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Jean-Philippe Dayraut (MINI) secured victory in both rounds of the Trophée Andros presented in Alpe d'Huez, which means he is pulling away in the title chase. For his return in the championship, Jacques Villeneuve took a 5th and a 12th place finishes.

On Friday, Dayraut dominated the qualifying rounds, then took win in his Super Finale Elite.

The MINI driver took win on overall classification of the first day ahead of Olivier Panis (Dacia Lodgy) and Jean-Baptiste Dubourg (Renault Clio III). Jacques Villeneuve (Citroën) made a strong return in the Trophée Andros as he classified 5th in the qualifying rounds, then took third position in his Super Finale Elite, to secure 5th place overall for Saturday's round.

On Saturday, Dayraut was back on top, dominating the qualifying rounds again before he took another overall victory on day 2 after he won his super finale Elite. Dayraut concluded the day ahead of Panis and Andrea Dubourg (Renault Clio III), Jean-Philippe Dubourg's brother.

Day two was tougher for Villeneuve, who placed 9th in qualifying round before crashing with Hervé Knapick's BMW his finale. The Canadian concluded the day 12th overall.

Dayraut now stands 19 points ahead of Panis, who moves up to second position ahead of Benjamin Rivière. Villeneuve, who missed the first four rounds, stands 22nd in championship classification.

One of only 140 Lamborghini Miura P400 S units manufactured from December 1968 to March 1972 is currently up for sale through Coys. With a 370-horsepower V12 engine, it was the most powerful production car at the time.

This Miura was originally purchased in the early 1970s by shipowner Aristote Onassis and passed on to his friend and rally driver Stamatis Kokotas as a gift. However, the engine had to be shipped back to the plant to fix recurring problems. The twist is that it never returned to its owner... and the car remained in an underground parking lot at a Hilton in Athens for nearly 40 years!

As it turns out, the engine was proudly sitting inside the Lamborghini museum in Sant'Agata. Both the Miura P400 S and the V12 are now on the trading block, and their estimated worth amounts to £370,000 (approx. $595,000).

Photo: Simon Clay / Coys

Frenchman Michel Disdier seemed absolutely unfazed by the perils of the Daytona International Speedway, as he wrapped up his three-day ARCA Racing Series' testing session with the 9th overall time, out of 61 drivers on hand.

Behind the wheel of the Cunningham Motorsports Dodge No.77, Disdier was making a comeback into the series after a three-year absence, which goes to show how good his performance on the super-oval was.

The 38-year-old driver took the time of getting acquainted with the track and finding the right settings in preparation for the upcoming ARCA season on the famous Florida track.

At the same time, he familiarized himself with drafting, a well known phenomenon on tracks like Daytona or Talladega.

Michel Disdier will be back on track February 16th for the running of the Daytona 200, a week before he makes his debut in the NASCAR Truck Series.

The American Le Mans Series P1 champion team, Muscle Milk Racing completed two days of this testing, earlier this week at the the new Circuit of the Americas (COTA).

The Austin (Texas) track welcomed in last november the first Formula One race in the United States since 2007. Organizers had to rush to get the installations ready in time, but the event was hailed a success by drivers and media alike.

Monday and Tuesday of this week, Klaus Graf and Lucas Luhr had the chance to sample the new circuit at the wheel of their championship-winning No. 6 HPD ARX-03a. They also completed a number of laps aboard HPD's new ARX-03c.

"I think it is a very good track for an ALMS race," suggested Luhr.



His teammate seemed to agree with him: "The layout of the COTA track is really amazing."

"The first sector from Turn 1 to Turn 9 is impressive and both very challenging and technical. My favourite corner though is the triple right-hander from Turn 16 to 18.  When we first arrived I couldn't believe how steep the hill up to Turn 1 is. That is a very unique corner.

"This track will be known for that approach to Turn 1, thinks the German."

The 2013 ALMS season starts March 16, with the presentation of the 61st 12 Hours of Sebring.

Team Sahlen, which had already signed star driver Simon Pagenaud to drive in the twice-around-the-clock race, has now added Bruno Junqueira to its lineup.

The team also signed veteran Tomy Drissi.

Junqueira is well known in North America for his string of open-wheel successes. He most famously took the pole at the 2002 Indianapolis 500, and the 1997 South American F3 championship. The Brazilian also raced in Europe, where he took the 2000 Formula 3000 championship.

