Auto News 5

UK car production fell 8.9% in August, but remains up 12.7% over the year-to-date, according to data released by SMMT.

Mahindra & Mahindra plans to export its first mini-SUV, the Quanto, to Europe and South Africa.

Audi has asked a Chinese dealer to remove a banner advocating the murder of Japanese people after a photograph of the sign went viral on the Internet amid escalating tensions between the two countries.

China's Shanghai Automotive Industry Corporation (SAIC) has appointed former Nissan designer Martin Uhlarik as head of its European design center. SAIC is investing $2.42 million to double the size of the studio in Longbridge, central England.

Pictures 26 Sep, 2012

News 26 Sep, 2012

Audi has unveiled the practical new A3 Sportback on the eve of the Paris Motor Show

PSA is in exclusive talks to sell 75 percent of its Gefco trucking unit to OAO Russian Railways for about 800 million euros ($1.04 billion), the carmaker said on Thursday.

Mercedes-Benz has revealed a new plug-in electric version of the second-generation B class ahead of its public unveiling alongside other battery-powered models at the Paris motor show later this month.

Germany's premium brands are defying Europe's economic crisis and increasing their vehicle sales in the region to such an extent that they are catching -- or passing -- sales of struggling volume brands.

Adapted from GMM

A lot of things are said in the paddock of the Marina Bay street circuit of Singapore, home of this weekend's Formula 1 Grand Prix. And several rumours concern the driver changes.

Jaime Alguersuari
Thursday, Jaime Alguersuari hinted he is set to return to F1 in 2013. He told his over 100,000 Twitter followers on Thursday: "Soon you'll all know where I will be driving next year. Thank you all again."
It is rumoured Alguersuari has found sponsorship that could take him to Sauber.

Jaime Alguersuari, Pirelli test driver in 2012. (Photo: Pirelli)

Max Chilton
The new Marussia Reserve Driver is surely now the favourite to replace Charles Pic, should the well-funded Frenchman move as is strongly rumoured to Caterham next year.
Max Chilton is also well funded, with his father Grahame being the vice-chairman of the Aon insurance group and a big motor racing fan.

Sergio Pérez
The Mexican driver is said to be going to McLaren, should Lewis Hamilton leaves the British team at the end of the season.

Kimi Raikkonen
The Finn is another fancied contender for Hamilton's seat - should the Briton jump ship to Mercedes.
"You never know," Raikkonen smiled. "There are a lot of other nice things to do than F1. Right now we have options and we'll see what happens."

Nico Hulkenberg
Some think Force India's Nico Hulkenberg is the favourite to replace Felipe Massa at Ferrari.
"There is a good chance I will be with Force India next year," said Hulkenberg, "but nothing has been announced yet."

Nico Hulkenberg, still with Sahara Force India in 2013? (Photo: WRi2)

Michael Schumacher
Whether Michael Schumacher stays at Mercedes AMG or goes somewhere else is regarded as a key to the entire 2013 driver market.

So what if there is no room for the seven time world champion at Mercedes AMG?
"I would take him immediately," Peter Sauber, whose Mercedes-backed sports car team provided the springboard for Schumacher's F1 career more than two decades ago, smiled to Germany's Auto Motor und Sport.

Audi has decided to contest the remaining races of the World Endurance Championship with two Audi R18 e-tron quattro hybrids, starting with the Six Hours of Bahrain.

The duo made of Tom Kristensen/Alan McNish will leave its R18 Ultra Diesel for a R18 e-tron. Their teammates and championship rivals Andre Lotterer, Benoit Treluyer and Marcel Fassler have driven a R18 e-tron since the beinning of the season.

Lotterer, Treluyer and Fassler are currently leading the provisional standings with a 7.5-point advantage over Kristensen and McNish, with three races remaining in the WEC.

The Six Hours of Bahrain will be held Sunday September 29.

Audi already entered a pair of R18 e-tron quattros at Spa and at Le Mans. (Photo: Audi Motorsport)

From GMM

The specific design of Red Bull's RB8 could be the reason behind its Magneti Marelli/Renault alternator failures, according to a report.

