Month: February 2012

Categories
Audi

Audi RS4 Avant coming to Geneva?

Audi RS4 Avant rendering

According to a leaked document from Audi’s Swiss importer a third-generation RS4 Avant quattro running the 331kW 4.2 litre FSI V8 and S tronic from the RS5 will be making its world premiere at the Geneva Motor Show next month.

The RS4 Avant is the über wagon we covet the most here at AUSmotive HQ, so we say “Joy to the world!”

It’s going to be a busy gig for the Audi girls at the show. They’ll also be removing the covers for three other world premieres, including the limited edition A1 quattro, the third-gen A3 hatchback and the A6 allroad.

There’s even talk the often mentioned, but continually shy, TT RS plus will be on show as well.

[Source: WCF | Rendering: MOMOYAK]

Categories
Formula 1 McLaren Mercedes-Benz

McLaren dismisses PURE speculation

2011 Italian Grand Prix

Later today McLaren will take the wraps off its new MP4-27 F1 car. But a recent article in Gazzetta dello Sport has raised questions over McLaren’s future engine partner when F1 swicthes to V6 turbo engines in 2014.

The report claims McLaren has met with new engine maker PURE to discuss a deal that would see them replace Mercedes as the teams’s engine supplier. PURE is headed by former manager to Jacques Villeneuve and BAR Team Principal Craig Pollock.

A McLaren spokesman has quickly dismissed the claims, “McLaren has had absolutely no contact with Pure for many months.

“Moreover, the contact we did have with Pure, many months ago, was of an entirely informal nature, and was merely a courtesy gesture.”

Pollock, too, has said there’s no backroom deal taking place, “The contact between PURE and McLaren was towards the end of last year when we visited all F1 teams to present the PURE powertrain programme.

“This meeting took place with Gilles Simon and myself along with the pertinent McLaren representatives. There has been no follow up meeting or discussions to date.”

For now, this seems like a nothing story. Although, iIt does appear that PURE will be quite aggressive in trying to enter F1 so we’ll keep watching with interest.

[Source: Reuters & crash.net]

Categories
GM Volkswagen

Volkswagen reckons GM can’t count

Volkswagen Scirocco R

Last month news emerged that GM was the number one car maker in the world last year based on total sales. But, Volkswagen is having none of that and says GM’s sales figures are as rubbery as their tyres.

Volkswagen claim GM’s published total of 9.03 million sales includes almost 2.5 million from Chinese manufacturers in which it owns a minority stake; SAIC (49%) and Liuzhou Wuling (44%).

If you subtract those numbers GM slides down the list to fourth place on the sales charts. First, unsurprisingly, would be Volkswagen (8.16 million sales), followed by Toyota (7.95m), Renault-Nissan (7.39m) and only marginally ahead of Hyundai-Kia (6.53m).

Volkswagen has boldly claimed it wants to be the world’s largest car maker and has previously announced a €51.6 billion plan titled Strategy 2018 to say how it will get there. A total of 10 million annual sales is their goal.

Interestingly, Volkswagen’s own sales figures for 2011 include 2.25 million sales from Shanghai Volkswagen Automotive (Volkswagen owns the maximum allowable 50% under Chinese law), as well as FAW-Volkswagen in which it only has a 40% stake.

GM doesn’t seem too fussed either way, spokesman Jim Cain told the Wall Street Journal they want “to be the best, not necessarily the biggest”.

“If we had announced plans on world domination, we probably would have been quibbling with the sales of our competitors and that’s as far removed from focusing on the customers as you can get,” he added.

[Source: GoAuto]

UPDATE 2 February: New figures released by Renault-Nissan today state they achieved 8.03 million sales in 2011.

Categories
Formula 1

Sutil guilty of causing grievous bodily harm

Adrian Sutil

Former Force India driver Adrian Sutil has been found guilty of causing grievous bodily harm to Eric Lux by a Munich court. The 29-year-old German, who is without a drive in 2012 after being replaced by Nico Hulkenberg, has been given an 18 month suspended jail sentence and a €200,000 fine.

The incident happened in a Shanghai nightclub following last year’s Chinese Grand Prix. Judge Christiane Thiemann found Sutil guilty of injuring Lux, CEO of Genii Capital, with a champagne glass. Lux required several stitches to help heal the resulting neck wound.

Speaking after the two-day trial Sutil said, “Maybe I will take some time out now. Maybe I will do something completely different, think about things in peace.

“At least I shook Mr Lux’s hands. That’s a good thing.”

On the opening day of the trial Sutil claimed he had apologised to Lux several times and said he had no intention of causing him any harm, rather he simply wanted throw a drink in his face.

Prosecutor Nicole Selzam asked the court for a 21 month suspended sentence and a €300,000 fine stating, “Pushing someone away with a glass is adventurous and not in line with our experience of life.

“Professional athletes play a role model function in public life and such incidents should not occur.”

For his part Sutil will be happier the court decided on a lesser sentence and can take some heart that his fine will be paid to charities.

Lewis Hamilton, winner of the 2011 Chinese Grand Prix, was a witness to the events in the Shanghai nightclub but was apparently too busy to attend the court case.

[Source: Reuters | Pic: Sutton Images]

Categories
MINI

Third-generation MINI future model plans

MINI F56 hatch rendering

Car has come up trumps again with new model info, this time concerning the third-generation F56 MINI. They say the current second-gen R5x lineage will end next year with the launch of the Paceman and the F56 rollout will begin shortly thereafter.

First of the new generation models to roll off the production line will be the F56 hatch, rendered above. Its platform will be a joint development with BMW and will underpin a number of models for both brands.

The big news for the F56 line, apparently, is a move to release more five-door variants of the MINI starting with the F54 five-door hatch. It’s due for launch in the first half of 2014 and will counter the Audi A1 Sportback. A four-door F54 Clubman should follow around 12 months later and should put an end to that silly single side door experiment.

Continue reading “Third-generation MINI future model plans”
Categories
BMW Motorsports

BMW M3 DTM war paint revealed

2012 BMW M3 DTM

BMW returns to DTM racing with its M3. Initially, we were very happy about this, but since learning of rumours that this is the sponge sucking money away from the MINI WRC program we’re a little less enthusiastic. Still a racing M3 is a thing to behold and here is what one of the six 2012 M3 DTMs will look like, sporting sponsorship from Castrol Edge and Aral Ultimate.

Continue reading “BMW M3 DTM war paint revealed”