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From press release

Honda Canada and IndyCar race winner James Hinchcliffe announced at the Canadian International Auto Show the formation of a one year partnership that will see ‘Hinch' working with the brand to promote Honda across Canada.

Hinchcliffe, entering his fourth season as an IndyCar racer and third competing for Andretti Autosport, will feature in various Honda product advertising and promotions throughout the course of 2014.

The Oakville native followed up the announcement with some further thoughts of his own on his relationship with Honda and the forthcoming IndyCar season:

Q: You first raced in IndyCar using a Honda power unit on your way to collecting ‘Rookie of the Year' honours in 2011 - are you being reunited with an old friend in some ways?

James Hinchcliffe (JH): “In a lot of ways, yeah! Many of the same people within the company that I worked with in 2011 are still there, so it feels like a bit of a homecoming. I'm excited to be able to continue that relationship and I really hope they feel the same about working with me again.”

Q: Your relationship with Honda Canada will see you directly involved in many of the brand's promotional efforts in your home country - what are you keen to bring to the table to meet their goals?

JH: “Honda Canada has always been great at promotion. I think using me and the tie-in to IndyCar can really help show people that these cars have a lot of the same traits we look for in our race cars; performance, reliability, fuel economy, safety and style.”

Q: You'll be featured in some of their advertising campaigns! What's the reaction you get from people seeing you on TV or on billboards? Do you ever get freaked out sitting at home then suddenly you're on TV looking at yourself?

JH: “It's definitely weird seeing yourself on TV, especially in a commercial or anything other than an interview! The most common reaction from people - mainly my friends - is something along the lines of “will you please get off my TV so I can go about watching my shows.” I'm constantly apologizing!”

Q: It's fitting that Honda Canada is the lead sponsor of your home IndyCar event, Honda Indy Toronto - once again a double-header affair in 2014. Does this increase the pressure to get the ‘home' victory or does it simply make it a sweeter affair if it all comes together on the weekend?

JH: “The last thing I need is MORE pressure in Toronto! But, no, I think it's great. It makes me even more excited about the race, and for sure it will make me busier during the week. But like you said, it would make a strong result that much better.”

Q: Honda has an impressive array of vehicles - what are we going to see you driving over the next 12 months and just how much of a ‘car guy' are you really?

JH: “I'm a big car guy! When I was younger - and by that I mean when I was an unemployed racing driver - I had more free time and probably knew more car facts than I do now, but I think as I matured (got a job) I appreciate cars more now. It's tough to choose from the line up! I really like the Fit, but I've also been bombing around in a Pilot for the last week and that's really grown on me!”

Q: So you're running a new engine and new sponsor colours in 2014 with the #27 Andretti Autosport entry backed by United Fiber & Data. Has anything else changed in front of, or behind the scenes that you care to share?

JH: “I'm thinking I might even change underwear this season! And that's not all! I also have a new engineering staff this year. Craig Hampson has taken an R&D role within the team, which will be great for us, and I've now got Nathan O'Rourke heading the think tank on the #27 car. It's been an easy transition so far in testing which makes me confident for the season. And seriously, don't worry, I change my underwear often.”

Q: You've been cramming in a few hometown media activities lately. What's the secret to being a natural on TV and radio and if you could pick just one TV show to co-host or be a guest on, what would it be and why?

JH: “The secret is to forget that you're on TV and just have a casual chat with whomever it is that has the unfortunate luck of being on a show with me! I've had a blast co-hosting a few shows this past week, but if I had to choose, that's tough. I want to say Top Gear, because Clarkson is kind of my hero. However, it's not really outside my comfort zone, if you get what I mean.

“I'd love to host ‘Whose Line Is It Anyway?' I watched it all the time as a kid and I got a chance to meet Colin Mochrie last year on OTR and the show just started up again! Those guys are hilarious!”

The 2014 IndyCar Series kicks off on Sunday 30th March with Round 1 hosted in St Petersburg, Florida.

Here is the complete schedule of the Daytona Speedweeks of NASCAR at Daytona International Speedway, Florida.

