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From GMM

The engines may be smaller and quieter, but formula one cars will actually be faster in a straight line in 2014.

That is the expectation of Force India's technical boss Andy Green, when contemplating the mammoth rule changes over the winter.

Not only the engine rules have changed, but the FIA has also dramatically reduced the amount of downforce.

But although downforce levels were similarly attacked in 1998 and again in 2009, Green said that the huge changes for 2013 are "crucially different".

"The downforce loss is in the same region and is quite significant," he told Germany's Auto Motor und Sport.

"But this time the drag has also been dramatically reduced, where in the past the drag stayed the same while downforce was going down."

Asked if that means top speeds will be higher in 2014, Andy Green agreed: "Yes. I expect the cars to be about 15kph faster."

Esteban Gutierrez, Sauber C33-Ferrari. (Photo: WRi2)

Fiat, which now owns all of Chrysler's shares, today unveiled the logo for the newly formed Fiat Chrysler Automobiles entity.

According to he press release, the three letters in the logo are grouped in a geometric configuration inspired by the essential shapes used in automobile design: the F, derived from a square, symbolizes concreteness and solidity; the C, derived from a circle, representing wheels and movement, symbolizes harmony and continuity; and finally, the A, derived from a triangle, indicates energy and a perennial state of evolution.

The new logo will be adopted by Fiat and Chrysler as soon as practicable and before completion of the reorganization of the new Group.

Photo: Chrysler

From GMM

Kimi Raikkonen on Tuesday gave the thumbs up as he returned to the cockpit of a formula one car.

Having already signed to switch from Lotus to Ferrari for 2014, the Finn sat out the last few races of last season in order to have a back injury cured through surgery and physiotherapy.

Asked about his return to speed on Tuesday at the wheel of Ferrari's brand new F14-T, Kimi Raikkonen told the Finnish newspaper Turun Sanomat: "The back is ok.

"At least now, on the first day of driving, I did not have any problems," he explained. "And I don't expect any either, even if you never know what's going to happen in the future."

Kimi Raikkonen, 34, said he has been able to train normally since the end of December, six weeks after his mid November operation.

Kimi Raikkonen, Ferrari. (Photo: WRi2)

From GMM

Wednesday marks exactly one month that Michael Schumacher has been in a coma.

Doctors at the Grenoble hospital have kept the great German unconscious through anaesthesia, and he is now listed in a "stable" condition.

But the length of 45-year-old Schumacher's coma has neurosurgeons all around the world concerned.

"Regarding neurological functionality, the more time that passes, the more the ability to recover can be challenged," Lyon neurosurgeon chief Patrick Mertens told France's RMC Sport.

"It is certain that in the weeks to come, if we then come to two months and there is no improvement, you worry even more about the ability to recover," he added.

However, another French-speaking neurosurgeon told La Presse newspaper that he has seen "patients improve between one and three years after an accident".

But Gerard Audibert, a neurosurgeon at France's Nancy hospital, told La Depeche newspaper: "The average duration of an artificial coma with a severe brain injury is 15 days."

Sebastian Vettel and Michael Schumacher at the arrival of the 2012 Brazilian Grand Prix. (Photo: WRi2)

World champion Sebastian Vettel, once dubbed 'Baby Schumi' by the German press, said he has stayed away from his friend and mentor's bedside since the December accident.

"It's not about me at all it's about Michael only and his family," the Red Bull driver said at the Jerez test on Tuesday.

"I am still as shocked as everybody else and I pray and hope he will come back and the miracle will happen and he will be the person he always has been before," Sebastian Vettel added.

Compromise is something car buyers must often deal with when it comes to picking out the one vehicle they're apt to spend the next four or more years with. The most powerful car may be the most cramped; the most economical is likely to be the slowest; the most utilitarian, the ugliest and bulkiest, and so on.

Few if any other segment of cars offers the fewest compromises as do minivans. All hugely capable space-wise, and all reasonably comfortable, the concessions here typically revolve around the drive and performance, especially where any kind of pleasure is concerned.

Year after year, Honda's Odyssey returns as most auto critic's choice as the best driving minivan around. On top of that, the current design is fairly attractive, both inside and out. The Odyssey's major issue is always price, based largely on value when assessed against some of its competitors.


What is the Honda Odyssey?
The Honda Odyssey started out as the rebirth of the sadly defunct Accord wagon. In a few short years, it grew to become a very popular and sought after minivan for its design and handling. In fact, on the used car market, the Odyssey is the most sought after, and the one that retains the highest resale value.
Though a few reliability issues hindered the Odyssey in the early 2000s, it nevertheless flourished into what is the better minivan in a segment that has lost many players in the last five years. It is, and has been, Auto123.com's best minivan for a while.

