Behind the Wheel | 2014 Honda Accord Plug-In and 2013 Ford Fusion Energi: Aiming for the Hybrid’s Sweet Spot

What, then, should we make of Ford Fusions and Honda Accords suddenly sprouting plugs and growing battery packs? Both of these mainstream, top-selling cars have recently arrived as plug-in hybrids, expanding their maker’s existing lines of gas-only models and conventional hybrids.

You can think of a plug-in as an overachieving hybrid, a vehicle that runs largely on electrons for local miles and then mostly on gasoline for longer trips. That combination — a broadly appealing solution that splits the difference between petroleum power and purely electric cars — has the potential to make battery propulsion acceptable to motorists put off by matters like limited driving range.

The Ford Fusion Energi, however, is less about the blending of electrons and hydrocarbons for power and more about the car’s dual nature: the ability of a handsome family sedan to switch, superhero-style, from one driving persona to another.

When its 7.6 kilowatt-hour battery pack is fully charged — that takes about 2.5 hours from a 240-volt source — the driver can invoke the car’s jazzy smooth electric-vehicle self. In the first two days of a week with the sedan, I used a button near the gearshift to select the EV Now mode, which keeps the car driving almost exclusively on its battery. In 36 miles of driving punctuated by frequent electric top-ups, I was effectively operating a spacious 3,913-pound zero-emissions electric sedan, not using a drop of gasoline.

The car’s roomy interior, comfortable ride and taut steering were a welcome change from the toylike robotic feel of the Nissan Leaf compact E.V. that is my usual transportation. Among sedans that can operate on battery power, in my view, the Fusion Energi is surpassed in size and style only by the Tesla Model S.

Both cars appropriated Aston Martin’s signature grille to inject some James Bond flair in their four-door profiles. But don’t take the similarity too far: compared with the rip-roaring Model S, the Fusion Energi has swallowed a dose of Xanax. It glides sedately through city streets. The acceleration on highway on-ramps is adequate, but when driving solely on electricity, the car is not even as zippy as a Leaf.

Things change about 17 or 18 miles down the road, when Dr. Electric transforms into Mr. Combustion. With gasoline supplying power via Ford’s 2-liter 4-cylinder engine, and assisted by the electric motor and battery pack that had been operating solo in E.V. mode, the car’s output jumps to 188 horsepower. It feels like twice the oomph.

Ford has perfected smooth transitions between gas and electric power sources, so passengers have little evidence of the handoff. The cabin of the Ford Fusion Energi is also among the quietest I have experienced. Close the door and you feel practically vacuum-sealed, buffered from engine noise or vibration. Noise-cancellation technology is used to counteract any whine from electrical components.

After the switch from E.V. to hybrid operation, there is an obvious sign that hydrocarbons are powering the Fusion: the planted feel on the road now takes on a sporty quality. It becomes a fun family cruiser, especially shining on the highway, territory not usually associated with E.V. prowess.

An 80-mile round-trip drive between Berkeley to San Jose — usually an anxious experience in my Leaf requiring a 55 m.p.h. pace to conserve energy — was carefree in the Fusion Energi, which offers a total range of 620 miles.

Yet the Transformer-like shift has an impact on efficiency. There were several days early in the week when I frequently charged throughout the day, and therefore remained all E.V. As a result, fuel economy broke past 100 miles per gallon of gas (not including the electricity you put in the battery). The E.P.A. pegs average combined city-highway fuel at 100 m.p.g.e. A Toyota Prius plug-in, for reference, is rated at 95 m.p.g.e.

Trips that started all-electric for the first 20 miles or so but continued on for another 50 or miles registered around 75 m.p.g. And the day’s travel to San Jose and back — when I tested the limits of legal highway speeds, with air-conditioning and audio blasting — fuel economy was a respectable 38 miles per gallon. Over the course of 227 miles, the Fusion Energi averaged 55 m.p.g.

Great Range, but Doesn’t Travel Well

The 2013 Ford Fusion Energi offers a total range of 620 miles.

Credit: Ford Motor

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Electric Car Maker Coda Wins Approval to Sell Assets to Fortress

Under the deal, Fortress group will pay $1.7 million in cash, and the remainder will come by way of a "credit bid," in which Fortress will bid for the assets of Coda using debt owed instead of cash.

Coda said in its May 1 bankruptcy petition that it is exiting the car business to focus on the development and sale of energy storage systems through its subsidiary Coda Energy.

"(The ruling) will allow us to emerge in a stronger position to develop our core technology, forge stronger relationships with our partners, and ultimately, enable us to execute our business plan in the growing energy storage sector," the company said in an emailed statement.

Earlier on Tuesday, two affiliates of the electric-car maker - Lio Energy Systems Holdings and Miles Electric Vehicles - filed for chapter 11 bankruptcy protection.

The case is in re Coda Holdings Inc, Case No. 13-11153, U.S. Bankruptcy Court, District of Delaware.

(Reporting by Mridhula Raghavan and Sakthi Prasad in Bangalore, and Paul Lienert in Detroit; Editing by Edwina Gibbs)

La limousine chinoise roule à plein régime

?C'EST UNE AFFAIRE "DE FIERT? NATIONALE" selon Xu Jianyi, le patron du constructeur. Depuis le 31 mai, les limousines Hongqi ("drapeau rouge") sont de retour. Propri?t? de FAW, principal groupe automobile chinois, cette marque a ?t? cr??e en 1958 pour transporter avec le faste qui convient les hauts dignitaires du r?gime communiste. Apr?s des tentatives infructueuses de relance, la production avait cess? depuis 2010. Or en avril, au Salon de Shangha?, tr?nait sur le stand Hongqi une plantureuse limousine L9, r?pondant au gabarit (et au prix) d'une Rolls-Royce... m?me si ses phares ronds et ses ailes pro?minentes ?voquaient plut?t une Peugeot 404 qui serait mont?e en grade. En arri?re-plan, un ?cran g?ant diffusait des images d'archives du pr?sident Mao, confirmant s'il en ?tait besoin l'ancrage de la marque.

Ce retour en gr?ce est encourag? par le r?gime. En mars, le pr?sident Xi Jinping a critiqu? les dirigeants qui se d?placent syst?matiquement en voiture de luxe ?trang?re. Premier chef d'Etat accueilli ? P?kin par le nouveau leader chinois, Fran?ois Hollande a eu droit aux honneurs d'une "Drapeau rouge" flambant neuve. Quant aux dirigeants provinciaux du Parti communiste, ils sont chaudement incit?s ? en assurer la promotion.

D'apr?s FAW, le red?ploiement de Hongqi s'appuie sur un plan d'investissement de 1,7 milliard de dollars. Outre les institutions, sont vis?es les ambassades de Chine mais aussi quelques pays amis, la marque ayant ?t? int?gr?e dans la liste des cadeaux susceptibles d'?tre offerts aux h?tes ?trangers. Cette strat?gie de reconqu?te va se heurter aux habitudes prises par les dignitaires chinois, devenus de grands amateurs d'automobiles de luxe ?trang?res. Au fil des ann?es, Audi s'est notamment taill? la part du lion aupr?s des cadres dirigeants du parti. Une proximit? qui pourrait ? terme nuire ? la marque aux anneaux. Le retour - m?me symbolique - de la "Drapeau rouge" dans le parking officiel du Parti communiste chinois n'est peut-?tre pas tout ? fait pour d?plaire ? la firme allemande.

Le plan de restructuration de PSA, site par site

En juillet 2012, le constructeur a annonc? un vaste plan social. Ce dernier pr?voit le d?part de 8 000 salari?s, ainsi que la fermeture de l'usine d'Aulnay-sous-Bois – d?cision qui a fait l'objet d'un long bras de fer entre la direction, les syndicats et le gouvernement.

Hors production, les r?ductions d'effectifs vont toucher la recherche-d?veloppement (1 400 postes), la direction industrielle (1 325), marketing (570) et 284 postes dans les autres directions. Le Monde.fr a fait un ?tat des lieux des sites fran?ais du constructeur.

