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Bikes are back.

Fiat and Chrysler boss Sergio Marchionne is exporting his rivalry with VW from Europe to the United States, with the offer of a $1,000 rebate to current Volkswagen owners in the U.S. to buy a Fiat or Chrysler vehicle.

From Honda Indy Toronto

Tickets to the 2013 Honda Indy Toronto are now on sale. For the first time in its history, the event will feature two official, fully-sanctioned IZOD IndyCar Series races, one with standing start on Saturday and a second with a rolling start on Sunday.

Each event will be full length, with full points and full prize money.

The release of tickets for 2013 also features important changes to seating. Promoters will build three new “super-structure” grandstands - one at Turn 10 (consolidating three grandstands), a taller structure for the Dr Pepper Grandstand at Turn 11, and a Turn 3 Grandstand that will see the addition of 15 rows.


Each of the three new grandstands offers better sightlines, more seating options and greater comfort. The switch to larger grandstands affords an important additional benefit: greater track-side access for General Admission ticket holders and wandering fans looking for multiple viewpoints.

Event organizers are introducing a new ticketing strategy that is focused on simplicity and greater value. Site access starts at $35 for General Admission tickets, while reserved seating prices start at $60 for single-day tickets in Turn 10 and the Dr Pepper Grandstand (Turn 11).

New this year, all purchases of 2-day upper-level seats in Pit Lane, Start/Finish and Turn 3 Grandstands come with a complimentary 3-day IndyCar Paddock Pass valued at $45.

Tickets for the 2013 Honda Indy Toronto are on sale now. For more information, visit www.hondaindy.com.

Veteran crew chief, Tony Eury Jr. will be reunited with Steve Hmiel (competition director) at Swan Racing for the No. 30 Toyota to be driven by David Stremme.

Just last week Swan Racing, owned by Brandon Davis, announced it was taking over the assets of Inception Racing and that it intended to run entire races.

Tony Eury Jr. with his former driver, Danica Patrick. (Photo: Getty Images for NASCAR)

"We have a long-term vision for Swan Racing and the addition of Tony Jr. is another step in that process. Tony brings a world of experience to Swan Racing and will be part of our long-term success," said Davis.

"I am really impressed with the team Swan Racing is building and I am proud to be part of it," said Eury.  "I am looking forward to working with David Stremme behind the wheel and with competition director Steve Hmiel."

Eury, who previously worked at Junior Motorsports with Danica Patrick in the Nationwide Series, worked at Dale Earnhardt, Inc with Hmiel. DEI merged with Chip Ganassi Racing to form Earnhardt Ganassi Racing.

Eury can claim part of 19 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series victories with Michael Waltrip and Dale Earnhardt Jr. including twice winning the Budweiser Shootout in 2003 and 2008.   In 2006, Earnhardt qualified for the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup and finished 5th in points with Eury making the calls on race day

"Tony Jr. has pretty much done it all from tire changer to crew chief.  His experience and knowledge will be pivotal to the success of Swan Racing," said competition director Steve Hmiel. 

Stremme's eyebrow was virtually raised by the heavy weight in NASCAR fire power being raised when he said, "The team has transformed itself virtually overnight. It's hard to believe just how different this team is in such a short period of time.  This is how you build success from the ground up; you hire quality people, put their experience to work and execute on race day.”

From GMM

The chances Austria could return to the Formula 1 calendar in 2013 are rising.

With the Turkish government ruling out state support for Istanbul Park's return, the former A1-Ring - now called the 'Red Bull Ring' - has emerged as the favourite to fill the reserved twentieth spot on next year's calendar.

The energy drink company's motor racing chief Dr Helmut Marko told Speed Week: "We have made the FIA aware that we have a track with a full F1 license."

As for who will pay the bill, the Austrian answered: "There is the province of Styria, and the republic of Austria."

Another stumbling block could be a lack of accommodation in the Spielberg area, but Marko insisted: "Nonsense, there was enough in the 70s and 80s."

A DTM race at the Red Bull Ring. (Photo: Red Bull)

And he said Graz, Austria's second largest city after Vienna, is not far away.

The A1-Ring, totally refurbished since then, hosted F1 until 2003.

But what about the difficulties or organising a grand prix at such short notice?: "No problem," said Marko.

And the small media centre?: "It can be expanded," he promised.

