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News 17 Dec, 2012

The facelifted Renault Scenic range will include a four-wheel-drive MPV

In line with plans to strengthen European R&D, Toyota Motor Europe (TME) has announced several executive appointments at its headquarters in Brussels and at its UK plant, from 1 January 2013.

Singapore's Gallant Venture is reported to have signed a conditional purchase agreement for a majority stake in PT Indomobil Sukses Internasional, Indonesia's second largest vehicle distributor.

Last week's premiere of General Motors' redesigned full-sized pickups spotlighted the divergent truck strategies of GM and its Detroit 3 rivals.

Toyota will roll out Tundra and Corolla redesigns next year and will revise the RAV4, Avalon and Highlander, but there are some things the division probably won't do.

UAW President Bob King said he expects few defections by his members when Michigan's right-to-work law takes effect in March. Unionized workers at parts suppliers will be among the first to test King's confidence.

Four recalls on the redesigned 2013 Ford Escape crossover, on the heels of embarrassing technology glitches and delays introducing other important models, have raised concerns about Ford's launch processes.

By calling for cleaner gasoline to help reduce tailpipe emissions, automakers again have put themselves on a collision course with the oil industry. Automakers say they are willing to follow California rules across the United States.

Consumers now have unprecedented Internet access to vehicle prices, so some dealers are turning to an old retail concept: no-dicker selling.

Nissan admits its launch strategy on the Leaf miscalculated the short-term market potential for the electric vehicle and says it will do a better job of targeting potential buyers.

The biggest car manufacturer of South Korea plans to make a return to the FIA World Rally Championship in 2014 with the i20 model. Here's a video of the test European test of the new world rally car.

The prototype of the i20 WRC was unveiled at the Paris international auto show in September. After a shakedown in South Korea, the car was shown in public at a test ground locate near Frankfurt, Germany.

Several medias were invited to attend the event. Hyundai's test driver Kwang Il-Song was behind the wheel of the i20 druing the two days of the test.

From GMM

Romain Grosjean insists his formula one career remains "on track".

His comments follow a period of intense speculation, amid suggestions Lotus - and sponsor Total - are considering dropping the 26-year-old after his often impressive yet tumultuous 2012 season.

Some good news for Grosjean, however, is that he won the prestigious Race of Champions event in Bangkok at the weekend, beating the likes of Michael Schumacher and Sebastian Vettel.

Romain Grosjean, winner of the 2012 Race of Champions. (Photo: Race of Champions)

Lotus celebrated the 26-year-old's "emphatic" triumph with a lengthy press release.

As for his F1 career, "Things are on track," the Frenchman is quoted as saying by L'Equipe.

"I hope everything turns out well and I am able to put into practice what I learned this year. I hope to be stronger next season. Normally, you say that the first year is about learning, but F1 is a little different. We went through ups and downs this season, but I learned a thousand things. I had a good start but also went through some difficult times. Ultimately, the team allowed me to grow and I became a better driver. I hope to continue to learn next year," added Romain Grosjean.

Here is a video of the moment moments of the 2012 ROC, Race of Champions held last weekend at at Bangkok's Rajamangala Stadium.

Lotus Formula 1 driver Romain Grosjean put in a stunning performance to eclipse 15 fellow superstars of motorsport and win the Race Of Champions.

Following Team Germany's victory over Team France in last night's ROC Nations Cup, the Race Of Champions pitted many of the biggest names in motorsport against each other in head-to-head combat in a variety of different cars.

In the end, Grosjean overcame Le Mans legend Tom Kristensen in the best-of-three Grand Final to become Champion of Champions for the first time.

From GMM

Marussia team owner Nikolai Fomenko has confirmed speculation British rookie Max Chilton will make his formula one debut in 2013.

Fomenko, the head of Russian supercar Marussia who bought into the then Virgin team at the end of 2010, was asked by Russian journalists the identity of the driver replacing Caterham-bound Frenchman Charles Pic.