Dans la?carte ci-dessus (voir en plein ?cran), sont indiqu?s en vert les sites o? aucune annonce majeure n'a ?t? faite, en jaune, les sites concern?s par une cession, en orange ceux qui ont ?t? touch?s par une r?duction d'effectifs ou sont susceptibles de l'?tre et en rouge les sites concern?s par une fermeture.

Sur le site PSA d'Aulnay-sous-Bois, des hommes en lutte

La production va reprendre, pour huit mois, ? l'usine PSA d'Aulnay-sous-Bois?(lien abonn?s)

PSA lance ses 8 000 suppressions de postes (lien abonn?s)

Wheels Blog: G.M. and BMW Adopt D.C. Electric Car Charging

General Motors G.M. and BMW have adopted a new charging standard, and other manufacturers are expected to follow.

General Motors and BMW say they are moving ahead with technology that can give electric cars an 80 percent charge in 20 minutes. Charging time is a major problem in a car that can travel only 100 miles or less between charges.

Today, electric cars almost always use the existing alternating current power grid for charging, which means that the energy must first be converted from A.C. back into the D.C. format car batteries use to store energy. Bypassing the on-board hardware that does that conversion means avoiding a bottleneck and reducing charging time.

G.M.’s Chevrolet Spark EV, based on a Korean-built gas-powered minicar, has a published range of 82 miles. BMW says its i3 will go 80 to 100 miles on a charge. If either one could take on an 80 percent charge in 20 minutes, and if such charging stations were widely available, it could effectively multiply the car’s daily range.

G.M. had previously announced that its Spark would have a charging port with inputs for the standard A.C. charger or D.C. equipment.

The two vehicles will use a standard recently established by the Society of Automotive Engineers. There is an older international standard, widely used in Japan, but D.C. charging in North America is a rarity and companies here are starting fresh. Along with G.M. and BMW, other companies that have promised to use the new S.A.E. standard are Ford, Chrysler, Daimler, Volkswagen, Audi and Porsche.

G.M. and BMW said in a joint announcement on Tuesday that after several days of testing, they were confident that a charger using the S.A.E. standard would provide an 80 percent charge in about 20 minutes. There is a catch, though: Vendors have to buy the chargers and install them somewhere. General Motors says chargers will cost from $20,000 to $30,000 each.

General Motors G.M. says the D.C. charger will allow an 80 percent charge within 20 minutes.

How could a charging station owner make money on that? In general, a driver would be buying a quantity of electricity for which a homeowner would pay about $2, but the D.C. power could be priced higher, like the difference in price between a six-pack of soda on a supermarket shelf and a single bottle in the refrigerator next to the cashier. Form may matter as much as quantity.

Or it could be a loss-leader. Heather Rosenker, a spokeswoman for G.M., said that the D.C. charger “could be owned by the utility or the business in which it is housed (i.e. a restaurant, hotel, shopping center, etc.).’’

In a conference call with reporters on Tuesday, David Danielson, assistant secretary for Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy for the federal Energy Department, acknowledged that “the cost of those quick chargers can be up there.” He said that the government was working to bring down the price of the electronics involved.

Mr. Danielson was promoting a new Web site called eGallon, which compares the cost of gasoline with the cost of the electricity that will take a car the same distance. The site assumes the car will go about three miles on a kilowatt-hour and calculates that, while gasoline is on average about $3.65 a gallon, the eGallon cost would be $1.14. But the eGallon calculator compares the cost of gasoline with residential electricity rates and does not make any allowance for an electricity mark-up a vendor would use to earn a profit on the charging equipment.

According to a news release from General Motors, the direct current fast charging option should be available sometime after the Spark EV becomes available in California and Oregon this year.

Plusieurs repreneurs intéressés par Heuliez

Le dossier le plus avanc? est celui de Mia Electric, la soci?t? qui a r?cup?r? la petite voiture ?lectrique mise au point par Heuliez. En juin 2010, cette PME de 210 personnes avait ?t? reprise par Edwin Kohl, un industriel allemand sp?cialiste du m?dicament. Pour l'occasion, la r?gion Poitou-Charentes, pr?sid?e par Mme Royal, avait pris 11 % du capital.

Mais au bout de trois ans de difficult?s, M. Kohl a jet? l'?ponge, et cherch? un repreneur. Un accord de principe vient d'?tre trouv? avec une femme d'affaires d'origine cor?enne, qui vit en France depuis son enfance, a-t-on appris de sources concordantes. Elle passerait par une soci?t? de droit allemand, et garderait tout le personnel. Sa proposition a obtenu le soutien du conseil d'administration r?uni mercredi 5 juin, et du comit? d'entreprise, tenu lundi 10 juin.

UN PRODUIT TROP CHER

L'identit? de cette Franco-Cor?enne et celle des investisseurs europ?ens et asiatiques qui l'accompagnent devraient ?tre d?voil?es dans les prochains jours.

De son c?t?, la r?gion a accept? de rester au capital, sans remettre d'argent au pot. "Je me bats, j'y crois, explique Mme Royal. Sans notre signature, tout risquait de s'?crouler."

Il y avait urgence. Depuis son lancement, il y a un an et demi, seules 1 500 Mia ont ?t? ?coul?es, bien loin des 12 000 v?hicules annuels vis?s. En France, en mai, treize voitures ont ?t? immatricul?es en tout et pour tout ! Un ?chec retentissant.

?A 11 790 euros, bonus ?cologique d?duit, "c'est un beau petit produit, mais un peu trop cher, diagnostique Mme Royal. Et puis, on souffre du fait que la France n'a pas de vraie politique en mati?re de voiture ?lectrique. Le d?ploiement des bornes de recharge des batteries est beaucoup trop lent."

R?sultat : Mia Electric perd ?norm?ment d'argent (52 millions d'euros en 2011). Les commissaires aux comptes, inquiets, ont r?cemment d?clench? une proc?dure d'alerte. Sans les fonds apport?s par le nouveau propri?taire, la PME risquait la liquidation imm?diate.

EMBOUTISSAGE ET CARROSSERIE

Ce sauvetage in extremis laisse ouverte la question cl? : la Mia a-t-elle un avenir ? Kirsten Roennau, qui a repris la pr?sidence de l'entreprise en avril, y croit. Elle mise sur le march? des collectivit?s locales et sur l'exportation de la voiture, notamment en Grande-Bretagne. Mais le succ?s para?t tout sauf assur?.

L'activit? historique d'Heuliez, dans l'emboutissage et la carrosserie, se pr?pare elle aussi ? un nouveau d?part. Son actionnaire, le groupe fran?ais Baelen Gaillard Industrie (BGI), a d?pos? le bilan de cette filiale en avril, et renonc? ? poursuivre l'aventure. Les candidats ? la reprise avaient jusqu'au lundi 10 juin au soir pour d?poser leurs offres.

Quatre dossiers ont ?t? remis ? l'administrateur judiciaire. Deux sont fran?ais : le premier, Christian de L?otard, 65 ans, a pass? sa vie ? concevoir des voitures. Le second est Groupe M?canique D?coupage (GMD), qui a entre autres une activit? de d?coupage-emboutissage. Les autres ?manent de Grupo Cosmos XXI, un industriel espagnol, et de Matthias Bittner, un financier allemand pass? par Morgan Stanley. "On est un peu rassur?s que des repreneurs se pr?sentent", commente Jean-Emmanuel Vallade, repr?sentant CFE-CGC du personnel. Mais l? aussi, le sort des quelque 280 salari?s demeure tr?s incertain.

Les carburants ont beau co?ter cher, les ventes de voitures ?lectriques ne d?collent pas encore vraiment en France. En mai, seuls 688 exemplaires ont ?t? immatricul?s aupr?s de particuliers, selon les statistiques de l'Association nationale pour le d?veloppement de la mobilit? ?lectrique. C'est 21 % de plus qu'un an auparavant, mais cela repr?sente toujours moins de 0,5 % des ventes de voitures.

