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From GMM

Mark Webber's future at Red Bull is clouded, according to F1 chief executive Bernie Ecclestone.

It is believed the world champion team is considering replacing the veteran Australian next year with Kimi Raikkonen, or the top youngster from the development squad Toro Rosso, Daniel Ricciardo.

In the end, however, the decision could be 36-year-old Webber's.

"At the relevant time, we will sit down with Mark and see what he wants to do, what his plans are for the future," Red Bull team boss Christian Horner said in Monaco on Thursday.

Bernie Ecclestone, who is known for keeping his finger at the pulse of all the major deals in F1, also hinted that Webber will have a say as to whether or not he stays.

"I don't think Webber knows if he will stay at Red Bull," the 82-year-old told Formula Money editor Christian Sylt.

Photo: Red Bull Racing

Sylt had also asked Ecclestone about the longer term future at Red Bull, and whether boss Horner might be given a share of the team, along the lines of Monisha Kaltenborn at Sauber.

"If Didi (Mateschitz) was going to sell I think he would look after Christian," said Ecclestone. "Christian and Adrian Newey have got long term contracts."

Lexington, KY - I've said it before and I'll say it a million times more: I'm a sucker for something built with a purpose. I don't care if it's a well-designed pair of jeans or a Porsche 911; if it's built to do something and it does that thing to the very best of its ability (and better than anyone else), and makes no allowances for that purpose or pretends to be anything else then all hail that product.

Enter the 2013 Land Rover LR4.

All hail the LR4.

It's big, it's boxy and it's bloody beautiful (in my opinion). Why? Not because of its exterior looks, but because of what it can do when you're behind the wheel. Whether you're scaling your local suburban streets to get the groceries or off-roading on an exploratory weekend camping extravaganza; the 2013 Land Rover LR4 has you covered -- and that's just fantastic.


What is a Land Rover LR4?
To anyone outside North America, he knows this particular model as the Land Rover Discovery 4. Now in its fourth generation (hence the LR4 badging), the Discovery has been around since the late ‘80s. An off-shoot of the much loved and hailed Land Rover Defender, the Discovery was introduced to compete with the more affordable SUVs of the times.

Since then, the Land Rover Discovery has gone through a few minor cosmetic changes (keeping that boxy, utilitarian look for the most part) and a host of engine choices.

In short, the Land Rover LR4 is a highly capable off-roader equipped with a host of luxurious amenities.

Technicalities
The 2013 Land Rover LR4 is available in three trim levels (base, HSE and HSE LUX), the Land Rover LR4's base price is $59,490. The top of the line HSE LUX model (which gets your more technological bits and pieces) jumps to the $70,790 mark.

Across the line, all 2013 Land Rover LR4 models are equipped with an LR-V8 5.0L engine good for 375 horsepower. Power is handled via a 6-speed CommandShift transmission. With its 2-speed transfer gearbox , and Land Rover's 4-Corner Electronic Air Suspension and Terrain Response, the LR4 is truly built to handle whatever you throw its way, and in any season.

Driving the Land Rover LR4
While I didn't get to do a 400-mile road trip across deserts, rocks, mountains and highways, I did spend quite a bit of time behind the wheel on the Horse Park grounds in Lexington, KY. What did I learn in that too-short period of time? That the LR4 is still as purpose-built as it ever was.

With a specially designed off-road course at my disposal, I dutifully drove the 2013 Land Rover LR4 where few other off-road vehicles would dare venture. From a controlled hill decent with zero brake input from yours truly to uneven, rocky surfaces that pushed the 4-corner suspension to its limit, all the way to a water wade that would have most checking for leaks in the footwells; the Landie never let me down. So impressed was I with the LR4 that I insisted on taking more than one run at the course.

It was just as comfortable traversing the back roads of the Horse Park. Driving position is phenomenal, and despite the Land Rover LR4's rather large size, it handles very well. Power is there when you need it, but also kept at bay during more reserved, careful climbs over uneven surfaces.

