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Supercars will play a large role at this year's Geneva auto show as Ferrari, Lamborghini and McLaren unveil their latest high-performance models.

A rare mechanical problem forced six-time Canadian rally champion Antoine L'Estage to give up on a good result at this weekend's 100 Acre Wood Rally, in Salem, MO, round two of the Rally America season.

The event was dominated by no other than the famous Ken Block, who clinched his seventh 100 Acre Wood win at the finish, driving his Hoonigan Racing's Ford Fiesta.

Ken Block, Ford Fiesta (Photo: Alex Haugen)

L'Estage was fighting for second place with David Higgins until an engine failure forced the Brit to retire on stage 9, ending the Subaru Rally Team USA driver's run of 22 consecutive podium finishes.

But L'Estage's run in second position was short-lived, as the engine of his Mitsubishi Evo X terminally overheated four stages later. The French Canadian's unlucky break allowed the returning Travis Pastrana to take home second in his first rally in three years.

Antoine L'Estage, Mitsubishi Evo X (Photo: Facebook)

Event winner Block was sorry to lose Higgins and L'Estage so soon: "Unfortunately, my top competition fell out on day two and I was able to extend my lead. It took some pressure off, which I don't like, because I like to push hard.  Instead, I was able to just enjoy these roads and put on a good show for the fans," he said.

Canadian Andrew Comrie-Picard won the Two-Wheel Drive category aboard his Team O'Neil Ford Fiesta.

Andrew Comrie-Picard, Ford Fiesta (Photo: Alex Haugen)

From WRC

Hyundai Motorsport driver Chris Atkinson is aiming to win himself more outings in the Korean manufacturer's i20 WRC by putting in a strong performance at next month's Rally Mexico (March 6-9).

The Australian's impressive record on Mexico's gravel stages - he finished second in 2008 and 6th last year - meant he was the logical choice to partner team leader Thierry Neuville at the first gravel rally of the 2014 season.

And having spent the last 12 months on the WRC sidelines, the one-time Subaru World Rally Team driver - pictured (right) alongside co-driver Stephane Prevot - is determined to make the most of his opportunity with Hyundai.



Stéphane Prévot, Chris Atkinson (Photo: WRC)

“I've still got a lot of years - and good years - left in me and I'm massively motivated,” Atkinson told WRC.com. “Having a break makes you realise what you want and I know that I really want the WRC.

“We've got Mexico coming up and then Rally Australia towards the end of the year. I'd love to get some more events in between and hopefully a good performance in Mexico will increase the chances.”


Atkinson successfully completed his preparations for Mexico with a test in southern Spain earlier this week. The 34-year-old says he continues to be impressed with the progress that the i20 WRC has made in such a short space of time.



“The car keeps improving all the time, which is great,” he explained. “The team is working flat out to make improvements and keep learning. We've made some big steps forward after only two rallies and I think if we can get both cars to the finish, score some points and get some good gravel data in Mexico, that will be really cool.”

From Pirelli

After a difficult first winter test in Jerez, F1 teams got to turn some laps that were more representative of their form, this past week en Bahrain. They got to know the 2014 Pirelli tires a bit better as well.

Many teams had a chance to do both race simulations and qualifying runs, partially because the weather was dry and warm in Bahrain, partially because they were more familiar with their cars than in Spain.

Kevin Magnussen, McLaren MP4-29 (Photo: WRi2)

Teams also had a chance to test a special "winter" tire got up to temperature faster than a normal race tire would.

The facts
The 34 rivers taking part in the four-day test in Bahrain covered 2,322 laps between themselves for a grand total of 12,566 kilometres. That's 428 laps on day 1, 676 on day 2, 695 on day 3 and 469 on day 4.

Nico Rosberg, Mercedes W05 (Photo: WRi2)

Combined with the Jerez test, the total mileage becomes 19,074 kilometres. After two tests last year, the F1 paddock had already racked up 31,640 kilometres.

Each team had a total of 30 sets to use in Bahrain.

"Thanks to the weather, which was very close to perfect this past week, teams got to really know the tires, which wasn't the case in Jerez," explains Pirelli motorsport boss Paul Hembery.

Felipe Massa, Williams FW36 (Photo: WRi2)

"We haven't reached a final conclusion yet, but it looks like our 2014 tire is a lot more consistent and durable than last year's spec.

"We also had less graining than usual on this track, and that was one of our goal for the pre-season. As they continue to understand their car and the tires better, the teams should get quicker and quicker at the next winter test, also in Bahrain."

