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From GMM

Lotus has become the second team to announce it would be happy to operate within a budget cap.

A few years ago, former FIA president Max Mosley's push for teams to be confined to an even playing field when it comes to spending power was angrily rejected, resulting in a bitter political war.

But Sauber said recently that it would be happy if the idea was proposed again.

Like the Swiss team, Lotus has also agreed a new commercial Concorde Agreement with Bernie Ecclestone, as have the 'grandee' outfits Ferrari, McLaren and Red Bull.

But on the issue of a budget cap, they apparently do not agree.

"Some teams do not realise that we need to do something on the cost side," Lotus team owner Gerard Lopez told Germany's Auto Motor und Sport.

"Most do agree, but unfortunately there are a few obstructionists."

As for a budget cap specifically, Lopez revealed: "There is no problem with it. It would reward the smartest ones."

From GMM

A steady regroup is not possible for the Ferrari team, Stefano Domenicali has claimed.

The famous Italian team's boss admitted in Shanghai that while the F2012 was eight tenths off the genuine dry pace in Malaysia, the gap is even bigger this weekend.

Technical chief Pat Fry, a Briton who used to work at McLaren, warned that Ferrari needs to change its "fundamental methodologies" in order to return to the front.

Mercedes, arguably with a faster car than Ferrari in 2012, has spoken of a steady push towards a title tilt that could take several years.

But Luca di Montezemolo, Ferrari president, has hinted Maranello's problems could be firmly in the past in a matter of races.

So is a three-year plan possible for Ferrari, a team either revered by its Tifosi or said to be in deep crisis?

"No," Domenicali firmly told Germany's Die Welt newspaper.

"If I said that publicly, I would have a lot of problems and I would have to move somewhere high in the Dolomites," he joked.

History/Description: The MKX was Lincoln's venture into the luxury crossover segment occupied by such brands as BMW, Infiniti, Acura and Audi when it launched for the 2007 model year. Like most of its competition, it packed V6 power, available all-wheel drive, heaps of leather and numerous high-end features like a premium audio system by THX, leather seating, Bluetooth, navigation, an oversized sunroof and plenty more.

2007 Lincoln MKX (Photo: Lincoln)

Look for all models with a six-speed automatic transmission and 3.5L 265-horsepower engine. The MKX would seat five and was noted for its unique looks and spirited performance. The MKX didn't offer up a V8 engine, a low range or huge towing capacities - though it should work well as an all-weather on-road cruiser that's capable of light to moderate off-road work, too.

What Owners Like: Styling, comfort, power, and handling are often highly rated by MKX owners. Many note that despite its comfort on long voyages, the MKX has a potent, sporty side. The THX stereo system, interior roominess, flexibility and seat comfort are highly rated as well.

What Owners Dislike: Many MKX owners wish for more steering feel, better fuel economy, stronger feedback through the brake pedal, and longer life from the factory tires.

Common Issues: The first-generation MKX may suffer from several fairly minor issues that test drivers should be familiar with.

First off, numerous reports of bad rear wheel bearings mean that test drivers should ‘listen' for a fairly loud roaring noise from the rear of the vehicle. If present, be sure to have the repair calculated into your purchase price.

The sensors and computer that control the MKX's transmission may also be an issue, so note any clumsy, hard shifting or slipping as you drive. If any of the above are present, a mechanic should check the vehicle over to determine why.

“Check Engine” or other warning lights can illuminate for numerous reasons - many of which are sensor related. Be sure to note the presence of any such lights in the instrument cluster. Also, an “ABS” or “Traction Control” light may illuminate because of a problem with the wheel-speed sensors.

2008 Lincoln MKX (Photo: Lincoln)

Continue reading 2007-2010 Lincoln MKX Pre-Owned

Although Marco Andretti was able to set the fastest time in the first practice session on a wet track in preparation for the Grand Prix of Long Beach, the second session was cancelled due to heavy rain.

Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing's Takuma Sato was second-quickest but still ended-up his day's work by spinning and hitting the wall just after Turn 10. HVM's Simona de Silvestro crashed almost simultaneously at Turn 9, causing the session to be briefly red-flagged, meaning that there was little opportunity for anyone to change the order.

AJ Foyt Racing's Mike Conway was third-fastest ahead of KV Racing's Tony Kanaan and Panther's JR Hildebrand, who was one of the few drivers to improve after the restart.

Several drivers elected not to run at all in anticipation of drier conditions over the rest of the weekend.
In the afternoon, a thunderstorm shortly before the session was due to begin was followed by showers throughout the hour that had been allocated for running.

Only the Ganassi duo formed by Dario Franchitti and Scott Dixon tried to make it around the street circuit but Franchitti returned right after his installation lap while his teammate, less fortunate, ended in the barriers.

The weather is forecasted to be clear and dry for the remainder of the weekend.

Chevy says it will cease production on its Avalanche crew cab pickup, with a final run of 2013 Black Diamond editions.

The final models will feature body-colour bed surrounds, unique badging, and lower prices. Additional features will appear on the LS and LT trims, including rearview cameras. Base prices have gone down $2,500.

2013 Chevrolet Black Diamond Avalanche (Photo: General Motors)

Among the innovative features introduced by Avalanche over its run is a midgate that extends the bed into the cab. Crew cab pickups that do family duty as well as work duty have grown steadily since the Avalanche was introduced, and by 2011 accounted for 65% of light-duty pickup sales.

A specially equipped Avalanche transported the Olympic Flame during the Torch Relay prior to the 2002 Olympic Winter Games in Salt Lake City.

Motor Trend called it the Truck of the Year in 2001; the Automobile Journalists Association of Canada gave it the same honour in 2007. Popular Mechanics in 2002 awarded it the Design and Engineering award. Chevy has sold more than 580,000 Avalanches since its introduction in 2001.

2013 Chevrolet Black Diamond Avalanche (Photo: General Motors)

As homage to the London-to-Brighton classic car relay, the Automobile Journalists Association of Canada has organized a Brighton-to-London run of its own, this time in Ontario, and featuring green vehicles instead of classics.

Event organizers hope to highlight for consumers the breadth of options available to those who are fed up at the pumps — 21 green vehicles include hybrids, EVs and other advanced technologies.


The three-day route highlights green student initiatives with stops at the University of Ontario Institute of Technology in Oshawa, which runs the only accredited automotive engineering program in Canada. Their world-class Automotive Centre of Excellence features a unique climatic wind tunnel which can produce a storm at any temperature from -40 to +60 degrees Celsius.

Centennial College, another stop on the route, offer Technical Standards and Safety Authority-accredited courses in alt fuels such as natural gas and propane, as well as specialized training in hybrid systems maintenance. Another stop is Toronto's Evergreen Brick Works, which in 2010 National Geographic named one of the world's top 10 geotourism destinations. McMaster University in Hamilton is the future home of the $26-million McMaster Automotive Resource Centre featuring the world's most advanced dynamometers.

Finally, London's Fanshawe College, where students can study to be automotive technicians, will show off its eco-friendly facility, which has a vegetated green roof system over shop areas, storm water reclamation for toilets, solar hot water preheating, and solar-powered GPS tracking skylights for natural day lighting in the auto shop.

Event partners are CAA and Natural Resources Canada.

Here is our selection of world rally cars that stand out from the pack because of their outstanding results or their stunning technical features, even if some of them never have won an event or a title.

At the beginning of the World Championship, the rally cars are quite simple machines. Then, the rally world entered the mighty Group B era where scary, super powerful cars were the rule. Then, the FIA imposed the WRC regulations destined to bring the rally cars closer to their road going cousins.

The next photos should bring good memories to many!

Photo : WRI2

10. MG Metro 6R4
Group B car created in 1985 and fitted with a V-6 engine. Started to race in 1986 but abandoned following the ban put on Group B cars.

