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Ryan Dalziel and Lucas Luhr, two rivals in the American Le Mans Series, won in Grand-Am out on their first race as a pairing, at the Watkins Glen International.

Their great run for Starworks Motorsport at the Continental Tire 200 was doubly rewarding, as teammates Sébastien Bourdais and Alex Popow brought the sister car home in second place, for a first 1-2 finish.

“It was an unbelievable job,” Dalziel said. “We definitely felt in Indy that we could have had a 1-2 and after a couple of seasons of knocking on the door of a double podium, this is excellent. I don't think it was just a podium for both cars. I think it was a pretty dominating performance.”

Championship leaders Scott Pruett and Memo Rojas (No. 01 TELMEX BMW/Riley) hold on to their position in the standings thanks to a third place finish at the Glen.

In GT, Bill Auberlen and Canadian Paul Dalla Lana (No. 94 Turner Motosport BMW M3) got the jump on pole-sitters Boris Said and Eric Curran (No. 31 Whelen Engineering Chevrolet Corvette) who led a race-high 42 laps before giving up the lead.

Defending champions Leh Keen and Andrew Davis (No. 59 Brumos Companies Porsche GT3) recovered from a poor seventh on the grid to a podium at the checkered flag.

Next up for the series is the only Canadian venue on the calendar, the Montreal 200 held at Circuit Gilles Villeneuve.



Race results* - Grand-Am (Watkins Glen)
1 - Dalziel-Luhr (Riley-Ford) - Starworks - 91 laps 2.00'47"712

2 - Popow-Bourdais (Riley-Ford) - Starworks - 0"817

3 - Pruett-Rojas (Riley-BMW) - Ganassi - 1"980
4 - Angelelli-Taylor (Corvette DP) - SunTrust - 4"003
5 - Fogarty-Gurney (Corvette DP) - Stallings - 4"870
6 - Donohue-Borcheller-Taylor (Corvette DP) - ActionExpress - 41"098
7 - Negri-Pew (Riley-Ford) - Shank - 1 lap

8 - Auberlen-Della Lana-Johnson (BMW M3) - Turner - 4 laps

9 - Curran-Said (Corvette) - Marsh - 4 laps

10 - Davis-Keen (Porsche 997) - Brumos - 4 laps
11 - Lally-Potter (Porsche 997) - Magnus - 4 laps

12 - Barbosa-Law (Corvette DP) - ActionExpress - 5 laps

13 - Espenlaub-Putman (Mazda RX8) - Dempsey - 5 laps

14 - Nonnamaker-Nonnamaker (Mazda RX8) - Sahlen - 5 laps
15 - Assentato-Segal (Ferrari458) - AIM - 7 laps

16 - Baughman-Davison (Corvette) Baughman - 8 laps
17 - Sahlen-Nonnamaker (Mazda RX8) - Sahlen - 8 laps

18 - Cameron-Nonnamaker (Mazda RX8) - Sahlen - 10 laps
19 - Foss-Lindsey (Porsche 997) - Horton - 15 laps

20 - Bomarito-Tremblay (Mazda RX8) - Speedsource - 18 laps
21 - Norman-Von Moltke (Audi R8) - APR - 21 laps

22 - Edwards-Liddell (Chevy Camaro) - Stevenson - 25 laps
23 - Kauffman-Aguas (Ferrari 458) - AF Corse - 68 laps

24 - Long-Foster (Mazda RX-8) - Dempsey - 74 laps

25 - Garcia-Westbrook (Corvette DP) - Spirit of Daytona - 90 laps

*Unoffical

Pricey, European posh-sedans take note: Chrysler's now created a worthy low-buck competitor in the market for four-wheeled statements of success.


Dubbed the 300 S, it's a high-value variant of the new 300 that puts great design, high-tech goodies and classy-as-heck luxury well within the reach of value-minded shoppers. It looks, acts and feels the part of a world-class achievement accessory -- but without an appendage-severing price tag.

In a nutshell, this Detroit-developed cruiser has “everything,” looks fantastic, and represents a cost-effective way to show your family and friends that you've made it.

