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Pictures 3 Sep, 2012

News 3 Sep, 2012

New additions to BMW 1 Series and BMW 3 Series model ranges

Pictures 3 Sep, 2012

National Electric Vehicle Sweden (NEVS) says it has inked a deal to acquire Saab Automobile, plus its powertrain and tools divisions, but will not use the defunct car brand's contentious Griffin symbol.

New-car registrations in France extended their decline in August, falling 11.4 percent year-on-year to a tenth straight monthly drop, as consumers cut back on big-ticket purchases amid slumping growth and rising unemployment.

News 3 Sep, 2012

Jaguar XFR gets optional Speed Pack which raises top speed to 174mph

Pictures 3 Sep, 2012

Europe's volume carmakers are returning from summer breaks ready to get back to business and prepared to shut plants and lay off staff in what many see as an overdue push to cut costs as their U.S. counterparts did three years ago.

The timing of Alfa Romeo's return to the United States is up in the air again. On Oct. 30, Fiat-Chrysler CEO Sergio Marchionne is scheduled to unveil a new timetable for Alfa Romeo's upcoming models and international expansion plans.

Nissan's Infiniti luxury brand has had a lot going for it in the past 23 years. But there is also something it never had: a senior executive who could give Infiniti undivided attention.

Alan Batey isn't getting comfy in his role as General Motors' interim chief marketing officer. "Longer term, I don't think you're going to see me as the CMO," Batey told Automotive News. He is also GM's vice president of U.S. sales and service

The Chrysler brand will end production of its minivan, the Town and Country, in two years and replace it with a smaller crossover. The switch is part of CEO Sergio Marchionne's plan to differentiate the Chrysler brand and nudge it upscale.

Nissan Motor Co.'s Infiniti luxury brand has had a lot going for it in the past 23 years. But there is also something it never had: a senior executive who could give Infiniti undivided attention.

After the collapse of credit in the recession, lenders have returned strongly to financing auto sales. Car dealers are finding lenders eager to finance their deals, including subprime loans.

At April's Beijing auto show, the exuberance was palpable. Global automakers said China was on fire. China's golden luster has faded. Factories are running well below capacity, and vehicle prices, even for premium brands, are dropping.

The timing of Alfa Romeo's return to the United States is up in the air again. On Oct. 30, Fiat-Chrysler CEO Sergio Marchionne is scheduled to unveil a new timetable for Alfa Romeo's upcoming models and international expansion plans.

Ford's play to be a first mover and prove itself a technology innovator with MyFord Touch has been a lesson for an industry that often battles to be first at everything.

Over the next three years, Chrysler Group will redesign most of its hottest-selling vehicles on Fiat-derived platforms and install new and more efficient automatic transmissions in a majority of its vehicles.

From GMM

Romain Grosjean will sit out this weekend's Italian grand prix at Monza, after Lotus decided not to appeal the Frenchman's one-race ban for causing the first corner crash at Spa.

F1 returnee Grosjean's actions, which also ended title contenders Lewis Hamilton and Fernando Alonso's races and so nearly caused serious injury to the latter, was described by the stewards as an "extremely serious breach of the regulations".

He was also fined a whopping EUR 50,000.

"I judged the gap to Hamilton poorly. A small error but with big consequences," Grosjean is quoted by Brazil's O Estado de S.Paulo newspaper. "I apologise and I'm glad that no one was hurt."

Big crash at the start of the Belgium Grand Prix. (Photo: WRi2)

Grosjean, while impressive in 2012, has been involved in several early-race incidents this year.

"It's time to put a stop to it," he admitted. "Some, like today, have been my fault, others not. I hope to not make any more mistakes in the remaining races."

Journalist Livio Oricchio said that because Ferrari driver Alonso's 40-point lead was slashed to 24 because of the crash, the headline from Spa might be "Grosjean re-opens the championship".

"Romain has great talent and is very fast. When he develops, he will be a great driver," his boss Eric Boullier said after the crash and ban.

In an official team statement, he said Grosjean's replacement for Monza will be announced this week.

As far as Ferrari's Stefano Domenicali is concerned, Grosjean's ban is a chance for the FIA to think about the bigger picture.

"What is certain is that, it would be better if, starting with the junior formulae, rules relating to on-track behaviour were enforced in an inflexible manner, so as to have drivers as well prepared as possible when they reach this, the highest level of motor sport," he said.

Alonso, who briefly visited the medical centre after Grosjean's car sliced across his cockpit opening, watched the race with his mechanics whilst nursing a sore left shoulder.

"Everything is alright, the pain only comes from the whiplash," said the Spaniard. "I am not angry with Grosjean, he definitely didn't do it on purpose," added Alonso.

Also feeling the FIA's wrath on Sunday was another repeat-offender Pastor Maldonado, who will take a double 10-place grid penalty at Monza for badly jumping the start and then crashing with Timo Glock.

The most anger in the paddock was, however, about Grosjean.

McLaren reserve driver Gary Paffett described the Frenchman's behaviour as "stupid", and after climbing out of his wreck, Hamilton gestured towards his helmet before confronting Grosjean, demonstrating the foolishness of the move.

Triple world champion and German commentator Niki Lauda said the stewards got the ban - the first in F1 since Michael Schumacher in 1994 - "absolutely right".

"That could have broken Alonso's neck. It could have killed him. He (Grosjean) is talented, but sometimes incredibly stupid. I count this as the seventh time he has done something like that this year. Madness."

Lotus did not attempt to fight the FIA's decision, but boss Boullier noted that Williams' Maldonado has also had "many accidents" in 2012.

"So in one way this penalty for Romain seems pretty hard," said the Frenchman.

From GMM

Felipe Massa has begun a race-by-race quest for a new Ferrari contract.

After F1's five-week summer break, he went into the Belgian grand prix acknowledging that the remaining races of 2012 are crucial "regarding my future".

The Brazilian then qualified a poor 14th compared to his teammate Fernando Alonso's sixth.

But that was before Spaniard Alonso crashed at the first corner of the race, while Massa had a solid run to fifth -- his second-best result of the entire season.

"I don't know if this race changes anything regarding my future, but I am very satisfied," said the 31-year-old on Sunday.

Team boss Stefano Domenicali was also happy with Massa's "great race" at Spa.

"We are happy for him, because a good result is just what was required at this point of the season," he said.

Felipe Massa and Stefano Domenicali. (Photo: WRi2)