Toyota Motor Corporation (TMC) has launched a special website to celebrate its 75th anniversary. Fans can go to toyota-global.com to learn about the Japanese automaker's storied past, which started back in 1938 with the opening of the Koromo assembly plant.

Over the following decades, TMC has spread across the globe and gone on to become the world's largest automaker a few years ago.

On a related note, Toyota Canada will celebrate 50 years of automotive production in 2014.

Photo: Toyota

Prindiville, a British tuning house known for its work on premium sports cars, has just created an all-electric version of the late Hummer.

Much smaller than the original at 3 metres long, 1.4 metre wide and 1.4 metre tall, the Prindiville Electric Hummer is a three-door, rear-wheel-drive SUV with seating for two and, more importantly, zero emissions. It uses a 72V electric motor and nine 8V batteries that provide a range of 40 miles (64 kilometres) with a top speed of 40 mph (64 km/h).

Electric Hummer. (Photo: Prindiville)

According to Prindiville's website, the Electric Hummer starts at £14,000 (equal to $22,200). A carbon fibre-trimmed model is available at £25,000 ($39,700).

Should the vehicle remain on the other side of the Atlantic, here's hoping that the idea behind it will at least make it across.

Ford is launching a new 3.2L five-cylinder turbodiesel engine in North America. Combining performance with exceptional fuel economy, this addition to the Power Stroke family will debut in the all-new 2014 Ford Transit.

Ford Transit 2014. (Photo: Ford)

Smaller than the existing 6.7L Power Stroke V8 in the F-Series Super Duty trucks, it marks the only application of a five-cylinder diesel engine in a commercial van in North America.

While power has not been certified yet, European ratings amount to 197 horsepower and 347 lb-ft of torque.

The 3.2L diesel engine will join Ford's increasingly efficient lineup, which is set to grow from four to eight vehicles achieving 40 mpg or higher next year.

Marussia F1 Team, née Virgin, was one of the three new Formula 1 teams that were accepted to compete in the 2010 FIA F1 World Championship. Despite running some promising races, the small outfit has failed to score a single point in three years.

In 2010, Manor Motorsport joined F1 as Virgin. The car was designed from CFD technology by Nick Wirth, but it proved to be unreliable while being penalised by an undersized fuel tank.

Still mated to the underpowered Cosworth engine the following year, the car was a tiny bit faster due to a technical partnership with McLaren Applied Technologies.

Photo: Marussia F1 Team

In 2012, the team took on the name of major shareholders and Russian sportscar makers Marussia. The MR01-Cosworths were one of the very few F1 cars not fitted with a KERS, which complicated the life veteran, Timo Glock, and rookie, Charles Pic.

Timo Glock
Best place in qualifications: 18th (once, Japan)
Best race result: 12th (once, Singapore)
Retired 1 time

Charles Pic
Best place in qualifications: 19th (twice)
Best race result: 12th (Brazil)
Retired 5 times

Under the guidance of technical director, Pat Symond, the Marussias made a small amount of progress throughout the season, and both drivers managed to collect a twelfth-place finish.

Glock seems to have lost quite a bit of motivation after years of fighting in the queue of the pack. He is still fast, but driving such a slow car is undoudtedly demoralizing, especially for someone who's driven for Toyota in the past!

Photo: Marussia F1 Team

Despite his lack of F1 experience, rookie Pic caused quite a stir. He arrived with a reputation of a paying driver (with money from Groupe Lagardère), but he proved to be fast in qualifying and ran several inspired races, even beating his teammate Glock on occasion.

The three smaller teams on the grid all face the same problem of running two cars for a full season on a shoestring budget. They have huge difficulties attracting major sponsors due to their lack of results -- it's a catch-22.

Next season will be Marussia's last year with the Cosworth CA 2012 V8 engine. For the moment, there's no news about what turbo unit they'll use in 2014.

From GMM

There will be three pre-season tests prior to the 2013 season, reportedly all in Spain.

Peter Sauber revealed last week that the Swiss team's 2013 car, the C32, will be launched on the first day of official pre-season group testing next February 5, at Jerez.

The Italiaracing website said that will be a four-day schedule at the southern Spanish venue, before Barcelona hosts the second test of the winter period between February 19 and 22.

Barcelona will also host the third and final pre-2013 season test, again over four days, beginning on February 28. The venue, Circuit de Catalunya, confirmed the news.