Bang for the Buck
At the very least, the 2012 Chrysler 300 S is a hell of a lot of machinery for the money. At the most, it's a very good reason to question anyone's need to spend double or more on a luxury car. BMW 535i with all the goodies or a Chrysler and a speedboat? Hmmm.

The 300 S builds on the recent do-over of Chrysler's flagship sedan, and it's helping turn it into one of the most desirable mainstream American cars in the affordable world. It's now a bigger threat to competing Cadillac and Lincoln models than it ever was before.

Dubbed the 300 S, it's a high-value variant of the new 300 that puts great design, high-tech goodies and classy-as-heck luxury well within the reach of value-minded shoppers. (Photo: Justin Pritchard)

An Affordable Head-Turner
The fresh look of the 2012 Chrysler 300 S turns heads, attracts attention and sees passersby slowing down for a closer look. The glitzy bits, huge exhausts, massive wheels, thin windows, and chunky proportions generate that stately, handsome presence that debuted -- although more geriatrically -- in the first-gen “new” 300.

But now, it's all more modern, youthful and up-to-date.

Edges are rounded, more sculpted and more athletic. The whole thing is more cohesive and focused. It's all richer and more detailed. It even looks a bit Bentley-ish from some angles, which will make it a hit with pop-artist hopefuls.

Most guessed the tester's price about $12,000 too high thanks partly to designers fitting a level of chrome that rivals the square footage of Rihanna's forehead.

And anyone can drive the 2012 Chrysler 300 S without worry of jokes regarding grandkids, Fixodent and vacationing in Florida thanks to youthful, street-smart touches like LED headlight accents, xenon lighting and a dual-pane sunroof.

The fresh look of the 2012 Chrysler 300 S turns heads, attracts attention and sees passersby slowing down for a closer look. (Photo: Justin Pritchard)

One of America's Best Cabins
Inside, red leather seats are embossed with the “S” logo and contrasting stitching, metallic accents abound, and it's hard not to look at the huge touchscreen and a gorgeous set of chrome-trimmed instruments with ice-blue backlighting. Passengers will run their hands over numerous surfaces within the car and gush unanimously about the seats. Extra points for the abundant at-hand storage.

The whole thing is assembled nicely and feels dense, solid and robust. Thoughtful, functional little design touches that exceed the norm abound, too. Day or night, the look and feel of much of the 300 S cabin defies expectations set by its price.

Inside, red leather seats are embossed with the “S” logo and contrasting stitching. (Photo: Justin Pritchard)

World Class High Tech
Ditto for the list of features. Radar monitoring of blind spots, guided cruise control and rear-bumper parking proximity was included -- as was remote start, ambient lighting, a rear-window sunshade and memory seating. Cupholders are heated and chilled, and both rows of seating are heated, as is the steering wheel. The 2012 Chrysler 300 S even has the same “shift by wire” gear lever as an Audi A8 L.

Full multimedia connectivity puts any music device a touch or two away via the infotainment screen, which itself boasts one of the best interfaces on today's market.

There's even a “Beats by Dr. Dre” stereo -- endorsed and tuned by the millionaire rapper and producer responsible for artists like Eminem and 50 Cent. It packs some punch, stays mostly clean at high volume, and handled playback of my favourite alternative rock tracks just fine. Your friends who use Dr. Dre's Beats headphones will get a kick out of the cross-branding.

The 2012 Chrysler 300 S even has the same “shift by wire” gear lever as an Audi A8 L. (Photo: Justin Pritchard)

Cruising, Accelerating in Style
Some drivers will wish for a slightly softer ride on the 20” wheels, though the 300 S virtually always feels composed, planted, comfortable, and slightly sporty. The overall experience is long-distance worthy without riding like its got shocks made of creamed spinach.

Chrysler's new 3.6L Pentastar engine sent 292 hp to the rear wheels. Chrysler's new do-it-all powerplant is mellow, relaxed and potent, and it packs strong off-the-line torque and a healthy dose of high-rpm thrust thanks to a slick cam-timing system.