International reports, including RMC (France), Speed Week (Switzerland) and MTV3 (Finland) say Fomenko answered Chilton's name, the GP2 driver whose wealthy father Grahame is the chairman of the Aon company.

Max Chilton aboard the Marussia MR01. (Photo: WRi2)

The reports said Chilton comes with a financial contribution of EUR 11.5 million.

Meanwhile, Fomenko dismissed reports Marussia is weighed down with US $125 million in debt.

"We have debts, but not $125m, as I read recently," he insisted.

The Swiss Formula 1 team of Peter Sauber enjoyed a very good season in 2012 with its drivers climbing on the podium four times.

Under the guidance of the first female Team Principal, Monisha Kaltenborn, the team collected 126 points to rank 6th in the 2012 Constructor's Championship.

Powered by a Ferrari engine, the C31 car proved a competent, all-round package which was again very smooth with its tires. This characteristic allowed drivers Sergio Perez and Kamui Kobayashi to run longer stints than their rivals; a definite advantage when they were forced to start some races down the field.

Photo: Sauber F1 Team

The C31 was a solid, reliable car that proved to be extremely fast in certain circumstances, like in Italy when Perez passed both Ferraris en route to second place just behind race winner Lewis Hamilton of McLaren.

Sergio Perez
10th in the Driver's Championship with 66 points
Best place in qualifications: 4th (once, Belgium)
Best race result: 2nd (once, Italy), 3 podiums
Retired 7 times

Kamui Kobayashi
12th in the Driver's Championship with 60 points
Best place in qualifications: 2nd (once, Belgium)
Best race result: 3rd (once, Japan), 1 podium
Retired 3 times

The first half of the season proved to be one of highs and lows for Perez. Podium finishes in Malaysia and Canada contrast with low-key results elsewhere, as car and driver searched for consistency. Then, the only high note was a podium finish in Italy behind Hamilton.

The Mexican retired seven times during the season, and scored only three points in the last seven races. Perez's performances mysterisouly slumped a little following the announcement of his McLaren move for 2013. Was he too distacted?

Photo: Sauber F1 Team

In contrast, his teammate Kamui Kobayashi had a much more consistant season. The likeable Japanese scored points on nine occasions and only retired three times.

Unfortunately, his second-place start in Belgium was ruined at the beginning by the huge accident caused by Lotus' Romain Grosjean. Despite finishing the year just six points down from Perez, Kobayashi was forced to leave Sauber to make room for another wealthy Mexican, Esteban Gutierrez.

To prove it has progressed, the 2013 Sauber F1 car will need to win at least one Grand Prix.

From GMM

Lewis Hamilton has already started work at Mercedes.

Britain's Sun newspaper said that although the 2008 world champion remains under contract to McLaren for two more weeks, a "deal" has been agreed whereby the 27-year-old can at least meet his new engineers.

And the report said Briton Hamilton also got his first taste of Mercedes' driver simulator last week.

"Lewis has already been in the factory to see the team and fulfil some duties after we found an agreement about that with McLaren," said Mercedes' departing head of motor sport, Norbert Haug.

Lewis Hamilton has played down his chances of immediately succeeding at Mercedes, saying he will not really be thinking about titles and wins until at least 2014.

Photo: Mercedes AMG F1 Team

"That's fine," non-executive chairman Niki Lauda told Welt am Sonntag newspaper. "I don't really like when drivers say they are going to win every race. For me, a sober, pragmatic analysis of things is better, where you can positively surprise rather than promise something that can't necessarily be achieved."

Niki Lauda admitted, however, that Mercedes must improve.

"We have the best engine and the best drivers. Now we need to improve the car a lot before the season."

But he tipped reigning world champions Red Bull to enter 2013 as the definite favourites.

"Yes, the rules for 2013 are a great advantage for Red Bull, who are already on a high level, to just go on. But in spite of the limited possibilities, we have to try to make two or three steps forward. I know one thing: the people in England are highly motivated and have completely understood their failures."