The third test will conclude on 3 March, precisely two weeks before the 2013 championship kicks off in Melbourne.

Mercedes AMG F1. (Photo: WRi2)

From GMM

Formula 1 supremo Bernie Ecclestone has admitted he wishes German Michael Schumacher never returned from retirement.

Now, after an unsuccessful three-year comeback with Mercedes, the great German is retiring once again after adding just a single podium to his outstanding former tally of titles and wins.

"I would rather he had stopped as a seven time world champion than stopping now," F1 chief executive Ecclestone told the sport's official website.

"People new to the sport ... will remember Michael now, not as he was. They don't see the hero that he was but the human that can fail," he said.

Bernie Ecclestone and Michael Schumacher celebrating the German's 300th grand prix. (Photo: WRi2)

Ecclestone, 82, said choosing the right moment to quit is "important".

"I hope that's what I can do: when I feel I can't deliver, I will certainly say goodbye," he promised.

Ecclestone acknowledged, however, that it is the fact Schumacher is such a "competitive guy" that meant he could not stay away.

From GMM

Sebastian Vettel almost missed the FIA's end-of-season FIA prize giving gala, where he received his trophy for winning the 2012 title for a third consecutive time.

But DPA news agency reports that the Red Bull driver actually touched down in Istanbul without his passport, and initially was refused entry into Turkey.

"Vettel, who arrived on a private jet, had to wait over an hour at the airport," the report read. "It was only after the intervention of the Turkish motor sports federation that he was allowed through customs with a replacement document."

Kimi Raikkonen at the FIA prize giving gala. (Photo: FIA Facebook)

Kimi Raikkonen, who said he "unfortunately" had to attend due to finishing the season in third place, also caused a stir when he showed up at the black-tie function -- wearing a suit but no tie.

"I don't follow the rules," Lotus quoted the inimitable Finn as saying on Twitter, "I just make them."

The NASCAR Canadian Tire Series has published its 2013 calendar that will feature 12 dates at 11 different tracks across five Canadian provinces.

The series will kick off the season on Victoria Day weekend (May 19) on the 2.459-mile, 10-turn road course at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park near Bowmanville, Ontrio.

For the first time since the 2010 season, the Canadian Tire Series returns to the .4-mile oval at Autodrome St. Eustache (Quebec) on July 27.

The series will visit the 2.113-mile airport road course of Mirabel, Quebec's Circuit ICAR on July 7.

Edmonton is not on the NASCAR Canadian Tire schedule anymore. (Photo: NASCAR)

The season will draw to a close and a new champion will be crowned at Kawartha Speedway, the .375-mile oval near Peterborough, Ontario, on Sept. 21.

2013 NASCAR Canadian Tire Series Schedule
Sun., May 19 Canadian Tire Motorsport Park (2.459-mile RC)
Sat., June 15 Delaware Speedway (.5-mile)
Sat., June 22 Speedway at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park (.5-mile)
Sun., July 7 Circuit ICAR (2.113-mile RC)
Sat., July 13 Motoplex Speedway (.5-mile)
Wed., July 17 Auto Clearing Motor Speedway (.333-mile) .
Sat., July 27 Autodrome St. Eustache (.4-mile)
Sun., Aug. 11 Circuit de Trois-Rivieres (1.53-mile RC)
Sat., Aug,. 17 Riverside International Speedway (.333-mile)
Sun., Sept. 1 Canadian Tire Motorsport Park (2.459-mile RC)
Sat., Sept. 7 Barrie Speedway (.333-mile)
Sat. Sept. 21 Kawartha Speedway (.375-mile)

From GMM

Former Williams chairman Adam Parr has confirmed it was Bernie Ecclestone who pushed him to leave formula one.

Earlier this year, Briton Parr - Williams' de-facto team principal - suddenly quit, despite his apparently rising stature within the Oxfordshire based team and the F1 paddock.

His shock departure was met with cynicism, as it coincided with the end to an impasse with F1's chief executive over Williams' stalled Concorde Agreement negotiations.

Bernie Ecclestone in India. (Photo: WRi2)

The Telegraph hinted at the time that Parr "was the victim of a power play", and the latest rumour is that he could be set to commence legal action against Ecclestone, F1's chief executive.

At the time, Williams said Adam Parr resigned simply to spend more time with his family.

He has now admitted in his new book 'The Art of War - Five Years in Formula One': "I had resigned that week, rightly or wrongly believing that Ecclestone had told my board that no Concorde offer would be forthcoming while I was running Williams.

