Auto News 5

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) would like to allow dealers to retrofit vehicles with on-off switches for airbags for another three years. Five hundred such requests are reportedly made to the agency every year.

During the 1990s, a number of casualties have been directly attributed to airbag deployment, especially among unrestrained, out-of-position children. It also happened in relatively low speed crashes, and to some small women.

Automakers eventually adopted sophisticated airbags that sense if a small person is sitting in a front seat and deactivates the airbag if not enough weight is detected.

In 1997, the NHTSA approved a regulation allowing dealers and repair businesses to install retrofit on-off switches for frontal airbags in vehicles - with prior written consent by the agency, of course. However, that rule will expire on August 31st, 2012.

Despite all the latest technological advancements in occupant protection, some individuals remain at risk. According to the NHTSA, there have been two confirmed airbag-related adult fatalities in model year 2004 or later vehicles.


_{Source: Detroit News}

Justin Wilson kept the pace in his Dale Coyne Racing DW12 to take his first ever oval race victory, at the Texas Motor Speedway, by taking advantage of a late error by race leader Graham Rahal (Ganassi).

With only two laps to go, the young Rahal clipped the wall allowing Wilson to take over the lead. The Ganassi driver was able to hang on for second. Wilson had already provided Dale Coyne with its first ever victory on a road circuit a couple of season ago, this time it was its first ever win on an oval.

Penske's Ryan Briscoe took third, reporting afterwards that he did not have enough grip to keep pushing in the late stages of the race.

The race was filled with incidents as the aero tweaks introduced by the series left the drivers visibly struggling to hold on to their cars, resulting in constant position changes through the field.

Ganassi's Scott Dixon made a rare error, loosing the rear and spinning  into the Turn 4 wall on lap 173. Teammate and series champion Dario Franchitti also had a difficult race, finishing three laps down after making an unscheduled pitstop halfway through the first stint.

Other incidents involved a drive-through penalty for Will Power (Penske) for having blocked KV Racing's Tony Kanaan.



Race results - IndyCar (Texas)

1. Justin Wilson (Coyne DW12-Honda) - 1h59m02.0131s
2. Graham Rahal (Ganassi DW12-Honda) + 3.9202s
3. Ryan Briscoe (Penske DW12-Chevy) + 5.8619s
4. James Hinchcliffe (Andretti DW12-Chevy) + 10.4511s
5. JR Hildebrand (Panther DW12-Chevy) + 18.7749s
6. Simon Pagenaud (Schmidt DW12-Honda) + 21.3883s
7. Helio Castroneves (Penske DW12-Chevy) + 1 lap
8. Will Power (Penske DW12-Chevy) + 1 lap
9. Alex Tagliani (Herta DW12-Honda) + 1 lap
10. James Jakes ( Coyne DW12-Honda) + 1 lap
11. Tony Kanaan (KV DW12-Chevy) + 1 lap
12. Ed Carpenter (Carpenter DW12-Chevy) + 1 lap
13. Josef Newgarden (Fisher DW12-Honda) + 2 laps
14. Dario Franchitti (Ganassi DW12-Honda) + 3 laps
15. Katherine Legge (Dragon DW12-Chevy) + 4 laps
16. Mike Conway (Foyt DW12-Honda) + 4 laps
17. Marco Andretti (Andretti DW12-Chevy) + 6 laps

Retirements:

Scott Dixon (Ganassi DW12-Honda) - 173 laps
EJ Viso (KV DW12-Chevy) - 129 laps
Oriol Servia (Panther/DRR DW12-Chevy) - 89 laps
Ryan Hunter-Reay (Andretti DW12-Chevy) - 66 laps
Takuma Sato (Rahal DW12-Honda) - 63 laps
Charlie Kimball (Ganassi DW12-Honda) - 29 laps
Rubens Barrichello (KV DW12-Chevy) 0 lap
Simona de Silvestro (HVM DW12-Lotus) 0 lap

Sebastian Vettel will start from pole for the Canadian Grand Prix, ahead of Lewis Hamilton and Fernando Alonso

China's auto market revved to life in May despite the weakening economy, with vehicle sales jumping nearly 23 percent from a year earlier to 1.28 million units.

The giant orange robotic arms that swiftly weld together car frames at the Great Wall Motors factory in Baoding might seem like the perfect answer to China's fast-rising labor costs -- they don't ask for a raise, get injured or go on strike.

French technology company Parrot is betting that drivers want their cars to be fitted with an all-in-one "infotainment" device based on Google's popular Android operating software.

Red Bull driver Sebastian Vettel set Saturday morning the fastest time in the third and final free practice session of the Grand Prix of Canada in Montreal.

Lewis Hamilton of McLaren set the pace early in the session before Fernando Alonso (Ferrari) and Vettel beat his time.

