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From GMM

Bernie Ecclestone thinks a forthcoming $100m trial will be "amusing".

The F1 chief executive and others, including convicted bribe recipient Gerhard Gribkowsky, are being sued by the sport's former co-owners Constantin Medien over the sale of F1's rights to CVC some years ago.

Constantin claims the manipulation of the sale cost it more than $100 million.

Bernie Ecclestone, who may also be prosecuted by German authorities for allegedly bribing Gribkowsky, told the Telegraph he is prepared to appear at the Constantin Medien case to testify.

"I wish they would bring it forward," he told leading F1 business journalist Christian Sylt. "It's going to be amusing. Sure I am looking forward to it."

Sylt said Ecclestone has been approached with an offer to settle.

"All this is about finding a way to get money," Ecclestone, 82, confirmed. "It is as simple as that."

"(Constantin shareholder) Dieter Hahn had some intermediary, who is a friend of ours, to talk to me about 'you know you should settle, you don't want to go to court'. I'm not settling," he insisted. "The judge will settle the case. I can't see that it could go any other way than in my favour."

So, every now and then I give into the uber girlie and pathetic world of reality TV (I can guarantee a majority of you just clicked off this blog, hopefully to return next week when I promise never to mention this fetish again). I know, horrible of me; but I promise you it's a good one.

I've been watching The Amazing Race for nearly a decade now. They're on season 11 and I've watched every single moment of every single episode. I'm obsessed because it's all about travel, the world and the dynamic relationship between two people stressed out of their brains as they race around the globe to win $1 million dollars. It's quite entertaining and I implore anyone who hasn't watched it to get over the reality-TV stigma and give it a go. You won't be disappointed.

After 11 seasons, I was sure I'd stop seeing a common trend amongst the travelling teams; because it never fails: someone always fails to complete a leg of the race (or at least come in dead last and, therefore, be eliminated) because they can't drive stick.

Yup. Out $1 million because you didn't think to learn how to put a vehicle into first gear before heading out to be on The Amazing Race. I would assume those who apply to be on the show are fans of the series and so have seen, season after season, teams stall, breakdown and basically bow out because they can't get their brand new Ford vehicles (which have been the show's only vehicles since the beginning) into that all-important first gear on the streets of Czechoslovakia.

As usual, the last episode I watched which featured the final four teams racing for the $1 million, showed a team of twin sisters who fell dangerously to last spot because the sister who'd promised to learn manual for the race only took one lesson at home and thought that was enough to get by. Lurching, stalling, and causing traffic in Barcelona, Spain only made the situation worse and their strong team spirit dissipated as quickly as their lead did.

While most of us will never be featured on a show like The Amazing Race, that's no excuse not to learn how to drive a manual vehicle. It's an invaluable lesson to learn, in my opinion, and one that will no doubt come in handy down the road (quite literally).

Whether you learn when you earn your license, or choose to take lessons with a friend or family member: Learn. Just do it.

Imagine you have to get a friend home from a party after he's had one too many and his car is manual, or you have to drive a family member to the hospital and they only have a stick-shift available, or you're on a race for $1 million dollars and in the lead...

Photo: Sébastien D'Amour

From GMM

Toto Wolff, a shareholder and director of the Williams team, doubts he will continue his role of driver manager.

That is despite the Austrian's latest charge, Valtteri Bottas, having successfully risen through the ranks to make his formula one debut in 2013.

But Wolff told Switzerland's Motorsport Aktuell that 22-year-old Finn Bottas is more an exception than the rule.

Rather, "If you now need 100,000 for a national karting season, and 250,000 euros for international, then eventually the level (of the drivers) will drop."

But Wolff said he hopes drivers with little money but big talent will still be able to rise through the ranks in future.

A current example, he said, is Bottas.

"He never had much money, but he always had support, just because he was good," Wolff insisted.

Valtteri Bottas and Christian Wolff, Williams. (Photo: WRi2)

But actually, he said managing motor racing drivers is a "thankless job".

"If the target fails," said Wolff, "everything's the fault of the manager. If everything goes smoothly, you never know what happens -- some drivers are champions of short memory."

He said he has no plans to repeat the Valtteri Bottas project with another young talent.

"If you have to put two million on the table for GP2, then driver management makes little sense," said Wolff.

Mercedes-Benz is ready to go a little Scion, with a luxury twist. Mercedes-Benz' sleek and sculpted CLA sedan will go on sale in the United States in September as the first of three new front-wheel-drive vehicles from the luxury marque.

