Motor und Sport repeated paddock rumours that the Italian marque is taking a very cautious approach to the revolutionary new era and could have plenty of performance still up its sleeve.

France's L'Equipe quotes Ferrari driver Kimi Raikkonen as admitting: "Our laptimes are so far not very impressive, but we will see where we really are in Australia. On reliability, everything is fine, but on performance, we don't know too much, although I don't think it's bad."

Sahara Force India's Fernley added: "It looks at the moment that Mercedes have a slight lead," he told Britain's Sky, "but that will change -- it's only a matter of time."

Photo: Renault Sport F1

For Renault, however, it could be a matter of a substantial amount of time, with world champion Red Bull's Dr Helmut Marko admitting the current situation is "not pleasing".

"It is not Renault('s fault) exclusively, but the main problems are with Renault," he told Kleine Zeitung newspaper. "And it applies not only to Red Bull, but to all the Renault teams."

When asked for details of the problems, Marko answered: "It's a collection of things with such complexity that cannot be explained in two sentences."

Auto Motor und Sport claims the current laptime gap between Mercedes and McLaren, the leading Mercedes-powered teams, is nine tenths.

But Mercedes team chairman Niki Lauda suggested the Brackley team might simply be having a smoother time in the winter amid the sport's radical transition phase.

"We probably have the same problems as the others," he said, "only less of it."

Lotus' technical director, Nick Chester claims the team is making ‘strong progress' with its new car, the E22-Renault, despite it completing just 111 laps on its official debut in Bahrain last week.

“Certainly, we started from a position very far from where we want to be,” explained Chester in an interview on Lotus' official website.

“On the first day (in Bahrain) we completed a mere seven laps, then 18, then next 26, and 59 by the final day, so we are heading in the right direction in terms of track time - and time on the track is what we need to understand and develop the car.

Nick Chester, Lotus' technical director (Photo: WRI2)

“We have to remember this is very sophisticated new technology we are running and we are adopting a cautious approach to understanding how everything should work,” he continued.

The British engineer thinks that the lap times posted by Pastor Maldonado and Romain Grosjean in Bahrain are very encouraging.

“The correlation of how the car looks in the wind tunnel and in simulations relative to how it performs aerodynamically on track seem to be good, which is encouraging for future developments with the car,” he said.

Pastor Maldonado, Lotus (Photo: WRI2)

“The last day of running was very productive and has given us a lot of data to work with going forwards.

“There is still a lot of pace to be found from the E22. We're working with Renault Sport F1 on the operation of the power unit, we only ran the power unit at representative power levels during the last day of the test and there is more time to come from optimising power delivery and allowing the drivers more time to get used to it. We haven't started looking at car setup yet which will unlock more performance.”

Lotus will have a final opportunity to hone the E22's setup ahead of the first race in Australia at this week's final pre-season test in Bahrain, which runs from February 27 to March 2.

“All teams will be concentrating on race simulations at this week's Bahrain test to prepare for Melbourne,” Chester declared.

Formula 1 will return in Russia this October to race on a new road course that has been built inside the Soshi Olympic Park for the 2014 Winter Olympic Games.

The Russian Grand Prix was a Grand Prix motor race briefly held in the 1910s in St. Petersburg.

On the 100th anniversary of the last Russian Grand Prix, F1 will make a return in the country October 10-12.

A brand new 5.872-kilometer track, the Soshi Olympic Park Circuit, has been built for the race. German engineer Hermann Tilke designed the track layout.

Formula 1 supremo Bernie Ecclestone signed a deal with Russian President Vladimir Putin in October 2010 for Soshi to host the Russian Grand Prix from 2014 to 2020.

Archives Auto123.com.

Photo: Google Maps

Let's start with the most important thing: that big, beefy V8 biturbo engine. Good for 518 horsepower and nearly as many torques, the 2014 Mercedes-Benz CLS AMG isn't just a jumble of letters it's a jumble of pure, unadulterated power -- and I loved it, and hated it.

OK, maybe “hate” is a strong word. I became quite annoyed with it throughout the week might be a better way to explain my feelings towards the CLS AMG after seven days behind the wheel. Without a doubt, the car put a smile on my face every day, but it also had me grumbling under my breath about things I shouldn't have to grumble about when the price is north of $100k.


What is the Mercedes-Benz CLS 63?
An executive-class coupe sedan -- or a grand coupe -- the CLS Class has been around since the mid 2000s. Large and in charge, the CLS offers the look and feel of a sporty coupe without sacrificing on interior space or number of doors (it has four).

Tack on three extra letters to the name and you've got yourself a real beast of a vehicle, the Mercedes-Benz CLS 63 AMG. Those three extra letters add a whole lot of grunt to the CLS 63 with a bigger engine and lots of AMG sport performance bits and pieces such as suspensions, exterior aesthetic changes, as well as the prestige that comes with owning an AMG machine.