Alonso finished the session in second place ahead of Hamilton, Mark Webber (Red Bull), Pastor Maldonado (Williams), Felipe Massa (Ferrari), Michael Schumacher (Mercedes) and the Lotus pair of Romain Grosjean and Kimi Raikkonen.

Schumacher's teammate Nico Rosberg stopped on the course and Frenchman Jean-Eric Vergne (Toro Rosso) had a spin a the (very) wet grass and hit the tire barriers at slow speed.

Several drivers suffered from wheel lockup under braking and flat spotted their tires.

Qualifying will start this afternoon at 1 pm.



Grand Prix of Canada, Montreal, 3rd free practice session*:

1. Sebastian Vettel (Red Bull-Renault) -  1m14.442s
2. Fernando Alonso ( Ferrari) 1m14.448s
3. Lewis Hamilton (McLaren-Mercedes) - 1m14.712s
4. Mark Webber (Red Bull-Renault) - 1m14.724s
5. Pastor Maldonado (Williams-Renault) - 1m14.755s
6. Felipe Massa (Ferrari) - 1m14.767s
7. Michael Schumacher (Mercedes) - 1m14.796s
8. Romain Grosjean (Lotus-Renault) - 1m14.873s
9. Kimi Raikkonen (Lotus-Renault) - 1m14.977s
10. Nico Hulkenberg (Force India-Mercedes) - 1m14.992s
11. Paul di Resta (Force India-Mercedes) - 1m15.067s
12. Sergio Perez (Sauber-Ferrari) - 1m15.112s
13. Kamui Kobayashi (Sauber-Ferrari) - 1m15.126s
14. Bruno Senna (Williams-Renault) - 1m15.237s
15. Jenson Button (McLaren-Mercedes) - 1m15.327s
16. Daniel Ricciardo (Toro Rosso-Ferrari) - 1m15.498s
17. Vitaly Petrov (Caterham-Renault) - 1m16.268s
18. Heikki Kovalainen (Caterham-Renault) - 1m16.545s
19. Pedro de la Rosa (HRT-Cosworth) - 1m17.705s
20. Timo Glock (Marussia-Cosworth) - 1m17.974s
21. Narain Karthikeyan (HRT-Cosworth) - 1m18.189s
22. Charles Pic (Marussia-Cosworth) 1m18.684s
23. Jean-Eric Vergne (Toro Rosso-Ferrari) - no time
24. Nico Rosberg (Mercedes) - no time
*Unofficial timing

German driver Sebastian Vettel of the Red Bull Racing team clinched pole position for tomorrow's Grand Prix of Canada in Montreal.

Sebastian Vettel, Red Bull (Photo: WRI2)

“We worked very hard to improve the car, there's a hole or not. We had a clean preparation for the race,” said Vettel during the post-race interview.

“We knew it would be tight in qualifying. You make a small mistake and you lose a lot of time here. We saw in Monaco that the Pirelli Super Softs tires are working well, but it all depends on how [the] race will unfold. Making the tires last is tricky here,” he added.

Lewis Hamilton of the McLaren team qualified second.

“The car was working well yesterday in cooler temperatures, and it was not as good today. We captured a reasonably good position at the start. We feel confident because the car was good yesterday on the long runs,” Hamilton said.

Fernando Alonso, Ferrari (Photo: WRI2)

Fernando Alonso qualified his Ferrari in third place.

“There are only five or six corners on this track, that's why it is so close. I am happy with the car, and the new parts are working as expected. We have good grip and we made a step forward in performance. The car works well here on the long straights, which is encouraging,” Alonso explained.

Grand Prix of Canada, Montreal, Qualiying*:

Row 1
Sebastian Vettel (Red Bull RB8-Renault) - 1min13.784s - Q3
Lewis Hamilton (McLaren MP4/27-Mercedes) - 1min14.087s - Q3

Row 2
Fernando Alonso (Ferrari F2012) - 1min14.151s - Q3
Mark Webber (Red Bull RB8-Renault) - 1min14.346s - Q3

Row 3
Nico Rosberg (Mercedes MGP W03) - 1min14.411s - Q3
Felipe Massa (Ferrari F2012) - 1min14.465s - Q3

Row 4
Romain Grosjean (Lotus E20-Renault) - 1min14.645s - Q3
Paul Di Resta (Force India VJM05-Mercedes) - 1min14.705s - Q3

Row 5
Michael Schumacher (Mercedes MGP W03) - 1min14.812s - Q3
Jenson Button (McLaren MP4/27-Mercedes) - 1min15.182s - Q3

Row 6
Kamui Kobayashi (Sauber C31-Ferrari) - 1min14.688s - Q2
Kimi Raikkonen (Lotus E20-Renault) - 1min14.734s - Q2

