Auto News 5

Output in October by Japanese carmakers fell 48.9% year on year to 150,386 units as they suffered the fallout from the disputed Senkaku/Diaoyu islands in the East China Sea.

News 5 Dec, 2012

Our reader took out an aftermarket warranty but when the garage ceased trading, his cover was null and void...

The new head of Ford in India, Jogindar Singh, is expecting a significant jump in the company's 3% market share as it rolls out eight new models by mid-decade.

Organizers of next year's Amsterdam auto show have cancelled the event because of a lack of interest from automakers.

Mazda, already building a new plant in Mexico, could start assembling vehicles in Brazil to sidestep import restrictions due from 2015.

Car sales deferred and created by Hurricane Sandy helped to get the US auto industry back on track in November, according to Edmunds.com, which forecast that 1,107,378 new cars and trucks will be sold for an estimated Seasonally Adjusted Annual Rate (SAAR) of 15m, a strong increase over October's SAAR of 14.3m.

News 30 Nov, 2012

We ask the residents of LA what they think of the new Range Rover...

Ford reckons November will be its best hybrid sales month ever with over 6,000 units sold.

Mazda's CX-5 compact crossover has claimed the 2012-13 Car of the Year Japan (JCOTY) title. The award, first given in 1980, is decided by a panel of 60 automotive journalists. Last year's winner was the Nissan Leaf and this is the fourth time Mazda has won; the MX-5 (or Roadster as it is known in Japan) won in 2005.

Valeo says it has agreed to sell its unit which makes locks, handles and similar car components to Japan's U-Shin for 223 million euros ($289.42 million).

Magna International has secured EU regulatory approval for its 308 million euro ($397.61 million) purchase of German car hydraulic pump manufacturer Ixetic Verwaltungs GmbH.

Renault and PSA/Peugeot-Citroen were both hit by strikes on Thursday as the two carmakers struggle to cut costs and boost productivity amid slumping European sales.

French supplier body, FIEV, is cautioning competitiveness is becoming a "real issue" for the country as the debate surrounding the so-called 'delocalisation' process heats up.

Scandinavian supplier body, FKG, is urging the Swedish government to look to the British model for its domestic automotive industry as the country struggles with the overall European downturn.

When Porsche's $100 million North American headquarters in Atlanta opens in 2014, dealers will have another tool to close a sale or reward a loyal customer.

Porsche SE is seeking to reverse a ruling in the United States that the company must face a lawsuit by hedge funds accusing it of hiding a plan to corner the market in Volkswagen shares.

From Rally America

Rally America President, Bill Fogg, announced a seven-event Rally America National Championship schedule for the 2013 season that will once again begin with the Sno*Drift Rally in Atlanta and Lewiston, Michigan on January 25 - 26, 2013.

The 2013 Rally America National Championship will include five of last year's events plus the revival of two extremely popular events.

Rally America is proud to bring back the Ojibwe Forests Rally in Minnesota and the Lake Superior Performance Rally (LSPR) in Michigan's Upper Peninsula - both of which spent the past three seasons as Rally America Central Region Championship events.

Photo: Scott Rains

The 2013 Rally America National Championship calendar is as follows:

Round 1: Sno*Drift Rally, Atlanta, MI - January 25 - 26
Round 2: 100 Acre Wood, Salem, MO - February 22 - 23
Round 3: Oregon Trail Rally, Portland, OR - May 3 - 5
Round 4: Susquehannock Trail Performance Rally, Wellsboro, PA - May 31 - June 1
Round 5: New England Forest Rally, Newry, ME - July 26 - 27
Round 6: Ojibwe Forests Rally, Detroit Lakes, MN - August 23 - 24
Round 7: Lake Superior Performance Rally, Houghton, MI - October 18 - 19

Former Formula 1 and Le Mans racer, Finland's JJ Lehto has been freed over boat crash that killed one person in 2010.

Lehto and a friend were on a boat that crashed against a bridge support pillar in southern Finland back in 2010, killing the driver's friend.

Lehto has been released from all charges of drunk driving because the court of appeal in Turku on Friday said it was not clear whether Lehto or his friend had been driving the boat at the time of the accident.

The former teammate of Michael Schumacher at Benetton F1 was sentenced last year to two years and four months in prison by a district court, which said Lehto was drunk when driving the boat.

JJ Lehto appealed the sentence, stating he was sitting in the back of the boat when the impact happened.

Let's compare the performance of the two Williams F1 Team drivers this season to see who was the most regular point scorer.

Wednesday, November 28, Williams unveiled its 2013 driver lineup with Pastor Maldonado and Valtteri Bottas, ousting Brazilian Bruno Senna from the equation.

"It has been extremely satisfying to be the team's most regular point scorer, and for me to demonstrate my pace in all 20 races,” said Senna in a press release shortly after the announcement.

Bruno Senna, Williams, at Abu Dhabi. (Photo: WRi2)

Was he really?

In 20 Grands Prix, Senna scored points on 10 occasions and collected a total of 31, for an average of 1.55 points/race.

In comparison, Venezuelan Maldonado scored 45 points by finishing in the top 10 on only five occasions, giving him an average of 2.25 points/race.

Maldonado scored a big chunk of his total (25 points out of 45) by winning the Spanish Grand Prix, true; however, he then failed to score a single point over a period of nine consecutive races. In the second half of the season, Maldonado only scored points three times compared to five for Senna.

So, by scoring points in 10 races this season, yes, Bruno Senna can claim that he is the most regular point scorer of the team. Pastor Maldonado's inconsistency, collisions and penalities cost him dearly.

From GMM

Ferrari on Friday said the controversy about Sebastian Vettel's alleged illegal overtaking move is "now closed".

The Italian team had contemplating protesting the result of the championship-deciding Brazilian grand prix, after video footage purportedly showed Red Bull's German driver passing a Toro Rosso under yellow flags.

Ferrari sent the FIA a letter requesting "clarification".

"The federation ... informs it has replied to Scuderia Ferrari... stating that as the overtaking manoeuvre was not in breach of the regulations ... there was no infringement to investigate".

Ferrari said in a statement on Friday: "Ferrari duly takes note of the reply sent by the FIA this morning and therefore considers the matter now closed."

Red Bull responded: "We are pleased, but not surprised, that the FIA has confirmed there is no case to answer regarding the 2012 Brazilian grand prix."

Triple world champion Sebastian Vettel. (Photo: WRi2)