As for Drissi, he experienced about every form of sports car racing in the States, including NASCAR, Grand-Am, ALMS and World Challenge competition. Throughout his career, Drissi even came across Team Sahlen before, for two races in Grand-Am. It was in 2005.

Both men competed most recently in the ALMS, in 2012.

The other drivers who form Team Sahlen's lineup aside from Pagenaud, Junqueira and Drissi are Joe, Will and Wayne Nonnamaker and Joe Sahlen.

Aston Martin won't be the only automaker celebrating 100 years in 2013: MINI's Oxford plant will reach the milestone on March 28th.

The facility has employed tens of thousands of people and built more than 11 million cars over the past century, including Austin, Healey, MG, Wolseley, Riley, Austin, Mini, Vanden Plas, Princess, Triumph, Rover, Honda, Sterling, Morris and MINI models.

Today, Oxford produces the MINI hatchback, Convertible, Clubman, Clubvan, Roadster and Coupe -- 80% of which are exported to over 100 countries worldwide.

A centenary exhibition at the plant will incorporate stories and pictures from employees past and present.

Photo: MINI

Prodrive World Rally Championship (WRC) outfit has opted out of the season-opening Rallye Monte-Carlo. Instead, the team's MINI racers will start their season at round two, in Sweden.

Having lost MINI's backing at the end of the 2012 season, Prodrive has had cut back on its involvement in the WRC. Its only representative at the Monte-Carlo rally will be Michal Kosciuszko's Motorsport Italia entry, as Autosport pointed out.

"There's no financial support from MINI," Prodrive's Richard Taylor reminded everyone on WRC.com. "Whatever we do has to stack up commercially."

Last season failed to yield the success the team was hoping for. So in a bid to regain the lost form, head of states opted to downsize their calendar, and wait until the MINI is 100% ready to attack again, which means February's Rally Sweden.

"We're [...] optimistic we'll get to Sweden and we're positive the car will be capable of setting good times," added Taylor. "[We want] to do a reasonable number of rallies with a car capable of winning."

Meanwhile, rivals are gearing up for round one of the season.

As France's Auto Hebdo noted, 84 cars have registered for the Monte-Carlo rally, among which are the winners of the last four editions of the event: Sébastien Loeb (2012), Bryan Bouffier (2011), Mikko Hirvonen (2010) and Sébastien Ogier (2009).

MONTREAL, Quebec - Now that the Elantra nameplate is getting some serious attention, Hyundai wisely chose the right time to expand its line-up. There is now an Elantra to please just about everybody in the market for a compact car.


Say hello to the 2013 Hyundai Elantra Coupe as well as the 2013 Elantra GT, a five-door version that will replace the aging Touring wagon variant. Both are trickling into dealerships right now.

The Elantra closed out the 2011 calendar year in 2nd place among top-selling cars in Canada, right behind the Honda Civic. You would think that Hyundai is multiplying Elantra variants in an effort to catch up to its Japanese rival, currently about 6,000 units ahead in 2012 calendar year sales, but no.

The friendly folks at Hyundai tell us they aren't chasing the Civic, knowing very well that they won't close the sales gap. The Alabama, US plant is producing as many Elantra sedans as it can. By the way, the Coupe and GT versions will be built in Hyundai's plant in Ulsan, Korea.

Identical powertrain
The 2013 Hyundai Elantra Coupe will aim to please buyers who want something with a sportier look than a sedan, but not as dynamic as a Veloster or a Genesis Coupe. Yet sales expectations are modest: about 5% of all Elantras sold should have only two doors, according to Hyundai Canada.

Mechanically, the Elantra Coupe is very similar to the sedan. A 1.8L four that develops 148 hp and 131 lb-ft is the sole engine choice, although you can choose between a 6-speed manual and a 6-speed automatic with manual mode. You also get the sedan's hydraulic power steering, MacPherson strut front suspension and torsion beam rear suspension.

According to Hyundai, however, the Coupe benefits from a quicker steering ratio (13.9:1 vs. 14.2:1), modified dampers to improve body motion control, while the rear axle gets an integrated stabilizer bar.

A 1.8L four that develops 148 hp and 131 lb-ft is the sole engine choice. (Photo: Michel Deslauriers)

On the road, these marginal differences are not readily apparent; at least, not without driving the coupe and the sedan back-to-back, which we didn't have to opportunity to do. On the other hand, it's clear that the two-door Elantra isn't as frisky as the Veloster, nor is it designed to be that way.

Alas, the on-center numbness of the steering felt in the sedan is still somewhat noticeable in the coupe, which means constant corrections on the highway to keep a straight line.

