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From GMM

Despite the current Concorde Agreement uncertainty, all 12 competing F1 teams will almost certainly line up on the 2013 grid.

Originally, the FIA imposed a June 30 deadline for teams to apply to contest next year's world championship.

But that date came and went, shortly after the World Motor Sport Council approved an extension of the deadline to the end of September.

However, it has emerged that all of the teams met the original June 30 entry deadline anyway -- even though some teams, most notably Mercedes, have yet to agree a new 'Concorde' with Bernie Ecclestone.

The FIA also has not signed on with the sport's 81-year-old chief executive, despite Jean Todt saying in mid June that he wanted a new deal to be finalised "in the coming weeks".

"I believe all teams entered (for 2013)," McLaren and FOTA chief Martin Whitmarsh said, "but the FIA has redefined the entry time at the moment, so I presume all of the teams will re-enter within the new time frame. The FIA has asked us to resubmit our entries at a later date."

Start of the 2012 Canadian Grand Prix, in Montreal. (Photo: WRi2)

As the car industry evolves, so too does the technology housed in every vehicle. From Bluetooth to keyless entry, what used to be “ahead of the game” and novel is just standard fare nowadays. And as cars get ever more technical, manufacturers are having to ('scuse the pun) reinvent the wheel.

Well, Subaru has accepted the challenge and released a brand new safety system they call EyeSight. Like Volvo's City Safety, the driver assistant program is designed to help the person behind the wheel be better, not take over completely. I was given the opportunity to discover the new system, one that's been tested on our Canadian roads since 2009 and available on Japanese Subaru since 2010. Generally I'm not a fan of “nanny” systems, but I was rather impressed with EyeSight.

First off, EyeSight sets itself apart from the pack by using cameras instead of lasers and infrared. Unlike most vehicles with front-crashing warning systems housed in the bumper or front grille of the car, EyeSight relies on two cameras mounted inside the car, just above the rearview mirror behind the windshield (which means only specially designed Subaru windshields can be installed on vehicles with EyeSight should a replacement be needed).

Photo: Miranda Lightstone

These cameras “see” what's before them and can actually recognize objects: cars, trucks, buses and pedestrians. They piece together data to form a picture and determine what's close to your vehicle and what's not.

While not unlike laser/infrared systems, EyeSight has one major advantage: it sees and identifies objects and knows how to react accordingly. But, how does this help the driver?

While EyeSight is not designed to prevent accidents, it is there to reduce the risk and even to lessen the damage caused by an accident to both the vehicle and the occupants. It does so through a series of pre-collision braking, pre-collision throttle reduction and a warning system for collisions, lane-departure and sway (read: tired driving) to alert the driver.

Again, EyeSight is not revolutionary, but the system is well-executed.

Unless you choose to turn the system off (which you can do), it will always be on and applicable as soon as you hit 32 km/h. Once the system has been activated (pre-collision braking applied, for example), it will take the system 7 seconds to reset and work again. The system also “learns” how you drive. So, if you're a line-hugger, it will (eventually) stop beeping all the time because you're near a line.

I was given the chance to see just how well EyeSight works in a possible rear-end collision situation. Bringing the brand new 2013 Subaru Outback 3.6R Limited up to 30 km/h, then taking my foot off the throttle and moving my left foot well away from the brake, I careened towards a barrier set up for the test. Keeping my foot off the brake was near impossible and it took me two tries to let the system work as I kept slamming on the brakes myself (I am not one to trust technology...).

Once I finally gave in and let EyeSight do its job, the performance was stellar. The car came to a complete stop a few feet from the barricade and held the car in that position. If I had been in a real near-collision situation, and dazed and confused (more so than usual) tried to exit the vehicle after a near crash, as soon as EyeSight detected the seat belt off and the door opened, the electronic parking brake would be applied so the car won't move forward once the driver has left.

Photo: Miranda Lightstone

Another nifty feature of EyeSight -- one I think drivers will benefit most from -- is the throttle reduction when an obstacle is detected.

We've all done it: You're a stop sign with a car ahead of you. He's preparing to leave, so you start checking your blind spots. Head turned to the left you assume the car in front has left. But he hasn't. He's still sitting there, but you're already pressing the throttle, ready to leave. Hello new bumper.

Well, EyeSight can save you the garage bills and whiplash. If it detects something in front of your car, it will greatly reduce the throttle output. So, even if you stomp the gas pedal, the car will only creep forward and the system will beep to let you know there's something in front of you. Quite clever if you ask me.

EyeSight also allows you to engage an adaptive cruise control. Like a laser-guided system, EyeSight will attach itself to the car ahead and keep you locked on. And you can, of course, adjust the distance between you and the car ahead. The system will reduce your speed and/or apply the brakes to keep you at that distance. In stop-and-go traffic, EyeSight will keep you rolling and stopping without you having to do much except for steer. However, if traffic stops longer than 3 seconds, the system will not move you forward until you touch the throttle or press “resume” on the cruise control buttons.

Photo: Subaru

Speaking of leaving a stop, another benefit of the EyeSight system I think driver will use often (and your fellow motorists will appreciate you having) is the “time to go” alert. When the system detects the car ahead has moved more than 3 feet away (and you haven't yet pressed the throttle), it will beep at you to get you moving. No more holding up cars at a green light as you fiddle with your iPhone.

Of course, the system is not without its limitations. From poor visibility (bad weather, dirty windshield), to unknown objects, EyeSight is not perfect. And that's why Subaru has branded it as a driver assistant. It is not there to do the driving for you, this is important to remember.