2014 Mercedes-Benz CLS 63 AMG Price and Specs
As this is a grand coupe, you have to expect that everything about this car is a bit large from specs to price. Truthfully, of our grand coupe quartet comparison lineup, the 2014 Mercedes-Benz CLS 63 AMG was the cheapest starting at just $113,500. In its exact tester trim, the CLS AMG tipped the price scale at $120,900 - again, quite a bargain compared to the other three.

In terms of the other large numbers associated with this big coupe are its performance figures: Equipped with a snarling V8 biturbo good for 518 horsepower and 516 lb-ft of torque, the 2014 CLS 63 AMG will see 100km from a dead stop in just 4.4 seconds despite its 1,870 kg curb weight.

All that power is pushed out the rear wheels most of the time until the 4MATIC all-wheel drive system feels the need to kick in for more grip, and is controlled via Mercedes' AMG SPEEDSHIFT MCT 7-speed sport automatic transmission. Top speed is limited at 250km/hr.

An executive-class coupe sedan -- or a grand coupe -- the CLS Class has been around since the mid 2000s. (Photo: Auto123.TV)

Driving the 2014 Mercedes-Benz CLS 63 AMG
There's no denying this thing is ridiculously fast, but there was just something off about it all. For starters, drive position is so important in a sport-oriented car like the CLS 63 AMG and getting comfortable in this particular Mercedes-Benz was damn near impossible. I thought, perhaps, it was my small stature that was the issue, but the three other drivers on our comparison who also got behind the wheel of the Merc (all bigger guys) felt the same way.

The bolstering on the driver's seat in the 2014 Mercedes-Benz CLS 63 AMG hinders turning ability as elbows smash into it and you either have to tuck your elbow into your side or jut it out like a chicken wing. Visibility in the 2014 Mercedes-Benz CLS 63 AMG was also the poorest -- and this I know is because I'm vertically challenged.

Alright, enough complaining about sitting still; let's talk about going quickly, because truthfully this grand coupe is bloody quick. Possibly one of the best sounding of the bunch, the CLS AMG barks to life in such a fantastic way, I found myself wanting to turn the engine on and off as often as possible just to hear it.

Handling in the 2014 Mercedes-Benz CLS AMG is nothing short of fantastic. The thing with grand coupes is they can be rather, well, grand in length; The CLS AMG is just that, however, it still manages to tackle the twisties like any good sporty coupe should.

There's no denying this thing is ridiculously fast, but there was just something off about it all. (Photo: Auto123.TV)

Inside and Out of the 2014 Mercedes-Benz CLS 63 AMG
While the exterior of the 2014 Mercedes-Benz CLS AMG has some stunning, smooth lines, the rear door openings pay the price for that coupe look. Entry and exit isn't easy, and placing a child in a baby seat is even more difficult due to the rake of the roofline. However, that brutish, masculine front end almost makes up for it all.

Inside, the cabin is lavish in emblematic Mercedes-Benz fashion, and German in a typically organized, clinically clean and concise way. While you might expect plenty of legroom in the rear, it's actually quite cramped.

Inside, the cabin is lavish in emblematic Mercedes-Benz fashion, and German in a typically organized, clinically clean and concise way. (Photo: Auto123.TV)

Comparing the 2014 Mercedes-Benz CLS 63 AMG
There are some rather grand Germans biting at the CLS 63 AMg's heels... Or is it the other way around? The BMW M6 Gran Coupe and Audi RS 7 offer fantastic iterations of this rather unique configuration and styling. Is the Merc better? In some ways, yes, but in others it falls behind just enough to put it last in our comparo test

From GMM

Russia is on track for its inaugural grand prix in October, according to track architect Hermann Tilke.

Amid reports the Sochi venue currently resembles a building site, promoter Oleg Zabara insisted recently that the circuit is in fact "91 per cent complete".

Indeed, a report by the German news agency DPA says that while "rubble, mud and tools" can be seen near the winter olympic park, so too can the "grandstands and (F1) buildings".

German Tilke, in charge of construction of almost all new F1 tracks in recent times, confirmed: "Everything is on schedule.

"There will be a very special and definitely unique atmosphere," he revealed.

Photo: Formula Sochi

The new 2015 Jaguar XFR-S Sportbrake will soon make its world debut at the Geneva Auto Show. Set to rival other high-performance wagons like the Mercedes-Benz E 63 AMG, this 5-door model will go on sale in the U.K. on April 1st at £82,495 (roughly $153,000).

Equipped with a 542-horsepower, 5.0L supercharged V8 engine that's mated to an 8-speed Quickshift automatic transmission, the 2015 Jaguar XFR-S Sportbrake accelerates from 0-100 km/h in 4.8 seconds. Top speed is electronically limited at 300 km/h. The car rides on 20'' wheels shared with the XFR-S sedan, and offers up to 1,675 litres of cargo room when the rear seats are folded flat.