Avec 13 immatriculations, la Mia se situe au troisi?me rang national, loin derri?re la Renault Zo?, qui capte 70 % de ce micro-march?, et la Nissan Leaf.

Les ventes de v?hicules ?lectriques utilitaires l?gers ont progress?, elles, de 70 %, mais avec l? aussi des volumes marginaux.

Nouvelle chute des immatriculations de voitures neuves en mai

Profitant du lancement de nouveaux mod?les, le march? automobile fran?ais avait limit? son recul ? 5,2 % en avril. "L'ambiance n'est pas extraordinaire. Nous restons dans un march? sinistr?, m?me s'il ne s'effondre pas", a d?clar? Fran?ois Roudier, porte-parole du CCFA, pour qui le march? pourrait se stabiliser ? la baisse.

Ainsi PSA contient sa baisse ? 8,2 % en mai sur un an, ? 45 244 unit?s, gr?ce ? la bonne tenue de Peugeot (- 2,9 % seulement, contre - 14,5 % pour Citro?n). Mais le groupe Renault accuse pour sa part un plongeon de 16,5 % (- 20,3 % pour la seule marque au losange), ? 30 837 unit?s. Les constructeurs ?trangers sont en repli de 8,4 %, ? 72 406 unit?s. Les tendances sont identiques en tenant compte des jours ouvrables.

RENAULT COMPENSE LA BAISSE PAR UN BOND DE DACIA

Sur les cinq premiers mois de l'ann?e, le recul des immatriculations des voitures neuves atteint 11,9 % (- 11 % corrig? des jours ouvrables) par rapport ? la m?me p?riode de 2012, avec 740 185 immatriculations.

Le groupe PSA a enregistr? une chute de 15,4 % entre janvier et mai, ? 217 516 voitures neuves vendues, avec une baisse marqu?e ? la fois chez Peugeot (-?12,2?%) et chez Citro?n (- 19,2 %). Chez Renault (- 9,2 %, ? 171 976 v?hicules), la baisse de la marque au losange (- 14,7 %, ? 134 797 v?hicules) a ?t? partiellement compens?e par un bond de 18,1 % de Dacia (37 179 v?hicules).

Les groupes ?trangers ont ?galement vu leurs ventes reculer sur la p?riode de 10,6 %, affichant 350 325 immatriculations de voitures neuves. Ils se sont arrog? 47,33 % du march? fran?ais.

Les ventes de v?hicules utilitaires l?gers, un indicateur de l'activit? des entreprises, ont baiss? de 11,2 % en mai, ? 28? 298 immatriculations, et ont recul? de 9,3 % (- 8,4 % corrig? des jours ouvrables) entre janvier et mai, avec 153 488 v?hicules immatricul?s.

PSA va céder son site de Meudon

Selon le document distribu? aux syndicats en amont de cette r?union, "le co?t global du projet de cession du site et des optimisations n?cessaires serait de l'ordre de 9 millions d'euros."

D?M?NAGEMENT

Lors de la pr?sentation des r?sultats financiers du premier trimestre, le 24 avril, la direction du constructeur, qui perd toujours 100 millions d'euros par mois, avait pr?venu de l'imminence de nouvelles cessions. Cependant, alors que le groupe a engag? un plan de restructuration, qui pr?voit le d?part de 11 000 personnes d'ici 2016, "ce projet n'entra?nerait aucune suppression de postes" suppl?mentaires, pr?cise le document.

?

Projet de transfert des activites de Meudon-La-For?t

Les 660 employ?s de Meudon seront red?ploy?s sur les sites tertiaires de Poissy ou de V?lizy, en Ile-de-France, ainsi qu'? Vesoul pour une division de 21 personnes. "L'ironie, c'est qu'ils sont l? depuis deux ans et la fermeture du site PSA de Melun. Ce sera un second d?m?nagement en deux ans !", souligne une source syndicale. Sur les 660 salari?s, il y a une ?crasante majorit? de cadres et de techniciens agents de ma?trise. "La fermeture de ce b?timent ne pose pas d'importants probl?mes, comme dans le cas de la fermeture d'Aulnay par exemple", pr?cise un syndicaliste.

Pour PSA, cette cession permettra d'am?liorer le taux d'occupation des diff?rents centres tertiaires du groupe, progressivement vid?s par les plan de d?part qui se succ?dent depuis 2007. Apr?s ce d?m?nagement, le groupe ne sera pas au bout de ses r?organisations. Le mois dernier, il a lanc? officiellement le plan de restructuration tout en entamant une s?rie de mutualisations entre ses sites industriels en r?gion. Dans quelques jours, la direction lancera des n?gociations sur la comp?titivit? de l'ensemble de ses sites avec ses syndicats.

"Depuis plusieurs ann?es, nous allons de plan en plan, mais nous ne voyons toujours pas la fin de ce cycle n?gatif, constate un syndicaliste. Cela donne une impression de gestion au fil de l'eau. J'esp?re que la direction sait o? elle va. Et si elle le sait, j'aimerais qu'elle nous le dise rapidement..."

Lire (?dition abonn?s) : La production va reprendre, pour huit mois, ? l'usine PSA d'Aulnay-sous-Bois

Selon des informations communiqu?es mercredi par la direction, les n?gociations sur la mise en oeuvre d'un plan de comp?titivit? d?buteront le 29 mai. - (AFP)

PSA Peugeot Citroën obtient le label "origine France" pour six voitures

PSA rappelle qu'il a produit l'an dernier en France deux fois plus de v?hicules qu'il n'en a vendu. Face au marasme du march? automobile europ?en, il est toutefois en train de r?duire la voilure dans l'Hexagone, avec la fermeture pr?vue en 2014 d'Aulnay-sous-Bois, dans la Seine-Saint-Denis, et la suppression de onze mille deux cents postes en tout entre la mi-2012 et la mi-2014. Le premier constructeur automobile fran?ais compte aussi demander la labellisation d'autres v?hicules produits en France et qui seront lanc?s plus tard.

Pour l'obtenir, il faut que "le produit pren[ne] ses caract?ristiques essentielles en France (le produit prend sa forme distinctive en France)", et que "50 % ? 100% du prix de revient unitaire de ce produit so[ie]nt acquis en France". Il avait ?t? lanc? en mai 2011 par le pr?c?dent gouvernement dans le but de valoriser les produits fran?ais aupr?s des consommateurs. Le ministre du redressement productif du gouvernement actuel, Arnaud Montebourg, s'est fait le chantre du "made in France", en particulier dans le secteur industriel.

Le japonais Toyota, qui produit sa gamme Yaris dans son usine de Valenciennes (Nord) va aussi b?n?ficier de ce label.

Ventes de voitures : le pire est-il passé ?

Il s'est immatricul? le mois dernier 157 859 voitures neuves dans l'Hexagone, selon des chiffres publi?s jeudi par le Comit? des constructeurs fran?ais d'automobiles (CCFA). En donn?es corrig?es des jours ouvrables (CJO), la baisse ressort ? 9,7 %. "Le march? semble vouloir arr?ter de s'?crouler car on n'a pas eu de baisse ? deux chiffres comme les mois pr?c?dents", a comment? Fran?ois Roudier, porte-parole du CCFA. C'est la premi?re fois en effet que les immatriculations accusent un recul inf?rieur ? 10 % depuis six mois.

"Devant l'arriv?e actuelle de nouveaux mod?les, il peut y avoir une attente des consommateurs", poursuit-il. "Nous avons eu en avril un petit rattrapage et on commence ? parler d'un point bas. Mais la question reste de savoir o? il se situera."

La baisse des immatriculations du groupe Renault a ainsi ralenti ? - 2,8 % en avril, contre - 8,3 % en mars, soutenues par la marque low cost Dacia (+ 19,1 %) mais aussi par le d?but du renouvellement de la gamme au losange, avec la Clio de 4e g?n?ration et sa d?clinaison en 4 ? 4 de ville, Captur.

PSA Peugeot Citro?n, qui continue d'ajouter des versions de sa nouvelle 208, a vu quant ? lui ses immatriculations reculer de 12,1 %, apr?s - 23,6 % en mars.

