Auto News 5

Google Inc., the Internet's dominant search engine, is now selling sales leads to dealerships. Google confirmed that it has launched a pilot program, only in the San Francisco market.

The sports car that BMW and Toyota plan to jointly develop could be a way for Toyota to leap back into a performance segment it has abandoned or possibly provide a high-priced sports model for Toyota's Lexus brand.

Automotive News Europe has announced two leadership changes effective immediately at its pan-European operations.

The sports car that BMW and Toyota plan to jointly develop could be a way for Toyota to leap back into a performance segment it has abandoned or possibly provide a high-priced sports model for Toyota's Lexus brand.

The business of customizing or personalizing vehicles is up for grabs. Manufacturers from Audi to Subaru want to capture the consumer spirit for personalization.

Google searches have become the key battleground for courting Internet shoppers, and a Texas lawsuit involving search terms sold by Google demonstrates the potential for Hatfield-and-McCoy battles among dealerships nationwide.

Now that President Obama's health care reform is going forward, automotive businesses of varied sizes are assessing their options. For General Motors and other major corporations, the U.S.

Mercedes-Benz will offer an electric version of its new B-class compact in the United States starting in 2014, a company source confirmed.

Coming this fall: The pickup wars resume, with a twist. Expect boastful claims of horsepower, torque, towing capacity and durability. But this year the Ford and Ram brands also plan to duke it out over fuel economy.

Ford's prelaunch marketing strategy for the redesigned 2013 Fusion, announced last week, is a sign of the times: The cutting-edge combination of social media and entertainment is the kind of nontraditional advertising that is breaking out all over...

After passing Chase Elliott on the last lap, Canadian Andrew Ranger became the first ever ARCA Racing Series to win two road course races at New Jersey Motorsports Park's Thunderbolt Raceway.

Ranger, 25, also won on New Jersey's road course last year. His late move past Elliott was reminiscent of his pass over George Miedecke as the two drove to the white flag.

Ranger used a second pit stop, closing Lap 39, to give him slightly fresher tires than the other leaders, who pitted to close Lap 26. Ranger came out of the pits 12th to start Lap 42 and worked his way to the top five within seven laps.

The runner-up finish was Elliott's second top-five and third top-10 result in just three ARCA Racing Series starts.

Chris Buescher edged Roulo Brothers Racing teammate Brandon Davis for third as Will Kimmel completed the top five.

All-American 150 at NJMP
1. Andrew Ranger
2. Chase Elliott
3. Chris Buescher
4. Brandon Davis
5. Will Kimmel
6. Brennan Poole
7. Frank Kimmel
8. Mason Mingus
9. Tom Hessert
10. Milka Duno

On June 26th, the Audi R8 e-tron set a world record for a production vehicle with an electric drive system on the Nürburgring Nordschleife, posting a time of 8:09.099 minutes.

Incidentally, the current record for a combustion engined production car is 7:11.57 minutes. It's held by a Gumpert Apollo Sport, which is powered by a 700-horsepower Audi V8 gasoline engine.

“The R8 e-tron has given a magnificent demonstration of its potential on the toughest race track in the world,” said Michael Dick, Audi AG Board Member for Technical Development, who completed a fast lap himself.

The Audi R8 e-tron accelerates from 0 to 100 km/h in 4.6 seconds. Its top speed is normally limited to 200 km/h, but 250 km/h was approved for the record-setting lap. Meanwhile, the car's 49 kWh rechargeable lithium-ion battery offers a range of about 215 kilometres.

Photo: Audi

From GMM

Bernie Ecclestone has issued his strongest defence yet amid continuing suggestions the Gerhard Gribkowsky bribery affair could also claim the F1 supremo's scalp.

81-year-old F1 chief executive Ecclestone said in no uncertain terms that the convicted former banker's bribery claims are "wrong".

"It's false," Ecclestone is quoted by the German newsmagazine Focus. "The court did what it needed to do ... but the man is lying," he insisted.