"Under the circumstances, I chose to stand down so that the team could make the best deal possible with him. The offer arrived the day after my resignation had been announced," added Adam Parr.

From GMM

Lotus F1 Team is reportedly close to announcing a multi-million dollar title sponsorship deal with Honeywell, the American technology giant.

"It is thought the framework of the agreement is in place and a formal announcement pending," said Sportspro journalist David Cushnan on Monday.

The news follows Lotus' recent signing of a sponsor deal with Burn, the European energy drink label of the American beverage giant Coca-Cola.

Lotus-Renault E20. (Photo: WRi2)

After a five year absence, the United States returned to the F1 calendar this year with a highly successful race on a bespoke circuit in Austin, Texas.

Citing 'informed insiders', Cushnan said the Honeywell deal could be worth $30 million per year to Lotus.

Kimi Raikkonen of Lotus ranked third in this year's F1 World Championship and scored one victory.

After eight seasons with Mercedes, British driver Jamie Green will contest the next season of the DTM under Audi's colours.

The Briton clinched the F3 Euroseries title in 2004 and made his DTM debuts with Mercedes the next year.

Green contested 83 DTM races so far, taking eight wins and six pole positions. In 2012, he had his best championship result as he finished third behind Spengler (BMW) and Paffett (Mercedes).

Jamie Green. (Photo: Audi Motorsport)

"Audi is a fascinating brand with fantastic products," says Jamie Green in a press release.

"And I'm convinced that with Audi, I'll be able to achieve what I've been deprived of so far: to win the DTM title. I really owe my previous employer a lot and making the change after so many joint years has certainly not been easy for me. But I carefully considered this step and look forward to a new challenge - I can't wait to sit in the Audi A5 for the first time.”

Adapted from Mercedes

After his (second) retirement from Formula 1 at the Grand Prix of Brazil, Michael Schumacher returned on two wheels and drove a motorcycle alongside some famous riders.

December 7, Monster Energy organized a meet-up between Schumacher and a biker all-star lineup: John McGuinness, Randy Mamola plus star in the making Pol Espargaro and endurance racer Keith Flint met up with Michael at the at the Paul Ricard Circuit for a track day.

Michael Schumacher. (Photo: Mercedes AMG F1 Team)

The former Benetton, Ferrari and Mercedes F1 driver was quite pleased to share this passion with such pedigrees for a day.

“Coming here today I felt so proud to be able to turn my hand at riding a bike with guys I really admire. I can't begin to explain how much fun it was to ride the track with the likes of John, Randy, Keith and watching Pol Espargaro's huge talent,” said Schumacher.

“Riding with Michael was so good. What he's achieved on four wheels makes him the Godfather of motorsport,” said a buzzing McGuinness as he tried to take in the day's experience.

“I wasn't expecting him to be anything less, but he's fast! You can see his enthusiasm for motorcycles and it was a massive pleasure to spend the day with him.”

From GMM

With the Rolex deal freshly under his belt, Bernie Ecclestone has revealed that a vodka label and a mobile phone operator could be the next in line to conclude major sponsorship deals with formula one.

"We are chasing one or two people that want to be involved," the sport's chief executive told F1 business journalist Christian Sylt.

"We are looking at phones and drinks," Ecclestone is quoted by the Telegraph. "People like vodka and things like that, they are out there."

Sylt said Belvedere, a luxury Polish vodka, is in pole position for the official spirits deal, even though its president Charles Gibb insisted "there are no discussions taking place with F1".

"It is unclear with which telecoms company F1 is in talks," Sylt added.

Electric vehicles are here to stay. True, they don't come cheap right now, but like any new technology that costs a fortune upon its introduction and becomes more affordable over the years, so will EVs. Ten years ago, a powerful laptop cost $3,000; today, you can get one for 300 bucks.

The 2012 Nissan LEAF is one of the first mass-produced, 100% electric vehicles available for consumers. After a few days behind the wheel (including a participation in our recent EV comparison test), I realized that this little marvel arguably represents the future of the automobile.


Room for five
Unlike the four-passenger Chevrolet Volt and the Mitsubishi i-MiEV, and like the Ford Focus Electric, the 2012 Nissan LEAF has room for five occupants. What's especially impressive is the amount of interior room found inside. There's plenty of elbow room and the cabin feels airy; apart from rather fat A-pillars, outward visibility is excellent, as well.

