Auto News 5

Automakers are upbeat about global auto sales this year despite fears of a slowdown in the United States, which generates big profits and where sales have surged 50 percent since the recession.

Auto sales in the United States will rise 5 percent to 16.3 million light vehicles in 2014, "but we have a chance for up to 16.8 million if automakers lose discipline," says analyst Alec Gutierrez of Kelley Blue Book.

Audi's allroad shooting brake concept demonstrates three big shifts at the brand: an embrace of plug-in hybrids, a rush toward smaller SUVs, and updates to the trendy designs that have aided Audi's recent rise.

Audi AG plans to unveil an SUV concept Monday at the Detroit auto show that demonstrates three big shifts at the German luxury car brand: an embrace of plug-in hybrids, a rush toward smaller SUVs, and updates to the trendy designs that have aided...

GM named a new CEO, Ford kept its old leader and Chrysler's CEO averted a divisive public offering. And that was just in the last 30 days.

To look over the roster of racy new and future vehicles at the 2014 Detroit auto show, the initial impression is that American, European and Asian automakers want to turn back the clock to a time when performance and speed trumped concerns about...

Vinay Shahani, the new vice president of marketing at Volkswagen of America, plans to stay the course.

Jaguar Land Rover reported record global sales last year, driven by growth in the Asia Pacific and China region. Sales rose 19 percent to 425,006 vehicles, the company said.

As auto sales return to pre-recession levels, some of the industry's old incentive games may be creeping back, too.

The 2015 GMC Canyon is the bolder, more-chiseled half of GM's dual bid to revive consumer interest in smaller pickups.

From press release

Muscle Milk Pickett Racing enjoyed a dream season in 2013. Klaus Graf and Lucas Luhr won eight of the 10 races in the No. 6 HPD ARX-03c, winning their second consecutive P1 class championship by 100 points. In addition to the two titles, the team won 21 races, 14 poles and 39 podium finishes in 46 career P1 races.

Now, it's back to square one for the California-based team owned by 1978 Trans-Am champion and Muscle Milk creator Greg Pickett. With the demise of the P1 category, the team will roll out a brand-new car for 2014, partnering with the global Nissan NISMO effort. The new No. 6 Muscle Milk Pickett Racing ORECA/Nissan turned its first laps during a PR photo shoot at Daytona International Speedway.

The car then participated in the three-day Roar Before the Rolex 24 test, where it was 13th driven by Graf, Luhr and Nissan World Endurance Championship regular Alex Brundle.

"For us, this was not a real test - it was a shakedown, because it was the first time we ran the car," said Luhr, the ALMS all-time leader with 49 victories.

No. 6 Muscle Milk Pickett Racing Nissan-powered ORECA 03 (Photo: IMSA.com)

Luhr has experienced both highs and lows at the Rolex 24 At Daytona. He won the GT class in 2001 - finishing second overall in a Porsche GT3 RS. He won the pole for the 2006 in a Chevrolet/Crawford for Alex Job Racing in 2006. Joined by Patrick Long and Mike Rockenfeller, the team dominated the race, only to finish third - sidelined twice for long stops to repair failed axle boots.

Graf had his first opportunity to drive the Daytona road course under the lights during the Roar.

"Driving at night at Daytona isn't really driving at night," Graf said. "The whole place is lit up so it's not really a problem. It is such a special atmosphere when the night comes in and the lights go on. It changes a bit, the sound is different, it feels different in the cockpit too."

The Rolex 24 will be the first race at Daytona for both Graf and Brundle, who finished second in the 2013 FIA WEC P2 championship for OAK Racing. Alex is the son of former Formula One driver Martin Brundle.

Former F1 driver Vitantonio Liuzzi dominated his competition, this weekend, as he took part in an annual charity kart race organized by Williams driver Felipe Massa.

Liuzzi led all practice sessions before grabbing the pole and eventually running away with the win. His performance earned him the Ayrton Senna trophy.

Drivers attending the event took time to show their support to Michael Schumacher's family, who are at the seven time world champion's side as he fights for his life following a ski accident in the French Alps.