Kamui Kobayashi, Caterham CT05 (Photo: WRi2)

From press release

Jacques Villeneuve today conducted his first proper test aboard the 600bhp #25 Albatec Racing Peugeot 208 in which he will contest the FIA World Rallycross Championship presented by Monster Energy.

The former F1 and Indycar World Series Champion completed ten 4-lap stints around the Lydden Hill circuit in preparation for his World RX debut in May, when he will race alongside Team Principal Andy Scott.

After a first ever run in the team's Supercar at Dreux in France last month Villeneuve joined British Rallycross Championship teams for the one-day test at the Kent venue. This was to give the French-Canadian vital track time on a circuit at which the Dumfries-based team has comprehensive set-up knowledge and experience.

Jacques Villeneuve, Albatec Racing Peugeot 208 (Photo: Albatec Racing)

A power steering issue early in the day was traced to a faulty component in the power steering pump, and once resolved, the car ran faultlessly completing around 45 miles, with Villeneuve immediately setting an impressive pace.

"To come to Lydden Hill is great, it's fast, a real fun track, quite high speed and after testing in Dreux it's great to finally drive on a proper FIA World Rallycross Championship track with a combination of asphalt and graveI. It's a nice track, it's how tracks used to be made, and follows the lay of the land," said Villeneuve.

From DTM

DTM ace Bruno Spengler had the honour to test the latest campaign-vehicle of the initiative ‘TUNE IT! SAFE!' At the wheel of the BMW 428i Coupé by AC Schnitzer, the Canadian BMW works driver completed several laps at the Circuit de Catalunya.

The initiative ‘TUNE IT! SAFE!' was founded in 2005 to put the brakes on the business of providers of illegal and unsafe tuning methods and components.

Bruno Spengler, BMW 428i Coupé (Photo: DTM.com)

The coupé by AC Schnitzer - incidentally, back in 1987, Herbert Schnitzer, the owner of Team Schnitzer Motorsport, was one of the AC Schnitzer co-founders - was showcased in late 2013 at the Essen Motor Show as example for safe tuning.

The BMW 428i Coupé provided by the Bayerische Motoren Werke was turned by Aachen based luxury-class tuner AC Schnitzer into a unique emergency car in police-vehicle guise.

Spengler, the 2012 DTM champion, races for BMW Team Schnitzer in the German touring car series.

Model: 2007 to 2013 Jeep Patriot

Vehicle Type: SUV

The Verdict: Lower-than-average resale values and good bang-for-the-buck will make the Patriot an appealing buy for budget-minded 4x4 shoppers. The most likely problems and issues should be easy for a test-driver to identify, and even easier for a mechanic to dig up in a pre-purchase inspection. Opt for a model with the five-speed manual gearbox for maximum long-term confidence.

Price: Look for basic, older, high-mileage units to be available in the used market from about $4,500, with newer, low-mileage units or demos commanding upwards of $24,000. Look for plenty of selection between about $10,000 and $15,000.

Photo: Matthieu Lambert

History/Description: The Jeep Patriot's job was to bring the brand's big, capable and handsome styling language to a value-minded shopper after an affordable and adventurous ride that provided low-cost access to four-wheel drive adventure seekers. With a launch for model-year 2007, Patriot arrived as Canadian shoppers were getting into fuel-efficient little SUV models in a serious way.

Jeep made sure there was a Patriot for just about any shopper. Bluetooth, premium audio, heated seats, a driver computer, auto climate control, a household power outlet and plenty more features were all available. Folding rear seats? Check. Lots of storage spaces? Check. Trunk mounted rechargeable flashlight? Check. Chill-box lifted from the Dodge Caliber? Check, check and check.

From 2009 and on, Patriot got an interior refresh to brighten and soften up the cabin. It had earned a reputation for being boxy and bland and made of melted-down margarine containers finished in fifty-shades-of-grey-plastic.

Most used units will be powered by a 2.4L 4-cylinder engine with dual overhead camshafts good for 172 horsepower. That's available teamed up with either a five-speed manual or a Continually Variable Transmission (CVT) with either front or four-wheel drive available. A 4x4 / manual transmission combination was, delightfully, available.

Photo: Matthieu Lambert

What Owners Like: Typically, owners like the overall value presented by these machines, as well as the confidence enabled by the slick 4WD system in slippery conditions. The clever and unique features, on-board flexibility and even all-around visibility are also rated highly.

What Owners Dislike: Earlier models got plenty of complaints about interior design and materials selection, and a decent number of owners wish for a more powerful engine. A louder-than-expected highway ride is often griped about, too.