Volkswagen (+ 4,4 %) a lui rebondi avec la nouvelle Golf, septi?me du nom.

8 % DE REPLI ENVISAG? POUR 2013

Apr?s une ann?e 2012 en chute libre et un premier trimestre ? peu pr?s ? l'unisson, en France comme en Europe, plusieurs entreprises du secteur ont ?voqu? r?cemment la possibilit? que le creux de la vague puisse ?tre bient?t atteint.

Michelin a ainsi observ? le mois dernier des signes de reprise de la production en Europe tandis que Renault a estim? la semaine derni?re qu'en d?pit de conditions ?conomiques toujours difficiles et d'un degr? ?lev? d'incertitude sur le continent, le point bas n'?tait plus tr?s loin.

Malgr? les encouragements du mois d'avril, le CCFA a revu en baisse jeudi sa pr?vision pour le march? automobile fran?ais en 2013, d?sormais attendu en repli de - 8 % "au mieux" contre - 5 % envisag? jusqu'ici.

PSA Peugeot Citro?n avait fait de m?me le mois dernier, puisqu'il attend d?sormais une baisse de 5 ? 10% des immatriculations sur l'ensemble de l'ann?e

Wheels: Peer-to-Peer Car Sharing at the Airport

Courtesy of FlightCar Along with the Prius and the Honda Civic, the BMW 3 Series was one of FlightCar’s most popular rentals at the San Francisco airport.

Most Internet sources that dedicate content to such things agree that Hertz opened its first airport car rental center at Chicago’s Midway International Airport in 1932. Hertz says it was the first of its kind anywhere. But regardless of who started it, airport car rentals changed the way people traveled.

More than 80 years later, a new peer-to-peer car sharing company is trying to change the airport commute at two airports in the United States, introducing a departure from the way airport car rental has usually been done. FlightCar wants travelers to rent out their personal vehicles to vacationers, wooing the cars’ owners with free airport parking while they’re away and attracting renters with lower prices.

FlightCar is a sort of agent for car sharing. Unlike traditional rental companies, there is no fleet to maintain. Users who rent out their vehicles receive compensation, free parking and a free car wash. If the car is not rented, the parking is still free, and so is the car wash. According to FlightCar’s Wes site, long-term parking at San Francisco’s airport can be as much as $18 a day. Car owners who participate in the program get free parking, plus $10 for each day the car is rented.

FlightCar is the latest company to tackle car sharing in a growing marketplace that includes RelayRides, Getaround, Lyft and Sidecar. It first offered service at San Francisco International Airport in February, then expanded to Boston Logan International Airport in May. FlightCar has plans to open at Los Angeles International Airport this summer.

“We are now seeing greater diversification in the shared-use mobility arena; FlightCar is part of this expansion,” said Susan Shaheen, co-director of the Transportation Sustainability Research Center at the University of California, Berkeley, in an e-mail. “Traditionally, car sharing had been a round-trip shared-use model supplied by a third-party operator. Recently, we have seen more peer-to-peer shared use mobility models. These services are facilitated by a third party, which helps to manage and facilitate between individuals sharing privately owned vehicles.”

The company was founded by Kevin Petrovic, who lives in San Francisco, and Rujul Zaparde and Shri Ganeshram who are based in Boston. They said Airbnb was their inspiration.

Mr. Zaparde and Mr. Ganesham are both 18 years old and Mr. Petrovic is 19. They said they received $5.5 million in financing from investors, including the founders of Airbnb and Reddit, Ryan Seacrest and the venture capital firm Andreessen Horowitz.

“It just makes more sense; it’s more green, and the way the trends are going we believe this is the future,” said Mr. Zaparde. “We give you free parking guaranteed. We’re closer to the airport than long-term parking in San Francisco. You pull in and have someone assisting you. We take photos of the car in front of you.”

The company by the end of May had conducted over 1,000 rentals and had 750 cars listed in the San Francisco market, said Mr. Zaparde. The top three rentals in San Francisco were the Toyota Prius, the BMW 3 Series and the Honda Civic.

On the site, a 2006 Honda Accord is listed for $31 per day. A recent search found a black 1999 AM General Hummer listed for a $155 five-day rental in June in San Francisco. A 2010 Kia Forte was listed for $21 per day in Boston by an owner identified as Sara.

Vehicles must be 1999 or newer models to be eligible for rental. A rate of 35 cents per mile is charged after running over the 90-mile daily limit, which the owner receives. There is a $1,000 fine for smoking in the vehicle.

The company, however, has already been sued by the city of San Francisco over the curbside drop-off that FlightCar provides for car owners through a third-party limousine service. In the complaint filed last week, the city argues that FlightCar has broken rules that require rental car companies to use the AirTrain to transport passengers to the terminal and the company dodged airport fees charged to rental car agencies for doing business at the airport.

FlightCar is also being criticized by the insurance industry because of the potential for personal liability cases. Ms. Shaheen said that the policy FlightCar offers was similar to the one offered by RelayRides, which includes a $1 million liability insurance policy for owners and a $300,000 policy for renters.

“The problem remains that once the car is used as a business it’s not considered a typical auto policy; it’s now considered to be a commercial policy,” said Loretta Worters, vice president of the Insurance Information Institute. “Part of the reason is that premiums are based on information from the original policy. Who is going to be at fault? Who has the culpability if there’s a dispute about when the accident occurred? It opens car owners up to a lot of problems. People need to really speak to their insurance agents to understand the scope of their coverage.”

According to an academic paper Ms. Shaheen co-authored, three states – California, Oregon and Washington – have voted on legislation to prohibit insurance companies from making changes to consumer’s policies because of car sharing. Rachael Risinger, a State Farm spokeswoman, said in an e-mail that car sharing does not affect rates or impact customers’ ability to qualify for a State Farm insurance policy, but, on the other hand, the company will also not cover damage incurred during a car sharing rental.

“Rates are impacted by claims experience, car sharing or not,” Ms. Risinger wrote. “While the car sharing laws may vary from state to state, our coverage remains the same. There is no coverage for an insured for damages arising out of the ownership, maintenance, or use of a vehicle while it is rented to or leased to others by an insured. There is no coverage for an insured for damages arising out of the ownership, maintenance, or use of a vehicle while it is being used to carry persons for a charge. This exclusion does not apply to the use of a private passenger car on a share-the-expense basis.”

Mr. Zaparde said he did not foresee liability issues causing problems for the company and its consumers. FlightCar screens renters to make sure. According to FlightCar’s Web site, “For all renters and additional drivers, we do a driving history check that shows us any past driving citations and moving violations. We also verify renter’s identities and may also do a criminal background check.” Flight car requires drivers to be at least 18 years old – 25 or older if they’re renting a car worth more than $40,000 – and they can’t have any major violations, drug and alcohol-related charges or numerous accidents on their records.

“That’s something we’d handle case by case. Most of the time $1 million is pretty sufficient,” Mr. Zaparde said, referring to liability coverage. “We know there are going to be regulatory issues because it’s a new industry, and the government has to figure out new ways to regulate it.”

Some industry experts see the insurance limits as sufficient. Guy Fraker has worked in the insurance industry and served as an adviser to car sharing companies, including RelayRides, regarding risk mitigation. His company, Get2Kno, focuses on transparency in peer-to-peer companies.

“I don’t get too worried about the limits, because that’s a risk we take every single day when we get in the car, and every time we get in a taxi or a limo,” said Mr. Fraker. “I don’t know a car share company out there, including FlightCar, whose membership requirements wouldn’t hold up to any of the top five insurance companies.”

As the sharing industry continues to spread, the complexity of the business models remains to be defined in the automotive market. FlightCar estimates it will take 12 years for the company to become profitable.

“There are 1.2 cars for every person in America,” said Mr. Zaparde. “What FlightCar is doing is a halfway step to going fully into peer-to-peer sharing. Hopefully down the road they’ll be more to sharing of other objects. It opens the door to the sharing economy.”