Ecclestone has said consistently he paid Gribkowsky the millions because he was being "shaken down" relating to his British tax affairs.

"I am a businessman," said the Briton. "I am always weighing up between opportunity, risk and hassle."

Although there are rumours some in the sport are nervous about the potential association with corruption, Ecclestone said his removal as F1's chief executive would be counterproductive.

"For over 40 years," said Ecclestone, his partners have "trusted my handshake". "There are no corrupt practices in formula one," he insisted.

Ecclestone also denied the link between the scandal and F1's delayed floatation, even if he admits the Gribkowsky situation has been "not very helpful".

As state-of-the-art automobiles go, the Infiniti Emerg-e is one of the rare concepts that went on to become a fully functional show car. And that's exactly what visitors at the Goodwood Festival of Speed will get to see this weekend.



“Normally these motorshow concepts have a small electric motor fitted in them, just enough to move them on and off the stand,” says Jerry Hardcastle, Vice-President Vehicle Design and Development, the Nissan Group Technology Centre Europe and Chairman of the UK's Automotive Council. “We said, how about putting a real car under there and showing what it would look like as a running vehicle, and at the same time use this collaboration of UK companies to demonstrate the UK's capability in this area?”

The Emerg-e sprints from 0 to 100 km/h in 4.0 seconds and offers a zero-emission range of nearly 50 kilometres thanks to a pair of electric motors that generate a combined 402 horsepower. When the range-extending gasoline engine kicks in, the car emits only 55 grams of CO2 per kilometre.

Professional Infiniti drivers as well as Formula One driver Mark Webber will tackle the famous Goodwood hillclimb route with the Emerg-e over the weekend.

I recently participated in a half-day ‘Sprinter on Tour' program, convened by Mercedes-Benz Canada. The goal of the event was to highlight the attributes of the Sprinter line of commercial vans. While the program consisted of many interesting elements, the aspect I found most compelling pertained to the sophisticated Adaptive Electronic Stability Program (ESP) that's included as standard Sprinter equipment.

Photo: Rob Robthwell

The Sprinter ESP demonstration vehicle had been outfitted with huge outriggers that allowed it to tip to the point of no return during an emergency maneuver without actually rolling over. The outrigger on the roll side of the vehicle would scrape the ground, preventing a full rollover.

To ensure that a rollover would be initiated, the Sprinter was loaded with 700 kg (1,540 lb) of water in three large tanks that were elevated in the cargo area of the truck. This made for a dangerous top-heavy load.

With three of us onboard, Danny Kok - a professional Mercedes-Benz driving instructor - drove the van at 30 km/h with the ESP deactivated and made an evasive emergency maneuver. While it was unsettling, Danny managed to toss the awkwardly loaded Sprinter side to side without any loss of control.

The speed was increased to 50 km/h. Danny sharply swerved the Sprinter to the left then immediately to the right. With tires folding under, the Sprinter quickly rose up on two wheels on its way to a complete rollover. Fortunately, the outrigger performed as intended - phew!

The next run was at 70 km/h but on this occasion, the ESP was active. Danny flung the Sprinter left and right with the same vigor as before, but the ESP system detected our peril and urgently applied wheel-specific braking to keep the rubber on the road and the Sprinter shiny-side up.

I've experienced the intrusion of stability control systems in a variety of vehicles and scenarios, but I've never felt it take control of a vehicle so aggressively to prevent impending doom. The adaptive system in use in the Sprinter senses the vehicle's centre of gravity based on the weight characteristics of its load.

This is an important feature of the system given the ever-changing loads that most commercial vans deal with. Whether it's a commercial van or passenger vehicle, including pickups and SUVs, electronic stability control technology is now an essential lifesaving component of modern motor vehicles.