The 1.8L four is still noisy at wide-open throttle, although it doesn't sound unrefined at all. Too bad the Elantra Coupe isn't a tad more powerful than the sedan, though. The Civic has a 201-hp Si version, but then again, Hyundai's got the new 2013 Veloster Turbo to confront it in terms of power and price.

Room for four
The new coupe rides on the same wheelbase as the sedan, and exterior dimensions are virtually identical. The curb weights of both cars are also very close. In short, Hyundai didn't try giving a different flavour or style to the Elantra Coupe. Not that it had to.

Despite two less doors, the Elantra Coupe is still a roomy car, and can easily accommodate four adults comfortably; compared with the sedan, passenger volume is down by only 6 litres (or 0.2 cu ft), while trunk space is identical. Getting in and out is obviously more complicated, although back-bench headroom is not an issue for folks under six feet tall.

The rest of the cockpit is pretty much carried over from the sedan, including its swooping dashboard design with silver-painted trim, and excellent ergonomics.

The new coupe rides on the same wheelbase as the sedan, and exterior dimensions are virtually identical. (Photo: Michel Deslauriers)

Pricing: Elantra Coupe vs. Civic Coupe vs. Kia Forte Koup
Unlike the Elantra sedan, Hyundai's new coupe will not be offered in a stripped-down base model. The Elantra Coupe GLS will start out at $19,949 and will include 16” alloy wheels, a power sunroof, a 6-speaker stereo with USB port and fog lamps.

The $25,199 Elantra Coupe SE will add a sport suspension, 17” wheels, a navigation system with rear-view camera, leather upholstery, aluminum pedals, an intelligent key system, climate control and a 360-watt sound system.

The Elantra Coupe GLS will start out at $19,949. (Photo: Michel Deslauriers)

In comparison, the Civic Coupe includes a cheaper LX trim, and the $20,240 EX has about the same list of features as the Elantra GLS; the $24,890 Civic EX-L actually costs less than Hyundai's SE trim.

The Kia Forte Koup EX is quite the deal at $18,995, while the $24,595 SX Luxury with navigation also beats out both the Honda and the Hyundai in regards to features for the price.

I'm puzzled by the fact that the Elantra Coupe SE will only be available with the automatic, as opposed to the base GLS who'll offer both gearboxes. But Hyundai says the take rate for manuals in uplevel trims is usually marginal.

Gorgeous, with a spacious cabin and a fuel-efficient engine, there are plenty of arguments for choosing a 2013 Elantra Coupe over a Civic Coupe. I wonder why Hyundai created this two-door version in the first place; its driving experience isn't any different or better than the sedan, they're not expecting to sell in very high numbers and it might interfere with Veloster sales.

They just did it because they can.

General Motors., trying to end losses in Europe, said it agreed to sell a French transmission plant to Punch Metals International.

Fiat CEO Sergio Marchionne won support from Italian Prime Minister Mario Monti yesterday for the carmaker's latest effort to shore up domestic operations. The political cameo in southern Italy will do little to overcome the plan's challenges.

Two trade deals and a shift in Korean consumer sentiment have cut domestic sales of Hyundai, Kia and the country's three other automakers by 5.2 percent this year, according to the Korea Automobile Manufacturers Association.

Fiat CEO Sergio Marchionne won support from Italian Prime Minister Mario Monti on Thursday for the carmaker's latest effort to shore up domestic operations. The political cameo in southern Italy will do little to overcome the plan's challenges.

Marcos Ambrose, NASCAR road racing winner, will join Michael Shank Racing, the defending Rolex 24 At Daytona Champions for the test called the Roar Before the 24 on January 4-6.

Australia's Ambrose will be substituting for 2008 Rolex 24 pole winner and frequent triathlete, Ozz Negri, who suffered a leg injury in off-season training. Ambrose will share the testing duties in the No. 60 Ford Riley Daytona Prototype with John Pew, who has been confirmed as Negri's full-season co-driver.

The Richard Petty Motorsports racer has two NASCAR Sprint Cup victories to his credit, winning the Watkins Glen races in 2011 and 2012. The former V8 Supercars superstar has raced at Daytona International Speedway with a Rolex 24 start in the GT Class in 2005, and he has tested a Daytona Prototype on the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve in Montreal.

Photo: MichaelShankRacing.com

Negri suffered a leg injury while training on his mountain bike, and is already working forward on his rehabilitation program, but will not be fully healed in time for the opening test at Daytona.