Wheels Blog: An Amazingly Simple Way to Add Air-Conditioning to Your Car

For one reason or another, there are plenty of people who don’t have air-conditioning in their cars. I happen to be one of them. I don’t know why, it’s just been broken for years, and every time I get to the point where I have time to fix it, it’s cold outside again and I don’t care anymore.

Whatever the case – you’re saving money for a European vacation or the dog got sick last spring – you may be someone with no air-conditioning when it’s disgustingly hot outside. Fear not. After digging through a bunch of summer themed YouTube videos (one was even narrated in Tagalog), I’ve found a temporary (or semipermanent if you, like me, are that guy) solution to your hot weather automotive problem.

I’ll preface this by saying that my personal favorites in the realm of YouTube videos aren’t the ones where the host (or whatever it is you call someone who makes a habit of posting on YouTube) buys some little gadget at the store to solve a problem. I prefer when the Internet do-it-yourselfer makes something out of bits and pieces that cost less than $10.

A fine example is the homemade air-conditioning unit featured in this video, consisting of only a cheap dash fan, a five-gallon bucket and several two-liter bottles filled with water and frozen. The guy couldn’t have spent more than $15 on this contraption, and although it would eat up a bit of legroom, looks like it would work swimmingly well in the relatively close confines of a pickup truck cab, which is where I intend to try it. I’ll let you know how it goes.

Modesto Journal: George Lucas Visits Modesto for American Graffiti Parade

For the past hour, Mr. Lucas had served as the grand marshal of a classic-car parade, the highlight of this city’s annual three-day American Graffiti Car Show festival, which took place last weekend. He had ridden alone and then with his fiancée, Mellody Hobson, pointing out to her spots from his adolescence that became the setting for his 1973 movie, “American Graffiti.”

Over the years, Mr. Lucas has returned to his hometown, about a 90-mile drive east of San Francisco, in California’s rural Central Valley, to visit his sisters and attend high school reunions. But many here described this visit — his first public role in Modesto in four decades — as a full embrace, a homecoming to the town that both shaped his work and that he defined. It would serve as an epilogue to “American Graffiti,” whose running theme is about leaving Modesto.

Never comfortable in the spotlight, Mr. Lucas, 69, shied away from finding deeper significance in his visit. He said he was now “retired,” having sold Lucasfilm and the “Star Wars” franchise to the Walt Disney Company last year, and simply had more time.

“They’ve been asking me to do this parade for years. I’ve usually been in the desert somewhere — I was busy, and I really couldn’t do it. It was really my sister. She said: ‘It’s the 40th anniversary. You really have to do it,’ ” Mr. Lucas said, referring to his sister Wendy Lucas and the anniversary of “American Graffiti.”

Mr. Lucas spoke before the start of the parade inside a large room with Ms. Hobson, Ms. Lucas and another sister, Kate Lucas Nyegaard, at the Gallo Center for the Arts in downtown Modesto.

In “American Graffiti,” two high school graduates cruise downtown Modesto in 1962 the night before they are scheduled to leave for college in the Northeast, or “back East,” in the California parlance. Steve Bolander, the character played by Ron Howard, is determined to leave this “turkey town” and says at one point, “You know what I want out of life, and it’s just not in this town.” Curt Henderson, played by Richard Dreyfuss, is more ambivalent. Steve ultimately stays in Modesto and becomes an insurance agent; Curt ends up as a writer living Canada.

“Everything changed in the early part of the ’60s,” Mr. Lucas said. “Everything that you thought was rock steady changed.”

Part of accepting that change was leaving a small town like Modesto, he said, adding: “The need to stay is even stronger. The need to stay is comforting. The need to go is scary.”

Growing up here, leading a “Father Knows Best” existence in the 1950s, Mr. Lucas had never thought of leaving. “I lived that classic life, and I loved it,” he said, crediting it with instilling in him a sense of “optimism, inspiration and idealism.”

But a near-fatal car accident just days before his high school graduation in 1962 filled him with ambition for the first time. He went to Modesto Junior College and then considered studying art in Los Angeles, an idea that his father opposed.

“He wanted me to stay here,” he said. “He came from very humble beginnings, worked as a janitor in this stationery store when he was in high school, worked his way up to owning the store, building it up — and he did it for his only son. And then his only son said, ‘I’m never going to work somewhere where I do the same thing every day.’ He had a hard time dealing with that, and that was one of the bigger fights we ever had.”

He eventually left to study film at the University of Southern California, where he quickly won awards and his father’s approval.

After his first full-length feature, “THX 1138,” Mr. Lucas made “American Graffiti.” Having studied anthropology in junior college, he was interested in the teenage cruising culture as a uniquely American mating ritual.

The movie’s success helped revive cruising, which had declined in the mid- to late 1960s. But in keeping with the times, cruising had lost its innocence, bringing with it gangs, drugs and violence. Modesto banned cruising in 1993.

In 1999, the North Modesto Kiwanis Club started the American Graffiti Car Show. With cruising still banned in Modesto, classic-car owners participate in the controlled parade, said John Sanders, an official at the club.

With Mr. Lucas retired, what might Steve and Curt from “American Graffiti” be doing now?

“They’re actually retired, too,” he said. “They sort of fulfilled their stories in a way you would expect because some of those people were friends of mine. Some of them got to be kind of successful in business. Some of them are still working in car services and building cars. Some of them are dead. They either got killed in the war or in a car accident. It’s pretty much the way the movie happened.”

BMW rappelle 220 000 voitures pour cause d'Airbag défectueux

Ce probl?me d'airbags, con?us par l'entreprise japonaise Takata, avait d?j? provoqu? il y a quelques semaines le rappel de plus de 3 millions de voitures fabriqu?es par Toyota, Honda, Nissan et Mazda.

Lire : Plus de trois millions de voiture japonaises rappel?es pour un probl?me d'airbag

"Nous avons ?t? inform?s par notre sous-traitant qu'il pouvait y avoir un probl?me avec ces airbags", a d?clar? le porte-parole de BMW, Bernhard Santer, ? l'AFP. Les voitures concern?es, fabriqu?es entre d?cembre 2001 et mars 2003, incluent diff?rents mod?les.

"Nous n'avons jamais eu aucun probl?me, il s'agit d'une mesure de pr?caution pour garantir la s?curit? de nos clients", a toutefois affirm? M. Santer, soulignant que le changement durait une heure et que son co?t ?tait pris en charge par BMW.

Le d?faut touche le syst?me pyrotechnique, cens? d?clencher le gonflement de l'airbag, avait expliqu? le minist?re des transports japonais en avril. En cas d'accident, l'airbag pourrait ne pas se d?ployer correctement et br?ler une partie de l'habitacle, entra?nant un incendie, avait alors indiqu? un porte-parole de Takata.

Wheels: Aston Martin and Dodge to Recall Cars

Aston Martin The 2014 Aston Martin V8 Vantage Coupe is one of the models affected by a recall issued for faulty accelerator pedal parts.

Aston Martin will recall about 689 of its 2012-14 models in the United States and another 2,100 globally because the accelerator pedal may break, according to a report the automaker filed with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

Chrysler has also issued a recall of nearly 13,000 2013 Dodge Darts because of a temperature-related stalling problem.

It was a case of unfortunate timing for Aston. The report says the first failure occurred at an event for journalists. The automaker investigated and discovered that a supplier had used parts the report described as “a plastic material that was not in accordance with the Aston Martin design specification” in some models’ pedal assemblies. Aston Martin also said it suspected “the broken parts had been subjected to heavy use.”

The models affected are the DB9, DBS, Rapide, V12 Vantage Coupe, V8 Vantage Coupe and Virage. Aston Martin said if the pedal broke the engine would return to idle.

The company described the recall as voluntary but once a manufacturer is aware of a safety problem it has no choice but – within five business days – to inform N.H.T.S.A. of its plan for a recall or face a civil fine.

Dodge, via Associated Press Nearly 13,000 Dodge Darts have been recalled due to a computer-related stalling problem.