With team owner Dietrich Mateschitz calling on engine supplier Renault to dump its alternator partner Magneti Marelli, the Kolner Express tabloid said Adrian Newey's chassis design could be the real problem.

Although Renault also supplies engines to Lotus, Williams and Caterham, the lion's share of the alternator problems have been suffered by Red Bull.

Photo: WRi2

'Express' said the problem could be the narrow construction at the back of the RB8.

A source is quoted as saying: "In other Renault cars, the alternator works perfectly. For the problems encountered by Red Bull, something is failing due to an external influence, which leads to overheating."

Red Bull's Dr Helmut Marko said: "Unfortunately we don't know the exact reasons for the defects. But we are unable to influence it from the chassis side."

From Marussia

The Marussia F1 Team Thursday announced that Max Chilton has been elevated from the team's Young Driver Programme to the position of Formula 1 Reserve Driver with effect from the Grand Prix of Japan next month for the balance of the current F1 season.

The 21-year-old Briton from Surrey is having a third season in the GP2 Series this year, competing for the Marussia Carlin GP2 Team.

Max Chilton at Silverstone, during the Rookie days. (Photo: Marussia F1 Team)

As the Reserve Driver, Chilton will attend all of the remaining Grands Prix of the 2012 season, taking part in the engineering commitments and preparing to deputise for either race driver in the event that they are unable to race.

“In the role of our Reserve Driver for the rest of the 2012 season, Max will be exposed to the demands of competing in Formula 1 to the extent that he will be fully prepared to step into the MR01 should it be required,” said John Booth, Team Principal in a press release.

“Max has already driven the car at our Young Driver Test, so this is an opportunity for him to build on his experience of working with the engineers as well as the other demands placed on our drivers, including marketing activity. We look forward to having him on board as part of the Marussia F1 Team,” he added.

Spanish Formula 1 driver Fernando Alonso, already a two-time World Champion, said during a promotional event for Shell in Singapore that McLaren driver Lewis Hamilton is probably is main rival in the title chase.

Ferrari's Alonso is currently first in the point standings with 179 points with Hamilton in second place with 142.

“There are many teams that are strong and are still contenders, with maybe five or six drivers that can fight for the title,” Alonso said in an interview posted on the Ferrari web site.

“Lewis (Hamilton) is second at the moment and since February, we have said that he is the one that probably I respect the most, because we know what he can do in good cars or bad cars,” he added.

Lewis Hamilton (McLaren) chasing Fernando Alonso (Ferrari) at Montreal. (Photo: WRi2)

“McLaren has won the last three races and so they are the favourites here as well. Hopefully we can stop their dominance: we have brought some new parts for the car and are optimistic that we can do well here and at the next two or three Grands Prix. We need to see how we perform on Friday, but our aim is to fight for pole and the win in this race. We were competitive in Monaco and Canada, which are similar circuits and so we are optimistic. We know how important is pole position here,” Alonso indicated.

Robert Kubica, a close friend of Alonso, recently made a winning return to competition, driving a Subaru Impreza WRC in an Italian rally. Could the Pole be back in F1 one day?

“I have known Robert since he was 12 years old and he is a nice guy and a very talented driver,” said Alonso.

“It was good that he has been able to drive in a rally, but if he wants to be back in Formula 1, he can't just leave hospital and start. You need practice and you need to “wake-up” your driving skills and start a training routine physically and also mentally, as you need to become again a professional driver in your head. Driving in that rally was part of this process,” the Ferrari driver explained.

The decision to go ahead with an additional production facility will assist Porsche's main factory in Stuttgart (home of the new 911 and Boxster) in meeting the rising global demand for its products.

"Due to the way things are in Stuttgart there is no easy way to expand our main factory. Over the next few years, we will be fully utilizing our own production capacity predominantly with the 911 model. We therefore looked for a partner for producing the Boxster,'' explained Porsche President and CEO Matthias Müller.

''The decisive factor in our choice was the great expertise of the workforce at Volkswagen Osnabrück. Our sports cars are in very good hands there. After all, we all have the same concept of quality. Osnabrück will become a part of our success story."

Incidentally, the first vehicle to roll off the line was a Guards red Boxster S with black soft top.