“I just want to say a big thanks to Marcos for jumping in and offering to help us out,” said team owner Mike Shank.

“We are hoping to see Ozz back and ready to go as quickly as possible and we will be continuing to finalize our plans as that healing process moves forward. In the meantime, we've got a lot of work to do to be as ready as we can be for the 24, and we are fortunate to have someone like Marcos step in and help us out.”

The team will announce its full driver line-up for their 10th Rolex 24 At Daytona event during the Roar Before the 24 Test Days.

The IZOD IndyCar series has inked a new deal with its long-time tire supplier Firestone.

The deal runs through 2018, and makes Firestone the only tire manufacturer of the championship until then.

"Firestone performance and safety have been synonymous with Indy car racing for more than 100 years," Firestone Racing executive director Al Speyer reminded everyone.

The deal also boosts Firestone's role within IndyCar.

Will Power, Penske Racing (Photo: LAT for IndyCar)

Starting in 2014, the Bridgestone fold will participate through "technical support, investments in advertising, event promotions, at-track signage, hospitality, race title sponsorships and other programs," the official IndyCar website says, as well as through supplying the tires.

As far as the IndyCar's Indy Lights feeder series is concerned, the title sponsorship and official tire status is good until 2013.

Firestone has been involved in the series since the league's inception in 1996.

2012 Formula Renault 2.0 champion Stoffel Vandoorne has taken Robin Frijns' seat at Fortec Motorsports in the bigger 3.5 series.

The Belgian will also try to emulate Frijns' success.

The Dutchman became the first Fortec driver to win the championship last year, - controversially - edging ahead of Jules Bianchi in the final duel for the title.

He is now a reserve driver for Sauber's F1 team.

The future does look promising for Vandoorne who, in a recent FR3.5 test at Aragon, managed to break Frijns track record.

Vandoorne sampling Formula Renault 3.5 power (Photo: Stoffel Vandoorne@Facebook)

"My choice was quite easy between the teams I have tested for in the FR3.5," the Belgian said.

"I felt very good with Fortec straight away, and we showed some really good speed during the post-season tests. I'm happy that finally the deal is done, and I can start focusing on next year."

In 2012, Vandoorne was also named "Belgian Driver of the Year" by the Royal Automobile Club de Belgique.

Rally America, the premiere rally championship in the United States, and the United States Auto Club (USAC), a major American sanctioning body, have joined forces.

The one-year deal gives Rally America license holders membership of the USAC, one of the oldest racing clubs in America.

Over the years, the USAC has helped organize major events such as the 12 Hours of Sebring, the Pikes Peak Hill Climb, the Indy 500 and Formula One races.

"Obviously we look forward to this partnership in 2013 as we work together with Rally America to produce America's top-level rally championship," said USAC president and CEO Kevin Miller.

"I am certain Rally America and USAC will find many new ways to engage global rally racing fans as the two groups begin working more closely in the coming months," said Rally America president and owner Bill Fogg.

1997 F1 world champion Jacques Villeneuve managed a successful return to ice racing at the third round of the Trophée Andros' 2012-2013 season, in France's Alpe d'Huez.

The French Canadian finished fifth of race one of the weekend, aboard his SPEEDAVENTURE Citroën DS3.

Victory went to championship leader Jean-Philippe Dayraut.

Former Monaco Grand Prix winner Olivier Panis finished second, followed by the Dubourg brothers, Jean-Baptiste and Andréa.

Round two of the weekend awaits the competitors on Sunday.

The organizers of the Goodwood Festival of Speed, in England, have decided to move the event to the weekend of July 12-14, 2013 so as not to coincide with the revised German Grand Prix, which will now take place on July 7.

The Moving Motor Show will be held on July 11.

Each year, more than 150,000 visitors from all over the world attend the Goodwood Festival of Speed. If you've already purchased your tickets for the 2013 edition, don't worry: They remain valid for the new dates.

Photo: Goodwood

Valpak, a leader in local print and digital coupons, has just signed a deal with ROXIMITY to offer deals at nearby locations in real time, meaning wherever customers happen to be driving.

Coupons can now be downloaded in any Ford and Lincoln vehicle equipped with SYNC AppLink. Honda and Subaru models will soon offer the service, too.

At the moment, the system appears to remain exclusive to the U.S.

Photo: Valpak

News 22 Dec, 2012

Our rundown of the 116 best new cars coming to showrooms over the next 12 months