Auto News 5

I was privileged enough to attend a special drive event hosted by Jaguar Land Rover Canada at Circuit ICAR in Mirabel, Quebec. The experience entailed some adrenaline-packed Jaguars, but you'll have to wait for a separate story on that (coming next week). For now, let's focus on a completely different kind of challenge: manoeuvring big Land Rovers through an off-road course at 5 km/h!

A portion of the ICAR track was set up to put many of these British luxury 4x4s to the test. Among the various obstacles were a frighteningly steep climb, a giant pool of water, the most extreme washboard you'll ever see (if you can call it that), and a whole lot more. That was my “playground” for the day.

As far as I can tell, there are two types of Land Rovers: those with an air suspension, the real off-road kings, and the others like the LR2 and Evoque. Despite also lacking the more sophisticated Terrain Response 2 system of their siblings, the LR2 and Evoque still manage to overcome the smaller obstacles without any difficulty. More likely than not, these two vehicles will satisfy the average Land Rover owner in most situations.

Photo: Frédéric Feudi

However, I was there to experiment with the kind of driving conditions you'd only find in the most remote and treacherous locations -- like Mars.

First, I slid behind the wheel of the almighty Range Rover. Simply by pressing a button, the air suspension raised the vehicle to provide extra ground clearance.

Imagine a 5-foot high doughnut cut in half. The wheels on one side touch the ground, the other side climbs on said doughnut, and you make a turn. You look through the driver's window and realize that you're awfully close to the ground, and then you turn around and see nothing but blue sky out the passenger window. Every ounce of common sense suggests that you're about to tip over, except you don't. You keep inching forward, hands moist, pulse racing. Thrilling and chilling at the same time!

Photo: Frédéric Feudi

The second obstacle consisted of two rows of massive bumps running in parallel, but with an offset so that one or even two wheels stay off the ground (the extreme washboard I was referring to earlier, as you can see on the picture) known as articulation berms. Every time the Range Rover attacked a new set of bumps, I got the feeling that the front bumper was going to explode. I had to trust the vehicle, and more importantly my instructor. The images from the side mirror-mounted cameras also appeared on the centre display to help me properly align the truck and anticipate the next bump. I sure could use these cameras when I park my own car along city streets! Bravo, Land Rover!

The third obstacle was an enormous pool that submerged the vehicle up to window level. The air intake in the Land Rover LR4, Range Rover, and Range Rover Sport is each located completely above the engine, near the base of the windshield. As long as you don't get water through that opening, you can keep driving like it's no big deal. There's something utterly fascinating and mind-boggling about stretching out the window and touching the water as you move forward in a business-like fashion.

Photo: Frédéric Feudi

After exiting the pool, I took the big Land Rover to the bottom of a near-vertical (at least it looked like it) slope that posed a seemingly insurmountable challenge -- even after the other logic-defying feats accomplished earlier. How could the vehicle possibly reach the top?! Somehow it did, giving a new meaning to “sky's the limit.”

No time to rest: With an equally steep descent on the other side, my instructor told me to let go of everything except the steering wheel. The Land Rover immediately understood the situation and applied the brakes all by itself to control speed throughout the descent. As a driver, it really makes you humble when the vehicle decides to take over because it can do a better job than you -- at the same time, I appreciated the breather.

At the end of the day, I was both excited and relieved. Thank you, Land Rover, for this formidable off-road experience!

DTM teams and drivers will enjoy two four-day tests before the start of the 2014 season at the Hockenheimring, May 4.

Canadians Bruno Spengler for BMW and Robert Wickens for Mercedes will have the chance to drive their news cars.

The first four-day test will be held March 31 to April 3, from 9am to 5pm at the Hungaroring, near Budapest, Hungary.

Two weeks later, from April 14 to 17, the teams will put the finishing touches to the Audis RS5 DTM, BMWs M4 DTM and DTM Mercedes AMG C-Coupé at the Hockenheimring Baden-Württemberg. The track session will be held from 9am to 12, and then from 2 to 6pm.

DTM fans will be given daily access to the ‘Südtribüne G' of the Hockenheimring for just 6 euros.

The Lexus LF-LC concept, introduced at the 2012 North American International Auto Show in Detroit, will finally make its Canadian debut this week at the Toronto Auto Show.

As you may or may not know, this 2+2 coupe embodies the Japanese brand's future design direction. It features the boldest interpretation of the Lexus spindle grille, an industry-exclusive glass-to-glass roof panel, and taillights that are reminiscent of fighter jet afterburners.

