Autos

Sebastian Vettel reckons Red Bull have come in for some unfair stick in the Pirelli tyre debate as they aren't the only ones complaining...

Kamui Kobayashi has returned to the Formula 1 paddock for the first time since exiting the sport at the end of 2012, with the Japanese, who now races in the World Endurance Championship (WEC) for AF Corse Ferrari, representing the Italian outfit.

Follow the 2013 Monaco Grand Prix first practice session on F1 Fanatic Live.

Muller and lawyer Geers in court – Both are suspects of tax evasion As suspected, the Swedish Saab scandal  over avoided taxes grows wider.  Yesterday, it reached the failed takeover artist Victor Muller. “Muller prime suspect in Saab tangle,” headlines Swedens Svenska Dagbladet, The paper obtained court documents that say Muller is wanted for questioning. “Victor Muller is going to be called into the Financial Crimes Unit,” Chief Prosecutor Olof Sahlgren told the paper.  Says Reuters: “Prosecutors are looking into allegations that executives at Saab, which collapsed in 2011, obstructed proper tax checks over the years 2010 to 2011, a turbulent time for the company, when it was sold by General Motors to small Dutch sports car maker Spyker, and when problems which led to its collapse emerged.” While Saab continued losing all the money given to Muller by shady Russian financiers  and the European Investment Bank, and while therefore no taxes on profits were due, the Swedish government wanted its rich share of payroll taxes and social contributions. As suspected by TTAC commenter Piffpaff, the Muller case appears to focus on consulting payments made to Victor Muller’s  Latin America Tug Holding NV (later renamed to LAT Management NV), based in the Netherlands Antilles, Svenska Dagbladet says. According to the files and the Stockholm paper, some $540,000 were invoiced by Muller’s tugboat company in the tax haven. The prosecutor thinks Saab’s management should have paid taxes and social security contributions on Muller’s compensation. Invoices from entities in tax havens are a favorite tool for tax avoidance. Prosecutor Sahlgren told the Dagbladet that Muller has not been formally charged with a crime. However, by law, Muller “is responsible for the company because he has been a director, president, and later CEO of Saab.” The scandal could widen. According to the prosecutor, more people could come under suspicion. The matter also is likely to involve generous bonus payments made to Victor Muller when Saab was going down the drain. Unusually high payments to the boss, especially before a bankruptcy rarely fail to attract the attention of the prosecutor.

Lotus driver Kimi Räikkönen says he is in no rush to secure a seat on next year's Formula 1 grid, with the 2007 World Champion biding his time before deciding if he will extend his stay at the Enstone-based team or ponder a move to a rival outfit.

The SRT Viper, one of the most acclaimed American performance sportscars, is about to become available in Europe as well... although not official. While Chrysler still doesn’t want to sell their V10-powered musclecar on the Old Continent, the German folks over at Geiger Cars have announced plans to import the all-powerful Viper. However, buying one of these vehicles from the Munich-based US car specialist won’t be chea... (continue reading >>)