Photo: Jaguar

A Fourtitude forum administrator caused a stir when he reported that the U.S. versions of the new Audi S3 and Volkswagen Golf R won't use dual injection like their European counterparts, making them less powerful.

S3 and Golf R drivers across the Atlantic will apparently have 296 horsepower at their disposal, which is more than the estimated 280 horsepower over here.

Time will tell... hopefully soon.

Source : forums.fourtitude.com

Photo: Kevin Corrigan

Nissan Canada is set to phase out the Versa sedan as it introduces the all-new 2015 Nissan Micra on the market.

Canadian sales of the sub-compact 4-door Versa have never taken off north of the border. In the U.S., where consumers love sedans, it's a different story.

Don't fear about the 5-door Versa Note, however. Nissan Canada has confirmed that it's here to stay, although we'll soon be just calling it ''Note.''

Photo: Nissan

From GMM

Felipe Nasr's uncle and manager insists the Brazilian is the "real third driver" at Williams this year.

The comments made by Amir Nasr, a well-known figure in the world of Brazilian motor racing, follow news Susie Wolff will drive the new Williams on Friday at both the British and German grands prix this year.

Just days earlier, the Grove based team appointed the Banco do Brasil-backed 21-year-old Felipe Nasr to the test and reserve role, saying he will appear in the Mercedes-powered FW36 on five Friday mornings in 2014.

Felipe Nasr, Williams FW36. (Photo: WRi2)

Speaking to Jovem Pan radio, Amir Nasr played down suggestions Felipe's new role could be a shared or back-seat one, such as when Lotus reserve Davide Valsecchi last year was overlooked when Kimi Raikkonen headed for back surgery.

"Felipe is the real third driver of the team -- it is in the contract," Amir Nasr insisted.

"In case of any problem with the race drivers, he is the natural replacement. He will have to go to all of the grands prix and he will work in the simulator each week to compensate for the lack of track time. It is a more complex task than it seems," Amir added.

Amir Nasr said only a one-year contract with Williams was agreed because the chance the British team can offer him a race seat for 2015 is slim.

"Williams has two very good (race) drivers," he said. "Massa has a three-year contract while Bottas is 23 and a potential world champion. We could not agree a longer contract because we would not have a guarantee he will be promoted," Amir explained.

WARNING: Car insurance laws and regulations are not the same across Canada. The following applies to Quebec only. Please refer to your own car insurance company for information about rates and premiums.

Despite their recent surge in popularity, hybrid and electric vehicles are still a rare sight on Canadian roads. Why? Pricing is the biggest obstacle for most buyers, who don't really see the point of spending thousands of extra dollars at the dealership to save some money at the pump.

What about car insurance? How do premiums vary from traditional, gas-powered models to hybrid or electric models? Well, I did my own non-scientific enquiry to find out.

More often than not, I was given a lower premium for a hybrid vehicle. Plug-in hybrids turned out to be more expensive, but not by that much. Once again, do I need to remind you about the savings you'll be making at the gas station?

Before going any further, here are the factors used for calculation by my car insurer:

• 38-year-old woman, driving since 1993, and living in the Greater Montreal area;
• 15,000 kilometres a year (none for business);
• No accidents and no traffic violations;
• No vehicle tracking system;
• No credit check and no home insurance to lower the premium;
• $500 collision deductible, $250 comprehensive deductible, $1 million liability;
• + $100/year when opting for 4-year replacement value.

Obviously, car insurance premiums vary from one company to another, but I think it's fairly safe to assume the gaps between traditional vehicles and hybrids/EVs will be similar for most drivers.

MODEL	SE	SE Hybrid	SE Energi (plug-in)
Ford Fusion	$570	$570	$647

MODEL	SEL Hybrid	SEL Energi (plug-in)
Ford C-MAX	$568	$606

MODEL	Base	Plug-in Hybrid
Toyota Prius	$551	$594

MODEL	SE	ST	Electric
Ford Focus	$515	$647	$443

MODEL	AWD	Hybrid
Lincoln MKZ	$805	$648

MODEL	LE	Hybrid LE
Toyota Camry	$810	$652

MODEL	Limited	Hybrid Limited
Hyundai Sonata	$576	$564

MODEL	GLI	Turbo Hybrid
Volkswagen Jetta	$626	$598

MODEL	Base	Hybrid
Acura ILX	$678	$619

MODEL	AWD	Hybrid AWD
Cadillac Escalade	$868	$796

MODEL	LS (gasoline)	Diesel
Chevrolet Cruze	$446	$546

All-electric or extended-range vehicles

MODEL	PRICE
Tesla Model S	$1037

MODEL	PRICE
Nissan LEAF	$534

MODEL	PRICE
Mitsubishi i-Miev	$445

MODEL	PRICE
Chevrolet Volt	$609