2014 Honda Odyssey Price and Specs
All good things come at a certain price, and the 2014 Honda Odyssey is no different. To get into a new 2014 Odyssey, one must dish out $29,990 for the base LX. There are seven trims to select from for all budgets, and that's key.

As tested, a buyer would have to dish out $46,490 for the Touring, the top-level trim.

The Honda Odyssey has been faithfully served by a 3.5L V6 for the better part of a decade. Once one of the most powerful V6s in the segment, its 248 horsepower position it at the bottom of the list. The standard issue transmission is a 6-speed automatic.

The Honda Odyssey started out as the rebirth of the sadly defunct Accord wagon. In a few short years, it grew to become a very popular and sought after minivan for its design and handling. (Photo: Honda)

Driving the 2014 Honda Odyssey
For a recent trip to Toronto, I called upon the services of Honda's minivan as I had a large number of boxes to transport to go along with my personal luggage. As I was in no mood for a bout of Tetris to make everything fit in a CUV, I selected said people-mover for not only its functional cargo space, but for the way it can gobble up kilometres of road.

Honda has always benefited from a reputation for building cars that drive well. I am convinced that the engineers who worked on the Odyssey's suspension and drivetrain were reminded of this fact before they even put pen to paper. They done good.

The 2014 Honda Odyssey is very squat over its wheels, conferring the minivan with a low-ish centre of gravity that greatly aids in limiting body roll. The vehicle's fully independent suspension does an admirable job of keeping tire and tarmac in constant contact without an iota of discomfort felt by occupants.

What's more, the Odyssey's V6 and 6-speed autobox thoroughly enjoy working together. In occasional frustration on the 401, I'd find myself requiring a good bout of acceleration. A generous dose of throttle would rush the box down a pair of cogs, and off the minivan would go. To boot, the V6's song is quite pleasant, very Honda in fact.

I spent very many hours at the helm of the Odyssey, over 1,400 km, and was never uncomfortable or wanting more. Traction is good when shod with the proper rubber (Blizzaks in this case) and the minivan stays true to the set course. I would have liked a little more weight behind the steering wheel but otherwise the entire solo experience was very good. Truthfully, I may have set a personal best, time-wise, on the road home... In a minivan, no less.

Honda has always benefited from a reputation for building cars that drive well. (Photo: Honda)

Inside and out of the 2014 Honda Odyssey
The redesigned-for-2011 Honda Odyssey set a precedent where a minivan need not necessarily fit into a mould. Far more dynamic and visually appealing than anything else out there, Honda revised the van for the 2014 model year.

The result is, well, nearly impossible to point out, but the bottom line is that 2014 Honda Odyssey is cool, as far as minivans are concerned.

The huge cabin is fabulous. For four passengers, no other type of vehicle will deliver more room and overall comfort. With the 3rd row stowed, there's practically no limit to the amount of stuff that can be hauled.

With the Touring comes every conceivable bit of technology that Honda has up its sleeve. The more interesting are HondaLink with a touchscreen. At first, it can be confusing, as similar information can be displayed on the two screens (upper contains navigation), but after a short while I'd figured out how to make them both work for me. The kicker is the Touring-only HondaVAC (yes, a vacuum in a van), perfect for family messes.

The huge cabin is fabulous. For four passengers, no other type of vehicle will deliver more room and overall comfort. With the 3rd row stowed, there's practically no limit to the amount of stuff that can be hauled. (Photo: Honda)

Comparing the 2014 Honda Odyssey
Other than the Honda, minivan buyers have the choice between the Dodge Grand Caravan and the others. Truly, this is the way it is. Chrysler's magic wagon remains the one to beat (that will never be beat) in this segment, and for many good reasons.

The Toyota Sienna and Nissan Quest, along with the Odyssey, are merely suggestions. Be that as it may, for those searching for a little “drive” on their drive to soccer practice can depend on the Honda Odyssey to deliver.

Best Use of a Hair Band on a Car Award
Porsche 911 Targa

Targas of recent memory have been of the sliding glass roof variety. The new 991 Targa brings back the hoop (and a very clever roof system) to the 2+2 Porsche. With the return of the hair band, we hear Molly Ringwald will become a Porsche brand ambassador.

Photo: Mark Stevenson

Continue reading Best of the 2014 Detroit Auto Show

From GMM

Roger Benoit, one of the longest serving F1 correspondents in the paddock, said Tuesday's events at Jerez were "embarrassing".

"I have not experienced a start to a new test season such as that in 45 years in formula one," Benoit, who writes for the Swiss newspaper Blick, told Germany's Bild-Zeitung.

As the new hybrid and V6-powered single seaters - featuring bizarre and often rude-looking nose appendages - broke down, hit the barriers or failed even to emerge from the garages, Benoit said F1 had "pulled its pants down in front of the whole world".

"Why do we always make everything more complicated?" he lamented.