And Lauda suggested that if Mercedes fails again, it will not be Hamilton's fault, nor his 2013 teammate Nico Rosberg's.

"For me, Hamilton-Rosberg is the strongest pairing compared to all the other teams. Take a look at Red Bull and the gap between Vettel and Webber, or Alonso and Massa at Ferrari. Or, even worse, at McLaren and the gap between Button and Perez. Some teams have worlds between their two drivers. Another advantage of Hamilton is that he comes with experience of another team, and he can tell us exactly what are the strengths and weaknesses of our car," added Lauda.

From Lotus F1 Team

Lotus F1 Team announced Monday afternoon that Romain Grosjean will partner Kimi Raikkonen in an unchanged driver line-up for the 2013 season.

In 2012, Grosjean made his return to Formula 1 with Lotus F1 Team.

He finished on the podium in Bahrain (P3), Canada (P2) and Hungary (P3), finishing the Drivers' Championship in eighth position with 96 points.

“It's fantastic for me to be continuing with Lotus F1 Team for 2013,” said Frenchman Romain Grosjean.

“It's superb to have the support of everyone at Enstone. I'm really looking forward to rewarding their faith when we take to the track in Australia. I learnt a lot in my first full season in Formula 1 and my aim is to put these lessons into practice with stronger and more consistent performance on track next year. There are a lot of exciting developments occurring behind the scenes at Enstone and I am very excited with the prospect of the E21. I've already had my seat fitting and spoken with all the personnel involved with the build of the new car ; I just can't wait to get behind the wheel,” Grosjean added.

“Romain is a great talent and we are pleased that he is continuing with us for a second season,” declared Eric Boullier, Team Principal.

“With the continuity of two exceptional drivers like Romain and Kimi we are well placed to build on our strong 2012 with even better results in the year ahead. Both drivers worked very well together in their first year as teammates, and I think there is the potential of even better things from the season ahead. We were regular visitors to podiums in 2012 and we certainly intend to continue with this trend in 2013,” Boullier said.

Adapted from GMM

German driver Adrian Sutil has admitted he could complete Force India's 2013 driver lineup and adds that a criminal conviction for assault last year will not affect his return.

The former team driver, who sat out 2012 in the wake of his assault conviction, told German television Sat 1: "I certainly hope so. It's not yet certain, but I have a good chance”.

"I know this business very well, and so you can only be certain when you have something signed. I still have to be patient, but I certainly hope that it turns out in my favour. It would be nice because I know the team well,” he added.

Adrian Sutil. (Photo: WRi2)

The German admitted he is pinning his 2013 hopes on Force India, who have a vacancy alongside Paul di Resta after Nico Hulkenberg's move to Sauber.

"If it doesn't happen, I will have to think about something else, but I haven't really started that process yet," said Sutil.

However, it was rumoured his conviction might cause him trouble entering some of the countries on the 2013 calendar.

But Sutil told BBC radio: "We checked all the countries and there is no problem for me to travel. All my problems last winter are solved."

In January, a German court gave Sutil an 18-month suspended jail sentence and EUR 200,000 fine for attacking Lotus team executive Eric Lux in a Shanghai nightclub in May 2011.

With the cold, limited visibility and reduced traction of winter driving, a problem on the road can leave you and your passengers facing a world of potentially fatal problems.

Like most motorists travelling in the colder months, you'll probably escape winter at the wheel unscathed. If you're one of the unlucky ones, you may not. Don't be a statistic. Here's a look at a few potentially life-threatening problems, and how to successfully handle them.

Photo: Matthieu Lambert

Issue: You're travelling at speed on a two-lane highway when a chunk of ice, perhaps 50 lbs in weight, slides off the roof of an oncoming transport trailer and strikes your windshield. Said windshield shatters in a contained fashion, but powdered glass finds its way into your eyes, and you're driving blind.

