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From GMM

Ferrari has allowed a contract 'option' on Felipe Massa's services for the 2013 season to expire, according to Italy's Autosprint magazine.

Amid the Brazilian's early struggles in 2012, it appeared a certainty that the Italian team was on the market for a new teammate for Fernando Alonso.

But Massa sped up as the F2012 also improved, even though it emerges that in the past days Ferrari let a one-sided contract option - that would have seen Massa definitely stay next season - expire.

It means that if the 31-year-old races a Ferrari for an eighth consecutive season in 2013, he will have agreed a brand new contract.

New Ferrari contract or new team in 2013 for Felipe Massa ? (Photo: Ferrari)

Felipe Massa told reporters in Hungary on Thursday that if he cannot stay at Ferrari, he could leave formula one altogether.

"I want to stay in formula one, but it has to be in a situation where I am in formula one to race, not just to participate," he said. "If for whatever reason I don't have the chance to stay in Ferrari, then I will try and find a direction where I can race. But, otherwise, small teams? I'm not interested."

From GMM

The FIA has denied there is an anti-Red Bull "conspiracy" at play in 2012.

In the few days between Hockenheim and Hungary, Dr Helmut Marko's grumbling about the 'engine mapping' saga and Sebastian Vettel's overtaking penalty has reignited speculation of a Red Bull vs FIA war.

On the one side - goes the theory - is Red Bull and Bernie Ecclestone, with the Jean Todt-led governing body on the other side pressing its rule-making power and wanting a bigger slice of Ecclestone's money pie.

The evidence for the conspiracy is that Red Bull has apparently been targeted by the FIA, from the floor hole saga earlier in 2012, to the banned wheel hubs and now the Vettel penalty and engine maps.

Photo:WRi2

According to an FIA source, however, if the Todt-led federation had really wanted to attack Red Bull, it could have sat back and allowed other teams to protest the illegal parts.

Instead, Red Bull has been allowed to race the specifications and then afterwards were asked to make modifications.

"If, as we are accused, we have something against Red Bull, we would wait until after the race and allow them (the other teams) to go (and protest) afterwards," the source is quoted by Germany's Auto Motor und Sport.

And the latest example has come to light only now, as it emerges the FIA asked Red Bull to modify a hand-controlled damper adjustment that may have allowed the team to make modifications between qualifying and the race.

When asked about the alleged 'conspiracy', Vettel said in Hungary: "I don't waste energy on that. Of course, maybe you could get that impression (of a conspiracy) over the last few weeks."

Sebastian Vettel was also asked about the claim in a British newspaper that he is a "crybaby" following his attack on Lewis Hamilton at Hockenheim.

"Well, I haven't cried yet," smiled the German.

"But I think that if it doesn't work out for you, you don't need to be ashamed to show to the outside that you are not quite so happy," he is quoted by DPA news agency.

I couldn't believe my luck when told I had this vehicle to review. Having been out of the Jaguar world for over a decade, ever since the new XJ was launched, I've wanted to get my hands on one and pull it to pieces.


You see, I'm an old-school Jaguar man, one who firmly believes in tradition. So when I climb behind the wheel of Coventry's finest, I want to be surrounded by acres of woodland, herds of premium cow-coats, and I'll live with the odd oil leak if the engine sounds like the London Philharmonic playing “Land of Hope & Glory.”

Yes, so long as it sports the sexiest logo in the business and spins the heads of female airline service personnel, I'll quite happily forgive one or two minor failings. After all, that's what being a Jaaaag man is all about.

Of course now, having driven the vehicle for a few days, I'm starting to realize just how idiotic I must sound. Why? Well, because this car is nothing like what I had expected or was led to believe it would be. For a start, with Jaguar recently being placed second only to Lexus in J.D. Power's 2012 Initial Quality Study, I can forget the oil-slick jokes and my comical antidotes from the days when I worked on these vehicles for a living.

I'd also heard tell of Jaguar ditching its old customer base in favour of luring young iPad-clutching youngsters, and that's proven somewhat wide of the mark, too. What the company has actually gone and done is simply widen its catchment net with the aim of attracting everyone!

Jaguar recently being placed second only to Lexus in J.D. Power's 2012 Initial Quality Study. (Photo: Kevin Corrigan)

A Jag for the ages
The woodwork in the new XJ is simply stunning. In fact, as the owner of a gracefully ageing Bentley, I did start to wonder whether Jaguar hadn't rung around a few of its old villainous friends and set them the task of breaking into Crewe and stealing some of the interiors aimed for the flying B brand.

Not only that, but there's chrome in there too! Did you hear me, chrome! Come on now, I'd thought just about everyone had bought into the car companies' patter: chrome is old-fashioned today and the brushed aluminum, Coke-can finish can look every bit as good. No it doesn't!

Wood, leather and chrome is what I want to find in a luxury automobile. I want my vehicle to appear more inviting than the finest room in my house. I don't want to open the door to my car and invite friends to step into my modernized bathroom or stainless steel kitchen!