In all, Subaru's EyeSight system is not a game-changer. It's not something we've never seen before, nor is it something we won't see again. However, it's designed in such a way that it is unique.

At the moment, Subaru will offer EyeSight on two models; the 2013 Subaru Legacy and Outback 3.6R Limited models, which means that despite the system only being a $1,500 add-on, you still have to dish out the initial cost for a top-of-the-line Subaru. Eventually, the technology will trickle down to every model in the lineup.

Here's a short video produced by the IZOD IndyCar series that explains how the infamous "Push-to-pass" system works on the DW12 Dallara Indy car.

Professor B, who is former Indy Lights and IndyCar driver Jon Beekhuis explains how the system works on the V-6 turbocharged enginem and how it can facilitate the passing manoeuvres.

Private equity firm Carlyle Group has emerged as the front runner to buy DuPont's car paint business after rival bidder Apollo Global Management declined to increase its offer, according to three people familiar with the matter.

Automakers and suppliers believe vehicle-to-vehicle communications systems someday will radically reduce the frequency of accidents.

The auto industry may dream of one day having all automobiles connected to one another, but it won't get there if consumers have to pay the bill each month, industry officials argued here today.

Mazda has a goal that will at some point become impossible to achieve: Eliminate at least 220 pounds of weight every time it redesigns one of its models.

Dyer Consequences: I Am Legend

Driving Legend cars is as easy as arm-wrestling an octopus. While skydiving.

The Food Lion AutoFair is a scene. Describing it almost makes me sound like Bill Hader's Stefon character from Saturday Night Live. You've got deep-fried cupcakes, the world's largest television, reality-show repo men, catfish racing, and that thing where monkeys dressed as cowboys ride around on dogs. (No, really. They're called Team Ghost Riders.) From what I understand, there are even some attractions that involve cars. Which is why 100,000 people show up over the course of the four-day event. Come for the car show, stay to wager on catfish.

Photo Gallery: Dyer Consequences: I Am Legend - Automobile Magazine

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Also in this episode: Jeff Gordon claims victory at the Pennsylvania 400, and

Manual dexterity is nice. But team thinking is better, according to the new hiring philosophy at General Motors as it recruits workers for new factory jobs.

Domestic sales of cars in Mexico may rise to over 1 million units this year as the economy proves resilient and consumer confidence picks up, the nation's car dealership association said.

Some manufacturing executives fear that many North American Tier 2 suppliers will be unable to keep up with the anticipated growth to 15 million U.S. sales a year, up from about 14 million now.

First Drive: 2013 Chevrolet Camaro SS 1LE

The concept car finally becomes a driver's car.

The best and worst thing about the fifth-generation Camaro is that it genuinely is a concept car. "That's been our driving theme for both the coupe and convertible: execute it to look exactly like the concept car," Camaro chief engineer Al Oppenheiser told us back in 2010. Three years of strong, growing sales have validated this approach. The only problem is that the Camaro also drives a lot like a concept car. Beyond the bad sight lines and bottleneck trunk opening, we've consistently complained about the softball-sized shifter, the hard-to-read gauges, and the enormous deep-dish steering wheel -- all details that looked cool on the floor of Detroit's Cobo Hall but don't translate to the street. When we took a 2010 Camaro SS to the track, its high curb weight, tall gearing, and tendency to understeer at the limit furthered our impression that the car, though certainly fast and capable, was meant more for cruising and looking good than satisfying the most demanding drivers.

Photo Gallery: First Drive: 2013 Chevrolet Camaro SS 1LE - Automobile Magazine

Photo Gallery: First Drive: 2013 Chevrolet Camaro SS 1LE - Automobile Magazine

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New versions of Chrysler Group's Uconnect infotainment system this fall will, for the first time, connect to a cellular network in the United States without an onboard smartphone.

Postmodern Porsche: 911 Singer

American resto-modding meets Porsche purism.

In a junkyards-and-smokestacks part of L.A., forty-six-year-old Rob Dickinson, leader of the 1990s rock band Catherine Wheel, lies belly-down in a cluttered workshop under a 1991 Porsche 911 that costs more than twice as much as a brand-new 911 Turbo.

Photo Gallery: Postmodern Porsche: 911 Singer - Automobile Magazine

Photo Gallery: Postmodern Porsche: 911 Singer - Automobile Magazine

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Terry Karges will take over as executive director of the Petersen Automotive Museum in Los Angeles on Aug. 15, replacing Buddy Pepp, who is retiring after more than two years on the job.

Pictures 7 Aug, 2012

Spyker is suing General Motors for US$3bn, claiming the US automaker used "unlawful actions" to avoid competition with Saab in China and tried deliberately to drive it into bankruptcy.

2012 Hyundai Equus Ultimate

It's difficult for us to wrap our head around the Hyundai Equus. We certainly appreciate the enormous cabin and plethora of technology and convenience features.

It's difficult for me to wrap my head around the Hyundai Equus. I certainly appreciate the enormous cabin and plethora of technology and convenience features. Unfortunately the cabin is trimmed in materials that are just nice. Yes, the Equus undercuts the price of the competition by tens of thousands of dollars, but cars this big are supposed to have over-the-top materials quality. It makes sense to offer a fairly basic mid-size sedan or crossover. I don't fully understand the appeal of a car this big that has all the luxury features of the competition with a downmarket interior.

Photo Gallery: 2012 Hyundai Equus Ultimate - Editors' Notebook - Automobile Magazine

Photo Gallery: 2012 Hyundai Equus Ultimate - Editors' Notebook - Automobile Magazine

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News 10 Aug, 2012

New Citroen DS3 Cabriolet will arrive in showrooms next year, and our image shows how it could look