Photo: Matthieu Lambert

The Test Drive: Once you've confirmed that the stereo and climate control system work properly, turn both off and head to a rough road to listen to the suspension for clunking, popping or grinding sounds while steering or traveling over bumps. Unwanted sounds likely indicate the presence of one or more worn-out suspension components. Numerous owners have reported premature wear of these parts, with sway bar links, ball joints, tie-rods and bushings listed as the usual culprits. These parts are easy for a mechanic to inspect and replace.

Drivability issues with Patriot's Japanese-outsourced CVT transmission, including reduced or sluggish acceleration could be the result of a computer-related problem fixed by rebooting or re-flashing the computer brain that controls the transmission. Some droning and a strange, shift-less feeling to the power delivery is normal. Grinding sounds from the CVT transmission, or a bucking or ‘jerking' sensation when decelerating are not. Opt for a manual transmission where possible—as the technology is considerably more proven.

Check the headliner around the map lights, as well as carpeting in the front footwells, for signs of moisture-- which could indicate a leaky sunroof or drain tubes.

Other checks include a visual scan of the power steering reservoir and pump to ensure no fluid is leaking, and listening for a high-pitched whine at speed on models with the CVT, which could be caused by a bad transmission mount.

Photo: Matthieu Lambert

The next-generation Ford Sync system will be based on BlackBerry's QNX and no longer use Microsoft Windows, following the automaker' struggles with in-car technology glitches, according to people briefed on the matter.

Honda is considering diversifying its all-Japanese, all-male board by appointing a foreigner and could move as early as Monday, when it unveils its next slate of directors, sources close to the company told Reuters.

The next-generation Chevrolet Cruze will get a more swept-back silhouette and sleeker headlights and taillights, based on recent spy photos.

From Washington to Wolfsburg, the UAW's failed organizing drive at VW made for exciting political theater. But on the grounds of the Volkswagen plant in Tennessee, it was about as friendly as it gets.

German Nico Rosberg recorded a blistering time of 1min33.283s aboard his Mercedes W05 to keep the Brackley outfit on top on the final day of this Bahrain winter test.

The 28-year-old, who was 1.5s quicker than McLaren's Jenson Button, the second-fastest driver of the day, completed a total of 89 laps of the Bahrain International Circuit.

Nico Rosberg, Mercedes W05 (Photo: WRi2)

"This morning we were able to try some qualifying practice runs which felt good," said Rosberg. "Later in the day, we did a race simulation. (...) My head was full of information!"

His best time Saturday was the quickest of the four-day pre-season venue, and less than a second shy of his best V8-powered time of last year at the same circuit.

Kimi Raikkonen, Ferrari F14T (Photo: WRi2)

Ferrari's Kimi Raikkonen crashed late in the day but still managed to be third fastest aboard the F14T.

"I spun on the kerb at the exit of turn 4, these things can happen. Luckily, it was right at the end of the day."

Felipe Nasr, Williams FW36 (Photo: WRi2)

Driving a Formula One car for the first time, Brazilian Felipe Nasr was an impressive fourth. It was announced earlier today the 21-year-old will be Williams' test and reserve driver this season. He completed 87 laps behind the wheel of the FW36.

Pastor Maldonado was fifth fastest for Lotus, while Red Bull endured another difficult day. Daniel Ricciardo only managed 15 laps throughout the day. The Australian settled for seventh fastest.

"In all honesty it wasn't a great day today," said Ricciardo. "I guess we still need more time. We have four more days coming up and hopefully we can maximise those.

Pastor Maldonado, Lotus E22 (Photo: WRi2)

Best lap time in 2013:
Nico Rosberg, Mercedes AMG in Q3: 1m32.330

Best lap time, Day 1:
Nico Hulkenberg, Force India, 1m36.880

Best lap time, Day 2:
Kevin Magnussen McLaren, 1m34.910

Best lap time Day 3:
Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes, 1m34.263

Unofficial Saturday test times from Bahrain

1. Nico Rosberg, Mercedes, 1m 33.283s, 89 laps

2. Jenson Button, McLaren, 1m 34.957s, 66 laps

3. Kimi Raikkonen, Ferrari, 1m 36.718s, 82 laps

4. Felipe Nasr, Williams, 1m 37.569s, 87 laps

5. Pastor Maldonado, Lotus, 1m 38.707s, 59 laps

6. Sergio Perez, Force India, 1m 39.258s, 19 laps

7. Daniel Ricciardo, Red Bull, 1m 39.837s, 15 laps

8. Jean-Eric Vergne, Toro Rosso, 1m 40.472s, 19 laps

9. Kamui Kobayashi, Caterham, 1m 43.027s, 17 laps

10. Marcus Ericsson, Caterham, 1m 45.094s, 4 laps
11. Adrian Sutil, Sauber, no time, 7 laps

12. Jules Bianchi, Marussia, no time, 5 laps

From GMM

Brazilian Felipe Nasr, and his sponsor Banco do Brasil, have joined Williams.