No problem with today's XJ then, as its designers have achieved an amazing feat. They have somehow managed to blend old-school tradition with new-school technology and have achieved this to such an extent that it's almost impossible to see where one starts and the other ends.

The woodwork in the new XJ is simply stunning. (Photo: Kevin Corrigan)

Gadgets galore
Speaking of which, gently press the small start button on the dashboard (which FYI, was made famous by Jaguar in the '60s), and magical things start to happen. A submerged chrome turn-dial smoothly rises up from the centre console allowing the driver access to both forward & reverse gears. Now, how clever and 21st century is that? After all, why fiddle with a movable stick when paddle shifters (love them or hate them) are the future?

Of course, it's around about this time when you start to realize just how bang-up-to-date this vehicle is, as although the display may appear vaguely like a traditional dash, it is anything but. The sexy cat logo remains on the display for a split second or two once you power-up, simply and for no other reason than to remind oneself of being a Jaaaag owner.

Then as quick as it appeared, it's replaced with a modern interpretation of what a driver information pod should look like today. The same occurs on the centre stack which is home to the 600-watt premium audio and navigation system with HDD. The whole thing is voice-controllable, and there's even a seat massage system for both driver and passenger. Now, that's precisely what we Jaaaag men have been waiting for... “Fancy a quick massage in the old Jaaaag?”

Speaking of which, gently press the small start button on the dashboard, and magical things start to happen. (Photo: Kevin Corrigan)

Feline fancies
On the road, the XJL purrs like a kitten. The supercharged 5.0L DOHC 32-valve V8 serves up oodles of power (385 hp), and a quick press of the Sport button turns your fluffy feline friend into a scalded cat! You can feel each paw as it claws away at the tarmac, and yet the company has kindly thought to provide the beast with cushioned booties. At least that's what it feels like while holding the luxurious wood and leather steering wheel.

It is a phenomenal vehicle in every sense of the word to look at, to ride in and to drive. All in all, I'm totally disgusted with the company. There was I, looking forward to ripping my teeth into its latest offering. I wanted to relate tales of oily patches in my driveway and I'd been practicing all my Joseph Lucas (Prince of Darkness) jokes. How dare they do this to me!

The supercharged 5.0L DOHC 32-valve V8 serves up oodles of power (385 hp). (Photo: Kevin Corrigan)

Welcome to the 21st Century Jaguar
Of course, there is an upside to all of this, I suppose. With the company finally entering the 21st century, it's going to open up a whole new era of Jaguar ownership. Yes, the days of tweed sports jackets and cloth caps may be in the past, but that doesn't mean I can't help acclimatize one or two new owners into the brand's culture. So repeat after me, and with you most caddish-sounding British accent: “Well actually, I drive a Jaaaag.”

From GMM

Romain Grosjean insists he is not upset about not getting his hands on Lotus' new ''super DRS'' system.

Last week at Hockenheim, only Kimi Raikkonen's black and gold E20 was fitted with the top speed-boosting prototype in practice.

And the system will return to Raikkonen's car for more testing this weekend in Hungary.

"We are definitely trying it again here," Frenchman Grosjean said in Hungary when asked about the Mercedes-like system.

Photo: Lotus F1 Team

"Kimi will have it on his car, not me," he clarified, according to Auto Motor und Sport. "We have only one version and setting it up is not so easy."

Romain Grosjean insisted he is not upset that Raikkonen is the only Lotus driver to enjoy the system so far.

"I was the first to get the last update," said the 26-year-old, "and now it's Kimi's turn. This is perfectly normal."

He hopes it will be ready to race soon.

"It would be a big help on tracks with longer straights, like Spa and Monza," said Romain Grosjean.

The very first car I ever rode in was a Jaguar. In fact, I arrived home from the hospital closeted in the sumptuous leather seating of a proudly British-built Mk I. Of course, I can't recall with any particular clarity that epic occasion. However, I can remember being chauffeured to my very first day of school in a Cornish Grey Mk II. Yes, while other offspring whimpered at the very thought of relinquishing the security of their mother's bosom, I was already well on my way to becoming what Jeremy Clarkson might describe as a “Jaaaag man.”

Of course, those were the days when a stylish automobile said something about its owner and those who rode in the rear seat. A Rolls-Royce portrayed money and upper-class sophistication. A Rover/Mercedes-Benz announced your career as a Bank Manager or a Chartered Accountant and the Jaguar informed the general public that you were either a successful businessman on the move, or that you'd just held up the local bank in the high street!

Photo: Kevin Corrigan

Yes, back in those days a Jaguar was just about the fastest thing on four wheels, which is why the criminal fraternity loved to steal them for use as getaway cars. “Grace, Space & Pace” was the company's slogan, and there probably hasn't been a better suited description of an automobile manufacturer since.

Back then, no one would dream of uttering the name of a German car manufacturer in the same breath as Jaguar; the company was in a class of its own. So, what went wrong?