Soft-touch cloth wraps the seats and trims the door panel and centre armrests, while fit and finish is as good as in any recent Nissan (such as the 2013 Altima). Both front and rear seats are heated, since keeping passengers' buns warm consumes less energy than the climate control system.

You also get 411 litres of volume in the LEAF's deep cargo area. Flip the rear seatbacks down and the total space grows to 680 litres; not quite as good as your typical subcompact hatchback, but better than other EVs currently on the market.

The LEAF's cabin is well finished, quiet and airy. (Photo: Philippe Champoux)

Home on the range
Yeah, yeah; about range anxiety: consider it minimal in the 2012 Nissan LEAF, especially after testing the i-MiEV and the Focus Electric. A full charge provides you with about 160 km of range in the Nissan LEAF, as opposed to roughly 100 km in its rivals.

When reading about EVs, you'll notice a lot of words such as “about,” “approximately,” “more or less” and “roughly,” because available range is all about variables. Driving habits, number of occupants, temperature, hills, highways, and turned-on accessories: all of these factors translate into having to do some calculations.

That's right: driving an EV on a daily itinerary means you have some planning to do before you head out. That's a major habit change, and something many of us are not willing to do. The automobile symbolises freedom -- less so in an EV. Still, with 160 km on tap, there's plenty of juice for the majority of us who drive to work and back, pick up the kids at school, and stop at the grocery store every day.

Plenty of power
The electric motor under the hood of the front-drive 2012 Nissan LEAF produces 107 hp and 207 lb-ft of torque, mated to a single-speed transmission. Zero to 100 km/h takes 9.9 seconds -- which is as quick as your typical subcompact.

Merging on the highway and staying with the flow of traffic is also not a problem in the 2012 Nissan LEAF. The linear power delivered in the LEAF is actually quite fun, and feels livelier than the numbers suggest.

The LEAF emphasises ride comfort, which goes well with the quiet, soothing driving experience. With no gas engine to drown out road noise, Nissan did a good job insulating the cabin so all you hear is the electric motor whine, some tire thumping on rough surfaces, a little wind noise and, well, noisy passengers.

Zero to 100 km/h takes 9.9 seconds in the LEAF -- as quick as a typical subcompact. (Photo: Philippe Champoux)

Assumes its role
The 2012 Nissan LEAF doesn't try to hide its EV status. On the road, you'll clearly be viewed as an avant-garde citizen, an early adopter of modern technology, and a guinea pig for testing said modern technology.

That's OK, because behind the wheel of a LEAF you feel purified, cleansed. Squirrels and bunny rabbits and deer salute you as you drive by; flowers bloom, vines grow, leaves turn green, the sky turns blue... Woah, I'm daydreaming here. But I think you get the picture.

The budget
At $38,395, the 2012 Nissan LEAF obviously doesn't come cheap, although it's less expensive than the Chevrolet Volt and the Ford Focus Electric. The Mitsubishi i-MiEV is several thousand dollars cheaper, but smaller and with a shorter range. You also have to get a charging station installed at home before Nissan will let you drive away with a LEAF.

Certain provinces currently offer rebates with the purchase of an EV, which makes the high price more digestible. As a consumer, you'll have to do the math and figure out how much you'll actually save in fuel. A full charge at home will cost somewhere between $2 and $3. Driving the same distance in a gas-powered subcompact will cost between $12 and $15.

Right now, the LEAF is the all-around best EV you can buy.

Jean-Philippe Dayraut (MINI) took the win in race 1, then third position in race 2 in the opening rounds of the 2012/2013 Andros Trophy in Val Thorens, and he now holds the championship lead.

Dayraut, who dominated the qualifying rounds ahead of race 1, eventually took the win in the Super Finale Elite race ahead of Olivier Panis' Dacia Lodgy and Andréa Dubourg's Renault Clio 3.

On Sunday, it was Gerald Fontanel's turn to lead the qualifying rounds aboard his MINI. Although he was beaten by Dayraut in the Super Finale, the Frenchman secured his first victory in the Andros Trophy.

Photo: Andros Trophy

After Val Thorens, Dayraut leads the provisional point standings in front of 2012 season's runner up Benjamin Rivière, and Olivier Panis

The next rounds will be held in Andorra, December 14 and 15.