The Pentastar howls delightfully when pushed, and feels natural and un-strained in any situation. With 8 forward gears, highway revs are pegged under 2,000 rpm while cruising a little north of the speed limit. Doing so put regular unleaded away a rate of 8.5L/100km on my watch.

Chrysler's new 3.6L Pentastar engine sent 292 hp to the rear wheels. (Photo: Justin Pritchard)

Complaints? Wind and road noise were higher than expected, rear-seat headroom is on the tight side, and the electronic gear shifter can feel a bit klutzy and imprecise at times. Additionally, the front doors open so widely that an uncomfortable reach to close them is sometimes required.

Overall, the refreshing feel of advancement and success styled and engineered into the 300 S will be its strongest asset; followed closely by its price.

The V6-powered, rear-drive tester came in around $43,000 with all the options. That's a bargain for what looks and feels like a million bucks.

GM is recalling about 36,000 Chevrolet Impala police cars to replace part of the suspension that may fracture and cause loss of control of the vehicle.

As Volkswagen strives to become the world's most profitable automotive group, one thing it does not need is a perpetually money-losing subsidiary like its Spanish car division Seat.

As Volkswagen strives to become the world's most profitable automotive group, one thing it does not need is a perpetually money-losing subsidiary like its Spanish car division Seat.

The auto industry says it's concerned that financially pressed young people who connect online instead of in person could hold down peak demand by 2 million units each year. The rate of U.S.

Porsche and Audi factory driver Romain Dumas has every intention to shine on his first Pikes Peak appearance, despite his inexperience of the climb.

The 90th Pikes Peak International Hill Climb is held this coming Sunday. Dumas will be tackling the 150-turn, 4,301-metre high course aboard a Porsche 911 GT3 R, specially prepared for the event.

"I've been dreaming of the Pikes Peak for a while now," the Frenchman admits.

"This first participation of mine will be a learning experience for sure. We're making our debuts here, against guys that are specialists of this kind of event. Pikes Peak is like no other hill climb.

Romain Dumas in free practice action (Photo: RomainDumas.com)

"It's like no other, period."

Still, the 2010 Le Mans-winner is adamant he can do well: "We want first place in the Open category, and the best result possible in the overall standings."

As far as performance goes, Dumas seems no have no reason at all to worry. He dominated all three free practice sessions ahead of the most famous "climb to the clouds".

"On each of the three portions we practised, we were competitive," he says. "On a course like this it's important to find a good balance, and to keep in mind the real thing will be different from practice.

"And you only get one run, so you have to make it count!"

Toyota Racing recaps its first 24 Hours of Le Mans appareance in over a decade in this short documentary featuring footage from the race and interviews with drivers Alex Wurz and Anthony Davidson



The Toyota TS030 will be back in action for the 6 Hours of Silverstone, presented August 26.

It appears 6,000 fans who bought their ticket for the Belgian Grand Prix online will never lay hands on their purchase, RTL.be reports.

According to local newspapers Gazet van Antwerpen and Hat Belang van Limburg, the online company selling the tickets, The Ticket Enterprise, is edging towards bankruptcy, even though it has been doing business with the event for five years, without any incidents to report.

Authorities are unaware of any illegal scams performed by The Ticket Enterprise, but directors of the company are nowhere to be found.

Canada is going all shades of green in 2012, not only with the brand new, all-electric Nissan LEAF, but also with the first official National Tree Day.

In order to get Canadians into the spirit of planting trees and saving the environment, Tree Canada and Nissan Canada are joining ranks to promote “treemotion” amongst Canadians. How? Well, the grand prize winner of the Tree Canada contest in which Canadians are asked to get “treemotional” by posting a picture of their favourite tree coupled with a 50-word story about why it is their favoutire, will drive away with a brand new 2012 Nissan LEAF.

National Tree Day will be held on Wednesday, September 26th and the launch event will take place in Ottawa at the Andrew Hardon Park. Nissan Canada will be in attendance, offering Nissan LEAF test drives and helping out with tree planting and awareness activities.

The all-electric, no-tailpipe, fully green Nissan LEAF grand prize will be awarded (and the winner selected at random) on October 2nd, 2012.