The Lotus Exige S Roadster, first shown in pre-production form at the Geneva Motor Show last year, has now gone into production and is on sale in Europe and Malaysia (but not North America). As the name suggests it’s an open-top version of the hardcore Exige S coupe, with little change elsewhere. It’s the first time an Exige is available with a removable roof, and it completes the Exige range that includes the S coupe and Cup track special. Power comes from the same supercharged Toyota-sourced 3.5 litre V6 engine in the other Exige models and Evora S, tuned to 345 hp at 7,000 rpm and 400 Nm of torque at 4,500 rpm. Remarkably it weighs 10 kg less than the coupe at 1166 kg; its bonded aluminium chassis proving strong enough to not need extra braces without a roof. As such performance remains eye-wateringly quick: 0-100 km/h in four seconds dead and 160 km/h in a little more than double that. Top speed is limited to 233 km/h, down from the coupe’s 272 km/h, to protect the soft-top roof. A six-speed manual or Serial Precision Shift (SPS) paddle-operated automated manual transmissions are offered, with a choice of two suspension and interior configurations. In Malaysia you can buy one officially at Lotus’ new flagship showroom in Petaling Jaya. Price starts from RM452,030 – not bad really, considering it’s far more costly than the RM550,000 Porsche Boxster S in the UK. The post Lotus Exige S Roadster – Hethel’s fastest open-top yet appeared first on Paul Tan's Automotive News. Related posts: Toyota FT-86 Open concept breaks cover Lotus: Five concept cars canned, brand won’t be sold Lotus flagship showroom opens in Petaling Jaya – Exige S and Elise S launched in Malaysia BMW presents ‘the world’s fastest Christmas song’ Lamborghini Aventador LP700-4 Roadster previewed in Malaysia – 18 months wait list, from RM3 million Lotus Evora GX Race Car – built to order for $335,000 VIDEO: Ford 1.0L EcoBoost-engined racer sets 11th-fastest lap time ever at the Nurburgring New Lotus Exige V6 Cup: 346hp track day special BMW Zagato Roadster debuts at Pebble Beach 2012 New Continental GT Speed is the fastest production Bentley ever – 0-100 in 4.2s, 329 km/h top speed

It’s a sad day for the Australian auto industry and an end of an era, too. Ford has confirmed it will close its Australian manufacturing facilities, its Broadmeadows car plant and Geelong engine plant, by October, 2016, which is responsible for the Falcon sedan and its various derivatives. Around 1,200 employees will lose their jobs, though...

Although the Mercedes-Benz G63 AMG is already appealing without any aftermarket enhancements, any improvements to make it look better are still very much welcome. Recently, the twin-turbo V8 vehicle received custom-made wheels from US-based Advance One Wheels.Buyers have a choice on two sets of wheels for the stock rims of the vehicle from AMG. One choice is the “Menacing Black” shade whole the second choice is one that offers a glossy finish featuring Titanium Gray pockets. Advance One gave the G63 AMG a set of wheels that lie in between the two color hues.The ADV7.01 wheels given by Advance One to the G63 AMG features a multi-spoke design using slim lines. This gives a contrasting appearance to the solid styling lines of the rugged vehicle from Mercedes-Benz. The braking system of the G63 AMG will be noticeable due to the design of the wheels offered by Advance One.On the other hand, the diminutive sidewall may affect the off-road appearance of the G63 AMG, which may not sit well with some Mercedes-Benz enthusiasts.

Here are more spyshots of the upcoming Mercedes-Benz S-Class Coupe, seen testing at the Nurburgring for the first time. The two-door S-Class will be called S-Class Coupe this time around, just like the two-door C- and E-Class, which means the CL name has been retired. Although much of it is under camouflage, we can see that the Coupe’s front end styling is slightly different from the recently launched W222 S-Class limo. The headlights look like slimmer versions of the ones found on the SL, and as a coupe, it will have a smaller grille with a big central star, of course. Compared to the previous set of S-Class Coupe spyshots, this mule wears a different set of multi-spoke alloys. Engine and tech wise, this car should get all the goodies given to the new S-Class. We have already detailed and explained the long list of stuff, which you can read about here. A late-2013 or 2014 debut for the S-Class Coupe is expected. The post SPIED: Mercedes-Benz S-Class Coupe on the ‘Ring appeared first on Paul Tan's Automotive News. Related posts: SPIED: Next year’s Mercedes-Benz S-Class Coupe SPYSHOTS: BMW M4 Coupe on test at the ‘Ring SPIED: Mercedes-Benz G63 AMG spotted in Malaysia SPIED: Mercedes-Benz GLA 45 AMG on the ‘Ring Mercedes-Benz S-Class AMG Sport Edition for the UK VIDEO: Mercedes-Benz TV E-Class Coupe Promo Mercedes-Benz E-Class Coupe, Cabriolet for Detroit Mercedes-Benz C-Class: more upgrades for the W204 Next generation Mercedes-Benz S-Class interior spied Mercedes-Benz Malaysia introduces next-gen B-Class and M-Class, RM220k and RM570k respectively