Motivation for the front-engine, rear-wheel drive LF-LC comes from the most advanced Lexus Hybrid Drive system yet, generating the equivalent of 445 horsepower -- unmatched by any other Lexus.

The body marries carbon fibre and aluminum alloy to achieve an extremely lightweight package. Inside, dual 12.3'' LCD screens (one for navigation and one for the gauge cluster) communicate with each other to provide everything the driver needs to know.

From GMM

According to German daily Bild-Zeitung, seven-time Formula 1 champion, Michael Schumacher, in a coma since his skiing fall late last year, is now reportedly suffering from pneumonia.

Bild-Zeitung said that two and a half weeks since doctors began trying to wake him, the former Ferrari and Mercedes driver is now on antibiotics to treat the lung condition.

"The consequences are not yet clear," the newspaper's correspondents said. "Whether the waking up process was stopped because of the infection is not known."

Schumacher's manager, Sabine Kehm said: "We do not comment on speculation."

Professor Heinzpeter Moecke, of a Hamburg hospital, told Bild: "Pneumonia is generally a serious and dangerous disease, because the body is supplied with less oxygen and is weaker."

He said comatose patients sometimes contract pneumonia because ventilation prevents coughing.

"A healthy person coughs or swallows several times per minute, usually without noticing it. This protects the lungs," said Moecke.

Schumacher's former Ferrari teammate Felipe Massa told reporters in Sao Paulo this week that he recently visited his friend in the Grenoble hospital.

"I went to see him on a day when there was nobody from the press there.

"I stayed by his side for a long time," said Massa. "It was good to be there.

"It just looked like he was sleeping, like any of us sleeps. I'm really hopeful everything will be ok and that he will wake up and recover fully," said the Williams driver.

Massa said he is receiving daily updates from the Schumacher circle about the great German's condition.

Jaguar will take advantage of the 2014 Canadian International Auto Show in Toronto to present its new C-X17 crossover concept for the first time in the country. The model originally appeared in Frankfurt last September.

The Jaguar C-X17 features an all-aluminum body with sporty lines including a sloping rear hatch. The front grille is inspired from the Jaguar XJ.

The cabin has four stylish individual seats, while the generous cargo area also offers the flexibility of two occasional leisure seats that swing up and out of the floor for use when the car is parked and the rear tailgate is open. Other interior highlights include head-up display and a rotary shift dial.

Under the hood is a selection of 4-cylinder gasoline and diesel engines.

The C-X17's platform will be used on a new compact sedan that Jaguar will launch later in 2014 for the 2015 model year.

Photo: Jaguar

Part of the floor at the National Corvette Museum in Bowling Green, Kentucky, recently collapsed and swallowed eight vintage Corvettes.

The sinkhole, which is reportedly about 40 feet wide and at least 25 feet deep, has forced the museum to close while geologists conduct an investigation. Fortunately, no one has been hurt.

The damaged cars include:

• 1993 ZR-1 Spyder (GM loan);
• 2009 ZR-1 Blue Devil (GM loan);
• 1962 Corvette in black;
• 1984 PPG Pace Car;
• 1992 Corvette in white (one millionth Corvette);
• 1993 Corvette Ruby Red Edition 40th anniversary;
• Z06 Mallett Hammer;
• 2009 Corvette in white (1.5 millionth Corvette).

Source : theverge.com

Photo: Corvette Museum

Toyota Canada will recall 13,791 Toyota Prius vehicles from the 2010-2014 model years in order to update the motor/generator control ECU and hybrid control ECU software.

The current settings could result in higher thermal stress in certain transistors, potentially causing them to become damaged. If this happens, various warning lights will illuminate and the Prius can enter a fail-safe mode. In rare circumstances, the hybrid system might shut down, resulting in the loss of power and the car coming to a stop.

In a separate recall that affects 25,577 vehicles, including the 2012 Toyota RAV4, 2012-2013 Toyota Tacoma, and 2012-2013 Lexus RX 350, Toyota Canada will update the skid control ECU software in order to address an electronic circuit condition that can cause the Vehicle Stability Control, Anti-lock Brake, and Traction Control functions to intermittently turn off.

As part of these recalls, owners of affected vehicles will receive a software update free of charge. They will be notified by mail when the software updates are available at their dealerships.

The Journal de Montreal reveals today that 1997 Formula 1 World Champion, Jacques Villeneuve will contest the new FIA Rallycross World Championship in 2014.

The news will be officially announced Thursday during a press conference in Scotland.

According to the daily newspaper, Villeneuve has been hired by team Albatec to contest the full season of 12 rounds held around the globe of this new FIA-sanctioned World Championship.

