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Set to debut in Los Angeles, the BMW i8 Concept Roadster achieves an estimated 78 mpg and goes from 0-60 mph in 4.6 seconds. This plug-in hybrid is powered by a high-performance drivetrain combining an electric motor and a gasoline engine with a lithium-ion battery that can be charged in a short time, the automaker claims.

BMW will also present the Concept K2 Powder Ride, which signals the arrival of the BMW X1 Powder Ride Edition this month. Its unique Valencia Orange metallic paintwork is complemented by a distinctive graphic whose design takes its cues from a limited-edition K2 ski. A 320-watt Harman Kardon sound system is also part of the mix.

Other BMW models on display at the Los Angeles Auto Show include the ActiveHybrid 3, ActiveHybrid 5, 7 Series, X6 Performance Edition, M5, M6, and 650i Gran Coupe.

Photo: BMW

Photo: BMW

From GMM

Jenson Button thinks Sergio Perez could struggle to fill Lewis Hamilton's winning boots at McLaren next year.

Mexican Perez has been signed to replace 2008 world champion and F1's last-start winner Hamilton for 2013 and beyond.

Currently at Sauber, 22-year-old Perez has said his 2013 target is wins and the title, but in the five races since the McLaren deal was announced, he has failed to score even a single point.

"It's going to be a tricky seat for Checo to fill," his teammate next year, Button, is quoted by British newspapers after the US grand prix.

"I have a feeling he will be competitive, but of course he doesn't have the experience and I don't think he will be fighting at the front at the start of next season. It is a massive ask but what else can you do? You need to have someone in the car and he is quick. I don't know if he will be up to it straight away but we might be surprised at the first race," added Button.

Sergio Perez celebrating his podium in Montreal with Sauber team. (Photo: WRi2)

Sergio Perez acknowledges the doubters, but said it has little to do with his black run of form at Sauber since the McLaren deal was announced.

"I am going to the best team next year, so there will always be a question mark until I constantly deliver in a McLaren," he is quoted by the BBC. "This doesn't bother me."

But the BBC claimed Perez is currently a long way from McLaren's standards, having failed to come close to Hamilton and Button in the British team's benchmark fitness test.

"I am not worried about him," insisted team boss Martin Whitmarsh. "We have the winter to prepare him."

From GMM

Bob Fernley, the day-to-day team boss at Force India, has backed Ferrari's decision to deliberately penalise Felipe Massa in Austin.

The Italian team was roundly criticised for tampering with Brazilian Massa's long-life gearbox for no other reason than to incur a five-place penalty that switched title-fighting teammate Fernando Alonso to the 'clean' side of the grid.

Start of the US Grand Prix, Austin. (Photo: WRi2)

Ferrari's immediate competitors, Red Bull and McLaren, said they wouldn't have made a similar decision.

But Fernley told PA Sport it is nonsense to write of Ferrari's tactic as unsporting.

"At the end of the day the regulations are what they are, Ferrari took them to the limit, and that's what we do in formula one," he said. "I would absolutely have done the same. We're not here to try to make friends, we're here to win."

Many commentators in the media also slammed Ferrari's tactic, but former driver Marc Surer said the Maranello team did the right thing.

"If you look at the (race) start, it was absolutely right," he told German television Sky.

The Italian sports daily La Gazzetta dello Sport added: "With a world title at stake, everyone would have done Ferrari's trick."

From GMM

Michael Schumacher's US grand prix race-day got off to a bad start long before his Mercedes was fired up.

In fact, the wheels weren't turning at all when his 23 colleagues began the pre-race drivers' parade in the back seats of vintage American road cars.

SID news agency said the fact the car bearing the 43-year-old's famous name broke down before the lap even began was "emblematic of his bad luck this season".

Kimi Raikkonen shared his vintage car with Michael Schumacher in Austin. (Photo: WRi2)

Ahead of his penultimate race in F1, seven time world champion Schumacher instead had to complete the lap sitting alongside Kimi Raikkonen.

"I can't find any words other than ironic ones for the race today," the famous German said after finishing the race a woeful sixteenth.

Alright, this is going to be a bit mommy-centric, but bear with me here (I know there are dads out there too who think/worry about this as well). When it comes to kids in cars, there's a lot to think about; and when you multiply the kid portion, there's even more to consider. Mainly: How do I fit more than one car seat in my car?

Recently, I received a message from a friend who already has a 2-year-old and will soon welcome twins into the world (first off, kudos to her, she is a brave, brave woman). Her question: How do I fit three car seats across one row of seats in my current vehicle?

This is a question I've encountered before; from another friend with a young son who also welcomed twins into the world (I'm surrounded). With two Subaru's in the driveway, their solution: A Honda Odyssey. It provided them with the space they needed for car seats and in the trunk. Perfect.

