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From GMM

Valencia president Alberto Fabra on Sunday sounded confident the Spanish port city will return to the F1 calendar in the future.

Amid Spain's harsh economic crisis and the strong protests of angry residents, the circuit - despite showcasing a thrilling race on Sunday - struggled this weekend to fill its vastly-culled capacity.

But Fabra insisted it is not too late to rescue the event.

Start of the 2012 Grand Prix. (Photo: WRi2)

"We are negotiating, and hopefully not before too long we can realise this potential alternation and set new conditions," he said on Sunday, according to El Pais newspaper.

He is referring to his talks on Sunday with Bernie Ecclestone, and the proposal that Valencia and Barcelona from now on share a single annual grand prix race date.

Asked if the F1 chief executive will also agree to reduce Valencia's race sanctioning fee, Fabra answered: "Everything is being negotiated. All this is happening, of course, because there is little money, but the negotiations continue and there is a willingness on both sides."

I just stepped out of a 2012 Nissan Frontier and as with every experience I've ever had with a pickup, small or large, I always end up thinking that I want one.

Over the weekend, I lugged rocks and tree branches, five adults, picnic gear and not once was I wanting for more of anything. Well, that's not entirely true. Here I go again knocking on Honda's door...

The only thing I longed for with the Frontier was an in-bed trunk as found in the clever yet unloved Honda Ridgeline. With five people on board, trivial items like bags, spare shoes and chairs were tied down in the bed, exposed to the elements. Had I been with a Ridgeline, most of these items would have been stored in the trunk.

2012 Nissan Frontier (Photo: Mathieu St-Pierre)

Could it be that Honda is, once again, ahead of itself? I clearly recall thinking, along with like-minded auto journos at the launch of Honda's first pickup, that every truck builder was going to imitate the Ridgeline's in-bed trunk. The truck was launched in early 2005; it's been seven years and still no copycats.

Regardless, it never fails that a pickup quickly becomes a useful friend. If not that, it'll make you new friends in very little time. There's no denying that a pickup is more practical than the sum of its parts. These days, these rigs are not only capable but comfortable and quite accommodating. The three adult females sitting in the rear of the Frontier made fewer complaints about ride comfort than they had when I tested the 2013 Mazda CX-5. That's saying lots.

As well, with trucks like the Ford F-150 ever more luxurious, it's no small wonder why their popularity is not falling as we might expect, given the price of petrol. Ford figured the guzzling thing out by slapping a pair of turbos on a V6 and calling it EcoBoost. GM's still pushing hybrid versions of the Silverado and Sierra, and diesel variants for non heavy-duty pickups have been promised. It is clear to me that pickups are not going anywhere, except perhaps in more North American driveways.

Given the draw and usefulness of these trucks, I think they have a greater role to play in our future automotive landscape than many might expect. Fuel economy will be addressed with smaller turbocharged engines, electric powertrains and more hybrid variations.

As they continue to evolve, their utilitarian nature will remain but they will increasingly do a better job at being an everyday family vehicle.

My cloudy, mostly opaque crystal ball says that pickups may become the next family vehicle of choice.

First came the station wagon, then the minivan, followed by the crossover and next, the pickup? Put a cap over the bed on a crew cab model and consider the vastness of the trunk, room for five, ability to tow almost anything and capable of going almost anywhere. What more could we want?

Pickup anyone?

Maybe you've heard of ex-Formula 1 driver David Coulthard's latest accomplishment? On May 30th, he caught a golf ball... with his Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG!

A film shows Coulthard driving off after a ball, hit by professional golfer Jake Shepherd, and "catching" it between the seats of his SLS AMG roadster.

The driver (of the car) describes what it was like: “The only way to track the ball was to keep your eyes on it all the time - it's a real adrenaline rush but it's not the most comfortable thing to do because for a moment, you're not watching the road!”

Guinness World Record confirmed Coulthard and Shepherd's new farthest golf shot caught in a moving car title. The ball, traveling at 286 km/h, covered 275 m before landing in Coulthard's Mercedes, which had reached 193 km/h.

Germany plans to offer 50 hydrogen filling stations across the country by 2015. Fourteen of those are already operational.

