FIA announced last week that negotiations conducted with Eurosport for the transmission of World Rally Championship failed, so WRC will have no promoter for the 2012 season. The WRC 2012 season will not be transmitted internationally by any television, so that promoting competition will be very modest. “FIA regrets to announce that it was not possible to find an international promoter of the 2012 season World Rally Championship. FIA was involved in lengthy and detailed discussions with stakeholders, but some problems proved impossible to reconcile, and finally decided to withdraw from negotiations”. Following this decision, FIA rally informed the organizers that for this season, they will have to find their own TV stations that will broadcast WRC stages. The only alternative is the videos made ​​by manufacturers and partners in the 2012 WRC season, and videos taken with cameras mounted on cars.

Ferrari Formula 1 drivers: Fernando Alonso and Felipe Massa have been given a copy of the new Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT8, because of the European launch of the SRT Jeep performance division (Street and Racing Technology). Because of the relationship of ownership between Fiat and Chrysler Group, is easy to understand how the new Jeep Grand Gherokee SRT8 stopped in court of the Scuderia, making the new car of Fernando Alonso and Felipe Massa. Under the hood lies a 6.4 liter V8 HEMI engine capable of delivering 465 horsepower and624 Nm. This great SUV can reach 100 km/h in just 4.8 seconds with a top speed of 257 km/h. To prove that not everything is for the engine, Jeep public the braking distance from 100 km / h to 0 : 35 meters. The debut of the new Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT8 on the European market will be from March this year.

Ford began production of the Ford Focus with 1.0-liter EcoBoost engine. The new three-cylinder engine is the most efficient petrol model, in terms of fuel consumption, Ford’s ever built. Ford Focus with the new 1.0-liter EcoBoost engine and 100 hp has a fuel consumption ofjust 4.8 l/100/km. Turbocharged direct injection engine is also available on the Focus in the125 hp version with a consumption of only 5l/100km. The new 1.0-liter EcoBoost engine has the same performance as the models equipped with diesel engines, due to a constant torque of 170Nm between 1.400rpm and 4.500rpm. Ford has invested over 134 million euros to develop a special line of high-tech factory in Cologne (Germany), to build this engine. Also this year, the production of this engine will start on the Ford factory in Craiova (Romania) too, European production capacity could reach 700,000 engines a year.

The production of an Lamborghini SUV was confirmed by an Audi official, in an interview for AutomotiveNews, where he said that: “the assumptions presented by the media are largely correct.” The engine of the new SUV will be made ​​entirely by people from Lamborghini, who pledged to not use turbines by 2020, so we can expect to be used the V10 engine from Gallardo. The most powerful configuration of this engine has 570 hp and is offered in a four-wheel drive version, but the Italians could offer a hybrid version that provides 700 hp help by an electric motor. Lamborghini brand’s first SUV was: LM002, and was produced between 1986 and 1993. The off-roader design was massive, angular, completely different from what Lamborghini promoted at that time and resembled more with american brand car: Hummer.

Citroen DS range was awarded with the Grand Design Award and Sebastien Loeb was awarded with the Palme d’Or prise, were the 2 trophies obtained by the French company. DS3, DS4 and DS5 are the models from the Citroen DS range. The newest member of this range, Citroen DS5, is the first full hybrid technology that proposes Citroen Diesel DS and this DS range has already been sold in over 180,000 vehicles from the beginning of its commercialization. In this ceremony of the 27th International Automobile Festival, DS range, which was founded 20 months ago, was rewarded for its unique style and creativity in the automotive industry, with the Grand Design Award. Sebastien Loeb, with is the Citroen brand ambassador, received in this ceremony also, the prestigious Palme d’Or prise, for the 8th World Rally Champion title gained in the 2004-2011 period.

The automotive industry has been using dangerous materials for many years. Asbestos is one example. Asbestos is a natural mineral found in various places around the world. Its heat- and fire-resistance qualities made asbestos ideal for certain automotive parts, such as brake and clutch components and hood liners. The mineral substance was also used for insulation purposes.