First Look: 2014 Chevrolet Corvette

Retro name, modern sports car.

Four years ago, the Corvette team first weighed the idea of reviving the historic Stingray moniker for the C7 Corvette. They made the decision only six months ago. It took that long to come to a verdict because neither design VP Ed Welburn nor chief engineer Tadge Juechter nor marketing manager Harlan Charles would make the call until they could confidently say their car delivered the looks, the performance, and the character to live up to the 1963-67 Chevrolet Corvette Sting Ray.

Photo Gallery: First Look: 2014 Chevrolet Corvette - Automobile Magazine

Photo Gallery: First Look: 2014 Chevrolet Corvette - Automobile Magazine

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First Look: 2014 Mercedes-Benz CLA250

Benz launches a baby CLS

Since the "Baby Benz" 190E of 1982-93, Mercedes has been trying to get back into the small, relatively affordable segment -- call it entry-luxury or semi-premium -- in the United States. Now, the builder of everything from Western European taxicabs and semi-trucks to S-Classes and AMGs finally has the right product. It was saved for a pre-Detroit auto show reveal Sunday night, although Benz was not planning to display the car on the North American International Auto Show floor during press or public days following the reveal. The 2014 Mercedes-Benz CLA-Class has neither the Bauhaus minimalism of the 190 nor the creased conservatism of the more expensive C-Class. It's a baby CLS.

Photo Gallery: First Look: 2014 Mercedes-Benz CLA250 - Automobile Magazine

Photo Gallery: First Look: 2014 Mercedes-Benz CLA250 - Automobile Magazine

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GM aims to capture a new generation of sports car lovers -- many raised on video games and extreme sports -- with a complete overhaul of the Chevrolet Corvette that promises additional power, a more refined and comfortable interior, and modern...

News 13 Jan, 2013

Jaguar Land Rover has announced the creation of 800 jobs at its plant in Solihull, Birmingham

When Tokuo Fukuichi was brought back to Toyota Motor to become head of design, he was given a simple directive from President Akio Toyoda: make Toyota cars simple and cool. He took a risk and objected.

First Look: Lincoln MKC Concept

Luxury brands face a Catch-22: they thrive on exclusivity but want to sell as many cars as possible.

Luxury brands face a Catch-22: they thrive on exclusivity but want to sell as many cars as possible. This challenge is especially acute at Lincoln, which has neither cachet nor lots of sales. The brand perceives its best and only option to be an all-out attack on high-volume segments with more exclusive-looking products. We saw the first fruit of this effort last year with the new and dramatically styled MKZ mid-size sedan. Phase two is a small crossover, a vehicle segment that, by Lincoln's estimation, accounts for some 25 percent of luxury sales. The MKC concept you see here is Lincoln's attempt to feast on this large slice of the luxury-sales pie.

Photo Gallery: First Look: Lincoln MKC Concept - Automobile Magazine

Photo Gallery: First Look: Lincoln MKC Concept - Automobile Magazine

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News 13 Jan, 2013

The Infiniti Q50 has been leaked online, following a mistake by Infiniti’s official Canadian website

Jaguar Land Rover plans to create 800 new jobs at its Solihull factory in central England due to demand in China, Russia and the United States, a person familiar with the matter said on Sunday.

Daimler will extend CEO Dieter Zetsche's contract by five years, two years more than expected, a German magazine reported.

Opel's new CEO Karl-Thomas Neumann will take office on March 1, four months sooner than expected, a person familiar with the matter told Reuters, confirming a magazine report.

Opel's new CEO Karl-Thomas Neumann will take office on March 1, four months sooner than expected, a person familiar with the matter told Reuters, confirming a magazine report.

Opel's new CEO Karl-Thomas Neumann will take office on March 1, four months sooner than expected, a person familiar with the matter told Reuters, confirming a magazine report.

ASSOCIATE EDITOR SHERRICE GILSBACH: I wonand#8217;t pretend to be too cool for minivans -- I have learned to love and#8217;em. There really is no better way to haul a family and all their trappings comfortably.

News 14 Jan, 2013

Striking Lincoln MKC SUV previews a luxury version of the Ford Kuga for the US and Chinese markets

News 13 Jan, 2013

Final production sign-off for the Lamborghini Urus SUV is needed this year to make the scheduled 2017 on-sale date