Villeneuve will be behind the wheel of a Peugeot 208.

Photo: Global Rallycross Series

The former Williams driver may be new to rallycross but he has significant ice racing experience under his belt from his years in the French Andros Trophy.

Villeneuve's participation is not accidental as the only North American round of the World Championship will be held at the Grand Prix of Trois-Rivieres in August. It is different from the Global Rallycross Championship that is strictly American.

Do you own a Graco baby seat or booster seat? If so, you should know that the company is now recalling 3.7 million of them -- all manufactured from 2009 to July 2013 -- due to potentially faulty harness buckles.

Affected models include:

• Cozy Cline
• Comfort Sport
• Classic Ride 50
• My Ride 65
• My Ride 70
• My Ride avec Safety Surround
• Size4Me 70
• My Size 70
• Head Wise 70 Smart Seat
• Nautilus 3 en 1
• Nautilus Elite
• Nautilus Argos

Graco will send owners new and improved replacement harness buckles at no cost.

For further details, contact the Graco customer service team at 1-800-345-4109 or write an email at consumerservices@gracobaby.com

Source : canadianfreestuff.com

From GMM

Damon Hill has counted himself out of the furore surrounding the new 'double points' innovation for 2014.

Mercedes boss Toto Wolff said recently the fans' adverse reaction was akin to a "sh**storm", and should give rulemakers pause to reconsider handing out twice as many points in the Abu Dhabi finale.

His predecessor, Norbert Haug, is also no fan.

"If all the goals on the last matchday of the (German football) Bundesliga counted twice, the confusion would be just as big. Formula one is no different," he told the German news agency SID.

1996 world champion Hill, however, is not sure what all the fuss is about, saying he agrees with Bernie Ecclestone that the concept will keep spice in the title fight.

"If you go to Wimbledon and you are in a knockout competition it then gets more crucial and more important the closer you get to the final -- and the final is worth a lot more points than the first round," he told Sky Sports.

"Personally, I don't see what the story is about," said Hill. "Winning the world championship is the goal and if it gets more and more intense towards the end, and there is more at stake at the end of the championship, then that should be more exciting."

2013 podium at Abu Dhabi. (Photo: WRi2)

From GMM

New details of the plan to spice up qualifying for 2014 have emerged.

Last week, it emerged that at a meeting in Bahrain on February 21, F1's major players will move to ensure the final 'Q3' segment is exciting under the radically different regulations.

The fear is that, to preserve tires and for reasons of reliability, drivers will sit out the session for other tactical reasons.

It was reported that a likely solution would be to supply drivers with an extra set of tires for the final 'Q3' hitout.

Red Bull RB10. (Photo: WRi2)

Writing in Autosprint, the Italian correspondent Roberto Chinchero said the extra set, only eligible to be used in Q3, will be the 'option' - or fastest - tire.

According to the reported proposal, drivers will also be encouraged to push hard in Q3 by ending the rule that required cars to start the race on the last tire used in the top-ten hitout.

Now, top-ten drivers will start on the tire with which they set their best Q2 time.

The Q3 changes, likely to increase track activity, will mean the session is extended from 10 to 12 minutes, giving drivers more time to fit in their additional 'runs'.

And the lengthened Q3 will mean Q1 is reduced from 20 to 18 minutes.

Meanwhile, for drivers who do not make it into Q3, they will be given an extra set of 'option' tires for the race, also discouraging them from saving tires in qualifying.

From GMM

F1's governing body will move to stop 'ugly' noses ahead of the 2015 season.

Drivers, fans and even the designers have expressed dismay at the aesthetics of this year's new cars, after a change to the nose-height regulations on safety grounds for 2014.

But the FIA also expressed doubts about the safety of the new solutions, believing that while the designs conform to the letter of the rules, the 'spirit' has been less well observed.

Sauber C33 and Caterham CT05. (Photo: WRi2)

"As rule makers, we cannot get into how the nose looks aesthetically," FIA technical chief Charlie Whiting told Germany's Auto Motor und Sport.

"What concerns us is whether they fulfil the purpose that we intended with these rules," said the Briton.

Charlie Whiting has already cleared all of the 2014 nose solutions to race, including the unique tuning fork-style Lotus, the double nosed Caterham, and the 'anteater' noses.

"Unless it's dangerous, we have to live with how they look," he said. "We acted in good faith, but we are not designers. They want as much air as possible under the car."

Sahara Force India VJM07. (Photo: WRi2)

What has really upset the FIA is the way the teams have skirted the 'spirit' of the rules regarding the crash structure and the very nose tip.