FRIDAY, FEB. 14:
-- 5 p.m.-5:45 p.m. ET, NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Sprint Unlimited practice
-- 6:30-7:30 p.m. ET, NASCAR Sprint Cup Series final Sprint Unlimited practice

SATURDAY, FEB. 15:
-- 10:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. ET, NASCAR Sprint Cup Series practice
-- 1:30-3:20 p.m. ET, NASCAR Sprint Cup Series practice
-- 8 p.m. ET, The Sprint Unlimited (75 laps, 187.5 miles)

SUNDAY, FEB. 16:
-- 1:05 p.m. ET, NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Coors Light Pole qualifying

TUESDAY, FEB. 18:
-- 10:30-11:30 a.m. ET, NASCAR K&N Pro Series East practice
-- 11:35 a.m.-12:35 p.m. ET, NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour and NASCAR Whelen Southern Modified Tour practice
-- 12:45-1:45 p.m. ET, NASCAR K&N Pro Series East final practice
-- 1:45-2:45 p.m. ET, NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour and NASCAR Whelen Southern Modified Tour final practice
-- 4 p.m. ET, NASCAR K&N Pro Series East qualifying
-- 4:45 p.m. ET, NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour and NASCAR Whelen Southern Modified Tour qualifying
-- 7 p.m. ET, NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour Battle At The Beach (150 laps, 55.5 miles)
-- 8:45 p.m. ET, NASCAR K&N Pro Series East Battle At The Beach (150 laps, 55.5 miles)

WEDNESDAY, FEB. 19:
-- 2:30-3:50 p.m. ET, NASCAR Camping World Truck Series practice
-- 4-5:30 p.m. ET, NASCAR Sprint Cup Series practice
-- 6:30-8 p.m. ET, NASCAR Sprint Cup Series practice

THURSDAY, FEB. 20:
-- Noon-1:20 p.m. ET, NASCAR Nationwide Series practice
-- 1:30-2:50 p.m. ET, NASCAR Camping World Truck Series practice
-- 3-4:20 p.m. ET, NASCAR Nationwide Series final practice
-- 4:40-6 p.m. ET, NASCAR Camping World Truck Series final practice
-- 7 p.m. ET, Budweiser Duels (60 laps, 150 miles each race)

FRIDAY, FEB. 21:
-- 11:30 a.m.-12:55 p.m. ET, NASCAR Sprint Cup Series practice
-- 1:05 p.m. ET, NASCAR Nationwide Series Coors Light Pole qualifying
-- 2:30-3:55 p.m. ET, NASCAR Sprint Cup Series practice
-- 4:05 p.m. ET, NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Keystone Light Pole qualifying
-- 7:30 p.m. ET, NextEra Energy Resources 250 (100 laps, 250 miles)

SATURDAY, FEB. 22:
-- 10-11:30 a.m. ET, NASCAR Sprint Cup Series final practice
-- 1:15 p.m. ET, DRIVE4COPD 300 (120 laps, 300 miles)

SUNDAY, FEB. 23:
-- 1 p.m. ET, Daytona 500 (200 laps, 500 miles)

Kelley Blue Book has just revealed its top 12 best family cars of 2014 after enlisting the help of several families to thoroughly test 21 different vehicles.

This is an all-new section of KBB.com that outlines in detail how well North America's top family vehicles withstand their daily routines.

The team considered aspects such as safety, comfort, driving performance, room for child seats, cargo space, rear-seat entertainment, and other family-friendly features.

You may be shocked to learn that a sedan won top honours over SUVs and minivans.

Kelley Blue Book's 12 best family cars of 2014:

1. Chevrolet Impala
2. Chevrolet Traverse
3. Ford Flex
4. Honda Accord
5. Honda CR-V
6. Honda Odyssey
7. Honda Pilot
8. Nissan Altima
9. Nissan Pathfinder
10. Nissan Rogue
11. Subaru Forester
12. Toyota Sienna

2014 Nissan Rogue (Photo: Nissan)

Tesla Motors keeps getting praise from auto journalists, electric car enthusiasts, and even the competition.

Great news for consumers: Tesla will have a stand at Steam Whistle (255, Bremner Blvd.), just in front of the 2014 Canadian International Auto Show in Toronto, from February 17-19. Both the Model S and Roadster will be on display.

Later, from March 4-9, visitors at the Quebec City Auto Show will also get to see the beautiful Model S up close, making the dream a bit more like a reality.