''Electric vehicles equipped with hydrogen fuel cells generate no harmful emissions. They also have a high range and can be refuelled within minutes,'' said Dr. Peter Ramsauer, Federal Minister of Transport, Building and Urban Development. ''To facilitate their introduction to the market, we need a network of filling stations that covers the major metropolitan areas and connects them to each other.''

The project will require an investment of more than €40 million from the federal government and industrial sector - through a partnership between Air Liquide, Air Products, Daimler, Linde and Total Germany.

With 50 hydrogen filling stations, Germany hopes to supply the 5,000 fuel cell vehicles that are expected to be on the road three years from now.

Source: ccfa.fr

It's nuts. You'd think 403 hp in a Cadillac Escalade would be enough to flash your jewels around town, but apparently not. After all, you can get a 500-hp Porsche Cayenne Turbo, or even a 555-hp BMW X5 M for extra bragging rights. Something had to be done to the king of bling.


SLP, which usually massages Camaros such as the ZL585 we drove a year and a half ago, decided to diversify its activities after GM announced it would produce the factory Camaro ZL1. Now, pretty much anything that steps out of a GM assembly plant with a V8 underhood can receive the SLP treatment.

In this case, we were handed the keys to a shiny black 2012 Cadillac Escalade equipped with a supercharged 6.2L V8. You get massive amounts of power and torque that can now measure up to those German rocket SUVs. Despite the addictive blown V8 and other performance upgrades, however, this remains an Escalade with its attributes ... and shortcomings.

Explosive acceleration
SLP piled a TVS 2300 supercharger up top of the Escalade's L94 6.2L V8, which in factory form produces 403 hp and 417 lb-ft of torque. A freer flowing, meaner sounding exhaust system and a cold air induction system are also added, and together they help the engine bolt out 525 horses and 517 lb-ft of twist.

Slap the column-mounted shifter of the 6-speed automatic down to D, stomp on the gas pedal, and hang on to your neck chains. The 0-100 km/h dash takes only 5.1 seconds, while the quarter-mile flashes by in 13.4 seconds at 168 km/h. That's damn fast for a 5,800-lb truck.

And for those who don't believe how much muscle you're packing, SLP cleverly installed a hood with a see-through polycarbonate window, making the supercharger and belt clearly visible. And that muscle car supercharger whine at wide-open throttle is music to us car-nuts' ears.

Fuel economy? You really wanna know? SLP tells us the supercharged engine consumes only about 1L/100km more than the stock L94 V8, which sounds optimistic. Eco-driving in this rig is about as relevant as track-testing a smart fortwo. Our five-day test result: 20L/100km; truthfully, we were expecting worse.

Rounding out the SLP treatment on our Escalade are 2” lower front springs, front and rear sway bars, subtle side skirts and exclusive 22” chromed alloy wheels wrapped in 295/40R22 rubber. You can also get Brembo brake package upgrades, which we strongly suggest to go with the extra forward motion.

SLP piled a TVS 2300 supercharger up top of the Escalade's L94 6.2L V8, which in factory form produces 403 hp and 417 lb-ft of torque. (Photo: Sébastien D'Amour)

From the driver's seat
There are a few distinctions to the interior of the SLP Escalade, but they're not all that noticeable. The most extroverted additions are SLP's red and white “Sport Edition” badging, with a plaque affixed on the passenger side of the dash and embroidered on the front seat headrests. Oh, you also get SLP front floor mats.

The rest of the environment is pure 2012 Cadillac Escalade. And that's what's great about the package as a whole: it's subtle, and you don't look like you're trying too hard to impress everybody, but you do anyway. The Escalade has always been a desirable machine and gets admirable stares, in some neighbourhoods more than others. Not only do you feel like you own the street, but you now have the firepower to impose an extra layer of respect.

The Escalade has always been a desirable machine and gets admirable stares. (Photo: Sébastien D'Amour)

Fantastic powertrain, but...
As much as we love blasting off at stoplights and intimidating Lincoln Navigator and Porsche Cayenne drivers with the engine's deep-throated burble, the blown Escalade has its shortcomings, and they have nothing to do with SLP's work.

The Cadillac Escalade, largely unchanged since 2007, is in dire need of a makeover. While it continues to offer a luxurious ride and remains a symbol of prestige, things we've been complaining about since its redesign six years ago are obviously still present today.