However, a minivan isn't the answer for everyone, nor should it be.

While I've not seen every car seat on the market, I've used and experienced quite a few and I wonder if this three-to-a-row conundrum ever surfaces in the manufacturer's marketing research and design meetings. I mean, it has to, right? This isn't an anomaly. Couples often have more than one child under the age of 3-4 who need to be in car seats.

And a minivan cannot (should not) be the only solution here.

I understand the need to make a car seat “big.” There's a lot of safety technology (side crash protection, head support, neck support, all-around support) that makes car seats large and bulky. However, if we have the technology and ability to house an airbag in a seatbelt (thanks, Ford), how come children's car seats have to be so big?

Photo: Sébastien D'Amour

So, I have a new mission: Solve the three-car-seats-on-one-row conundrum that I know plagues more families than we realize. Whether it's a car manufacturer issue (something they should consider when they engineer family vehicles?) or a car seat manufacturer dilemma, someone has to address this and come up with a viable solution.

Just a quick internet search proves how often this topic is brought up amongst parents of multiple young ones. Websites like Car-Seat.org have entire sections of forums dedicated to the topic (where parents confess their car model and which seats they've managed to squeeze onto one row). This is a fantastic way for parents to research through other people's personal experiences.

A car seat purchase is almost, if not equally, as important as the purchase of the car itself. And when those two things have to be combined (because, inevitably they will go together), it can be super stressful for the parents involved in the purchase. How can you plan properly for the future?

In my opinion, car seat manufacturers and carmakers should work together more often to complement one another as much as possible. Dealers should offer car seats that work perfectly with their vehicles. They should offer car seat combinations for multiple-child families and they might even consider strollers in the mix (trunk space, etc.).

It's not often I play the mommy card, but sometimes it's a necessity; especially when it comes to the health and safety of your child.

If you're into cute, then the 2012 Fiat 500c is definitely your ride.

The particular 500c we borrowed for this report was almost too cute. With those big, round headlights, off-white paint scheme, and deep-red retractable fabric top with matching red leather seats, it gave the impression of a red-collared white Maltese puppy wanting to be picked up and petted. How can you look into puppy eyes like that and give the thing a legitimate shake down? Well, we tried...


The natural tendency would be to compare the 2012 Fiat 500c to the VW Beetle and the MINI, who also work the retro, convertible and cute thing. However, I'm not sure the 500c is comparable. It's quite a bit cheaper, a bit smaller, and goes alone down that retractable-big-sunroof path. It's big on style, value and doing its own thing -- just like its intended audience. Thumbs up.

Not Cabrio, more cabrio-ish
Sometimes “cabrio” or “cabriolet” is synonymous with “convertible.” This is not that time. The 2012 Fiat 500c's fabric top is big and rolls down a long way, but not “all” the way down. And the roof rails remain very much up.

The 2012 Fiat 500c really has to be considered a car with a really neat retractable sunroof, and not an outright cabriolet or convertible.

The main problem with the 2012 Fiat 500c is how the fabric bunches up at the back, obscuring rear-view vision. However, get past that, and it's pretty neat. The retractable roof opens up a big space -- or a medium space, if you like -- and open-top turbulence and noise are less than you would imagine.

When the roof is closed on the 2012 Fiat 500c it's cool, too; the fabric gives the car another interesting visual texture, especially when it's in a contrasting colour. The roof seems well insulated too, road noise seemed on par with hard-top models.

The 2012 Fiat 500c's fabric top is big and rolls down a long way, but not “all” the way down. (Photo: Mike Goetz)

Zippy, but not too zippy
Cabrio's have the same powertrain and performance as other 500s, which is to say; they're zippy, but not crazy zippy. These Fiats are fun to drive, but they would be more fun with more power.

However, the Fiat 500c's 1.4L MultiAir engine, with 101 horses and 98 lb-ft of torque impresses with its civility and fuel efficiency. Our 5-speed manual car was rated at 6.7 city and 5.1 highway (L/100 km).

Shifting is a bit notchy and the 2012 Fiat 500c clearly prefers delicate and accurate manipulation.

Steering is nice and easy around the parking lot, and remains a bit too easy around the city (for me at least), but tightens up nicely at highway speeds. The Sport button in the 2012 Fiat 500c tightens the steering as well. I kept it on all the time.

The Fiat 500c handles decently, not oversteering or understeering. It doesn't quite feel like it wants to be flung around. But that's OK, it's an easy-driving city car, not a sports car.

The most surprising dynamic aspect in the 2012 Fiat 500c is its comfortable ride, especially for such a short vehicle. It makes around-town zipping a pain-free affair.

The Fiat 500c's 1.4L MultiAir engine, with 101 horses and 98 lb-ft of torque impresses with its civility and fuel efficiency. (Photo: Mike Goetz)

Inside information
The 2012 Fiat 500c interior is funky and fun.