Be there!

From press release

The Sauber F1 Team Friday announced that Swiss driver, Simona De Silvestro will become an affiliated driver.

The 25-year-old left for America when she was just 18 to drive in the Formula BMW USA series in 2006 and the Atlantic Championship from 2007 to 2009.

Over the past four years De Silvestro has been driving in the IndyCar Series.

De Silvestro won the prestigious Indy 500 “Rookie of the Year” Award in 2010 and became the first woman to earn a podium finish on a street circuit in IndyCar.

This year she is taking the next step in her career by joining a preparation programme with the Sauber F1 Team, with the goal to gain her super licence and prepare for a race seat in Formula 1 for 2015.

The programme will include on track testing, simulator training, as well as mental and physical preparation.

Simona de Silvestro. (Photo: Sauber F1 Team)

“After four years in IndyCar, Simona's ambition is to enter Formula 1 in 2015. We regard her as a very talented race driver, and we, therefore, decided to take her on board as an “affiliated driver” and support her on her way to the pinnacle of motorsport,” said Monisha Kaltenborn, Team Principal.

“This is a major step towards me achieving a life-long dream and I'm so happy to have the opportunity to take this step with such a great team,” Simona De Silvestro declared.

“The Sauber F1 Team is a team with a legacy and the only Swiss team in Formula 1, which I think makes this even more exciting. I can't thank Monisha Kaltenborn and Peter Sauber enough for their support and belief in my abilities and for giving me this chance. I'm thrilled to have this extremely unique platform on which to prepare myself to take on the challenge.”

Today at the Canadian International Auto Show in Toronto, Hyundai Canada announced that the all-new 2015 Hyundai Genesis will start at $43,000 when it arrives in showrooms this spring with the following standard features:

• 311-horsepower 3.8L GDI V6 engine;
• HTRAC all-wheel drive;
• HID headlights with adaptive lighting;
• Proximity keyless entry with push-button ignition;
• 8'' touchscreen navigation system;
• Rearview camera;
• and more.

Photo: Hyundai

Starting at $48,000, the 3.8 Luxury version of the 2015 Hyundai Genesis adds a panoramic sunroof, premium Napa leather, and a 14-speaker Lexicon sound system, among other luxurious features.

Next up is the 3.8 Technology, priced from $53,000, with advanced driver assistance features including Autonomous Emergency Braking (AEB), a Lane Keeping Assist System (LKAS), and Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC) with stop-and-go capability, not to mention full-colour head-up display and an industry-first CO2 sensor control system.

Finally, at $62,000, the 5.0 Ultimate model stands out with Hyundai's award-winning 5.0L GDI V8 engine developing an estimated 420 horsepower in addition to extra goodies such as a 9.2'' high-definition navigation display, an upgraded 900-watt Lexicon surround sound system with 17 speakers, and a Continuous Damping Control (CDC) suspension.

Photo: Hyundai

From GMM

The promoter of the all-new Russian grand prix insists the Sochi venue will be ready for the inaugural race in October.

With the questionable readiness of the facilities for the winter olympics currently in the media spotlight, concerns have also been expressed about the new F1 venue.

A double-asterisk on the FIA calendar means the Autodrome Sochi's October race date is "subject to the homologation of the circuit".

And a report by the Reuters news agency this week described the track as a "fenced-off building site", littered with "lines of skips and diggers" and "rubble-strewn fringes".

The pitlane, detailed correspondent Alan Baldwin, "is roughly surfaced, the staircases and corridors above the garages littered with building materials and detritus.

"Wires dangle from the ceilings, empty shafts await their elevators," Baldwin explained, adding that the grandstands and VIP suites "are empty shells".

But promoter Oleg Zabara insists: "Construction of the autodrome in Sochi keeps moving forward.

"All works are being carried out according to the schedule. The racing track is 91 per cent complete. Everything is according to plan, and there aren't any problems during olympic period," said Zabara, adding that the team buildings and medical centre are already complete.

Photo: Formula Sochi

From GMM

World champions Red Bull could be on the market for a new engine supplier.

That is the belief of ex F1 team owner and boss Gian Carlo Minardi, whose former Faenza based team, now called Toro Rosso, is owned by the energy drink company.

