Tongue in cheek, a German specialist publication has wondered if there is a Sauber spy in the house at world champions Red Bull.
After Swiss team Sauber surprised the world with its ultra-slim sidepods and a half-'stepped' nose for its newly launched C32, Auto Motor und Sport's Michael Schmidt noticed that Red Bull's new RB9 - which broke cover on Sunday - "has the same characteristics".
"It's a car in transition, as are all the cars -- development is key," he said.
The team insisted one of the biggest changes is the new purple hue to the livery, marking the official beginning of the Infiniti title sponsorship.
In essence, it was difficult for observers at the Milton Keynes launch to make a real assessment -- photography was banned, and those in the audience squinted to make out the RB9's details in the clever lighting before the car was covered up once again.
Red Bull RB9. (Photo: Red Bull Racing)
Newey did reveal that the change in the 'step' nose for 2013 is a compromise between the unseemly 2012 rules and the FIA's allowance of a so-called 'vanity panel' this year.
"We have a vanity panel," he confirmed, "but it doesn't extend very far forward otherwise it becomes unjustifiable in weight."
Shortly after the launch, the RB9 was loaded into a transporter bound for Jerez, where Mark Webber will be at the wheel for the opening action on Tuesday.
A study by CAA-Quebec confirms that pump prices, as well as retail margins and crude oil prices, all rose in 2012.
Across the province, a litre of gasoline sold on average for 5% more last year than in 2011. In the Montreal area, the average price of a litre of gasoline rose to 137.3 cents, compared with 134.7 cents in the Quebec City area and 135.6 cents in Sherbrooke. Meanwhile, in Calgary, the average was 112.7 cents; so far in 2013, a litre of gasoline costs under a dollar.
Sherbrooke is where the retail margin grew the most (19%), from 5.7 cents for each litre of gasoline sold in 2011 to 6.8 cents per litre in 2012.
CAA-Quebec also noted 12 price increases at the pump on Fridays and just before holiday periods in Montreal, compared with only one in Quebec City and two in Sherbrooke.
Montreal currently has the highest rate of taxation (36%) on the average price of a litre of regular gasoline among large Canadian cities (national average of 31%). And on April 1st, 2013, the provincial fuel tax will rise by one cent per litre for the fourth year in a row.
Bernie Ecclestone on Monday was on the spot at Sochi, the scene of next year's inaugural Russian grand prix.
There had been some doubt about whether the resort city would host its first ever formula one race on schedule, following reports construction had stopped.
"It's a fantastic track," Ecclestone, F1's chief executive, was quoted on Monday by the local R-Sport news agency.
"I was here before the building work started on the track and I was already impressed then," he added. "Now I'm super-impressed with what's going on here."
Sochi track in Russia.
Bernie Ecclestone, 82, met on Monday with Russian deputy prime minister Dmitry Kozak.
Kozak acknowledged that Sochi's concurrent preparations for the 2014 winter olympics had presented challenges to the scheduling of the grand prix.
"But we've solved all those problems and entered, in my view, the final straight," he said.
The 2014 Nissan GT-R, which is now on sale at Nissan dealers nationwide, starts at $106,930. Two higher trim levels are available including a Premium Interior Package and Black Edition.
Look for the same 3.8L twin-turbo V6 engine that produces 545 horsepower and 463 lb-ft of torque.
Manufacturer's Suggested Retail Prices (MSRP) for the 2014 Nissan GT-R:
Just days after the all-new 2014 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray made its global debut at the NAIAS in Detroit, an Italian tuner by the name of Corvette Italia is offering future owners to replace the new squared taillights with round ones -- in true Corvette fashion.
The ''Nostalgic Tail Light Kit'' makes the 2014 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray look nearly identical to the previous generation (C6), at least from behind. And it all costs just $2,800!
Bentley posted a sketch and a short video on its website that give fans a sneak peek at the new Flying Spur. The British automaker claims that it will redefine the standards of the luxury performance sedan.
Further details will be released on February 20th, 2013.
Giorgio Ascanelli, the well-known engineer who last year left his post as Toro Rosso's technical director, has re-emerged at F1 brake supplier Brembo.
Following recent speculation, we reported last month that rumours the 53-year-old Italian is returning to the sport with Ferrari were wide of the mark.
"Ascanelli is about to return to F1; the team's name is not yet known," Autosprint correspondent Alberto Antonini said on January 15.