Photo: Rob Rothwell

I am a huge proponent of this technology, and would strongly recommend that it be considered essential in all future automotive purchases, especially if the vehicle is intended for less experienced drivers. Few driving schools teach skid control, except on the whiteboard.

The good news is that since September 2011, the Government of Canada has required all new passenger vehicles to be equipped with an electronic stability control program. The U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) claims that one third of all fatal motor vehicle accidents in the US could have been prevented by electronic stability control technology. That's a wake-up call if ever there was one.

Those looking for the ultimate status symbol which offers grace, space and pace would aspire to own a Rolls-Royce Phantom. With their new Series II model making its world debut at the 2012 Geneva Auto Salon last March, Rolls-Royce hopes that its enhancements to the model will see it waft effortlessly into the next decade.


The modern-day Phantom was first introduced on January 1, 2003 and marked the first all-new model built by this British luxury marque since BMW purchased the brand.

The Phantom, despite its controversial styling, has been well received by the rich and famous around the world, and hence continues to be made, unlike the discontinued Maybach.

To keep up with the desires of their demanding customers, Rolls-Royce has made a few improvements to the Phantom with its Series II model, starting with its new lighting system. Gone are the old xenon headlights with round fog lamps, now replaced with new adaptive swiveling LED headlights, which have a glowing bar in the center that works as its daytime running lights. These clever headlights also adjust according to speed and weather conditions.

With their new Series II model, Rolls-Royce hopes that its enhancements to the model will see it waft effortlessly into the next decade. (Photo: Rolls Royce)

To complete the new nose, LED turn signals are positioned just below the main lamps. The styling is updated, but also very familiar. After all, apart from the new nose, the exterior remains unchanged.

Open the door and you'll find an interior very similar to the one in the outgoing Phantom. However, there is now a bigger 8.8” screen for the infotainment system. The satellite navigation system now has 3D map display with landscape topography, and offers guided tours of popular cities and enhanced points of interest menus. To help you park wherever you go, a five-camera parking system is now also present for your easement.

Under the skin, there is a new 8-speed automatic gearbox, while the 6.75L V12 remains unchanged. However, CO2 emissions have improved from 385 to 347 g/km. Fuel economy for the Series II is rated at 14.8L/100km on the combined European cycle.

Power is rated at 453 hp and 531 lb-ft of torque. Despite its 2.5-ton girth, the Phantom Series II will sprint from 0-100 km/h in just 5.9 seconds and onto an electronically limited top speed of 240 km/h.

Those performance figures are however for the Phantom sedan, the Phantom Extended Wheelbase, and the Phantom Drophead Coupé.

The Phantom Coupe is considered to be the sporty version, and is hence a tenth of a second quicker to 100 km/h while its raised speed limiter allows it to travel 10 km/h faster.

The Phantom Series II will sprint from 0-100 km/h in just 5.9 seconds and onto an electronically limited top speed of 240 km/h. (Photo: Rolls Royce)

So regardless of your taste, there is a 2013 Rolls-Royce Phantom Series II for everyone, if only it was easily attainable. There is no easy way of saying this; it is quite expensive. Pricing starts at US $396,970 (converted in Canadian dollars at the current exchange rate) for the short-wheelbase sedan, while the other models cost a bit more. The Drophead Coupé, for instance, costs US $469,900.

However, if you win a big lottery, this should be on your shopping list.

Ford is making a habit of creating unique aviation-themed Mustangs and auctioning them off as part of the world's greatest annual aviation celebration in Oshkosh, Wisconsin.

Photo: Ford

This year, the automaker pays tribute to the Tuskegee Airmen, the first African American aviators in the United States Army Air Corps. The Ford Mustang Red Tails Edition has a VIN of #00051 in honour of the P-51 Mustangs flown by the Tuskegee Airmen during WWII.

The exceptional paint job of polished aluminum and silver chrome is decorated with red and yellow accents. There's a 2.3L Ford Racing engine under the hood, custom 20'' Forgiato wheels, a distinctive front grille, and Recaro race seats with embroidered "Red Tails" logo. The rear seat was removed to emphasize the cockpit environment.

