Autoweek Daily Drive — Wednesday, May 16, 2012

HOME   |   CAR NEWS   |   CAR REVIEWS   |   RACING   |   AUTO SHOWS   |   VIDEOS   |   COLLECTOR   |   SUBSCRIBE Wednesday, May 16, 2012                  Conor Daly, from Noblesville, Ind., won last weekend's GP3 race in Barcelona. On Wednesday, Force India... American Conor Daly to test drive for Force India's Formula One race team As reported first and exclusively by Autoweek on Tuesday, Indiana-born Conor Daly, son of ex-Formula One driver Derek Daly, is taking one more step in his father's shoes as the Force India Formula One team announced on Wednesday morning that Daly will be testing for the team. Daly is currently racing in the GP3 series for his second year, presently for Lotus GP, for which Daly won ...   GM cuts Facebook ad spending, but Ford steps on the gas On the eve of Facebook's wildly anticipated initial public stock offering, General Motors said May 15 that it will stop buying advertisements on Facebook--about $10 million a year--but "remains committed" to the social network as part of "an aggressive content strategy with all our products and...   New Nissan Altima guns for bigger slice of midsize-sedan segment Nissan North America has launched production in Tennessee of the redesigned 2013 Altima sedan that it hopes will challenge the family-sedan supremacy of the   Can Maserati maintain the magic? Can Maserati, the glittering 98-year-old brand symbolized by flashy portholes, sonorous V8s and the sporting excellence of Juan Manuel Fangio, go mainstream? The   Escape Roads: 1943 Volkswagen Kübelwagen Before the Volkswagen Beetle went into mass production as the “People's Car,” the technology of the new KdF-Wagen—as the Beetle was then known—was coopted for the war effort. As a result, the postwar...   Lola Cars battling financial problems, seeking new owner Race-car manufacturer Lola is set to go into administration--the U.K. equivalent of Chapter 11--after hitting a cash-flow shortfall. The company says the decision will provide an opportunity to find new investors or a new owner. A statement from Lola Group Holdings today said: “The... You May Have Missed...   Fiat 500L five-door spotted Autoweek spotted this manufacturer-plated Fiat 500L earlier this week on the streets of suburban Detroit. With its round headlights and cheerful grille, the five-door hatchback's resemblance to its three-door cousin is apparent even under its coat of liberally applied camouflage.While the 500L and...   The Elegance, the other old-car event in Hershey, returns for 2012 The course itself measures less than a mile, but it's been a much longer road for the Hershey Hillclimb, with many dips and turns since its late-1950s genesis as a local amateur event, to the salad days of the '60s, to a sputtering revival earlier this century.All of that preparation, all of that...   Former Ford CEO Red Poling dead at 86 DETROIT -- Harold "Red" Poling, the CEO who helped revive Ford Motor Co. after steering the automaker through the recession of the early 1990s, died on Saturday in Pacific Grove, Calif. He was 86."Red Poling was an extraordinary leader who had a profound impact on Ford Motor Co. and everyone who...   Jeff Gordon faces uphill battle to make Chase in disappointing NASCAR Sprint Cup season Doubtless Jeff Gordon was happy for his boss.In a euphoric victory lane, team owner Rick Hendrick celebrated his long-awaited 200th victory, a win delivered by five-time champion Jimmie Johnson, NASCAR Sprint Cup racing's most prolific winner since he entered the series full-time in 2002.Gordon,...   Field shaping up for Tony Stewart's Prelude to the Dream short-track extravaganza at Eldora Track owner and competitor Tony Stewart has announced the lineup for his Prelude to the Dream dirt-track Late Model race on June 6 at Eldora Speedway in Rossburg, Ohio. Proceeds from the HBO pay-per-view telecast of the eighth-annual charity race will benefit Feed The Children, which has helped...   Marco Andretti leads the way in practice as Chevrolet has a big day at Indianapolis Andretti Autosport's Marco Andretti finished with the top speed on Tuesday during IndyCar practice at Indianapolis Motor Speedway after being third on Monday. His best lap was 223.676 mph, which is the fastest of the month so far.Drafting again was a big factor as cars circled the IMS oval in...   BMW 135is coupe and 135is convertible available for order BMW announced that it will expand its 1-series lineup with the addition of the 2013 BMW 135is coupe and 135is convertible.The enthusiast-oriented 135is models will be powered by BMW's TwinPower 3.0-liter I6 engine that will produce 320 hp and 317 lb-ft of torque after factory tuning. That's a 20-hp ...   Kurt Busch fined, placed on probation for reckless driving at Darlington NASCAR has fined Kurt Busch $50,000 and placed him on probation until July 25 for his actions during last weekend's Sprint Cup Series race at Darlington Raceway. The driver for Phoenix Racing was cited for violating Section 12-1 of the NASCAR Rule Book.Officials determined that Busch drive...   Porsche revs up the 918 hybrid: Autoweek TV Also in this episode: Chevrolet makes Trax with new small SUV, we take the Toyota Prius C for a spin, and safety officials check the airbags on the Hyundai Elantra.TRANSCRIPT-- Porsche's hybrid supercar gets closer to production.-- Chevy previews a new small SUV.-- The feds check the Hyundai...   Williams F1 Team still assessing damage from garage fire at Spanish Grand Prix Williams F1 Team chief operating engineer Mark Gillan said on Tuesday that his team is still assessing the damage to its garage equipment in Sunday's fire following the Formula One race in Barcelona.The cause of the fire is still undetermined.The fire started behind an area where the team's...   Fan vote likely to put Dale Earnhardt Jr. into NASCAR Sprint All-Star race at Charlotte There's a question mark in the space beside the words “Fan Vote” on a recent announcement touting Saturday night's Sprint All-Star Race at Charlotte Motor Speedway. The announcement lists the 20 drivers already in the race and has blank spaces for the winner and runner-up of the Sprint...   Lewis Hamilton and Tony Stewart teach you how to drive in online game Think you have what is takes to become a serious driver? Why not prove it to yourself and everyone on the Internet with Mobil 1 Racing Academy? Now you can retrace the careers of both Lewis Hamilton and Tony Stewart in an online racing game. If that sounds as if it's your chance to be a “Juke ...   Formula One opportunity could be knocking for rising American star Conor Daly Expect a formal announcement early Wednesday about American race car driver Conor Daly's motorsports future. Sources in Indiana, where Daly is from, confirmed that the announcement will regard a deal that Daly, 20, has signed with a well-regarded Formula One team. This puts two American drivers on ... CLICK HERE TO UNSUBSCRIBE from the Autoweek Daily Drive E-mail or to sign up for other Autoweek e-mail products. IMPORTANT: Please add Autoweek.com to your E-mail Address Book to ensure you will continue to receive our newsletters. Please DO NOT reply to this e-mail. You will not receive a reply if you use this e-mail address. Crain Communications, 1155 Gratiot Ave. Detroit, MI 48207.