FIA president Max Mosley on Tuesday agreed to send the espionage case against McLaren to the governing body’s Court of Appeal.

Following the written request of Ferrari’s national sanctioning organisation, the Automobile Club d’Italia (ACI), Mosley said it was right to further investigate the case because Ferrari had not been allowed to present evidence in last Thursday’s hearing of the World Motor Sport Council.

McLaren in Paris was found to be in breach of clause 151c of the International Sporting Code but was not penalised, which in ACI president Luigi Macaluso’s view is “quite difficult to justify”.
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Land Rover is likely to add a new version of the Freelander/LR2 mid-sized SUV, which is expected to join the current five-seater version in roughly 18 months time. The new model will feature seating for up to seven passengers and is being designed to thwart sales of new arrivals such as the Peugeot 4007 and Chevrolet Captiva.

Officials from Land Rover have denied claims that such a model is in development but, according to AutoExpress, the car will enter production featuring two removable seats in the boot.

At 4.5m in length, the Freelander is slightly shorter than many of its rivals but its long wheelbase and spacious boot (1,670L) means that it can easily accommodate the extra seats. Also rumored to be in development is a new smaller Land Rover, but the arrival of this model is still years away.

Triple world champion Nelson Piquet lost his driver’s license in Brazil last month, according to reports. The news agency Globo News said the 54-year-old, whose son Piquet Jr tests for the Renault team, lost all of his demerit points due to a range of traffic infringements, including speeding. Piquet reportedly did not contest the cancellation of his credential.

Brazilian authorities would not however confirm the news, or answer speculation that the final infringement was a speeding breach of more than 50kph above the legal limit.

To regain his license, former Brabham and Williams racer Piquet began a driving reform programme in the central capital Brasilia on Monday.

He will be accompanied throughout the eight days of classes by his wife Viviane, whose license was confiscated for bad driving, the newspaper O Globo added. (GMM)

It’s finally official. Alfa Romeo will return to US shores next year with the debut of the 8C Competizione supercar. Maserati North America boss Jim Selwa made the announcement at the unveiling of the final production version of the US-spec 8C at the Meadow Brook Concours d’Elegance over the weekend. According to Selwa, the 8C will be priced upwards of $200,000 and only about 100 cars are earmarked for the US.

Production of the new 8C will top 500 units for the coupe and another 500 for the convertible Spider, making it one of the most exclusive Alfas in history. Alfa Romeo cars haven’t been sold in the US since 1995. Back then they were known for their unreliability and shoddy workmanship.

A lot has changed over the past decade. Today Alfa produces some of the most stylish cars on the market and has quickly caught up with some of its European rivals, although there is still some way to go.

The new 8C flagship features a carbon fiber body, a 450hp 4.7L V8 and a six-speed paddle-shifter transmission. Following the 8C, Alfa is expected to launch its 159 Sedan and Brera Coupe.

For years, Ferrari’s lightweight models have been getting all the attention, but with the F430 Scuderia still several months away Lamborghini has been basking in the spotlight thanks to its own Gallardo Superleggera (“Super Light”) model. Lamborghini’s new model been on sale since its debut back at March’s Geneva Motor Show and has quickly garnered a reputation for being one of the most potent cars it has produced since the Diablo GTR. The lightened Gallardo is a car that oozes performance, from its aggressive carbon-fiber wing to its gaping side intakes and muscular stance. According to the results of our test center the car weighs just a feather over 1,500kg (with the full fuel load), but the difference of 100kg between it and the heavier Gallardo S.E. is something that shouldn’t be underrated.
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We’ve seen the prototypes testing at the Nurburgring and read about the Lambo-sourced V10 engine. Now, we finally get a glimpse of what the final production version of the RS-prepped Audi R8 should look like. The current V8 model is already impressive enough to compete with Porsche’s best and can even give its Gallardo cousin a run for its money, but with a V10 powerplant on board developing around 500hp, the new RS version of the R8 will be in another league altogether.