The auction will take place on July 26th and proceeds will go to the Experimental Aircraft Association's Young Eagles Program.

From GMM

Mark Webber has revealed he will prioritise Red Bull as he plans for his twelfth season in formula one in 2013.

The energy drink owned team has indicated it is likely to extend the 35-year-old Australian's latest one-year contract.

But Webber has also been linked with a move to Ferrari alongside Fernando Alonso.

He told French broadcaster TF1 that he would like clarity in "a few months".

"First I will talk with my team, because I would be happy to continue here," Webber, winner in Monaco and currently second behind Alonso in the drivers' championship, said.

Mark Webber, winner in Monaco. (Photo: Red Bull Racing)

Mark Webber said he clearly plans to stay in F1.

"I'm motivated, I feel good, I've got a great job to drive the fastest cars on the world's best stretches of road. That's a dream," he insisted.

He does expect some "changes" in the lineups at the "top four teams" for 2013.

"I think given Felipe (Massa)'s results there could be a change there," said Webber. "It's such a great team with great history. It's also unclear what's happening with Michael (Schumacher); the same goes for me at Red Bull and Lewis (Hamilton) at McLaren."

Joao Barbosa and his teammate Darren Law (No. 9 Action Express Corvette DP) drove to a second win this season at the Sahlen's Six Hours of the Glen, in Watkins Glen, New York.

Barbosa made the most of traffic in the last 20 minutes to get by Alex Gurney (No. 99 GAINSCO Auto Insurance Corvette DP), who co-drove with Jon Fogarty. In the end, the pair only led 33 of the 182 laps of the race.

"Obviously, I was able to use the traffic a little bit to my advantage," Barbosa said. "That was enough to be close enough to do the move for the lead and it worked out really, really good."

Third place went to Ryan Dalziel, Enzo Potolicchio and Sébastien Bourdais (No. 8 Starworks Motorsport Ford/Riley). Championship co-leaders Scott Pruett and Memo Rojas (No. 01 TELMEX BMW/Riley) took fourth.

In GT, Robin Liddell and John Edwards (No. 57 Stevenson Auto Group Chevrolet Camaro GT.R) won thanks to a bold pitstop strategy that saw the pair take over the lead for good on lap 157, when they opted to let Leh Keen (No. 59 Brumos Porsche GT3) dive into the pits alone.

"Robin ended up crossing the line with half a gallon of fuel left in the tank," Edwards said. "We were extremely nervous as Robin did that last lap."

Bill Auberlen, Billy Johnson and Canadian Paul Dalla Lana (No. 94 Turner Motorsports BMW M3) crossed the line second, followed by Emil Assentato and Jeff Segal (No. 69 FXDD Ferrari 458 Italia).

A May survey by Angus Reid reveals that car drivers would rather skip dessert forever (40%), get rid of their cell phone (15%) or bid farewell to their in-laws (12% in Ontario; 5% in Quebec) than have their vehicle stolen.

While a third of Quebecers said that they're worried by car thieves, not all of them take the necessary precautions. Roughly half of respondents don't have an alarm system. Moreover, 24% of Ontario drivers have once left their car idling and unattended (17% in Quebec).

A lot of people still don't realize all the financial impact of car thefts. Even with a solid insurance policy that includes a replacement vehicle provision, one should expect to pay up to $2,500 on average for various fees. According to the Insurance Bureau of Canada, they amount to over one billion dollar annually.

''Most car theft victims aren't even aware of the actual financial repercussions, both for them and others. They need to fully understand every clause and every detail of their insurance policy and contact their insurer as soon as possible in the event that their car is stolen,'' explains Michael Lendick, national security director and law enforcement liaison at LoJack Canada, which owns Boomerang products and commissioned the survey.

Source: Massy Forget Langlois relations publiques