Giorgio Ascanelli. (Photo: Red Bull)
In fact, Ascanelli has signed on with Brembo as the brake supplier's chief technical officer.
"With the arrival of Giorgio Ascanelli, Brembo is looking to give fresh impetus into the company and bring new skills to an area of activity that has always been its main engine," the Italian company said in a statement.
He began his career at Ferrari in the mid 80s, and was Gerhard Berger's engineer. He moved to Benetton and McLaren, at the latter team working alongside the great Ayrton Senna.
Ascanelli returned to Ferrari in 1995, staying until 2001. Autosprint said he left Toro Rosso, who replaced him with James Key, "after an argument" with team boss Franz Tost.
The new Ferrari F138 is equipped with Brembo brakes. (Photo: Ferrari)
A diesel-powered version of the Chevrolet Cruze will make its debut at the Chicago Auto Show this week.
Called Cruze Eco-D, it's the first General Motors passenger car to feature a diesel engine in the U.S. for more than 20 years. It will likely serve to gauge consumer interest before other models follow suit.
Actually, GM is expected to add a diesel option to its all-new 2014 Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra pickup trucks.
For the time being, we don't know anything about the Chevrolet Cruze Eco-D's performance, fuel economy or pricing. Look for it to arrive in U.S. showrooms this spring as a 2014 model. Canadian availability remains unknown.
Source: The Detroit Bureau
As the new Silver Arrow, the Mercedes W04, completes its first laps this morning at the Jerez circuit, the team is delighted to announce a significant new partnership agreement with BlackBerry.
As the Official Mobile Computing Partner for the MERCEDES AMG PETRONAS Formula One Team, BlackBerry will collaborate with the team on technical and marketing opportunities.
The new partnership sees the iconic BlackBerry branding featured prominently on the chassis and headrest of the F1 W04 Silver Arrow, the racesuits of Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg, and on the team's racewear kit. As the Official Mobile Computing Partner, BlackBerry and MERCEDES AMG PETRONAS will be working closely together to develop the team's use of the BlackBerry 10 platform at the team's headquarters and at each Grand Prix.
BlackBerry featuring on the new Mercedes W04. (Photo: Mercedes AMG F1 Team)
Ross Brawn, Team Principal at the MERCEDES AMG PETRONAS Formula One Team commented: “On the day that our new Silver Arrow, the F1 W04, is launched, we are very pleased to announce our partnership with BlackBerry. We are looking forward to embracing the new BlackBerry 10 platform at both a technical and operational level, as well as collaborating with the team at BlackBerry to bring new mobile innovation to MERCEDES AMG PETRONAS. It is especially pleasing to be able to launch this exciting partnership today as our latest Silver Arrow takes to the track with BlackBerry branding.”
Frank Boulben, Chief Marketing Officer at BlackBerry, said: “Formula One is all about precision engineering, design and innovation - three values that mirror the approach that's gone into creating BlackBerry 10. It is a natural fit for BlackBerry to partner with the MERCEDES AMG PETRONAS Formula One Team to deliver value through technical and marketing collaboration. We have built BlackBerry 10 to keep people moving, and we believe the essence of this will be delivered at many levels through our partnership”.
Bosch has announced that its clean diesel technology will be featured in four new Audi TDI models now on sale in the US - the Audi A8, A7, A6 and Q5. It also forecasts that diesel volumes in the US will rise sharply.
Germany remains on track to have a million electric cars on its roads by 2020 according to a study by Horvath & Partners and the European Business School.
Due to a lack of confidence in the global business environment, the percentage of automotive companies planning to pursue acquisitions within a year fell to 19 percent, according to an Ernst and Young survey.
The surge that provided a strong end to 2012 continued into January as US light vehicle sales rose 14.2% to about 1.04m. The seasonally adjusted annualised rate came in at 15.29m, off just slightly from December's 15.37m, and well ahead of the 13.98m figure reported in January 2012.
OMG! They're back! Vin, Paul, Jordana and Michelle, the Our Gang of the underground criminal import racer scene return for -- yes, you're about to read this right -- the sixth time! May 24 the silver screen reignites with what Universal is calling...
Suzuki has failed to post a profit for its European operations in four years and cannot say when it will cease posting losses, its regional chief told a German business magazine.
Suzuki has failed to post a profit for its European operations in four years and cannot say when it will cease posting losses, its regional chief told a German business magazine.
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