So, for 2015, changes are looming. Whiting said the next set of rules will require nose "symmetry", which will stop Lotus-style solutions.

New rules will also apply for the rate of deformation in the crash tests at the nose tip, and the minimum surface area may also be increased, preventing the pencil-thin 2014 noses.

And the 2015 changes will also prevent the sort of "radical transitions" from the wide part of the nose to the thinner tip, Charlie Whiting added.

The 41st anniversary of the CIAS promises to be quite the bash. As it is Canada's largest Auto Show, you can be sure that everyone and pretty much every new car available under the Canadian sun will grace the Metro Toronto Convention Centre's show floors.

The Canadian International Auto Show opens its doors to the public from February 15th to the 24th at the MTCC. If you're in the market for a new car or truck, a big car show such as an auto show is the best place to start looking.

This year, as with every other year, carmakers come out in force displaying countless new models to gawk at, sit down in, and compare.

The time is now if you're in a car-shopping mood as the 41st edition of the Canadian International Auto Show in TO is in full swing.

This year's show promises to please something fierce. The likes of the all-new 2015 Chrysler 200, 2015 Mercedes-Benz C-Class, and much-anticipated 2015 Porsche Macan are all on hand.

Not only will you find every car available under the Canadian sun, but as an enthusiast of all things cars, you'll want to check out the Auto Exotica and Muscle Car Alley speciality displays. You also have the chance to win $10,000 towards the purchase of any car on AutoTrader.ca and you could even win free gas for a year with CAA.

The Canadian International Auto Show in Toronto is truly a one-stop shop for buyers and browsers alike.

As in years past, Press Day is held on the Thursday preceding the official opening of the show floor to the public, which takes place on Friday, the 14th of February. The show runs a full 11 days and closes on Monday, February 24th.

It's never too late to buy tickets. They are available online at AutoShow.ca or in person at the MTCC.

From GMM

Daniel Ricciardo says Red Bull is confident the world champion team will overcome its technical crisis.

The new RB10 barely ran at the opening Jerez test recently amid packaging and Renault power unit issues.

Ahead of the second of three pre-season tests, set to begin in Bahrain next week, team driver Ricciardo said: "We're confident we'll run a bit smoother.

"But it's so complex this year, until we get laps under our belt we can't really be sure of anything," he is quoted by the Australian news agency AAP.

"I saw the car yesterday and they've made quite a bit of progress, so hopefully we'll get a few more laps and kickstart our season," Ricciardo added.

Daniel Ricciardo, Red Bull RB10. (Photo: WRi2)

Williams driver Felipe Massa, who moved from Ferrari over the winter, said recently he would be "worried" if he was in Sebastian Vettel or Ricciardo's shoes.

He told reporters in Sao Paulo this week: "It is not a disaster, but it is a concern not to be able to test.

"But I think it is a problem with all the Renault cars," Massa added.  "With such a small rear, in the case of the Red Bull, there may be overheating, but it's difficult to know."

Meanwhile, Ricciardo was asked by AAP about his new teammate, the reigning quadruple world champion Vettel, following the German's comments that he will not be helping the young Australian get up to speed in 2014.

"I'll pick things up naturally from him and learn the ins and outs of how he works," said the 24-year-old.

"Obviously he's not going to tell me how to drive around a corner -- we're all capable of that now."

Ricciardo was also asked about predecessor and countryman Mark Webber's latest comments, when the veteran Australian predicted he would match Vettel in qualifying this year.

"I won't say I'll come out and beat him -- because until I do that, I don't want to say anything.  But of course I'd love to," Ricciardo smiled.

"Obviously we know the calibre of driver he is, so the first thing is I've got to learn from him, respect what he does and then try to match him."

Audi has turned its limited-production

Canada is increasing its funding for automakers by $500 million ($453 million) in a bid to attract investment from Chrysler Group and other companies as the country's domestic auto industry reels from global competition and declining output.

Moody's cut Fiat's rating, citing weak 2013 results and challenges it sees for the Italian carmaker in achieving its guidance this year, given eroding profitability in its Latin American market.

Moody's cut Fiat's rating to 'B1' from 'Ba3' on Tuesday, citing weak 2013 results and challenges it sees for the Italian carmaker in achieving its guidance this year, given eroding profitability in its Latin American market.

Senator Bob Corker of Tennessee today urged workers at the Volkswagen plant in Chattanooga to vote down UAW representation this week, saying the union drive is already hurting efforts to recruit other companies.

Consumer Reports is declining to recommend the 2014 Jeep Cherokee, describing the SUV after testing as an "uneven package" and deeming it "half-baked."