It's big, it's boxy and it's bloody beautiful (in my opinion). Why? Not because of its exterior looks, but because of what it can do when you're behind the wheel. (Photo: Miranda Lightstone)

Inside and Out of the Land Rover LR4
For 2013, the LR4 didn't just get a new face, it also got some nifty interior upgrades as well. From a more upscale feel to the cabin through soft-touch materials and mood lighting to a unique combination of seating in the back (the LR4 offers a 35:30:35 row set-up), the 2013 Land Rover LR4 is definitely a luxurious way to transport yourself and six of your closest friends.

From the outside, the LR4 remains ever boxy, and I adore that. It's not pretending to be something else. The moment you lay eyes on this SUV you know what it's all about. You don't have to question, is it a crossover? A wagon? A hatch? Watch, maybe it's one of those fancy SAVs... Kudos to you Land Rover for sticking to the LR4's shape.

The 2013 Land Rover LR4 is definitely a luxurious way to transport yourself and six of your closest friends. (Photo: Miranda Lightstone)

Comparing the Land Rover LR4
When it comes to rugged off-road ability, few can compete with the likes of the 2013 Land Rover LR4. They've been doing it for 65 years, and they'll be doing it for another 65 at this rate. However, in terms of passenger room and a vague form of off-road capability, you're looking at the likes of the VW Touareg or even the Lexus GX 460.

McLaren's Jenson Button believes the streets of Monaco do not show up the flaws on the team's troubled MP4-28 car as much as on previous tracks.

Whilst Button and teammate Sergio Perez never threatened the top-five in either of yesterday's practice sessions, the 2009 world champion believes the car's long run pace around the principality is better than it has been on previous circuits as it seems to simply behave better with a street set-up.

"I'm happier with the car here than in the last few races," said Button.

"The pace on the long run is surprisingly good.

"There are some positives with areas that we've struggled in before, but seem a bit better.

"Because Monaco's such a different race, you change the car quite a bit, and it seems to be working a little bit better.

"Not that that matters much around here when you're 1.2 seconds off the pace in qualifying...”

Jenson Button, McLaren MP4-28. (Photo: McLaren F1 Team)

Life is all about perceptions; how we perceive those around us. Life is often about stereotypes as well, and as much as we try and avoid such things, they trickle into our everyday lives and have even seeped into the automotive world.

That's right; this list of top 10 queer cars for the straight guy is a gathering of seemingly girlie or feminine cars that are actually quite manly and brutish once you ditch the stereotypes and get behind the wheel.

Whether it's womanly because of the design or because of a stereotype that's grown over the years and never been squished, these 10 vehicles have been wrongly accused of wearing miniskirts and stilettos when they actually wear Levis and steel-toe boots.

Mazda MX-5/Miata (any generation)

Photo: Mazda

It's adorable, little, and has always had a cute grin that makes girls say “awww” whenever they see one pass on the street. A two-seater convertible, the Miata brings to mind long blonde hair billowing in the wind. However, this queer car for the straight guy is anything but girlie. Nearly track ready and able to handle any curve you throw its way with ease, this grinning roadster is a rebel within.

Continue reading Top 10: Queer Cars for the Straight Guy

While Denny Hamlin was concentrating on breaking the track record, in qualifying at the Charlotte Motor Speedway, his motivation was getting back into Chase contention.

Driving a Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota Hamlin broke the track record with a speed of 195.624 mph around one-and-a-half mile oval. He knocked the Chevrolet driven by Kurt Busch off of the provisional pole.

Shrugging off the effects of a fractured vertebra, suffered at Auto Club Speedway earlier this year, Hamlin thought a pole was good but only just good enough. "We have a mission ahead, and that's to try and make the Chase," said Hamlin.

In order to make sure that happens he'd likely need to win two races and advance to the top 20 in the points to earn a Wild Card entry into NASCAR's version of the "The best way to do that is to win races, and to win races, you're going to have to have every advantage you can -- one of them being the No. 1 pit stall (granted to the pole-winner).”