In other recall-related news, Chrysler will recall about 12,900 of its 2013 Dodge Dart models in the United States – and 1,900 in Canada – because of a stalling problem, the automaker said in a news release. The recall covers models with the 1.4-liter 4-cylinder engine and dual-clutch automatic transmission.

Chrysler said it discovered the problem after a vehicle had been parked for eight hours in a climate-controlled chamber with its temperature set at 20 degrees Fahrenheit. The automaker later learned that some dealers had received complaints from owners about the same issue. Chrysler says it is not aware of any accidents linked to the problem and that it will reprogram the powertrain modules.

Wheels: The 2014 Toyota Corolla Is Bigger, Braver and Brighter

Toyota Motor Corporation The all-new 2014 Toyota Corolla. 

SANTA MONICA, Calif. — After a wild night filled with bungee cord-suspended gymnasts, women dancing sideways on a wall of aluminum foil and a floating clear-bottomed pool with Argentinian nymphs sliding and squishing inches over the heads of a puzzled, crowd, Toyota on Thursday unveiled its all-new 11th-generation Corolla, the latest iteration of its ubiquitous economical compact.

The car was nice, too — perhaps the debut of a more-courageous, youth-oriented, more-confident Toyota. Fully cognizant that the company had been falling behind its competitors in the affordable-car design wars, Toyota seemed determined to sharpen its image from that of a provider of reliable, affordable and sometimes forgettable machines.

Toyota Motor Corporation No leather trim will be available in the 2014 Toyota Corolla’s interior.

The 2014 Corolla gains about 4 inches in wheelbase, less than an inch in width and has a more-tapered aspect, with the front and rear sections stretched for a more elegant sweep of line and a more aerodynamic shape. The new lines work together well, with the car’s shoulder, trunk and roof lines coming together in a sculptured C-pillar (behind the rear windows) that evokes hints of the Lexus IS250, with just a touch of Camaro. LED low-beam headlights are standard on all models. The LEDs save energy and allow a lower, more tapered front corner for lighter weight, sleeker looks and more-slippery aerodynamics.

The car’s underpinnings are all new, with the wheels pushed farther into its corners for increased interior room, as well as a more athletic stance on the road. More high-strength steel should improve handling and safety performance by creating a stiffer structure, and additional sound-proofing materials in the cowl, dash and fenders will make it easier to hear the Bluetooth Entune sound system.

A new Continuously Variable Transmission (CVTi-S in Toyota-speak), adds a note of fresh technology to the design. Available in all but the lowest base model, the CVTi-S has been programmed with seven discrete virtual shift points, giving the impression of a conventional 7-speed automatic, but with better fuel efficiency. The CVTi-S is a cornerstone of a new-for-2014 LE Eco model, which also features a new 1.8-liter, 140-horsepower engine with Valvematic, a technology that more closely controls intake valve lift and timing. Non-CVTi-S models will offer a choice between a 6-speed manual transmission or the current, conventional 4-speed automatic.

Toyota Motor Corporation The new Corolla features LED lighting.

The LE Eco is designed to receive a 40-mile-per-gallon E.P.A. highway rating, though the actual E.P.A. testing has not yet been completed. Other Toyota models, the L, LE and S, will be powered by the existing 1.8-liter engine, with its current 132 horsepower output.

Inside, the Corolla has been stretched, padded and pulled upscale, with the rear hip point moved back almost three inches. The changes offer improved rear leg room and a flatter rear floor because of rerouting of the exhaust system. Interior trim is tastefully utilitarian, with gloss-black and metallic panels as well as blue, black or amber pinstripe accents. There will be no animals harmed in the Corolla interior: fabric choices are cloth and SofTex, a pleatherlike substance.

With nearly 40 million Corollas sold since the car’s debut in the ’60s, the Corolla is as much a social movement and a vital part of the American carscape as it is a mere automobile. If the past is any guide, we can be reasonably certain that there will soon be hundreds, thousands and then millions of these 11th-generation Corollas everywhere we drive. And because of Toyota’s newly emboldened designers, they could be far less forgettable than the many, many Corollas that have come before.

Toyota Motor Corporation The new Corolla’s rear quarter may display a hint of Lexus. 

Une usine automobile tourne à plein régime en Europe, celle de Hyundai

Ici, chaque ann?e, le groupe cor?en assemble 300 000 v?hicules. Le 9 mai, le groupe a f?t? le millioni?me v?hicule produit dans cette usine ouverte en 2008 et dans laquelle il a investi, depuis cette date, pr?s de 1,2 milliard d'euros.

"L'an dernier, l'usine tch?que a produit 53 % des v?hicules que nous avons vendus en Europe", indique Allan Rushforth, le vice-pr?sident de Hyundai en Europe. En 2012, la marque cor?enne a vendu en Europe 444 000 v?hicules, soit 3,5 % de part de march?, contre moins de 2% en 2007.

Apr?s une progression de ses ventes de 10 % en 2012, Hyundai subit lui aussi cette ann?e l'effet d?prime qui a gagn? l'automobile en Europe.

Mais ses ventes reculent moins que l'ensemble du march? : - 2,8 % sur les cinq premiers mois de 2013, contre -7,1 % pour l'ensemble des constructeurs. Hyundai gagnent des clients notamment sur Ford, Opel Renault, Volkswagen.

AUTOMATISATION POUSS?E

Depuis l'?t? 2012, et les attaques du ministre fran?ais du redressement productif Arnaud Montebourg, Hyundai se d?fend d'importer ? bas prix ses v?hicules de la p?ninsule cor?enne pour conqu?rir des parts de march?.

La strat?gie du constructeur est d'offrir des v?hicules plus haut de gamme, ? l'image de l'i30, un concurrent de la Golf de Volkswagen.

Surtout, Hyundai fait aussi valoir un outil industriel dernier cri : son usine tch?que est l'une des usines les plus modernes et productives du continent europ?en.

Pour produire 300 000 v?hicules, issus de diff?rentes plateformes sur une seule et m?me ligne, Hyundai n'a besoin que de 3 500 personnes, dont 3 000 dans les ateliers. L'?ge moyen tourne autour de 30 ans, contre plus de 50 ans chez ses concurrents europ?ens, permettant d'importantes ?conomies salariales : le salaire moyen est de 1 140 euros, soit 500 ? 600 euros de moins que chez Renault ou PSA...

Et au contraire de la France, o? les usines de PSA ou Renault tournent au ralenti, le site de Nosovice tourne ? plein r?gime, soit 24 heures sur 24, gr?ce ? trois ?quipes d'un millier d'ouvriers.

"Pour ma?triser ses co?ts et la qualit? de ses v?hicules, Hyundai a pouss? l'automatisation de ses installations au maximum et d?velopp? la construction par modules afin d'?tre le plus flexible possible ", indique Myeong-Kee Chung, professeur d'?conomie ? l'universit? d'Hannam en Cor?e.

Dans les ateliers de Nosovice, cela se traduit par une omnipr?sence des robots. A l'emboutissage, 85 % des t?ches ont par exemple ?t? automatis?es. Seul le contr?le qualit? a ?t? laiss? aux hommes... Au ferrage, une centaine d'employ?s par ?quipe encadre les quelques 312 robots qui assemblent les ?l?ments de la carcasse de voiture.

Sur la ligne de montage, 500 personnes s'activent. "Certaines op?rations comme l'installation des si?ges pourraient ?tre automatis?es, mais l'accord pass? avec les collectivit?s locales lors de notre installation nous oblige ? respecter un minimum d'emplois ? cr?er", regrette un cadre.

Outre les 3500 emplois directs, Hyundai a permis la cr?ation de 7 000 emplois chez les ?quipementiers. Ces derniers pr?parent notamment diff?rents modules qui acc?l?rent l'assemblage des v?hicules. Les panneaux de bord, par exemple, sont pr?par?s en amont chez un fournisseur et import?s sur la cha?ne finale d'assemblage.