There are no rotary dials for any of the HVAC or stereo controls, so you have to press smallish buttons to make things happen. However, everything worked well and the design was consistent and attractive.

The driver's position suited me well, even though the seat cushion is short-ish and there is no telescopic steering wheel. The roundness of the overall design nets good headroom, and the 2012 Fiat 500c actually feels spacious (up front) for its size.

The rear seating area is tight, of course, but it's definitely useable (as long as you don't play in the NBA).

There are no rotary dials for any of the HVAC or stereo controls. (Photo: Mike Goetz)

Price as tested
Fiat's Cabrio series, known as the 500c, is comprised of two models: Pop, which starts at $19,995; and Lounge, which starts at $22,995.

Standard on all Cabrio models are seven air bags, A/C, power windows and door locks, heated mirrors, cruise, Bluetooth, USB port, and trip computer.

Main elements of the Lounge package are nicer wheels, more body-coloured bits, more chrome, heated mirrors, and leather seats: cosmetic stuff mostly, yes, but bits that actually make a visual difference and add more cuteness.

Our Lounge 2012 Fiat 500c tester was optioned with TomTom nav system ($495), tri-coat paint ($300), compact tire ($200), upgraded rims ($250), and wind deflector ($150), for a grand (pre-tax) total of $24,390 -- a lot of style and kit for the money.

From GMM

A company has filed a $650 million lawsuit against formula one.

Bluewaters Communications Holdings claims it was the high bidder to buy the sport in 2005.

It is claimed CVC, F1's current owner, was the lower but successful bidder because of F1 chief executive Ecclestone's alleged bribes to the now-jailed former banker Gerhard Gribkowsky.

Gribkowsky, CVC and the German bank BayernLB were all named as defendants in the New York suit, the Financial Times, Bloomberg and cityam.com report.

Bluewaters claims it offered in writing to pay 10 per cent more than all other bidders, but gave "no commitment" to keep Ecclestone in the top job.

But when asked on Monday why the bid failed, Bernie Ecclestone said: "No idea. They probably didn't give enough money."

Aleris has announced it has signed a contract with FAW-Volkswagen to provide aluminium for several Audi models to be produced in China.

Audi will begin offering 3.0-liter V-6 diesel engines in the A8, A7 and A6 cars and the Q5 crossover beginning next year. The four TDI diesel-equipped models will make their debuts next week at the Los Angeles Auto Show.

While you're invariably reading this piece on some manner of digital device, Autoweek's roots lie in a physical magazine printed on an offset press. Hell, Competition Press was our original name.

Brad Keselowski won his first NASCAR Sprint Cup title on Sunday -- along with Roger Penske's first cup title as a team owner -- with a 15th place finish in the final race of the year at Homestead-Miami Speedway in Florida.

A deal between President Barack Obama and Congress to avoid the fiscal cliff is critical to the United States economy's health and to Ford Motor, the company's executive chairman said today.

Noise, Vibration & Harshness: The True Cost Of Luxury

Today, the only thing limited about German limited editions is the number of buyers able to pay the freight over the typically highly competent models they supplement.

With new German high- and higher- performance models rolling out in endless procession like gaudy floats in some insanely gay parade that starts on New Year's Day and lasts until New Year's Eve, I promised myself -- after sniffing at BMW's fast and furiously expensive M6 and 640i Gran Coupe in these pages in September -- that I'd go easy on carmakers from Germany that come out with special edition after special edition from their once highly focused performance divisions. Today, the only thing limited about German limited editions is the number of buyers able to pay the freight over the typically highly competent models they supplement.

Photo Gallery: Noise, Vibration & Harshness: The True Cost Of Luxury - Automobile Magazine

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Illinois Tool Works CEO David Speer has died, the company said. He was 61. COO E. Scott Santi, 51, was named the permanent CEO today after being chosen the acting CEO last month, the company said in a statement.

News 19 Nov, 2012

The millionth Fiat 500 has rolled off Fiat's production line in Poland

To say it's been a tough couple of weeks for residents of New Jersey would be an understatement. Many are still without power, while thousands more are coping with devastating damage to their homes and businesses.

New vehicle sales in Indonesia jumped by just under 24% to a new monthly record of 106,807 units in October, compared with 86,345 units a year earlier, according to data released by Indonesian automotive industry association Gaikindo.

Fuji Heavy Industries now sees itself lifting US auto sales to 350,000 units in fiscal 2013, two years sooner than originally planned, president Yasuyuki Yoshinaga said.

Daimler's financial services business aims to grow profitably in 2013 after forecasting a record EUR1.3bn (US$1.65bn) in operating profit for the current year, the company said on Monday.

News 19 Nov, 2012

The new Dacia Sandero supermini is now available from £69 a month