Denny Hamlin, Toyota, Joe Gibbs Racing. (Photo: NASCAR)

Since it's NASCAR's longest race, at 600 miles, good pit stops will take on added importance. Having the choice of a pit stall helps determine where a driver might blast out off on restarts.

Hamlin is currently 27th in the standings 61 points out of 20th place after missing four races due to his back injury.

Kurt Busch, who has been working on restoring his stature in the NASCAR with some very good runs but no wins, said "I really just committed to running the best lap I could, pushing every envelope that I normally don't push. Obviously, it paid off with a big reward."

Despite being faster than 41 cars, in the 43-car field, Busch said “I didn't do my job, but my team is doing an incredible job with fast cars week in and week out. I told them we had a pole-winning car today. We didn't have a pole-winning draw as far as going out in the mid-range, but it's part of the game. You have to have a pole-winning car and then if you get a pole-winning draw, like Denny did to go out late, you want to deliver. And so he did.”

The Toyota's of Matt Kenseth, Mark Martin, and Clint Bowyer completed a Toyota sweep of third through fifth.

Sunday's race starts at 7PM EDT.

From GMM

The engine deal between Toro Rosso and Renault is reportedly not yet ready to be announced.

Earlier this week, we reported that the Red Bull-owned team's anticipated switch from Ferrari power would be announced imminently, on the sidelines of the Monaco grand prix weekend.

But German-language Speed Week reports that, during conference calls and internal meetings in the last days, there were still elements of the deal that were being discussed and debated.

"There are still too many outstanding issues," a Toro Rosso source is quoted as saying.

Alain Prost, on Renault's executive committee, said on Thursday that he expected progress to be made this weekend as the French marque signs up its 2014 customers.

"I'm not negotiating with the teams myself but we all know that it's going to be accelerating during this weekend," he said in Monaco.

"I cannot say all the (announcement) dates for all the teams but I hope very quickly."

Photo: Renault Sport F1

News 24 May, 2013

Renault Twin'Run concept makes its world debut at the packed Monaco Grand Prix circuit

The 2014 Mazda 3 hatchback was caught with no camouflage on the Bank of America Merrill Lynch's annual "Car Wars" study.

Tesla CEO Elon Musk took to Twitter Thursday to respond to Chrysler's barb that Tesla wasn't the first American automaker to repay the U.S. government for aid.

Can the coattails of Fast and Furious 6 and its young, devoted male fans give a boost to Dodge Dart sales? Chrysler Group is counting on it.

Starting in September, dealers will be allowed to post used vehicles on AutoTrader.com with Experian Automotive's AutoCheck vehicle history reports in addition to reports from Carfax.

The 2014 Chevy Impala will be the first to use General Motors' new 2.5-liter Ecotec four-cylinder engine.

Tesla CEO Elon Musk took to Twitter today to respond to Chrysler's barb that Tesla wasn't the first American automaker to repay the federal government for aid.

Toyota brought the Corolla to U.S. shores in the summer of 1968, just as sales of imported vehicles were on the rise.

Reports say that the Swedish government wants to question former Saab chairman Victor Muller as part of an inquiry into suspected tax offenses at Saab.

Ally Financial, the auto lender majority-owned by the U.S. government, agreed to pay $2.1 billion to avoid lawsuits related to its bankrupt mortgage unit, Residential Capital.

Five months before Nissan is to begin rolling its yellow taxis onto the streets of New York City, the state's supreme court has ruled one element of the deal "null, void and unenforceable."

McLaren will produce a limited run of MP4-12Cs and MP4-12C Spiders for its 50th anniversary.

Tom LaSorda, the former CEO of Chrysler and Fisker Automotive, has started a new venture capital fund -- with investors that include auto racing and retailing executive Roger Penske -- that will invest in startup companies in health care, clean...

May auto sales in the United States are expected to rebound from an April slowdown, easing concerns of another spring swoon, forecasters said. The light-vehicle seasonally adjusted annual selling rate for this month will be 15.