Row 7
Nico Hulkenberg (Force India VJM05-Mercedes) - 1min14.748s - Q2
Daniel Ricciardo (Toro Rosso STR7-Ferrari) - 1min15.078s - Q2

Row 8
Sergio Perez (Sauber C31-Ferrari) - 1min15.156s - Q2
Bruno Senna (Williams FW34-Renault) - 1min15.170s - Q2

Row 9
Pastor Maldonado (Williams FW34-Renault) - 1min15.231s - Q2
Heikki Kovalainen (Caterham CT01-Renault) - 1min16.263s - Q1

Row 10
Vitaly Petrov (Caterham CT01-Renault) - 1min16.482s - Q1
Jean-Eric Vergne (Toro Rosso STR7-Ferrari) - 1min16.602s - Q1

Row 11
Pedro De La Rosa (HRT F112-Cosworth) - 1min17.492s - Q1
Timo Glock (Marussia MR01-Cosworth) - 1min17.901s - Q1

Row 12
Charles Pic (Marussia MR01-Cosworth) - 1min18.255s - Q1
Narain Karthikeyan (HRT F112-Cosworth) - 1min18.330s - Q1
* Unofficial timing

From GMM

F1's governing body will inspect the new formula one track in Austin, Texas, next week.

The Circuit of the Americas, scheduled to host its inaugural US grand prix in November, is still under construction.

So next week's FIA inspection, as revealed by the local Austin American Statesman newspaper, is not the final one that will give the circuit its mandatory homologation.

"It could, however, alert circuit officials if the FIA sees any potential problems," read the report.

The newspaper said the news of the inspection came from an official of circuit constructor Hermann Tilke's German company.

It was confirmed by American FIA official Nick Craw.

Charlie Whiting, currently officiating in Montreal, is expected to be among the Austin delegation.

The 2012 edition of the 24 Hours of Le Mans will also feature a curtain-raising contest for historic Group C cars.

A Porsche 962 at Road America (Photo: ALMS.com)

The 45-minute race will highlight the event's 80th edition, and commemorate the 30th anniversary of the debuts of the Group C era, that saw manufacturers such as Porsche, Jaguar, Nissan, Toyota and Mercedez-Benz fight for World Endurance Championship glory.

Nissan GTP (Photo: ALMS.com)

It was back in 1982 that Derek Bell and Jacky Ickx, aboard their Rothmans Porsche 956, took victory of the first 24 Hours of Le Mans contested under the Group C regulations.

Start of a Group C race at Sebring (Photo: ALMS.com)

Some industry experts believe that autonomous cars could be sold to the public as early as three to five years from now. When that day comes, drivers will be able to take their hands off the steering wheel to eat, send text messages or check Facebook without committing a driving infraction or worse, endangering the lives of other road users.

Photo: Google

After Nevada in March, California's state Senate approved a bill last month to allow road-testing of autonomous cars. And at least four more states including Arizona, Hawaii, Florida and Oklahoma are planning to follow suit.

Advocates of autonomous or self-driving cars claim they reduce accidents, clear traffic congestion, lower emissions and provide unprecedented mobility to blind or disabled people. On the other hand, critics argue that the technology is unproven and could be unsafe.

Yet intelligent cruise control, blind spot monitoring, lane keeping assist and parking assist systems have been successfully put to use in production vehicles for many years. Public acceptance is perhaps the only remaining roadblock for autonomous cars right now.


_{Source: Detroit News}

From GMM

F1 looks set to call off plans to relocate this year's 'young driver test' to Silverstone.

The original plans, with young and up-and-coming drivers able to get some running in November after the Abu Dhabi grand prix, were called into question due to the unusual calendar congestion at the end of the 2012 season.

So most teams - with the exception of Red Bull, Toro Rosso and McLaren - organised instead to run their young drivers at Silverstone in July.

But according to Germany's Auto Motor und Sport, Bernie Ecclestone has intervened.

The report says the F1 chief executive has informed teams that the Northamptonshire circuit will actually not be available in the week after July's British grand prix.

Ecclestone's race contract with Silverstone also gives him control over the circuit in the days immediately before and after the grand prix.

"Silverstone and the teams had agreed on the test date without first talking to him (Ecclestone)," said the German publication.

The move - interpreted by some as Ecclestone's favour to Abu Dhabi - could "force all the teams to test in Abu Dhabi", it added.

But Ecclestone's move could also backfire, according to Mercedes team boss Ross Brawn.

"There was an unanimous agreement that this year there should be a young drivers' test in two different locations," he said. "This agreement is broken.

"So we are not obliged to go to Abu Dhabi," Brawn insisted.

Sauber's Monisha Kaltenborn agreed: "It is quite possible that most of the teams will cancel the test in Abu Dhabi."