Key differences between the V10 model and the regular R8 are the larger air intakes along the sides. The trademark side blades will be sculpted to form the larger opening, while pumped rear guards emphasize the larger ten-cylinder powerplant.

Whether or not the new model will be called an RS is still undetermined. Other names that have been suggested include ‘R8-S’, similar to the sporty TT variants, or ‘R10’ to denote the new engine as well as allude to Audi’s diesel Le Mans racer.

To ensure that the new model doesn’t tread on the toes of the much more exclusive Gallardo, Lamborghini is expected to upgrade the baby supercar to maintain a performance buffer.

Possibly one of the rarest Bugatti Veyrons on the planet was spotted at a car show in Dubai sporting an equally rare United Arab Emirates ‘1’ license plate. You’d think that only the Sheik would have enough influence to own such a car and number plate but info sourced from Autoblog.nl suggest that the car is owned by a Russian project developer living in Dubai. Other cars said to be in his collection include a SLR McLaren, Pagani Zonda, Maybach 62, Ferrari F430, Lamborghini Murcielago, Hummer H2 and a G55 Mercedes.

Some reports also suggest that the special Pegaso Veyron develops more power than the official 1,001hp figure, with most estimates around the 1,200hp mark. Pegaso was a Spanish coachbuilder that built a series of luxurious sports cars during the 1950s and worked closely with Ferrari and Alfa Romeo during this time.

The Hennessey-tuned Venom 1000 Dodge Viper has eclipsed the world’s fastest car, the Bugatti Veyron, in a 0-200mph winner takes all shoot-out conducted by Road & Track, The twin-turbocharged Viper managed a best time of 20.3 seconds, almost four full seconds clear of the quad-turbo Veyron in second place, which took 24.2 seconds to reach 200mph.

Thanks to its twin Garrett turbochargers, the modified Viper doubles the output of the standard model’s V10 with a final figure of 1000hp (746kW) and 1100 ft-lbs of torque, making it one of the most powerful road-registered cars in the world.

Other notable mentions include a Ruf Rt12, Mercedes-Benz McLaren SLR, a Lamborghini Murcielago, and a Lingenfelter supercharged Corvette.

True to the rumours, Sebastian Vettel will indeed replace Scott Speed at Toro Rosso for the rest of the 2007 season.

The Faenza based team, and 20-year-old Vettel’s now former employer BMW-Sauber, confirmed the news with separate official statements on Tuesday. Starting in Hungary this year, the German “will drive for the team in all the remaining rounds of the 2007 FIA formula one world championship” alongside Vitantonio Liuzzi, Toro Rosso said.

Vettel is a long term protege of the Red Bull Junior Team since his karting days at the age of 12, but his career has jointly been guided by BMW through Formula BMW and Formula 3.

BMW-Sauber’s test and reserve driver so far in 2007, the Munich manufacturer confirmed on Tuesday that it is “allowing Sebastian Vettel to take the step into a formula one (race) cockpit.”

Secondary test driver Timo Glock now moves into Vettel’s reserve role, and despite leading the GP2 championship would forgo a race in the support category should he have to replace either Nick Heidfeld or Robert Kubica, BMW said. BMW boss Mario Theissen commented: “We have sponsored and coached Sebastian over a number of years. To place obstacles in his career path now would go against our concept of talent promotion.” (GMM)

MG under the guidance of China’s Nanjing has developed a new hatchback model based on the original Rover 25 that was sold up until 2005. When MG and Rover were split, Nanjing Auto managed to scoop up the tooling for the car and as evidenced by these latest spy shots a new MG3 has already begun production.

Set for launch next year, the new MG3 is likely to be manufactured in China as there are no plans to expand the Longbridge site in the UK yet. According to some reports the car could also revive the original Austin label, which will be used to market a range of affordable models from Nanjing.