Race results - 2014 Desafio Internacional das Estrelas
1. Vitantonio Liuzzi, 29 laps in 26min23.055s
2. Sebastien Buemi, + 6s021
3. Felipe Massa, + 10s601
4. Julio Campos, + 11s484
5. Antonio Pizonia, + 11s584
6. Daniel Serra, + 11s829
7. Nelsinho Piquet, + 13s733
8. Felipe Nasr, + 19s970 

9. Valdeno Brito, + 30s533 

10. Pietro Fittipaldi, + 31s465 

11. Beto Monteiro, + 31s548 

12. Luciano Burti, + 32s081 

13. JP Oliveira, + 32s237 

14. Luiz Razia, + 32s366 

15. Bruno Senna, + 32s541 

16. Popó Bueno, + 37s213
17. Ricardo Zonta, + 38s601 

18. Felipe Giaffone, + 1 lap
19. Rubens Barrichello, + 3 laps 

20. Lucas di Grassi, + 8 laps

Retirements
Allam Khodair, + 15 laps

Augusto Farfus, + 23 laps

Ricardo Maurício, + 27 laps

Bia Figueiredo, + 29 laps

Best lap: Sebastien Buemi in 53s901

Two more wins at Isola 2000 have brought Jean-Philippe Dayraut (MINI Countryman) even closer to a fifth title in Andros Trophy.

During the first day of racing, the defending champion won ahead of Franck Lagorce (Renault Clio III) and Andrea Dubourg (Renault Clio III), while Olivier Panis (Mazda 3) and Bertrand Balas (MINI Countryman) completed the top 5.

The next day, Dayraut earned another victory ahead of Lagorce and Jean-Baptiste Dubourg (Renault Clio III). Behind, Toomas Heikkinen (Ford Fiesta) took 4th place ahead of Andrea Dubourg (Renault Clio III).

In overall championship classification, Dayraut pulls away in front ahead of Lagorce and Jean-Baptiste Dubourg. Andrea Dubourg stands 4th ahead of Benjamin Rivière.

Jean-Philippe Dayraut (Photo: B.Bade)

2013 IndyCar rookie of the year Tristan Vautier could be switching to sportscar racing if he cannot find a seat in IndyCar.

The Frenchman was dropped by Schmidt Peterson at the end of his rookie season to be replaced by Russian Mikhail Aleshin, and is now having a hard time finding another seat without substantial backing.

"There are really no seats available unless you're bringing a significant budget," Vautier is quoted saying by British magazine Autosport.

Although his first choice would be to stay in IndyCar, the 24-year-old is now trying to secure a seat with Mazda to race a prototype in the United SportsCar Championship (USCC).

Mazda's SKYACTIV prototype (Photo: IMSA.com)

He already tested the car at Daytona.

"The test went well," he also told Autosport.

"They've already got their full-time drivers but they still need co-drivers for the longer races, and I'd really like to be involved with them this season. But we'll see."

The first round of the 2014 Word Rally Championship (WRC) is only days away now. Drivers Robert Kubica and Mikko Hirvonen are looking forward to the Rallye Monte-Carlo, which they are entering with M-Sport.

The event will mark Kubica's first outing in the Ford Fiesta RS WRC, and only his second WRC event after he made his debut at last year's Wales Rally GB at the wheel of Citroën DS3.

Robert Kubica, Ford Fiesta (Photo: FIAERC.com)

"As a new chapter in my rally career begins, I am really looking forward to next week's Rallye Monte-Carlo," Kubica said. "It is a big challenge that should never be underestimated. My priority is to gain priceless experience while I participate there for the first time."

Hirvonen has a lot more experience with the Fiesta, having driven for M-Sport in 2011, before joining Citroën the following year. The Finn also accumulated close to 600 kilometres in testing in preparation for the season opener, which marks his return with the British squad.

Mikko Hirvonen (Photo: M-Sport)

"I was quite surprised about how different the car felt to last time I drove it," he told WRC.com. "There was a big difference in how it was handling and working and the feeling with the car was really good.

"It took a little bit of time to get used to some of the details. The seating is a little bit different and it took me a while to find the handbrake going into the hairpins - small things like that - but I really enjoyed it a lot."

The 2014 Rallye Monte-Carlo starts January 14th.

Cuba has finally opened its local market to new cars. That's great news for drivers... who can afford the minimum $100,000 price on new imports, even run-of-the-mill compacts.

The average Cuban earns just $20 a month, or one 5,000th the cost of a 2013 Peugeot 206+!

Maybe that used 2011 Hyundai Accent (over $49,000) or 2002 Toyota Yaris ($27,000) doesn't sound so expensive after all...