Out of troubled engine supplier Renault's four F1 partners, including Toro Rosso, the senior Red Bull team managed the least mileage of all at the recent Jerez test.

Minardi, however, observed that - officially - the Red Bull-owned teams are sending out messages of "tranquillity and calm" about what many others believe is a crisis.

Photo: WRi2

"According to circulating information, the situation seems more difficult than that and not easy to solve," the 66-year-old wrote in a posting in Italian on his website.

"It seems that Red Bull are exploring a possible change of engine for 2015," added Minardi.

He said he has also heard that Renault, struggling to solve the obvious problems with its turbo V6 'power unit', has gone beyond the walls of its Viry factory and is now "shopping" around for technical fixes.

"That has practically never happened before as, quite rightly, Renault has always sought to preserve its technology," said Minardi.

"This news can only feed suspicions of structural problems in the engine that are not easy to solve in the short term. Obviously, I hope to be proved wrong as soon as the testing in Bahrain, but undoubtedly we are living through a chaotic time in formula one," he added.

From GMM

F1's all-new era risks "destroying" the sport, according to outspoken 1997 world champion Jacques Villeneuve.

The French-Canadian, often referred to as an F1 'purist', admitted he is no fan of the radical new rules, featuring energy recovery-bolstered V6 engines.

"I think personally the rules are too restrictive; it's not formula one," he told the Telegraph.

42-year-old Villeneuve, whilst announcing his participation in the FIA world rallycross championship this year, said the rules are even a step back from 2013, when drivers often nursed fragile Pirelli tires to the flag.

Photo: WRi2

Now, the major challenge will be getting a limited amount of fuel to the finish, but the former Williams and Sauber driver said: "It's not even the driver who determines how much fuel he's saving -- it's all done electronically.

"I don't see the point. I know it's the concept of trying to make it look 'greener' because people will be happier, but ultimately it's not greener. It's not F1. It's just a perception, that is destroying formula one a little bit."

Jacques Villeneuve also said the recent Jerez test showed that the new technology is too complex, while the cars are too slow.

"The laptimes (at Jerez) were barely faster than what we did in 1997 in Jerez ... that's 17 years ago. I'm not sure why it has become so important to keep going slower," he said.

Villeneuve was also scathing of the unpopular 'double points' innovation for 2014, designed to keep spice in the title fight until the very end.

"It's turning F1 into a non-epic show, or a game, instead of a proper sport," he said. "In a way it's saying, 'We're losing fans, how can we make it fakely more exciting?'"

Amid all the speculation about F1's new era, however, Ferrari team boss Stefano Domenicali thinks it is too early to draw any dramatic conclusions.

Photo: WRi2

The Italian insisted "a propensity for self-destruction serves no purpose".

"We have only had one test so far when there were never more than four or five cars on track at the same time. Let's wait until we see all 22 together before saying that everything's gone wrong," said Domenicali.

"Once a path has been chosen, one has to move forward in a constructive manner," he added.

Rumours and stories about the demise of Volvo, its disappearance from the North American landscape, are sad fabrications born of the small minds of writers looking to make a name for themselves -- a bad one.

Volvo, which was purchased for $1.5 billion from Ford in 2010 by Zhejiang Geely Holding Group Co. Ltd, is on the road to reclaim it's name, reestablish its brand and, of course, sell many more cars in the process.

Here are the top details on the what, how, and where:

1. Geely has invested $11 billion in Volvo. Money is no issue for the Chinese giant.
2. $300 million of that investment went directly to the Skövde, Sweden engine plant.
3. A new Volvo assembly plant has been built in Chengdu, Sichuan province, China.
4. 6- and 8-cylinder engines are no longer. Only 4-cylinder Drive-E (Drive efficient) engines will persist.
5. The 2.0L petrol turbo will offer outputs that vary from 140 horsepower to over 300.
6. The 2.0L diesel turbo is the other engine, and may make its way to North America in time.
7. A 2.0L petrol turbo hybrid is earmarked for North America. In fact, it is likely to come before the diesel.
8. Engine designations, T5 and T6, will remain but will refer to output and not cylinders. T5: 200-250 hp. T6: 250-300 hp. Diesels are referred to as D5, D6, and so on.
9. The T6 engines use an Eaton screw type supercharger on top of turbocharging to attain desired power numbers.
10. Both engines were designed to be fully modular. In other words, automatic and manual transmissions, as well as AWD, can easily be fitted.
11. Volvo is currently in the middle of the largest product refresh in its history. 2014 was for interior/exterior changes, and 2015 is all about powertrains.
12. The future begins now with the new V60. Other product launches will be made every 6 months starting with the imminent arrival of the next XC90, built on the new SPA (Scalable Platform Architecture), which will underpin all Volvo products save for the small cars.
13. It is highly probable that a new smaller Volvo will come to North America in the next few years. The V40 is a likely candidate, however, I predict the return of an S40 to match up with the likes of the A3 sedan.
14. Volvo expects to sell 800,000 units worldwide by 2020, including 200,000 sales in China.
15. In 2014, Volvo Canada expects to deliver 5,400 new cars, an 18% increase over 2013 (4,600) to go along with a 30% increase in their marketing budget.

It is plain to see that Volvo is here to stay. The introduction of new technologies, in connectivity and powertrains, demonstrates the will of the maker to increase its reach.

Volvo remains highly committed to safety, but this time around, it is part of the big picture and only one reason to consider one of their cars as your next purchase.

2015 Volvo V60 T5 (Photo: Mathieu St-Pierre)

From GMM

Of F1's eleven teams, only Mercedes and Marussia are heading into the 2014 season with unchanged driver pairings.

Undoubtedly, however, it is Ferrari's shakeup that has triggered the most discussion.

Many disagree about which former champion, Fernando Alonso or the Ferrari returnee Kimi Raikkonen, will get the upper hand this season.

Felipe Massa picks Alonso, because the Spaniard "combines talent with brains", but Mika Hakkinen thinks Raikkonen's smoother style is "perfect" for the high-torque turbos.

Jacques Villeneuve, the 1997 world champion, is also betting on the Finn -- but for a different reason.

There are a few, older photos of Raikkonen smoking cigarettes circulating on the internet, but the latest series has been dated as 2014, and depicting the 34-year-old with his newest girlfriend Minttu.

Photo:

So in the era of super-fit drivers like triathlon lover Jenson Button, Villeneuve thinks the 2014 rules might level the playing field for Raikkonen.

"With the new rules, where basically the drivers won't have to drive on the edge the whole time, it won't be too physical, it could suit Kimi," he told Sky Sports.

Jacques Villeneuve also thinks Raikkonen could capitalise on the relationship between Alonso and Ferrari, which was undoubtedly tense at times last year.

"Last year Alonso wasn't the golden boy of Ferrari anymore, the energy wasn't good anymore," he said. "They were all fighting internally and that's why they put Kimi in there.

"But if we remember a few years ago it ended in tears with Kimi as well, so who knows what will happen," Jacques Villeneuve added.

Toyota Division is overhauling its marketing operations in the United States and will require 80 employees to reapply for newly created positions or take a voluntary separation from the automaker.

Toyota Division is overhauling its U.S. marketing operations into 'dynamic' product teams that will require 80 employees to reapply for newly created positions or take a voluntary separation from the automaker.

Union opponents are warning employees that voting for the UAW this week at Volkswagen AG's assembly plant in Chattanooga would bring the kind of economic malaise that crippled Detroit.

Hello to you, wherever you are. If you are a regular user of just-auto, you may have noticed that the design and appearance of the site has changed. We hope you will agree that the changes are for the better. Like all the best publishers, we realise that our publication has to evolve to a changing world and changing needs.

BMW's long-held reputation for producing only rear- and four-wheel drive vehicles comes to an end with the the new 2-series Active Tourer, its first-ever front-wheel-drive production model.

Toyota's Prius hybrid was the best-selling vehicle line in California for the second year in a row in 2013, with Tesla's Model S claiming third place among luxury cars, according to a market report.

The UAW is following the same road map at the Mercedes-Benz plant in Alabama that it used to reach its historic vote to represent Volkswagen employees in Tennessee.

Though the F-150 full-sized pickup drives Ford Motor Co.

Chrysler Group will no longer publish monthly North American vehicle production reports, claiming it is not a good representation of the company's finances.