Marc Surer, the expert pundit for German television Sky, agreed: "I had not imagined it would be quite this bad."

Where usually up to 100 laps per day and beyond is de rigueur in F1's era of tightly limited testing, Ferrari's Kimi Raikkonen was Tuesday's most prolific runner, with 31 laps in the bag.

And his best lap was 10 seconds off the pace of a normal Jerez test, even though he insisted that "doesn't mean anything".

"We are only learning a new car and driving as much as we can," said Raikkonen.

Kimi Raikkonen, Ferrari F14-T. (Photo: Ferrari)

The bulk of the rest of the field could count their tallies on the fingers of one hand, including the bizarrely double-nosed new Caterham, whose Marcus Ericsson managed only a single outlap in the entire test day.

"If it's slow but beautiful then what's the point of that?" rookie Ericsson said.

At the moment, however, 'ugly' and stationary is the only conclusion to draw from F1 2014. McLaren's MP4-29 didn't leave the garage even once.

Jean-Eric Vergne, in the unseemly new Toro Rosso, managed 15 laps and was happy, "because just getting the car on track was an achievement".

World champion Sebastian Vettel was stranded in the pits nearly all day after mechanics installed one of the new Red Bull's components upside down.

The German did not point a finger at his crew, however, telling Welt newspaper that this year's cars are "like a puzzle" to put together.

"Before, F1 cars were not so close to rocket science like they are now," he is quoted by F1's official website.

Sebastian Vettel, Red Bull RB10. (Photo: WRi2)

Toro Rosso chief Franz Tost said: "When we ran the car at Misano, it became clear how difficult it was to get all the systems interacting with each other."

Red Bull team boss Christian Horner said at Jerez: "There's probably 40 per cent more drawings required to produce the car and therefore that many more parts to be made and tested.

"I don't know how the little teams are coping," he told the BBC.

It is obvious to say that, given the team's former dominance, Red Bull would have preferred the regulations stay the same in 2014.

"It is clear that F1 must evolve and be relevant to the automotive industry," Horner is quoted by Brazil's Totalrace, "but we do need to question the timing of this change. There are several cars here without many (sponsorship) stickers."

The boss of one of those smaller teams, Toro Rosso's Tost, admitted that the necessary annual budget had increased by 25 per cent over the winter.

"And that money is only to build a car and perform at about the same level as last year. In short, the situation is difficult," the Austrian told Russia's f1news.ru.

He predicted, however, that the farcical sight of constantly-waving red flags would eventually end.

"I think in Melbourne it will not happen," said Tost. "I think already here, on Thursday and Friday, we will be hearing the fantastic music of the new turbo engines. This is only the first test day in January -- there is plenty of time until Melbourne."

Some, however, are not impressed with the milder V6 tones, Nico Hulkenberg admitting Tuesday's proceedings reminded him of a DTM touring car test.

Mercedes' Toto Wolff, however, said early testing is not a good judge, as the engines are not running at full tilt.

Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes W05. (Photo: Mercedes AMG F1 Team)

French driver Vergne agreed: "I would say that we were trying everything in a 'safe mode'."

Finally, as Tuesday's most prolific runner, the spotlight fell on the taciturn Raikkonen to deliver the verdict on how 2014 feels from the cockpit.

"It's definitely different," he said, "but it's not like night and day."

And what does he think of F1's brave new era?

"The rules are what they are," Raikkonen told the Finnish broadcaster MTV3, "and the cars are built to whatever the rules are. It makes no sense to complain now."

President Barack Obama cited new General Motors CEO Mary Barra as an example of those who strengthen America by realizing their dreams through hard work.

Manheim has added 16 auctions in its Southeast and Texas markets to a program that aims to assist dealers to whose access to physical auctions might be hampered by harsh winter weather.

Ross Roberts, a former Ford Division general manager who helped turn trucks into everyday vehicles, died today. He was 75.

Daimler is grappling with the surprise resignation of executive board member Andreas Renschler, who had been rumored as a potential candidate to succeed CEO Dieter Zetsche.

Daimler is grappling with the surprise resignation of executive board member Andreas Renschler, who had been rumored as a potential candidate to succeed CEO Dieter Zetsche.

Daimler is grappling with the surprise resignation of executive board member Andreas Renschler, who had been rumored as a potential candidate to succeed CEO Dieter Zetsche.

When we

Ford today said it plans 13 weeks of downtime for retooling this year at plants building the F-150 as it prepares to introduce the next generation of its top-selling pickup.

News 28 Jan, 2014

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We never thought of the Lexus LX 570 as being particularly short on power. Apparently

Global registrations of the Ford Focus grew 16% year-on-year to make it the best selling car in the world, according to Ford's analysis of data from Polk.

The Volvo Concept XC Coupé that debuted at the