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From GMM

Luiz Razia, the 2012 GP2 runner-up, admitted he was surprised when on Tuesday Marussia announced Max Chilton as Timo Glock's 2013 teammate.

The 23-year-old Brazilian told Globo he was a hot contender for the seat until the very last minute.

"We didn't have much chance at Lotus," Razia, referring to this week's news of Romain Grosjean's new contract, admitted.

"But we were caught by surprise by Marussia. We were talking to them until yesterday. They said 'We're still deciding'. There are still two vacancies, Force India and Caterham, and we've been talking. Yes we still have a chance," said Razia.

Max Chilton, Marussia. (Photo: WRi2)

Yet another possibility is that Marussia does not honour its existing contract with Timo Glock.

Indeed, Tuesday's press release about Chilton made not a single reference to the German, and the recent official 2013 entry list said both of Marussia's 2013 seats were 'TBA' (to be announced).

"Timo has a contract until 2014 and so the team would have to pay a penalty of termination. I don't know if that's interesting for the team," said Razia, who admitted he has "sponsors" but not a "bottomless pit" of funding.

From GMM

Barcelona has moved to secure its annual spot on the formula one calendar.

With European grand prix host Valencia dropped from the 2013 schedule, it was expected that both of Spain's F1 hosts would now move to annually alternate a single race per year.

But El Mundo Deportivo newspaper reports that the Circuit de Catalunya has inked an agreement with the public institution Diputacion Provincial de Barcelona, providing new funding to the track.

"We have a contract to host the GP de Espana until 2016," said Circuit de Catalunya chief Vincente Aguilera, "and we want to keep it. Indeed, we are open to negotiating an extension until 2020 with the same conditions."

Vincente Aguilera told AS newspaper: "We have no desire to alternate. We cannot speak for Valencia, who have agreements with (Bernie) Ecclestone about which we have nothing to say."

Start of the 2012 Spanish Grand Prix, in Barcelona. (Photo: WRi2)

Louisville, KY - Touching down in Louisville (and make sure you say it right: Loo-uh-vul), Kentucky seemed, at first, to be like arriving in any American city. It wasn't until I left the airport and entered the city that I realized Louisville had something different on offer, something I immediately fell in love with.


Louisville is very much a college town and while it is a bustling city at its center with over 700,000 citizens, where Louisville shines is on the outskirts, in the rolling country hills where I drove the brand new 2013 Buick Enclave.

I'll be honest here: I'm not a Buick fan, follower or lover. I, obviously, know of the brand and what it stands for but that's about as far as my interests went. However, upon seeing photos of the up-and-coming 2013 Buick Enclave, I was intrigued.

Meeting modern needs
From the outside, it's clear Buick has taken in the automotive world around them and picked out all the best bits and pieces of similar models in its segment to put together the final exterior package on the 2013 Buick Enclave -- and that's not a bad thing at all. The end result is a luxury crossover that manages to stand out from the crowd without losing the brand's design philosophy, one that makes a Buick instantly recognizable.

From the new front grille to the blacked out rear pillars that give the 2013 Buick Enclave a much more sophisticated presence, the overall look is one that will appeal to buyers both young and old -- which is something I'm sure the Buick designers had in mind.

Inside, the same future-driven design continues with ice blue LED ambient lighting featured throughout the dash and doors (both front and back). Old-school wood panelling has been replaced with leather stitching and chrome accents (although, wood is still available as an option for those who really want it). In all, the interior of the 2013 Buick Enclave is what you'd expect to see in a modern-day luxury CUV.

Old-school wood panelling has been replaced with leather stitching and chrome accents (Photo: Buick)

On the long and winding road
The country roads around Louisville, Kentucky are something else. Narrow, winding, shoulderless and hilly, they are a joy to drive -- even in a 7-passenger CUV.

While there were multiple complaints about the Buick Enclave's previous transmission, the issues seem to have been sorted in this latest iteration. Equipped with a 3.6L V6, the 2013 Buick Enclave's 6-speed Hydra-Matic automatic transmission is responsive and well sorted. Despite the vehicle's near 2,270 kg (5,000lb) weight (with AWD), the 288 horsepower and 270 lb-ft of torque are adequate and do the job extremely well.

I expected the ride to be a bit plushier (thanks to the Buick stereotype), but was met with a much harsher feeling thanks to the 20” optional wheels my particuarl vehicle was sporting. Had my 2013 Buick Enclave been equipped with the standard 18” or even the 19” wheels, my experience would have been much “smoother.” Regardless, handling on the 2013 Buick Enclave is impressive for a vehicle its size and shape.

The 288 horsepower and 270 lb-ft of torque are adequate and do the job extremely well. (Photo: Buick)

A Buick is still a Buick...
Despite their best efforts, I have a feeling Buick will still face the issue of concurring their stereotype and branching out in a new market of vibrant, affluent buyers. Although the 2013 Buick Enclave is clearly designed to compete with the likes of the Audi Q7 and Infiniti JX I'm just not sure those buyers will think to look towards Buick as an option.

Priced in the $40,000-range for base FWD and AWD models, the Buick Enclave offers luxury for seven at a decent price-point, however, I'm not completely sold on their hopes of appealing to a new consumer with a futuristic design and improved driving dynamics.