Solution: Know your surroundings. Ian Law is race car driver and the president and chief instructor of the ILR Car Control School. He's been teaching drivers of all ages advanced safe driving techniques for years and he recommends a preemptive approach to successfully tackling a catastrophic non-visibility situation.

“This is one scenario where staying focused on your driving pays off in dividends. A good driver will have been focused on their driving and the situation before the incident. This is called "situational awareness," and it involves processing all driving information so that the driver knows at all times what is around them -- and where. Pilots practice this when flying and it saves lives.”

Frequent mirror-checks, being alert, and avoiding driving-related distraction all help contribute to knowing your surroundings on the move. All could save your life if you've got to get off of the road while unable to see.

Issue: It's been freezing rain for 2 hours, salt trucks are nowhere to be seen, and the rising temperatures have called a thick, soupy fog onto the roadways. You've debated pulling over for the last few kilometers, but decided to keep driving. Coming around a corner, you discover you're 3 seconds from plowing head-on into the back of an active, multi-car pileup. You're going too fast to stop.

Solution: Ditch it, now. Being entangled in a pileup with the potential for dozens of subsequent impacts is a lethal proposition, but you and your car can probably survive an impact with a ditch. Aim for it. In this situation, getting your vehicle out of the roadway is likely to offer a higher chance of survival. Pulling onto the shoulder is probably a bad idea, too.

Law adds, “You are much better off waiting 3 hours for a tow truck to pull you out of a ditch than waiting 20 minutes to have the paramedics pull your body out of the wreckage. Remember: If you stop on the shoulder, you will probably get run into.”

Issue: You drive over a large ice-boulder left on the highway by a heavy transport truck. As it passes beneath your vehicle, it strikes and perforates your brake lines, causing a leak. You're now unable to stop using your brake pedal.

Solution: Use your eyes. Look for deep snow on the shoulder of the road, gravel, or even frozen turf. If you can get out of your lane safely, these surfaces can help slow your car down. If you're lucky, the area ahead of your vehicle will be clear, so you can focus on using the emergency brake (which doesn't use the same hydraulic fluid lines) to reduce speed. Firm, steady, progressive application is best, rather than “ripping” on the handle, which can cause a skid.

Downshift your transmission (if you can) and keep your eyes up, looking for emergency paths around vehicles and structures you don't want to hit. Brake system failure isn't fun, but it can be survived with some common sense.

Issue: You've spun off an empty side-road and are now stuck in the ditch. There's no cell phone reception and you won't be able to dig your vehicle free. Snow is falling, and its frigid outside.

Solution: Stay inside. This situation is justification of three important things to do ahead of winter travels: Keep your gas tank full; always tell a friend or relative where and when you're planning to drive; and pack an emergency kit. Assuming you've done this, the best course of action is to stay inside the vehicle if it's still able to start and run.

Conserve fuel by running the engine a few minutes every hour or so, to keep the cabin warm. Clear snow from around your tailpipe periodically, which can reduce the likelihood of carbon monoxide entering the cabin. Open a window from time to time for fresh air. Don't attempt to leave the car and wander around looking for help or shelter unless visibility is back to normal.

Remember: If you run out of fuel and the cold sets in, you can use extra clothing or the blanket in your emergency kit for warmth. Keep moving your extremities to fend off hypothermia, and cover your ears, cheeks and fingertips to help prevent frostbite.

Jean-Philippe Dayraut (MINI) and Benjamin Riviere (Citroen DS3) each won one of the two rounds of the Andros Trophy ice racing series presented this weekend in Andorra.

Championship leader Dayraut dominated the qualifying rounds on day 1, then followed with a win in the Elite super finale, which was good enough for the overall victory of the first day.

Benjamin Riviere (Photo: B.Bade/TrophéeAndros.com)

On Sunday, it was Riviere's turn to be quickest in the qualifying rounds and in the Elite super finale. His performance allowed him to take his first victory of the season

Jean-Philippe Dayraut remains in first place in the overall standings, followed Benjamin Riviere.