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News 13 Jan, 2014

A new Grand Touring pack and Stryker Green exterior colour is now available on the Dodge SRT Viper

DETROIT -- Toyota took the wraps off a concept car today that stakes a claim to the legacy of the Supra and may signal the return of a sports car to the brand's vehicle portfolio.

Automakers from Fiat to Volkswagen and Daimler to Renault lost a combined 20 billion euros developing and selling models ranked in a top 10 list of the European auto industry's most 'catastrophic' failures of the past 15 years.

VW Group has given the green light to a mid-sized SUV based on its year-old CrossBlue concept, and plans to start selling the SUV in the United States in 2016.

Daimler CEO Dieter Zetsche said that Mercedes-Benz's victory in the 2013 U.S. luxury-car sales race 'feels pretty damn good.' And he is bullish about the brand's chances to defend the title.

Volkswagen will introduce an SUV tailored for U.S. buyers in 2016 to help improve lackluster sales of its namesake VW brand. The company is also sticking to its goal to boost combined annual U.S. sales of VW and Audi to 1 million by 2018.

For auto dealers, switching dealer management system software is like a heart transplant.

A recent report by the EPA shows that cars were just about as powerful and heavy as ever in the 2013 model year, the first year of the federal corporate average fuel economy standards that double to a nominal average of 54.

In a bid to commercialize hands-free cars, BMW AG and supplier Continental AG are preparing a large-scale road test involving dozens of vehicles.

Expect more scrutiny by the Federal Trade Commission of auto dealerships' advertising after nine stores agreed to settle charges of deceptive ad practices.

The new Mercedes-Benz CLA sedan will be in short supply until the second quarter because of hot sales.

The redesigned 2015 Chrysler 200 will offer buyers a more-premium mid-sized sedan for less money when it goes on sale midyear.

Mercedes-Benz plans to use the Maybach brand name that it axed in 2012 for a top-end, long-wheelbase version of its new S-class sedan.

Ford's next F-150 pickup will mark one of the biggest gambles in the automaker's history: Converting the hugely popular truck to be made largely out of aluminum while trying to retain the brawniness of steel.

In the past year, electric vehicle maker Tesla Motors has posted its first quarterly profit, quintupled its stock price, and won a near-perfect score from Consumer Reports for the Model S sedan. Now comes the hard part.

A year ago, the ATS had among the highest residual ratings in the competitive compact luxury market, better than those of the BMW 3 series.

From GMM

Nose solutions for the 2014 regulations could leave F1 cars resembling "anteaters", the Italian magazine Autosprint has revealed.

The report published an image apparently originating from the mandatory FIA crash test undergone recently by Caterham's new car.

It depicts an impression of the 2014 nose on the so-called 'control plate' after the impact, confirming some observers' fears that the likely solutions are aesthetically questionable.

Photo: Autosprint

"Notice how the nose is considerably narrower (than in 2013), for aerodynamic reasons. When the noses could be higher, they could be wider as they channelled air under the chassis. But a wide nose would now be a disturbance to the air flow," correspondent Alberto Antonini explained.

Antonini said it is likely most teams will adopt similar 'anteater'-like solutions.

The broken nose on the floor, after the crash-test impact. (Caption: Caterham TV)

From Ferrari

Monday January 13, Kimi Raikkonen embarked on his first week's work since starting his second career stint in red.

The Finn arrived in Maranello this morning and will spend three days with the engineers and in the simulator.

Kimi Raikkonen, Ferrari, 2014 (Photo: Ferrari)

“It's good to be back at work,” Kimi told www.ferrari.com during a break in proceedings.

“I began by getting used to all the new systems and procedures that we will use this year. From this point of view, the simulator is really very useful. It's true there's lots to do, but the workload is not much different to what it was in the past. For me, these days in Maranello are also an opportunity to be with the team and spend a bit more time with my many friends here.”

Kimi will stay in Maranello until Wednesday this week, proving that the Finn is keen to renew his relationship with the team that was his home from 2007 to 2009 as quickly as possible.

From wrc.com

Hyundai Shell World Rally Team boss Michel Nandan believes his squad will have the perfect driver pairing when it makes its WRC debut on next week's Rallye Monte-Carlo.

Photo: Hyundai Motorsport

Rising star Thierry Neuville and experienced campaigner Dani Sordo will give the Hyundai i20 WRC its competitive debut in the French Alps and Nandan believes the duo's skills and experience complement each other.

He said: “We have two very good drivers who have given the whole team a big boost. We all know that Thierry can achieve outstanding performance levels despite his young age, while Dani has a lot of experience in the WRC and at Rallye Monte-Carlo. I can definitely say that we have a very good mix.”

Photo: Hyundai Motorsport

Neuville, who impressed many by finishing second in last season's drivers' championship, completed a week-long pre-Rallye Monte-Carlo test with Sordo last month and both added to that experience with an extra test day earlier this week. 

He says his target in Monte Carlo is simple: “Our aim is to finish the event and get some good experience and mileage to further develop our car. We carried out some good testing ahead of the rally where we drove the car in very different weather conditions. Although it is difficult to recreate the exact same conditions we will find on the event, we will give it absolutely everything.”

Photo: Hyundai Motorsport

Photo: Hyundai Motorsport

Here it is, the all-new 2015 Ford F-150! Hailed by the Blue Oval as the ''toughest, smartest and most capable F-150 ever,'' it comes with a choice of four engines including a new 2.7L EcoBoost with standard Auto Start-Stop (standard), a 3.5L V6 engine with twin independent variable camshaft timing (Ti-CVT), a 3.5L EcoBoost, and a 5.0L Ti-VCT V8.

Available trim levels include XL, XLT, Lariat, Platinum, and King Ranch, with the FX4 off-road package optional on most four-wheel drive models.

The 2015 Ford F-150 benefits from a high-strength steel frame, plus an aluminum-alloy body structure that contributes to a 700lb total weight reduction.

Outside, the redesigned truck features LED headlights, taillights and spotlights on sideview mirrors, integrated loading ramps stowed in the pickup bed, as well as remote tailgate release. Meanwhile, the cabin offers ergonomically shaped front seats in addition to extra legroom for rear passengers.

The 2015 Ford F-150 will go on sale later this year. Prices have yet to be announced.

Photo: Ford