Continue reading Rally: Top 10 historical world rally cars

Ricky Stenhouse Jr. rocketed away from Denny Hamlin and Paul Menard on a restart with six-laps to go at Texas and headed to his second NASCAR Nationwide Series win of the year.

Driving a Ford Mustang Stenhouse, on Friday night, said "then that last restart Mike (Kelley his crew chief) decided to go with no changes on that last pit stop which I wasn't fond of but he knows what he is doing which is why he gets paid to do that.

"That last restart, it was crazy man. I think I spent the whole five laps or whatever it was under caution just praying for a good restart and everything worked out for us. It was fun racing those guys. I had to drive it in turn three wide open with Denny on the left rear of us and got us a little bit loose but we managed to hang on and pull it off."

It was Stenhouse's fourth career victory and fourth Nationwide Series win for his Roush Fenway Racing team at the mile and-a-half Texas Motor Speedway. Including Sprint Cup and the Camping World Series it's the 17th time an RFR driver visited victory lane and got a cowboy [hat] as well as the trophy.

Menard who ended up second in a Richard Childress Chevrolet said "I kept up with Ricky pretty good, but, we kind of spun our tires. I think we probably let him get away a little bit."

Kasey Kahne passed pole-sitter Hamlin for third place while Hamlin finished fourth in a Toyota.

Driven: Hennessey Cadillac V700 Wagon

Please Hammer, don't hurt em.

If you've ever driven a Cadillac CTS-V, you know that the main problem is that it's not fast enough. The 98-pound weakling under the hood makes only 556 hp, barely enough to pull Bambi across the proverbial frozen pond. Fortunately, longtime speed merchant John Hennessey recognized the Caddy's noodle-armed feebleness and resolved to do something about it, creating the V700 package at his Texas skunk works. With a little old-fashioned hot-rodding, perhaps the CTS-V could be transformed into something that's not a plodding embarrassment to all America.

Photo Gallery: Hennessey Cadillac V700 Wagon - Driven - Automobile Magazine

Photo Gallery: Hennessey Cadillac V700 Wagon - Driven - Automobile Magazine

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The men who brought you hydropneumatic suspension, a charmingly doofy peasant's car and a

2011 Honda Odyssey Touring Elite - Saying Goodbye

Our Odyssey is gone.

With a grand total of 36,630 miles traveled, the Honda Odyssey goes down in the Automobile Magazine record books as one of the highest mileage Four Seasons cars we've ever had. This isn't necessarily surprising when you consider that from the moment it arrived at our office, the Odyssey was the go-to vehicle for family vacations and road trips.

Photo Gallery: 2011 Honda Odyssey Touring Elite - April 2012 - Automobile Magazine

Photo Gallery: 2011 Honda Odyssey Touring Elite - April 2012 - Automobile Magazine

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Also in this episode: The government pushes brake-override systems,

It's been a year since Jann Mardenborough entered the PlayStation GT Academy.

The global automotive industry faces a "severe" shortage of a resin used to make fuel and brake components that may interrupt production "in the next few weeks," according to a top supplier executive.

General Motors will press Latin American governments to respect existing trade agreements despite a protectionist trend round the region that the U.S. automaker fears could complicate manufacturers' investment plans, a senior executive said.

Ninety-three year-old Rachel Veitch retired her 1964 Mercury Comet Caliente this week. She had racked up more than 576,000 miles on the odometer.

This clip has been around the Web a bit, so some autoweek.com readers have already seen it. In our judgment, it's worth watching again.

Dan Knott, the highly regarded head of purchasing who restored Chrysler Group's reputation with its suppliers, has taken a medical retirement effective immediately. Chrysler named Scott Kunselman as its new head of purchasing.

Mazda 6 Venture Edition announced with standard satellite-navigation

Bugatti unveiled the Veyron 16.4 Grand Sport Vitesse convertible at the