Like any year in the auto industry, 2012 saw its fair share of company ups and downs, industrial comings and goings, and a fair old sprinkling of corporate drama. It was also a year of economic uncertainty hovering over automotive markets. We covered it all on just-auto. Editor Dave Leggett sifts through the lot and picks out a few highlights from the year just gone, month by month. Part one covers the first half of the year, part two the second. This is part one.

On Friday, we introduced you to the

Also in this episode: BMW will bring the M6 Gran Coupe, 4-series concept and new Z4 at the Detroit auto show, and

Ford Motor and its community relations arm today committed $10 million to a program aimed at strengthening a Detroit neighborhood.

Waldo Stakes: A Rocket Man Chases The Land Speed Record

Self-taught land-speed-record designer Waldo Stakes hopes to use surplus Space-Race technology to break the sound barrier.

Most assaults on the land-speed record follow one of two templates. British efforts, from the Reid Railton-designed streamliner driven by John Cobb to the ThrustSSC that currently holds the record, typically feature formally trained engineers and vast battalions of support personnel. American undertakings, on the other hand, tend to involve homegrown hot-rodders -- think self-taught Frank Lockhart and junkyard genius Art Arfons -- fueled by lots of Yankee ingenuity.

Photo Gallery: Waldo Stakes: A Rocket Man Chases The Land Speed Record - Automobile Magazine

Photo Gallery: Waldo Stakes: A Rocket Man Chases The Land Speed Record - Automobile Magazine

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Recently, some punk-rock guy tried to pick up your author's girlfriend. Upon being shot down, dude lamented, and#8220;You probably date guys who like R.E.M.and#8221;

The veil is beginning to come off the 2014 Cadillac ELR, the extended-range electric luxury coupe that will make its world debut at the Detroit auto show in January.

News 20 Dec, 2012

Tell us which motoring issue we should tackle first in 2013 by voting here

Vintage Japan Glam Machines

Once dismissed as tin cans, old Japanese cars are becoming classics.

Although a mere 350 miles of California coastline and a few weeks separate mist-shrouded Pebble Beach from sunbaked Long Beach, the concours d'elegance that takes its name from the former would seem, to even the most casual observer, to be a universe removed from the Japanese Classic Car Show. This year's JCCS was held in a parking lot aside the Queen Mary. The port of Long Beach has long been one of the main entry points for cars shipped from Japan, so it's quite plausible that, for a fair number of vehicles at the show, this was something of a homecoming. Since it was established eight years ago, the JCCS has more than doubled in size; this year 400 cars and trucks plus thirty motorcycles were on display. The thermometer hit a toasty 103 degrees (the high at the Pebble show was 40 degrees lower), but that didn't deter the 5900 sweaty souls who came to ogle old Zs and have fits of nostalgia while viewing the other vintage imports from the land of the rising sun. Datsun has long dominated the show, but there was official presence from Toyota, which displayed some treasures from its nearby corporate museum. While some of the vehicles were as pristine as any Hispano-Suiza you might find at Pebble Beach, there were certainly quite a few that showed some "patina," as you might expect of vehicles that were considered somewhat disposable when purchased new.

Photo Gallery: Vintage Japan Glam Machines - Automobile Magazine

Photo Gallery: Vintage Japan Glam Machines - Automobile Magazine

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Toyota will keep its global output target for 2013 nearly unchanged from this year at 9.9 million vehicles despite a production cut at home, the Nikkei reported.

2013 Nissan Altima 3.5 SL - Serious Comfort

This car is soft by every definition of the word.

After crisscrossing the upper Midwest in its early days with us, our Four Seasons Nissan Altima has now spent significant time closer to home in Ann Arbor, Michigan, which means that staff members have logged a wealth of first impressions.

Photo Gallery: 2013 Nissan Altima 3.5 SL - Four Seasons Update - December 2012 - Automobile Magazine

Photo Gallery: 2013 Nissan Altima 3.5 SL - Four Seasons Update - December 2012 - Automobile Magazine

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Most people are aware of event data recorders, commonly called and#8220;black boxes,and#8221; in airplanes. Many people don't realize a variety of passenger cars also have these devices -- and they may be mandatory for 2015 model year cars.

2012 Mitsubishi i-MiEV SE

Mitsubishi's electric car is a futuristic concept spoiled by 1990s econocar execution.

The first thing you notice about the Mitsubishi i-MiEV when you walk up to it is how tall it is. From nose to tail, the Mitsubishi is about the same length as a Mini, but it stands a full eight inches taller, at 63.6 inches. That means you get lots of headroom, but the proportions of the car are such that it really looks like a big ol' egg driving down the road. It definitely looks different from anything else, and if that's what Mitsubishi was going for, they got it. On the plus side, the rear seats fold flat and the cargo area is pretty spacious.

Photo Gallery: 2012 Mitsubishi i-MiEV SE - Editor's Notebook - Automobile Magazine

Photo Gallery: 2012 Mitsubishi i-MiEV SE - Editor's Notebook - Automobile Magazine

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News 19 Dec, 2012

Infiniti has announced that it will begin building its premium hatchback at Nissan's Sunderland plant in the UK from 2015

Algeria's Prime Minister says the deal to be signed tomorrow to construct an assembly plant with Renault will see the French automaker and the Algerian State share costs in a 49%/51% split that is a "win-win" situation.

PSA/Peugeot-Citroen appointed Louis Gallois, former head of planemaker Airbus's owner, as France's board representative at the carmaker following the government's move to help the company's bank unit.

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