Source: caradisiac.com

Canadian Jean-François Dumoulin has found a drive to join his brother Louis-Philippe on the grid of this year's 24 Hours of Daytona.

"JF" will share Magnus Racing's No. 44 911 GT America with John Potter, Andy Lally and Wolf Henzler, racing in the GTD category of the field.

"LP" is racing in the same category, in the same car, but with a different team: Alex Job Racing.

"It is very impressive what Magnus Racing has achieved in a very short amount of time," said the 37-year-old Jean-François.

No. 44 Magnus Racing Porsche 911 (Photo: Magnus Racing)

"Even though I'm new to the team, I've known a lot of the guys here for some time, so I already feel at home. The GTD class is looking extremely tight, but this team has proven their ability to compete with anyone over the last few years. I look forward to contributing my part."

Both Dumoulin brothers currently race in NASCAR, but have many years of experience in sports car racing. JF has two victories at Daytona to his name, from 2004 and 2007.

The races starts January 25th, at 2:30 pm.

Model: 2006 to 2012 Kia Sedona

Vehicle Type: Minivan

The Verdict: Sedona's lower-than-average resale values, performance and lengthy list of features will create some appeal for used minivan shoppers on a budget, though purchasing a used model without a full electronics inspection and computer scan by a Kia dealer mechanic is strictly not advised. Protect yourself with as new a model as your budget allows and with as much of the factory warranty remaining as possible.

Price: Look for pricing as low as $5,500 on an early, high-mileage Sedona, climbing well into the $30,000 range for a newer, low-mileage unit with all the toys. There's plenty of selection in the mid to high teens.

Photo: Philippe Champoux

History/Description: Kia's Sedona minivan delivered plenty of safety, convenience and affordability, as well as a high ‘volume per dollar' ratio that challenged competitors like the Honda Odyssey, Nissan Quest, Toyota Sienna and the segment's sales superstar, the Dodge Grand Caravan.

Feature content included power accessories, cruise control, steering wheel mounted audio controls, Bluetooth and more. Projector lights and a windshield wiper defroster helped with all-season visibility. A backup camera, power sliding doors, a power tailgate and power adjustable pedals were available too.

Nomenclature saw the LX badge worn by basic models, with LX Convenience indicating the inclusion of numerous must-have features at value pricing. Upscale models were called EX and EX Luxury, respectively.

Under the hood? A 3.8L four-cam V6 with 244 horsepower in earlier models, replaced from 2011 by a 3.5L V6 with 271 horsepower. Shoppers should expect a 2011 or 2012 Sedona to turn in better mileage and acceleration thanks to the updated powerplant and new six-speed transmission.

Photo: Philippe Champoux

What Owners Like: Ride comfort, seat comfort, space, at-hand storage facilities and overall flexibility were all highly rated by Sedona owners. Performance is very highly rated with either powerplant, and the second-row climate control system was a hit with parents, too.

What Owners Dislike: Some cheap interior controls, a potentially noisy air-conditioning system, easily chipped paint and mediocre gas mileage are among the most common complaints.

Photo: Philippe Champoux

Common Issues: Since numerous owners have reported alternator problems, as well as problems with battery charging, a check of the Sedona's charging system by a Kia-trained mechanic should be made ahead of your purchase. The out-of-warranty cost of parts and labor to replace an alternator on a Sedona are relatively high.

Drivability issues like sporadic acceleration, hard starting, stalling, reduced power output or ‘lumpy' power delivery could be the result of a bad engine sensor. A scan of the engine control computer system can reveal any hidden sensor related issues, even if the vehicle is running properly on your test-drive.

Sensors also control the Sedona's transmission and if they're experiencing issues, hard shifting, slipping or failure to shift may be the result. If you note any strange or unwelcomed behavior from the transmission during your test-drive, be sure to have it investigated before agreeing to purchase.

Note that some owners have reported oil leaks on the 2011 and newer Sedona from the oil filter housing or oil pressure switch.

On the electrical front, check for proper operation of the headlights as numerous owners report having to change burned-out bulbs frequently. Listen to the power windows, one at a time, to ensure they make no grinding or scraping sounds during operation. If they do, a bad window regulator is the likely culprit.

Photo: Philippe Champoux

What is it?

Volkswagen said group global sales rose to more than 9.7 million vehicles in 2013, with the record deliveries fueled by demand for Audi and Porsche models and surging sales in China.