The steering column doesn't telescope. The climate control buttons are minuscule and difficult to use while driving. Woodgrain instead of genuine wood trim is hard to justify in a vehicle of this price. The second-row seats don't offer much room for such a big vehicle, and the third row is worse. The third row bench doesn't fold into the floor, so you must remove it to maximize cargo space. A GMC Yukon looks almost the same but costs thousands less. We could go on.

The steering column doesn't telescope. The climate control buttons are minuscule and difficult to use while driving. (Photo: Sébastien D'Amour)

Many SLP models to choose from
According to SLP, the base supercharger package costs $18,995 over the price of a standard, short-wheelbase Escalade, which currently carries an $85,260 MSRP. If 525 hp isn't enough, SLP also offers a 700-hp version that includes a 427-cubic-inch V8 for about $35K.

If an Escalade isn't your cup of tea, SLP had the good idea of broadening their product portfolio and now offers their performance packages on just about every GM model equipped with a V8 engine, which includes Silverado, Tahoe, Suburban, Sierra, Yukon, Yukon XL, Avalanche, Escalade, Camaro and Corvette.

Selon SLP, l'ensemble de base avec le compresseur volumétrique coûte 18 995 $, que l'on doit ajouter au PDSF d'un Escalade, dont la version à empattement court se détaille à partir de 85 260 $. (Photo: Sébastien D'Amour)

Best of all, all SLP models under 600 hp are backed by the same warranty that GM offers, which means this blown Escalade is covered bumper-to-bumper for four years or 80,000 km, while its powertrain warranty is five years or 160,000 km, whichever comes first.

In short, the SLP Escalade is a wild ride that will please those who want a high-horsepower SUV that's made of Detroit iron. Those pesky Germans now have some company in the 500-hp club.

Interested in an SLP-tuned vehicle? Check out the SLP Performance Parts website. We'd like to thank SLP's Stefano Ciambella (sciambella@slponline.com, 514-260-1457) and Automobiles Paillé in Berthierville (www.gmpaille.com) for making this test possible.

Starting in May 2013, all Yaris models sold in Canada, the United States and Puerto Rico will be built in Europe by Toyota Motor Manufacturing France (TMMF). The annual export volume is planned to be around 25,000 units.

''This is not only an endorsement of the quality of the cars built by our team members here at TMMF, but it's also a significant new business opportunity for our factory and further strengthens TMMF's position as an important exporter in France,'' said Makoto Sano, president of TMMF.

The current strength of the yen partly explains the shift from Japan to France, which will represent an additional investment of €8 million at TMMF. The reason for it is to build the car to the specific requirements of the North American market including a 1.5L gasoline engine, automatic transmission, and different rear bumper.

The Yaris Hybrid still won't cross the Atlantic, however.

Source: Automotive News Europe

Toyota driver Kazuki Nakajima publicly apologized to the Nissan DeltaWing team for taking its car out of the race after only six hours.

Driving his Toyota TS030, the Japanese driver crashed into the DeltaWing, driven at the time by his countryman Satoshi Motoyama.

Despite Motoyama's efforts to restart the car, the DeltaWing was forced to retire even before nightfall.

On Sunday morning, Kazuki Nakajima, together with Toyota Racing's president Yoshiaki Kinoshita, went over to apologize to the Nissan DeltaWing team.

"Thanks to the Toyota guys who came to apologize this morning, including Kazuki Nakajima," Highcroft Racing on stated on its Facebook page.

"Much appreciated. We hope we can race with you again soon."

Starting in May 2013, all Yaris models sold in Canada, the United States and Puerto Rico will be built in Europe by Toyota Motor Manufacturing France (TMMF). The annual export volume is planned to be around 25,000 units.

''This is not only an endorsement of the quality of the cars built by our team members here at TMMF, but it's also a significant new business opportunity for our factory and further strengthens TMMF's position as an important exporter in France,'' said Makoto Sano, president of TMMF.

The current strength of the yen partly explains the shift from Japan to France, which will represent an additional investment of €8 million at TMMF. The reason for it is to build the car to the specific requirements of the North American market including a 1.5L gasoline engine, automatic transmission, and different rear bumper.

The Yaris Hybrid still won't cross the Atlantic, however.

Source: Automotive News Europe

Major car manufacturers have started making a name for themselves on the internet, literally. Some of them have paid up to $185,00 to buy their own domain.