Photo: Porsche

The stunning new 2013 Aston Martin DB9 will appear for the first time at the 2012 Paris Auto Show, which opens next week.

Combining the best elements of the outgoing Virage with a more powerful engine, the DB9 boasts a number of new features and key styling upgrades, including a redesigned front grille inspired from the One-77 supercar and a more pronounced rear spoiler to further enhance its aerodynamic performance.

The new Aston Martin DB9 houses a 6.0L V12 engine that produces 510 horsepower and 457 lb-ft of torque through a 6-speed automatic transmission with paddle shifters. It sprints from 0-100 km/h in 4.6 seconds and reaches a top speed of 295 km/h.

Priced at US$185,400, the 2013 Aston Martin DB9 will begin deliveries this November.

Photo: Aston Martin

From GMM

McLaren is confident it can get through this weekend in Singapore without a reliability problem.

While Lewis Hamilton won at Monza recently, Jenson Button would probably have finished second if not for a fuel system problem.

With the former world champion's title hopes seriously dented, the British team returned from Italy unsure what caused the failure.

"It was a problem that we haven't had before and it wasn't an easy one for us to identify," technical director Paddy Lowe said in the regular Vodafone teleconference on Wednesday.

"We have fortunately managed to identify the root cause and it was a problem with the fuel pump. It's something we have now completely covered for the remaining races."

Photo: McLaren

I drive a lot of cars and trucks each year and, truthfully, very few of them deliver the promised fuel economy despite my eco-driving efforts. It's true, NRCan's fuel consumption test procedures are outdated and should become stricter in a few years.

However, the Germans seem to be closest to those optimistic Canadian fuel economy ratings. And the new-for-2012 BMW 3 Series Sedan is a perfect example: Powerful and fuel efficient, the 328i should be the inspiration for many manufacturers who market their vehicles as being “eco-friendly.”

The previous-generation 3 Series had few shortcomings, and the new model addresses pretty much all of them. This may well be the best compact luxury sedan on the market -- still.


Muscle and green-ness join hands
The 2012 BMW 328i Sedan gets a new (at least for the US and Canada) turbocharged 2.0L 4-cylinder engine that develops 241 hp as well as 258 lb-ft of torque that peaks from 1,250 rpm all the way to 4,800. In short, plenty of muscle pretty much all the time.

Equipped with the new 8-speed automatic, the 328i blasts to 100 km/h in just over 6 seconds. Only a few years ago, you needed to get the top-shelf 335i for that level of performance.

And with so much torque, you don't need to rev the hell out of the 4-banger for highway merging and passing. As a result, lower engine revolution means lower fuel consumption, and together with a standard start/stop system and an ECO PRO driving mode, we managed an excellent average of 6.8L/100km during the test week with the 2012 BMW 328i. Those are subcompact-hatchback consumption numbers, boys and girls.

I do have two concerns, though: First, when the start/stop system fires the engine back up, the whole car shakes making the process feel somewhat rough and unrefined. And second, I question the number of BMW fans who aren't pleased with the fact that the silky-smooth 6-cylinder was replaced with a turbo four in base trims of the 2012 BMW 328i, even if the new motor is more powerful and 22% more fuel efficient.

Handling wise, the 2012 3 Series Sedan has matured a bit, and you feel that the suspension has been slightly softened. On the other hand, the 328i remains a great back-road brawler, with sharp steering turn-in, superb reflexes, and a suspension setup that rewards the driver every time he or she is in the mood for spirited driving.

La BMW 328i 2012 est équipée d'un 4-cylindres turbo développant 241 chevaux et un couple de 258 lb-pi. (Photo: Michel Deslauriers)

Not sure about the colour
Our test 2012 BMW 328i arrived in our parking lot flaunting its $800 Havanna Metallic paint colour -- or if you prefer, light brown. Inside, we were treated to a beige coloured cockpit; nice and elegant, but not exactly to my personal taste.

Buyers of the new 328i and 335i must opt for one of three trim levels: Luxury, Modern and Sport. Our car was decked out in the Modern trim line, and was perhaps the most plain among the three. And that “Modern” badge on the front fender looks cheesy; I'd take it off.