Photo: Nissan

Ricky Taylor (No. 10 SunTrust Corvette DP) turned his best lap in 1min06.039s, making him the fastest man of the Continental Tire 200 qualifying session, held at Watkins Glen International.

Taylor therefore recorded a second pole position this season; a third in four appearances at Watkins Glen. The last time he started first, it was in May, at the New Jersey Motorsports Park. Taylor and co-driver Max Angelelli went on to win that day.

Antonio Garcia (No. 90 Spirit of Daytona Corvette DP) made it an all-Corvette first row by posting the second fastest lap at 1min06.192s. Alex Popow, who co-drives with Frenchman Sébastien Boudrais, placed his No. 2 Soloson Ford/Riley entry in third.

The GT class was also dominated by a Corvette, as Boris Said recorded a 1min12.674s aboard his Whelen Engineering Chevrolet Corvette. He bested John Edwards (No. 57 Chevrolet Camaro GT.R) and Eric Foss (No. 73 Porsche GT3).

“The Whelen car has been fast all year and here it's just really good,” acknowledged Said, who will also race in NASCAR's Sprint Cup event this same weekend. “Plus, I love this place. It feels good to get the pole. I'd sure like to do it in the Cup car tomorrow.”



Qualifying results* - Grand-Am (Watkins Glen)

1. Angelelli-R.Taylor (Corvette DP) - SunTrust - 1'06"039

2. Garcia-Westbrook (Corvette DP) - Spirit of Daytona - 1'06"192

3. Bourdais-Popow (Riley-Ford) - Starworks - 1'06"303
4. Dalziel-Luhr (Riley-Ford) - Starworks - 1'06"447
5. Pruett-Rojas (Riley-BMW) - Ganassi - 1'06"454
6. Donohue-Law (Corvette DP) - ActionExpress - 1'06"486

7. Barbosa-Borcheller-J.Taylor (Corvette DP) - ActionExpress - 1'06"549

8. Fogarty-Gurney (Corvette DP) - Stallings - 1'06"556

9. Negri-Pew (Riley-Ford) - Shank - 1'07"040
10. Curran-Said (Corvette) - Marsh - 1'12"674
11. Edwards-Liddell (Chevy Camaro) - Stevenson - 1'13"353
12. Foss-Lindsey (Porsche 997) - Horton - 1'13"419

13. Assentato-Segal (Ferrari458) - AIM - 1'13"498

14. Bomarito-Tremblay (Mazda RX8) - Speedsource - 1'13"590

15. Cameron-Nonnamaker (Mazda RX8) - Sahlen - 1'13"664
16. Davis-Keen (Porsche 997) - Brumos - 1'14"159

17. Auberlen-Johnson-Dalla Lana (BMW M3) - Turner - 1'14"769
18. Foster-Long (Mazda RX-8) - Dempsey - 1'14"879
19. Lally-Potter (Porsche 997) - Magnus - 1'14"937

20. Nonnamaker-Von Moltke (Mazda RX8) - Sahlen - 1'15"977

21. Nonnamaker-Nonnamaker (Mazda RX8) - Sahlen - 1'16"610

22. Espenlaub-Putman (Mazda RX8) - Dempsey - 1'16"617

23. Nonnamaker-Sahlen (Mazda RX8) - Sahlen - 1'18"693

24. Aguas-Kauffman (Ferrari 458) - AF Corse - 1'18"867
25. Baughmann-Davison (Corvette Z06) - Baughmann - 1'25"874

*Unofficial

History/Description: A Corvette-based luxo-rocket popular with real estate agents, Avon sales reps and modeling agents, the Cadillac XLR hit the market as a 2004 model and enjoyed six years of sales before it was given the pink slip.

2004 Cadillac XLR (Photo: General Motors)

A two-seat, convertible-only machine, the XLR was motivated by one of two Northstar V8 engines -- namely a 4.6L with 320 hp, or a supercharged 4.4L with 443 hp. All models sent output to the rear wheels via an automatic transmission.