Jon Fogarty and John Edwards each obtained a Grand-Am pole for the second week in a row.

Fogarty, co-driving with Alex Gurney the No. 99 GAINSCO Auto Insurance Corvette DP, recorded his 21st pole.

"We definitely made some pretty aggressive moves for qualifying," said Fogarty, the all-time leader in Rolex Series poles. "Those were pretty bold changes and I'm happy we made them for qualifying."

Canadian Michael Valiante, who shares the No. 90 Spirit of Daytona Corvette DP with Richard Westbrook, banged in the second fastest lap. Ricky Taylor and Max Angelelli, in the No. 10 SunTrust Corvette DP, will start third.

Which means Chevrolet took away the first three starting spots on the grid - actually, the top five is all Corvette's.

In GT, John Edwards, behind the wheel of the No. 57 Stevenson Auto Group Chevrolet Camaro GT.R shared with Robin Liddell, took pole. Andrew Davis (No. 59 Brumos Companies Porsche GT3) clocked the second fastest lap, and Paul Edwards (Autohaus Motorsports) the third best time.

Source: Grand-Am.com



Qualifying results - Grand-Am (Mid-Ohio)
D'après ItaliaRacing.net

1. Fogarty-Gurney (Corvette DP) - Stallings - 1min18.079s
2. Valiante-Westbrook (Corvette DP) - Spirit of Daytona - 1min18.443s
3. Angelelli-Taylor (Corvette DP) - SunTrust - 1min18.499s
4. Donohue-Borcheller (Corvette DP) - ActionExpress - 1min18.771s

5. Barbosa-Law-France (Corvette DP) - ActionExpress - 1min18.911s

6. Pruett-Rojas (Riley-BMW) - Ganassi - 1min19.255s

7. Negri-Pew (Riley-Ford) - Shank - 1min19.837s

8. Luhr-Popow (Riley-Ford) - Starworks - no time

9. Dalziel-Potolicchio (Riley-Ford) - Starworks - no time
Etc.

History/Description: Selection, style and capability were arguably the biggest draws to the outgoing generation of the Ford Escape. With four- and six-cylinder power, front- or all-wheel drive, generous ground clearance and a large span of options and packages, this Canadian favorite offered a variation that was just right for virtually any shopper.

2008 Ford Escape (Photo: Philippe Champoux)

The 2008 Escape offered a 153-hp, 2.3L 4-cylinder and a 200-hp, 3.0L V6.

Model year 2009 saw engineers fit a new 171-hp, 2.5L four, while the V6's output was bumped to 240 hp. A 5-speed manual was offered on base trims, while a 6-speed automatic was standard on the rest of the line-up.

All models were five-seaters, and feature content included heated leather, SYNC, steering wheel audio controls, a sunroof and automatic climate control. Key competitors included the Toyota RAV4, Honda CR-V and Nissan Rogue.

What Owners Like: Performance from the V6 engine, off-road capability with all-wheel drive, a sporty and comfortable ride and a flexible interior were all rated highly by owners. A commanding driving position, comfortable seats and exterior styling are also owner favorites.

What Owners Dislike: Common complaints include transmission ‘gear hunting,' noisy engines, poor performance from the factory stereo system and higher-than-expected levels of road noise.

Common Issues: Approach your used Escape looking for signs of automatic transmission trouble. Hard shifting, ‘flaring' or slipping during gear changes could all be signs of trouble. Ensure the unit shifts between Drive and Reverse as quickly as you'd expect, too. Apparently, a problem within the transmission itself is to blame. Some reports of transmission failure have been made, too.

Ensure the transmission on the used Escape you're considering operates as expected, and have a mechanical inspection completed regardless. Additionally, an issue with the transmission cooler may cause a potentially damaging fluid leak.

2009 Ford Escape (Photo: Matthieu Lambert)

Continue reading 2008-2012 Ford Escape Pre-Owned

A plant deep in the American South has emerged as a proving ground for the UAW's new model to turn around three decades of failure to unionize foreign auto plants on U.S. soil.

Mercedes-Benz will offer its flagship SLS AMG as the 2013 SLS AMG GT late this year. It will get a boost in horsepower and a refreshing for the upcoming model year.

A euro-zone breakup could cut European car sales to less than 10 million vehicles this year, Fiat CEO Sergio Marchionne said.

Luxury plug-in hybrid maker Fisker Automotive has opened a new dealership with Penske Automotive Group in Scottsdale, Ariz., but consumers will dictate whether the companies open more stores together.

The intrepid Bimmerphiles over at www.e90post.com have uncovered a few drawings from BMW's latest patent request.

A Chinese auto supplier with local ties reached a settlement today with the federal Department of Justice on claims it misclassified parts made in China to avoid $2.5 million in duties.