Le site tch?que a encore am?lior? le processus en s'inspirant des usines s?urs du groupe. "Cette usine ressemble ? celle de Kia [filiale de Hyundai] situ?e depuis 2006 ? Zilina, en Slovaquie, indique la direction. Cependant, elle diff?re en un point. Les ateliers des ?quipementiers ont ?t? accol?s ? l'usine principale. Des convoyeurs h?berg?s permettent d'acheminer en temps r?el les si?ges ou les panneaux de bords assembl?s chez nos fournisseurs... Cela nous permet d'?viter la rotation de 200 camions par jour et d'?tre beaucoup plus rapide. Ici, on produit un v?hicule ? la minute..."

LE R?GNE DU FAIT MAISON

Et comme Hyundai ne fait rien comme tout le monde, tout ici est fait "maison". Non seulement, le constructeur partage avec sa marque s?ur, Kia, les m?mes plateformes de v?hicules, pour assurer des ?conomies d'?chelle, mais Hyundai produit des transmissions pour l'usine de Zilina de Kia, tandis que cette derni?re produit des moteurs.

Dans l'usine, partout o? l'on se tourne, appara?t ?galement le sigle d'une filiale du "chaebol" (conglom?rat). Une partie de l'acier provient de Hyundai Steel. Certains ?l?ments du ch?ssis sont emboutis par Hyscos, une filiale tandis que les deux presses des ?l?ments de la carrosserie proviennent de Hyundai Rotem.

Les robots ont ?t? pour leur part fournis par Hyundai Heavy Industries. L'approvisionnement de la ligne d'assemblage est elle assur?e par Glovis, la soci?t? de logistique du groupe. Enfin, les si?ges sont pr?par?s par Dymos et les panneaux de bords par Mobis, deux ?quipementiers de la galaxie Hyundai.

Cette int?gration permet de limiter les prix et, surtout, d'associer le plus t?t possible les ?quipementiers afin de gagner du temps. Hyundai d?veloppe aujourd'hui ses nouveaux mod?les en 24 mois, record mondial ? battre.

Dario Franchitti Aims for History at Indy 500

“Short hair and long hair twice,” he said, feigning a frown.

Then, turning serious, he said: “The winner on Sunday will get around $2.5 million, but this is it. This is why we race.”

Franchitti, 40, has won three of the last six Indy 500 races, including last year’s. Sunday, he will attempt to become the fourth driver — and first since 1991 — to claim a fourth title.

Such possibility has Indianapolis buzzing. The cover of the race day program is a photograph of A. J. Foyt, Rick Mears and Al Unser, the only three drivers to win the race four times. It folds out to include the four others with three titles, including Franchitti and Helio Castroneves, the Brazilian driver who will also race Sunday.

Franchitti is quick to brush aside talk of No. 4.

“I know it’s the big story,” he said, “but I’m thinking the same way I do every year I come here: how do you win?”

Only when the talk turns to history does he grow introspective.

“I can relate to it a bit more that way,” he said. “To have won three and to be in the company with the drivers I am, for a kid from Scotland, it’s quite something.”

Franchitti, raised in Bathgate, with Italian roots, seems an unlikely candidate for an IndyCar historian, someone who revels in the tradition of the 104-year-old Indianapolis Motor Speedway ahead of the 97th running of its most famous race.

He grew up watching Formula One races and first raced in the 500 in 2002. He is almost professorial in his admiration of the past, and famous for it, too. At Wednesday’s Community Day at the track, several fans presented Franchitti with mementos of his favorite driver, Clark, who died in a crash five years before Franchitti was born.

Franchitti’s sense of history extends to his own life. He has kept the suits he has worn in nearly every professional race, and he subscribes to about 20 automotive magazines. For his birthday last week, his father, George, tracked down Dario’s first childhood go-cart from a farmer near Bathgate. He restored it and presented it to his son in an emotional exchange that was filmed by ESPN.

George Franchitti was an ice cream manufacturer who raced recreationally and passed his devotion to cars to his children. Dario’s brother, Marino Franchitti, has raced in the American Le Mans Series, and a cousin, Paul di Resta, in Formula One.

It took Dario Franchitti until his fifth Indianapolis 500 to take the checkered flag, but it was during his first race that the track stirred something inside him.

“This is the hardest track there is,” he said. “Racing here is the only thing in my life that gets better the more I do it.”

After winning the 500 and the IndyCar season championship in 2007, Franchitti left for Nascar with an eye on a new challenge. He lasted only one season, citing his fondness for the Indy 500 and the thrill of open-wheel racing, where significantly higher speeds are reached than in stock cars. “It’s the difference between flying a normal plane and a jet fighter,” Franchitti said.

Two years after his return, he won at Indianapolis for a second time. He was first again last year in a thrilling finish, despite starting 16th and dropping to last after a spinout in pit lane early in the race. This year, he faces a similar task after Chevrolet engines nabbed the top 10 pole positions. Franchitti and his Honda engine will start 17th.

“He’s the most technical racer I’ve ever seen,” the driver Tony Kanaan said of Franchitti. “Everything has to be just so for Dario in his preparation, and that’s why he’s so good on the track. He’s meticulous. We call him Princess sometimes.”

Franchitti looks like the consummate racecar driver. He has flowing black hair, streaked by gray. His face is framed by thick sideburns and his dark eyebrows peer out from above sunglasses, which he almost always wears.

At the track Wednesday, he scooted around the infield in a golf cart, signing autographs for fans and sponsors. He signed posters, milk jugs, tires and giant vodka bottles. He posed with the Borg-Warner trophy, named after an auto supply company, for a promotional photo shoot.

Finally he returned to his trailer, for a minute to himself before meetings with his engineers. Tacked to a door is an old-looking photograph. What looks to be another homage to the history of racing is actually a joke — a Photoshopped image of Franchitti’s face on a driver sitting in a 1930s-era racecar. It was a gift from his crew for his 250th start earlier this season.

“I can’t tell you what it would mean to cross the finish line first Sunday,” Franchitti said, looking at the picture. “If I do it, it will be part of history; then come find me.”

Wheels: Wheelies: The Joint-Venture Edition

Toyota/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images Akio Toyoda, left, the president of Toyota, shaking hands with Norbert Reithofer, the BMW chairman, after they announced a partnership in January.

In which we bring you motoring news from around the Web:

• Something is brewing between Toyota and BMW, in the form of a four-part joint venture aimed at using lightweight materials, fuel-cell technology and batteries to bolster vehicle efficiency. The companies announced their intentions to collaborate in January, but had apparently come closer to agreeing upon what they would like to do with their pooled resources. Motor Trend reported that a joint concept vehicle might be unveiled at the Tokyo Motor Show this year. At this point, what that vehicle will be is pure speculation, but Motor Trend surmises that it may be a hybrid sports car. Whatever it is, Toyota and BMW have already engaged in feasibility studies, all very hush hush. (Motor Trend)

• Three former Saab executives have been arrested by Swedish authorities for fraud and tax evasion. Although Olof Sahlgren, a Swedish prosecutor, would not name the executives, he said that they had been accused of falsifying the company’s financial records from 2010 to 2011. Skypker, the automaker, had bought Saab from General Motors in 2010, filing for bankruptcy in December 2011. It is now owned by a consortium of Chinese and Japanese investors who plan to build electric cars under the Saab brand. The three Spyker-era executives face four years behind bars if convicted. (The Boston Globe)

• Don’t expect to see too many Renaults for sale in America soon, but if there were a dealership in the neighborhood, the driving enthusiast might consider taking the new Renault Mégane RB8 for a spin. Production of the hot hatch, the styling of which was inspired by Renault’s Formula One partnership with Red Bull Racing, will be limited. Mechanically, the RB8 is the same as the Mégane 265 Cup, sporting a 265-horsepower, 2-liter 4-cylinder engine. But it will have 19-inch wheels, Recaro seats and a few other goodies the other car does not have. But again, we will have to watch the fun unfold from afar on this side of the Atlantic. (Piston Heads)