Ford, GM, Chrysler and others have bought some 25 names ranging from .Chevy to .Ford; other examples include .Fiat and even .Datsun!

Ironically enough, General Motors did not apply for .GM, deciding instead to put the emphasis on other brands.

The ICANN (Internet Corp. Assigned Names and Numbers) has recorded upwards of 1,930 requests of domain names, of which 230 were disputed. The ICANN is adamant the new names will give manufacturers new ways, revolving around specific brands and products, of using internet.

Source: Detroit Free Press

Latest pictures from race day in Valencia, following an action-packed European Grand Prix

Lexus, which has never taken the tried and tested route in a region where four-cylinder diesel cars are the norm, thinks its new GS sedan has got what it takes to change buyers' perceptions of the brand.

BMW and Toyota are planning to expand cooperation beyond green car technology and diesel engines, Der Spiegel magazine reported on Sunday, without citing any sources.

BMW and Toyota are planning to expand cooperation beyond green car technology and diesel engines, according to a report.

Fernando Alonso takes his second victory of the year, with a stunning win in the the European Grand Prix

Ryan Hunter-Reay (Andretti Autosport) earned his second victory in as many weeks after finishing on top of an eventful race at the Iowa Speedway on Saturday night.

It looked as though the conclusion of the race would be settled by a race between some of the night's leaders but, with only four laps to go, Dragon Racing's Katherine Legge spun and brought out a caution, leaving the race to finish under yellows.

Tony Kanaan (KV Racing Technology) hanged on with the leading pack and moved over Scott Dixon (Ganassi) late in the race to take third behind Hunter-Reay's teammate Marco Andretti.

Dixon held on for fourth ahead of Schmidt Hamilton's Simon Pagenaud, who had to battle his way all the way to the front after being penalized and sent to the back of the grid for a engine change.

Things got difficult for pole-sitter Dario Franchitti (Ganassi) as he had to retire after his engine blew up during a warm-up lap.

Franchitti wasn't the only one struck by bad luck as more than eleven cars failed to finish, including championship leader Will Power, who was involved in an accident with EJ Viso (KV).

Penske's Ryan Briscoe had his own run-in with Sarah Fisher Hartman's Josef Newgarden that resulted in both drivers' retirement.

Oval championship leader and runner-up in the standings James Hinchcliffe on the other hand put his Andretti Dallara-Chevrolet into the barriers all by himself.



Race results - IndyCar (Iowa)

1. Ryan Hunter-Reay in 1h43m39,3031s
2. Marco Andretti + 0.1103s
3. Tony Kanaan + 2.7245s
4. Scott Dixon + 3.0075s
5. Simon Pagenaud + 3.8468s
6. Helio Castroneves + 5.3061s
7. Rubens Barrichello + 5.9890s
8. Ed Carpenter + 6.9856s
9. Graham Rahal + 7.1607s
10. Justin Wilson + 1 lap
11. Charlie Kimball + 2 laps
12. Takuma Sato + 3 laps
13. James Jakes + 5 laps
14. Simona de Silvestro + 6 laps

Retirements

Katherine Legge (243 laps)
Alex Tagliani (207 laps)
James Hinchcliffe (195 laps)
Ryan Briscoe (178 laps)
Josef Newgarden (178 laps)
Mike Conway (123 laps)
Oriol Servia (98 laps)
JR Hildebrand (95 laps)
Will Power (67 laps)
EJ Viso (67 laps)
Dario Franchitti (0 lap)

Because of heavy thunderstorms in the afternoon, the Indy Lights event had to be held after the IndyCar race and Esteban Guerrieri won over polesitter Tristan Vautier at Iowa Speedway.

Guerrieri's teammate at Sam Schmidt Motorsport Tristan Vautier was in the lead when he was handed a drive-through penalty for blocking, therefore giving away the lead to Guerrieri.

Team Moore's Gustavo Yacaman put great pressure on Guerrieri after the restart that followed the yellow flag brought out for Oliver Webb's shunt.

In the end, Guerrieri won by 0.4 seconds.

Victor Carbone completed the podium in front of Vautier and David Ostella.