GP2 frontrunner Nasr, 22, is the British team's new reserve driver, and Williams said he will take part in five Friday morning practice sessions this year.

In a separate media statement, it was announced that the logos of Banco do Brasil, the largest bank in Latin America, will appear on the FW36's engine cover.

Felipe Nasr, GP2 (Photo: Paolo Pellegrini)

"I can't wait to get behind the wheel of a formula one car for the first time in Bahrain," said Nasr.

Throughout his racing career, Nasr also competed in British F3, where he won the title in 2011, and in Formula BMW. In 2012 and 2013, he took part in the prestigious 24 Hours of Daytona.

From WRC

WRC newcomers Hyundai will field a trio of I20 World rally car at Apris' Rally de Portugal in a bid to accelerate the car's 2014 development programme.

The event, round four of the 2014 FIA World Rally Championship, will be the first time that Hyundai will run more than two cars. 

In the two points-nominated entries will be the team's lead driver Thierry Neuville and Finn Juho Hänninen who finished an impressive competitive debut in the i20 at Rally Sweden earlier this month.

Joining them after his debut for the team at Rallye Monte-Carlo will be Spaniard Dani Sordo.

“Having three cars at Rally de Portugal will be very positive for us and it will allow us to continue our data collection and to accumulate more mileage in our debut WRC season,” said team principal Michel Nandan.

Thierry Neuville, Hyundai i20 (Photo: McKlein)

“I think we have a good line-up with Thierry, Juho and Dani - each of them will bring their experience and will give us their own unique feedback which will help us in the continuous development of the Hyundai i20 WRC.

Thierry's level of performance combined with Juho's skills on gravel and Dani's experience and excellent track record at Rally de Portugal make them a very good choice for the event” he added.



The Alzenau-based team has also announced its participation in the one-day Fafe Rally Sprint on Saturday 29th March, the traditional curtain raiser before Rally de Portugal.

From press release

Honda Performance Development has announced a new, 3.5-litre racing application for the versatile, production-based Honda V6 engine found in a wide range of Honda/Acura passenger cars and light trucks and now raced in multiple categories worldwide.

The Honda HR35TT twin-turbocharged V6 is expected to make its TUDOR United SportsCar Championship debut at the 2014 Mobil1 12 Hours of Sebring, mounted in a Riley Gen3 prototype chassis campaigned by Starworks Motorsport.

Previously, Starworks partnered with HPD to win the LMP2 class at the 24 Hours of Le Mans and World Endurance Championship in 2012, using HPD's ARX-03b chassis and Honda HR28TT twin-turbocharged V6, which also is derived from Honda's J35 series of engines.

Starwoks Riley DP (Photo: IMSA.com)

Starworks becomes the second team to utilize Honda power for the new TUDOR championship.  Extreme Speed Motorsports campaigns a pair of prototype class HPD ARX-03b Hondas, after a successful initial season with the same package in the 2013 American Le Mans Series.

“This is an exciting program for HPD and our customer teams in the TUDOR United SportsCar Championship,” said Steve Eriksen, HPD Vice President and COO.

“Adding Starworks, a team that achieved great success with us in 2012, in a prototype machine alongside the proven HPD-Honda combination run by Extreme Speed Motorsports provides HPD with a strong, balanced attack in the inaugural TUDOR Championship.

“It's a fantastic feeling to be partnering with Honda once again,” said Starworks team owner Peter Baron. “We absolutely love working with HPD and have been in collaboration to find a new opportunity to partner with them again.”

Starworks Motorsport has compiled an enviable record in Daytona Prototype competition, with five race victories, including back-to-back wins at Indianapolis in 2012 and 2013; and a second-place finish in the Daytona Prototype team championship in 2012, with two victories and six podium finishes.

That same year, Starworks became the first American-based prototype team to win an FIA World Championship since 1968, and HPD won its first world title in WEC competition.

The HPD-developed twin-turbocharged Honda engines to be used in the TUDOR championship are both derived from the Honda J35 series of production V6 engines, and include relevant twin-turbocharger technology, along with the efficiency provided by direct fuel injection.