Well, although I've owned numerous Jaguars over the years and, as a Land Rover/Jaguar technician, worked on thousands, for me to answer that question would involve several hundred pages and a considerable amount of patience on your part, so that's not going to happen today!

However, if you read my review of the 2012 Jaguar XJL Portfolio, you'll discover why I'm now saying: look out BMW, watch your back Mercedes, start looking over your shoulder Bentley, because the cat is back and it's coming at you, claws out!

From GMM

Renault has defended pushing the limits of the formula one rules together with Red Bull.

Although the French marque also supplies identical V8 engines to Lotus, Williams and Caterham, Red Bull is regarded as Renault's 'works' team.

And Remi Taffin, Renault's head of track operations, confirmed that the engine supplier was involved in the 'engine maps' controversy that caused the FIA to close a rules loophole in the days between Hockenheim and Hungary.

Taffin defended the push to squeeze every thousandth out of the tight F1 rules.

Photo: WRi2

He told Britain's Times newspaper that, combined with the ultra-competitive nature of the sport in 2012, "you have to take the last bit of anything".

"The engine design is frozen so the only piece we have left, we work on," he said. "Back in Viry (Renault), Maranello (Ferrari), Brixworth (Mercedes), 300 people are not sitting on their desks doing nothing. Within the rules we work to have the best."

Interestingly, McLaren-Mercedes' Jenson Button also appeared to justify Red Bull and Renault's squeezing of the regulations, insisting the reigning champions are doing it well in every area of the car.

"We are so limited in terms of the regulations," he said. "It gets more strict every year so you are always going to find people who are pushing the limits, pushing the boundaries. Then it is down to the FIA to decide if we are within the limits or not. It is not just traction where that Red Bull is strong. You cannot see a specific area where that car is stronger and the regulations say they are pushing the boundaries. They are doing a good job. They won't be slow suddenly."

Ford has issued another recall for the Ford Escape this Wednesday, following two earlier recalls this July. This time, 44,653 2001-2004 model year Ford Escapes are targeted.

On certain cruise control equipped 3.0 liter V6 models, there is inadequate clearance between the engine protective housing and the accelerator control link when the accelerator is completely or almost completely depressed, causing the vehicle to be almost impossible to slow down or stop, unless the gearbox is in the neutral position.

Those affected by the recall are asked to contact their servicing dealership, who will proceed to replace the engine protective housing rear retainer.

Source:Transports Canada

2001 Ford Escape (Photo: Ford)

From GMM

Bernie Ecclestone has denied skipping last weekend's German grand prix because he was afraid of being arrested.

The F1 chief executive's familiar black motor home was in the Hockenheim paddock all weekend, but the 81-year-old Briton did not show, amid rumours he might have been swept into custody by German police amid the Gerhard Gribkowsky corruption affair.

Ecclestone denies he feared jail.

"I had a meeting in London with people from the Olympic Committee and also about television in America," he told the German newspaper Bild on Thursday.

"I couldn't take them with me to Hockenheim," he insisted. "Also, my daughter Tamara had some personal problems I had to help with, but I don't want to go into that."

He denies being tipped off about a German plot to arrest him.

"No. No one told me that I would be arrested."

But with Gribkowsky now in jail for receiving Ecclestone's bribes, surely the F1 supremo fears being arrested in Germany sooner or later.

"I would assume that the German authorities would tell me something beforehand," Ecclestone said. "Probably they'd act differently if someone has committed a murder or if he is a terrorist."

Bernie Ecclestone said he could fly in to Germany soon.

"I'm not sure when, but it could be very soon. I want to meet the people from the Nurburgring. We want to see if we can help them."

Volkswagen rebuffed accusations about waging an unfair price war in Europe by demanding that Fiat CEO Sergio Marchionne step down as chairman of European auto trade group ACEA.

Most recent Lotus news has been generated by a rumor that Volkswagen is considering

Ford Motor Co. is recalling about 485,000 units of the

Also in this episode: The family of late automotive legend Carroll Shelby

Ford is recalling 424,000 Escapes in the United States because a cruise control defect may cause the throttle to stick, leading to unintended acceleration.

Crossovers will take center stage for Buick in the 2013 model year.

Although Jeep doesn't have an advertising partnership with the Olympics, it will still have a major stake in London through its sponsorship of USA Basketball's men's and women's basketball squads.

One of my favorite events in all of autodom is just around the corner. On Aug. 18, the annual

The BMW Technology Office USA is developing BMW's next-generation driver assistance systems. But the company has found other places to use the technology -- on the track and in the swimming pool.

A U.S. Energy Department program designed to promote use of alternative fuels for vehicles gave out about $5 million in grants to individuals with conflicts of interest, the agency's inspector general said.

With average speeds in the center of London that typically hover around 10 miles per hour, the British capital isn't the most automobile-accessible city, even on its best days.

Strictly following the traditional marketing handbook, Hyundai is slowly unveiling its new compact now called HB20 (HB for Hyundai Brazil and 20 for the compact architecture known in Europe as i20). A teaser photo has just been issued.