Look for a metal, power-folding roof, magnetically variable suspension, heated and chilled seats, premium audio, xenon lights, a head-up display, navigation, radar-guided cruise control, and parking assist. In fact, the XLR was full of high-tech goodies sought after by affluent buyers.

What Owners Like: XLR owners love the gorgeous looks, sumptuous cabin and overall upscale character of their machines. Performance is also highly rated, as is the long list of goodies and extras. Great ride quality rounds out the package on most models.

What Owners Dislike: Many XLR owners wish for more interior storage space, more cargo space, and a higher-quality feel to the cabin. Taller shoppers will likely gravitate towards a model with more headroom.

Common Issues: Earlier versions of the Northstar V8 engine weren't without their issues -- mainly relating to leaks, head gaskets and oil consumption. It seems that the issues were fixed by time the XLR rolled around, though shoppers should attempt to invest in a model sold by a dealership familiar with the vehicle and seek out a unit with full service records available.

A lower mileage engine that's had religious oil changes is your safest bet -- in an XLR or anything else. Budget for a full fluid change and tune-up if you're unaware of the service history of the model you're considering.

2006 Cadillac XLR (Photo: General Motors)

Continue reading 2004-2009 Cadillac XLR Pre-Owned

French rallyman Philippe Bugalski, also called "P'tit Bug", has passed away, aged 49, in an accidental fall at his home, Citroën has announced.

Bugalski, a works driver for the French manufacturer between 1998 and 2003 helped his team to its two first World Rally Championship wins.

In 2012, he was still active on the team as a test driver.

"I'm really sad to hear this tragic news," said former teammate Sébastien Loeb. "We're losing a valued member of our team today. On top of his impeccable work ethic and great talent, I will remember Philippe's big heart.

Philippe Bugalski (1963-2012) - Photo: Citroën-WRC.com

"Bug was always there for friends. He will be missed."

As well as Citroën's first two WRC wins, Bugalski's career highlights include three French national titles, and the Xsara WRC's first points.

As a driver, Bugalski helped shape Citroën involvement in rally. As a mentor, he helped Loeb make a name for himself.

GM's electric-vehicle efforts in China are still in their infancy, with low sales of the Chevrolet Volt plug-in hybrid car, but it intends to be a player in that market as it grows, an executive for the U.S. automaker said on Friday.

2013 Ford Taurus SHO

The 2013 Taurus SHO feels tighter and lighter on its feet.

When the SHO version of the Taurus debuted a couple of years ago, it was a big disappointment, mainly due to its inferior brakes. You cannot put a powerful engine under the hood of a big, heavy sedan and market it as a sport sedan, encouraging prospective owners to take it to track days, if you don't equip the car with adequate brakes. Well, actually, you can do that, because that's exactly what the Ford Motor Company did with the last Taurus SHO. Every enthusiast media outlet, including Automobile Magazine, called them out for it, and rightly so. I recall driving the Taurus about 5 miles on a straight stretch of two-lane, never going more than 70 or 80 mph, and applying moderate to heavy braking three or four times. When I got home after this brief drive, the brake pedal was soggy and the brake pads smelled horribly. I got out of the car in disgust and never had a kind word to say about the SHO thereafter.

Photo Gallery: 2013 Ford Taurus SHO - Editors' Notebook - Specs - Automobile Magazine

Photo Gallery: 2013 Ford Taurus SHO - Editors' Notebook - Specs - Automobile Magazine

2013 Ford Taurus SHO | Digg It | Add to del.icio.us

Also in this episode: GM CEO Dan Akerson works to shore up information leaks and invests in company stock,

Good news for eco-minded aficionados of two-wheeled transport. The Federales have approved a tax credit for purchasers of electric bicycles and motorcycles. The credit, which amounts to 10 percent of the vehicle's purchase price, maxes out at $2,500.

Chrysler Group, responding to complaints about the handling of one of its most popular SUVs, released a technical service bulletin telling dealers and drivers how to deal with steering wobbling in older Jeep Wranglers.

Mitsubishi will recall 261 of the company's

Suzuki says it is bringing the S-Cross, a small crossover concept, to the Paris motor show in late September.