Honda HR35TT V6 Engine
Engine Type: Aluminum alloy, twin-turbocharged, direct fuel-injected V6
Displacement: 3.5 liters
Valve Train: Single overhead camshaft, four valves per cylinder
Crankshaft: Alloy steel
Pistons: Forged aluminum, low-friction coatings
Connecting Rods: Machined alloy steel
Engine Management: HPD/McLaren
Ignition System: Digital inductive
Lubrication: Dry sump system
Cooling: Single mechanical water pump
Fuel: E10 100-101 octane gasoline, 10% ethanol

From GMM

Felipe Massa, the new Williams driver, revealed he recently visited his former Ferrari teammate Michael Schumacher in the Grenoble hospital.

"He looks normal," Massa said at the Bahrain test, "and he also gave some reactions with the mouth and everything.

"I'm not a doctor, but when I saw him, for me, it looked very positive."

Massa managed a healthy 60 laps in the FW36 on Friday, as the third day of Bahrain testing took place.

His pace was bettered only by fellow Mercedes-powered runners Jenson Button (McLaren) and Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes), as the German carmaker continues to dominate early in the new V6 era.

Renault-powered Red Bull, meanwhile, continues to struggle, with Daniel Ricciardo managing just 28 laps on Friday until yet another mechanical problem.

But Australian Ricciardo insisted: "The car is definitely making progress. It's coming together bit by bit."

From press release

The No. 5 Corvette DP from Action Express Racing continues to build momentum in the early stages of the 2014 season, as Sébastien Bourdais drove the Rolex 24 At Daytona-winning machine to the top of the time chart on Friday for the second consecutive day at the Sebring International Raceway winter test.

The two-day test in preparation for the 12 Hours of Sebring included 42 cars across four classes. The March 15 race is the second round of the United SportsCar Championship (USCC).

“The car was not quite as good as yesterday,” said Bourdais. “We've been going through our test program, and seeing how the car responds to changes. It was not perfect today. Traffic was challenging, and the wind was not predictable. It was gusty and quite strong at times, and I went off twice. It looks like our car is strong, but this race is going to be a big challenge.”

Meanwhile, Porsche topped the GT Le Mans (GTLM) charts in all four sessions and the GT Daytona (GTD) charts on Friday at Sebring International Raceway.

Photo: IMSA.com

The clean sweep of testing adds to an already successful start to the season for Porsche after Tandy, Lietz and Pilet combined to drive the No. 911 Porsche 911 RSR to victory in the season-opening Rolex 24 At Daytona.

"We had a clear set of objectives entering the test,” said Owen Hayes, Porsche Motorsport North America director of operations.

“While finding speed is always very nice, our main goal was to test the cars at one of, if not the, most physically demanding race courses in the world. To be able to work through our checklist of items to test without any major issues with either of the Porsche North America 911 RSRs was very encouraging.” 

From press release

Muscle Milk Pickett Racing will be adding Nissan Playstation GT Academy winner Jann Mardenborough to its driver lineup for the 12 Hours of Sebring, the second round of the TUDOR United SportsCar Championship.

The 22-year old Brit will be making his North American race debut at Sebring International Raceway thanks to the Nismo Global Driver Exchange which places members of Nissan's international driving squad into different championships and teams to gain experience on the world stage.

Mardenborough won the 2011 Nissan GT Academy and has quickly made his way up the ranks with his top sports car moment coming at last year's 24 Hours of Le Mans where he placed third in class with fellow GT Academy winner Lucas Ordóñez and Nissan veteran Michael Krumm.

Jann Mardenborough, Oreca-Nissan No. 6 (Photo: IMSA.com)

Just this week it was announced that he would be competing full-time this season in the Formula One feeder series - GP3 - while also joining an intensive driver development program with Red Bull Racing.

The 22-year old took his first laps aboard the #6 Muscle Milk Nissan ORECA yesterday during the first day of testing for the TUDOR Championship at Sebring International Raceway.

After turning some more laps on Friday, the Brit will return to the team next month for the 60th Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring presented by Fresh from Florida, which takes place March 15, 2014.

Hot on the tailpipes of the Kia GT4 Stinger's debut in Detroit comes word of an even racier-looking two-seater from parent company

Volkswagen AG is bidding more than $9.2 billion for the rest of truckmaker Scania AB to deepen cooperation with its other commercial-vehicles units after being blocked previously in those efforts by the Swedish company's minority shareholders.