Race results - Indy Lights (Iowa)

1. Esteban Guerrieri - 40m58.7488s
2. Gustavo Yacaman + 0.4005s
3. Victor Carbone + 2.2229s
4. Tristan Vautier + 3.9932s
5. David Ostella + 5.6376s
6. Jorge Goncalvez + 1 lap
7. Carlos Munoz + 1 lap
8. Chase Austin + 1 lap
9. Anders Krohn + 1 lap
10. Bryan Clauson + 2 laps
11. Mike Larrison + 6 laps

Retirements

Oliver Webb - 106 laps
Sebastian Saavedra - 56 laps
Juan Pablo Garcia - 50 laps

From GMM

Red Bull has put the brakes on Michael Schumacher's celebrations, after the seven time world champion on Sunday tasted podium champagne for the first time since 2006.

Mark Webber, who finished behind the Mercedes at Valencia, had radioed the pits - and therefore the listening FIA - to complain that Schumacher had deployed his overtaking rear wing 'DRS' system through a yellow flag zone.

"I hate to dampen the euphoria about Michael Schumacher but it is clear to see on the television images," Red Bull's Dr Helmut Marko said on German television Sky.

Team boss Christian Horner added on RTL: "The stewards have all the information and will take care of it."

A post-race penalty would surely cost Schumacher the podium.

But according to the BBC, Mercedes team boss Ross Brawn checked the data personally and found that Schumacher disengaged the DRS flap thirty metres before the yellow flag zone.

On June 5th, the American giant, which has already brought the Riviera, Grand National and GNX names back, registered the Electra trademark at the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USTPO).

The manufacturer already had two previous expired Electra trademarks, one dating back as far as 1967, the other 1989. It now seems GM has future plans as well with the Electra name.

The first Electra was sold in 1959. Sales stretched to 1990, but since then, no Buick model has worn that name.

In the States, Buick currently sells the Verano, Regal and LaCross models, as well as a crossover called the Enclave.

Source: Automotive News

Marcos Ambrose went from the fastest recent pole to the slowest, as he topped the time sheets during qualifying of the Sonoma Raceway Sprint race.

Last week he was the first driver in two decades to go over 200mph, this weekend, on a road course he didn't break the century mark, but, he didn't mind.

"Now that I have a taste for it I think Kentucky will be about 175 mph and I will be gunning for that as well. I am really thrilled for today," the Australian-born driver said. "I put a lot of effort into this race and everybody at Richard Petty Motorsports and the whole Stanley team have been rock solid behind me for the road course program.

"Ford Racing has done a lot of hard work here too and we brought a brand new hot rod for this race and it is even better than what we had here last year.

"I am glad we could convert the effort into a great result. It is only one lap and we have to do a lot more on Sunday but at least we can go home and say we had the fastest car.

"I was more nervous running 90 mph than I was running 200."

Ambrose ran around the 10-turn, 1.99-mile course in 1min15.203s to win the pole with a speed of 95.262 mph.

The pole winner beat five-champ, Jimmie Johnson - a previous winner here - by better than three-tenths of a second.

Ambrose then had to watch Jeff Gordon, winless this season but a five-time winner at this track, run the last lap of the day. Gordon made a valiant effort but came up a little short at 1min15.357s.

The affable Ambrose joked "I tried to act like a wombat and put my head on the ground and just wait," he said, referring to a badger-like creature found in his native Tasmania. Even if he's still seeking his first oval win, another win on a road course would still be sweet. "I've got as good a chance as anyone to win the race."

Greg Biffle will start fourth in a Ford.

Pole-sitter D.J. Kennington took his second victory in two weeks after taking advantage of the misfortune of J.R. Fitzpatrick, and won the NASCAR Canadian Tire Series' EMCO 200 at Delaware Speedway.

Kennington took the lead from Fitzpatrick on lap 158 when the latter had to make an unscheduled pit stop due to a problem with his brakes. Kennington led several laps in early going after starting the race from the pole position in his No. 17 Castrol Edge/Mahindra Tractors Dodge.

It was his second NCTS win of the 2012 season and 13th of his career. Additionally, it was his third win in four starts at his home track.

Defending series champion Scott Steckly overcame some early problems to finish second while Jason Hathaway came home in third. Two-time series champion Andrew Ranger finished fourth followed by Pete Shepherd III in fifth position.

The NASCAR Canadian Tire Series embarks on its three-race swing though Western Canada on Saturday, July 14 for the A&W Cruisin' The Dub 300 at Motoplex Speedway and Event Park in Vernon, B.C.