The federal government banned asbestos use in the late 1970s, when the mineral’s toxic dangers were revealed to the public. The automotive industry stopped manufacturing asbestos products shortly thereafter; but, by then, asbestos had done its damage. Some cars still contain asbestos parts today, and this poses a serious health risk for people like classic car hobbyists and automotive service technicians.

Prolonged asbestos exposure can cause numerous respiratory illnesses, including asbestosis, emphysema, lung cancer, and mesothelioma. Mesothelioma is a rare cancer with a long latency period that can span several decades. By the time of diagnosis, however, the prognosis is usually grim.

 Bisphenol A, also known as BPA, is another potential automobile toxin. While asbestos products were banned from automotive parts years ago, Bisphenol A is still a legal additive in automotive manufacturing. Found in dashboards, plastic wiring, and other plastic components, Bisphenol A is linked to various serious health conditions. Chronic exposure to this chemical may cause heart disease, breast cancer, and pancreatic cancer.

Today’s automobiles hide other toxic chemicals, too. The long-term effects of prolonged exposure are as-yet-unknown. Many people drive cars every day, unaware of the dangers that lurk inside. Heat and sunlight can increase the levels of interior toxins. Drivers can protect themselves by opening a window before starting the car, and by sitting inside the car as little as possible. Adults can protect their children by never leaving them alone inside a car.

After two seasons in second place, Alain Prost (56 years old!) and Dacia Lodgy Glace managed to winfirst place in the Andros Trophy 2011/2012 after the final stage of the competition, held in the French resort of Super Besse. Quadruple world champion in Formula 1 in the 80s, managed to win both qualifications and final race though, the last weekend of the 2011/2012 edition of the Andros Trophy did not start with Alain Prost, in the main favorite position. Although Alain Prost dominate the 2 qualifications, finishing with more than one second in both first and second race, Prost was hit by Villeneuve in the first race. Dacia engineering team had time to fix his car and Prost won in a categorical manner, the second race. Alain Prost’s victory in the General Top, was accompanied by a good ranking of Stievenart Evens, in the second Dacia team, who finished on a respectable 5th place,on their first participation in the Andros Trophy competition

It’s small and black, has about 500 hp and run by a professional pilot, beats big names in super-sports cars like: Lamborghini Gallardo, Ferrari 458 Italy and Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG! It is none other than Nissan Juke-R, a modified SUV with a modified body and a 480 hp engine, adapted from the Nissan GT-R. This demonstration race, with a marketing character, held in Dubai, with the occasion of the 24 hour Endurance Race competition. At the wheel of the small Nissan Juke-R, was the winner of the 2008 Nissan PlayStation GT Academy competition, Spaniard Lucas Ordonez, that won the race in front of the super-cars like: Ferrari 458 Italia, Lamborghini Gallardo and Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG, leds by professional drivers, too.

As promised, BMW released today the first informations and images of the new range M Performance Automobiles, equipped with the most powerful diesel in the history of BMW: 381 horses! M Performance range is positioned between the series vehicles, and BMW M devision. New models will have a completely new engine developed by BMW engineers in workshops with the help of M devision. The new tri-turbo diesel: 381 hp and 740 Nm, has a six-cylinder diesel unit with 3.0-liter, which received a boost with 3 turbines is a technological premiere for the German manufacturer. The new engine comply the strict Euro 6 standards, proposed to take effect in 2014 and will be found on M550d Touring versions, X5 M50d and X6 M50d, the first 3 representatives of the range M Performance Automobiles.

The only tire supplier in Formula 1, Pirelli, presented today, on Yas Marina circuit in Abu Dhabi, the new range of tires to be used in Formula 1 this year. Main features of the new tires that were developed by Pirelli with Formula 1 teams are to have a higher profile square, grip better and more competitive compositions. To be more easily recognized, especially in TV broadcasts, the colorful mark on the sides became larger and more visible and have the following meanings: the most commonly used in the 2011 season tires, soft tires have yellow markings. Medium composition tires are marked with white. Hard composition tires hard are marked with silver. Supersoft tires, the fastest tires Pirelli products are marked in red. Intermediate tires are marked with green and the rain tires with blue.