We feel the Sport trim is more fitting for a BMW, but that's just us. At least now you have more choice. One thing's for sure: Fit and finish in the 2012 BMW 328i are a step up from the previous-gen 3 Series.

Oh, there's more rear-seat legroom as well which was one of the old car's shortcomings. There's also a bigger trunk, now rated at 480 litres.

À l'intérieur, on a eu droit à un habitacle de couleur beige : joli et élégant, ce n'est toutefois pas dans ma palette. (Photo: Michel Deslauriers)

Priced to go
The 2012 BMW 328i starts at $43,600 and comes well equipped with a power sunroof, an intelligent key, heated and power-adjustable front seats with driver-side memory, xenon headlights, leather upholstery, dual-zone climate control, iDrive, and a nine-speaker stereo with Bluetooth connectivity and a USB port.

Our test car included a bunch of option packages that added navigation, a rear view camera, a Harman/Kardon stereo, BMW Apps and Park Distance Control, totalling $51,100.

A base 320i starts at $35,900, while the well equipped and more powerful 328i costs $43,600. (Photo: Michel Deslauriers)

Competitors are numerous: Audi A4, Cadillac ATS, Lexus IS, Mercedes-Benz C-Class, Infiniti G37, and Volvo S60 to name a few.

Better than ever, the new 2012 3 Series remains one of our favourite luxury sport sedans, and raises the bar with more powerful engines that are also more fuel-efficient. Performance and low fuel consumption: that's what we call the best of both worlds.

For its first-ever international auto show appearance, McLaren Automotive will preview its next-generation supercar in Paris.

Largely inspired from the company's racing division, the McLaren P1 is actually a design study. A production version will be introduced next year and put on sale within 12 months.

''The McLaren P1 will be the result of 50 years of racing and road car heritage,'' says McLaren Automotive Executive Chairman Ron Dennis. ''Twenty years ago we raised the supercar performance bar with the McLaren F1 and our goal with the McLaren P1 is to redefine it once again.''

In terms of price and performance, the McLaren P1 will trump the 12C and 12C Spider, whose 625-horsepower engine achieves 0-100km/h sprints in 3.1 seconds and a top speed of 328 km/h.

Photo: McLaren

Price is always the No. 1 consideration when it comes to buying anything. If money wasn't an issue, we'd all be driving Audis, wearing Armani and eating Kobe beef and caviar. Such is not the case.

As the winter season rapidly approaches, the questions are starting to roll in: “What winter tire should I buy?”

In order to partially counter the onslaught of queries, I've devised the following: A “best bang for the buck” line-up of winter tire suggestions.

It's very simple actually: If you want to spend as little as possible, a moderate amount or if price is no object, I've come up with the best picks for each price range. Actually, I consulted with my friends at Talon Tire, who are very well versed on the subject of winter tires.

As compact cars are very popular in Canada, I've selected the following P205/55R16 size as the yardstick. Keep in mind that these winter tire picks can be applied to most cars, minivans and crossover vehicles.

Here are the top 2012 winter tire picks (note: price is per tire):

Best cheap tire: $100-$150

Champiro IcePro or Goodyear Ultra Grip Winter

Both of these winter tires provide good to exceptional snow and slush traction. Both tires are studdable for added ice traction.

Champiro IcePro and Goodyear Ultra Grip Winter (Photo: Champiro and Goodyear)

Best moderately priced tire: $150-$200

Toyo Observe Garit KX or Continental Extreme Wintercontact

These winter tires offer heightened performance and overall snow and ice traction. They feature state-of-the-art compound technology.

Toyo Observe Garit KX and Continental Extreme Wintercontact (Photo: Toyo and Goodwrench)

Best tire: $200 +

Bridgestone Blizzak WS70 or Nokian Hakkapeliitta R

This pair of winter tires is at the top of the winter-tire game. Their tread patterns are optimized for maximum snow, slush and water channeling, providing the best possible grip in all conditions.

Bridgestone Blizzak WS70 and Nokian Hakkapeliitta R (Photo: Bridgestone and Nokian)