Powering the car will be a series of four-cylinder petrol engines ranging in displacement from 1.1 to 1.8L. A 2.0L diesel engine was also offered with the original Rover hatch but there’s no world on whether Nanjing will pick up the oil-burner.
Via: China Car Forums

General Motors has beat market expectations by posting a $891 million profit for the second quarter, stark contrast to the $3.4 billion loss it made in the same period only one year ago. This was the third straight quarter of profits for GM, which cited improve sales in new markets as the main reason for the improvement.

CEO Rick Wagoner commented that the “heavy commitment to key growth markets around the world really paid off in strong growth and earnings,” reports the Associated Press.

Despite the good news, GM still made a loss of $39 million back home in the States but a large part of this was associated with the $520 million in charges surrounding the restructuring of Delphi Corp. Excluding these special items, GM claims its profit would have been a staggering $1.4 billion.

Following the success of the new 500, Fiat is considering adding another model to the minicar segment to compete with similar cars expected from Toyota and Renault. If given the green light, the new minicar could arrive on the market by the end of the decade with a price tag close to €5,000.

Back in 2000, Fiat unveiled the Ecobasic at the Geneva Motor Show. The original concept car was designed as a cost-effective urban runabout with a targeted fuel consumption figure of 3.0L/100km and a kerb weight of just 750kg. Though the concept was never meant for production, certain elements such as its plastic construction, low rolling resistant tires and ultra-efficient diesel engine could be carried over to the new minicar.

Ford has developed a special long-wheelbase version of the new Mondeo sedan and the model was spotted recently in China where it joins other China-specific LWB models from the likes of BMW and Volkswagen Group. The first pictures of the stretched Mondeo have turned up on the Chinese forum SoulImage, and clearly show the lengthened Ford sedan’s longer wheelbase and extended rear door.

In China, it’s not uncommon for even mainstream models like a Mondeo to be chauffeur driven. Even if a LWB Mondeo is released in China, it’s unlikely it’ll be sold in any other markets. Ford is clearly on a winner with the new Mondeo, which has been a sales success in the UK and throughout Europe.
Via SoulImage.cn

TechArt has released its latest Magnum upgrade for the facelifted Porsche Cayenne following the success it had with the original series based on the first Cayenne. More than 500 units of the Magnum were produced, spurring developers to create a new package for the facelifted model in time for a world debut at September’s Frankfurt Motor Show.

Like the predecessor, the new enhancements consists of a full body-kit with flared fenders, additional headlights and daytime running lights and a stainless-steel sport exhaust system with two chrome tailpipes on either side. The largest wheel size customers can opt for is a chunky 22in design fitted with 335mm rubber at the rear, capable of driving at 300km/h.

Reaching that speed shouldn’t be a problem thanks to some health power upgrades, with engine tuning of the Cayenne Turbo presenting up to 620hp (456kW). Inside, TechArt has added an ergonomically shaped sport steering wheel and carbon-fiber applications for the cockpit, new leather trim for the seats, door and side trim, dashboard, roof pillars and headliner.

Pontiac is to become GM’s ‘affordable performance’ brand, dropping vehicles like the Torrent crossover in favor of sporty sedans and coupes like the G8 and the upcoming Solstice coupe. The new coupe is due next year as a 2009 model and will feature a higher performance version of the current inline-four, but a V6 unit has been ruled out. The new model based on the coupe-concept version will join the roadster, with the two soldiering on until a redesigned version arrives for the 2011 model year.

The entry-level G5 will be replaced with a new version for the 2010 model year and is likely to pickup up a RWD layout. As for the G6, designers are in need of a new RWD architecture for the next model. Previous plans called for the FWD Epsilon 2 platform but engineers will now turn to GM’s new RWD Alpha platform currently being developed. However, legislation being debated surrounding tougher CAFE standards has put the project on hold.

Like the Torrent, Pontiac will no longer sell the Grand Prix after the current model runs out at the end of the year, reports Automotive News.

Attention now turns to the V8 muscle cars. We already know almost everything about the new G8. Base models will get a 261hp3.6L V6 and performance GT models get a 362hp 6.0L V8. As for a new GTO or Firebird, insiders at GM say it’s unlikely at this point given the political and environmental climate.