• Sergio Marchionne, Chrysler and Fiat’s Italian chief executive, came under fire from an Italian-American anti-bias advocacy group in New Jersey for comments he made at the Detroit auto show in January. He had told reporters there that if a new Alfa Romeo model was sold in the United States, it needed to have a “wop” engine. Although putting an Italian-designed engine in an Italian car may sound fine to most, using the word “wop,” a pejorative for Italian-American, attracted the attention of the the Italian-American One Voice Coalition, which pursued Mr. Marchionne until he issued a public apology for the slur. (The Detroit Free Press)

• A 20-year-old woman was killed Saturday when a Jeep demonstration in Edmonton, Alberta, went awry. Two Jeeps were parked in such a way that one Jeep had its front tire on top of the front tire of the other Jeep, ostensibly to show off the S.U.V.’s climbing prowess. When the top Jeep’s driver got out to pose for pictures, his vehicle moved forward, rolling to its side. A young woman standing nearby was knocked down by the tumbling Jeep and later pronounced dead at the hospital. (CTV News)

• Audi is now India’s top luxury brand, having outstripped BMW of the title. Sales of BMW and Mercedes-Benz cars in India fell by 9.5 and 5.4 percent, respectively, while Audi sales there rose by 43 percent over the last year – a total of 9,350 vehicles. Audi said it owed its success to focusing outside of the city centers typically aimed at by top carmakers in India. The automaker expanded its sales outside urban areas. S.U.V.’s are the company’s primary focus in the country, particularly in smaller cities that tend to have more rough roads. (Automotive News Europe)

Wheels Blog: Consumer Advocacy Group Calls for a Recall of 5 Million Jeep Grand Cherokees

Chrysler The Center for Auto Safety wants Chrysler to recall five million Jeep Grand Cherokees made from 1993 to 2004 for a potential fire hazard from their gas tanks.

The Center for Auto Safety is asking top officials at the Chrysler Group and its parent company, Fiat, to recall about five million vehicles. The nonprofit consumer advocacy group said, “Children are dying in Jeeps in rear-impact fires.”

In a letter to John Elkann on Wednesday, Fiat’s chairman, the center cited the deaths of three children since 2006 in fires that occurred when the Jeeps in which they were riding were struck from the rear.

The Center for Auto Safety has also been urging, since 2009, a recall of 1993-2004 Jeep Grand Cherokees, saying the vehicles have two problems. The first is a gas tank behind the rear axle and somewhat below the bumper, in an area that safety engineers call a crush zone. Chrysler moved the tank in front of the rear axle when it redesigned the vehicle for the 2005 model year, but a company spokesman said the move was not related to concern about fires.

The second problem is a fuel filler pipe positioned so that it can rip away from the tank in a rear impact, allowing gasoline to escape from the tank, the center said. Chrysler has repeatedly denied that the Grand Cherokee posed a fire risk, noting that the vehicles met federal safety standards.

On Wednesday, the automaker issued a statement reconfirming its own analysis of the Grand Cherokee models called into question by the center, saying the S.U.V.’s “are neither defective, nor do their fuel systems pose an unreasonable risk to motor vehicle safety in rear impact collisions.” However, almost a year ago, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said its investigation of the center’s allegations were reason enough for the agency to upgrade its investigation to an engineering analysis.

In what appeared to be a direct rebuttal of Chrysler’s continuing claims, the traffic safety administration said its study found that “rear-impact-related tank failures and vehicle fires are more prevalent in the J.G.C. (Jeep Grand Cherokee) than in non-Jeep peer vehicles.” At that time the safety agency said it was expanding the investigation to include 1993-2001 Jeep Cherokees, as well as 2002-7 Jeep Libertys.

In 2011 the center released the results of crash tests it commissioned, showing that other S.U.V.’s of the same vintage fared far better in rear-impact crashes than did the Jeep Grand Cherokee.

The center says it has reports of 157 deaths in which Grand Cherokee crashes resulted in a fire. That tally includes rear impacts as well as rollovers in which the filler hose might have ripped loose, Clarence Ditlow, the center’s executive director, said in an interview. The safety agency listed 15 fire deaths, but Mr. Ditlow said it was strictly looking at rear-impact crashes.

One of the child deaths mentioned in the center’s letter was that of Cassidy Jarmon, a 4-year-old who was riding in her family’s 1993 Grand Cherokee in February 2006 in Cleburne, Tex. Her mother was stopped on a two-lane highway, trying to make a left turn, when her Jeep was hit from behind by a 2001 Chevrolet Lumina, according to the police report. Cassidy, who was in a child restraint, survived the impact but couldn’t be easily freed from the seat because the fire happened so quickly, said Detective Kelly Summey, who arrived at the crash while the rescue was under way. She died two days later from burns and smoke inhalation.

Detective Summey said her investigation concluded that the gas tank had been punctured by the Jeep’s trailer hitch. The deaths of the two other children occurred in 2011 and 2012. The safety agency’s investigation is still under way.

Leçon de Micraéconomie à l'usine Renault de Flins

Une usine automobile française qui prévoit d’augmenter sa production de 50 % d’ici à trois ans, ce n’est pas tous les jours. Alors, ne boudons pas notre plaisir. Le site Renault de Flins (Yvelines) va assembler à partir de 2016 la petite citadine Micra de son allié Nissan. Un bol d’air au moment où les promesses de la voiture électrique, également assemblée dans cette usine, se font attendre.

Chose promise, chose due. L’accord de compétitivité signé le 13 mars entre trois syndicats et la direction de Renault entre donc en pratique. Le gel des salaires, le non-remplacement de certains départs et l’augmentation du temps de travail de 32 à 35 heures hebdomadaires ont permis de convaincre Nissan de confier la production de 82 000 voitures au site de Flins, qui, en 2012, en a assemblé 116 800. « Chantage à l’emploi ! » ont crié les contempteurs de l’accord. Bien sûr, tout le monde aurait préféré qu’on augmente les salaires ainsi que la production et qu’on baisse le temps de travail. Mais, voilà, ça ne va pas être possible. Les résultats du premier trimestre, publiés jeudi 25 avril, servent de piqûre de rappel pour ceux qui auraient oublié que le marché européen continue sa glissade. Les ventes de Renault ont baissé de 11,8 % sur les trois premiers mois.

Certes, il y a l’effet boomerang des ventes aux concessionnaires, dont le constructeur avait un peu trop abusé fin 2012 et qui remontent aujourd’hui à la surface. Mais, plus préoccupant, le marasme européen perdure et Renault n’est pas immunisé. Or à Flins comme dans les autres usines françaises, la cote d’alerte est déjà atteinte. Le site tourne actuellement à moins de 65 % de ses capacités. Rappelons qu’en moyenne, en dessous de 80 %, une usine perd de l’argent. Dans ce contexte, l’arrivée des Micra est pain béni.

Force ouvrière, l’un des trois syndicats signataires, estime que cela va permettre d’embaucher une équipe supplémentaire, soit 1 000 personnes (l’usine emploie aujourd’hui 2 650 contrats à durée indéterminée et 750 intérimaires).

Avant la signature de l’accord de compétitivité, le choix de la France n’avait rien d’évident pour Nissan. La version de la Micra que va accueillir Flins était jusqu’à présent fabriquée au Mexique, en Thaïlande, en Inde et en Chine.

L’amélioration de l’attractivité des usines françaises a bien sûr pesé dans la balance, mais la décision est également motivée par le fait que les prochaines versions de Micra et de Clio (assemblée aussi à Flins) partageront 50 % de leurs composants, permettant ainsi de réduire d’un tiers les coûts de production. Ces deux facteurs démontrent que la déindustrialisation n’est pas une fatalité.

DealBook: In a Plus for Electrics, Tesla Repays a Big Federal Loan Early

Stan Honda/Agence France-Presse — Getty ImagesThe Tesla Model S was introduced at the 2013 North American International Auto Show.

The taxpayer no longer has to worry about Tesla Motors.

Tesla, the maker of electric cars, paid off a $465 million loan on Wednesday that the Energy Department made in 2010. The repayment is a lift to the Obama administration, whose clean-energy loan programs faced criticism after the collapse of Solyndra, the solar panel maker. The company, using money it raised last week in the markets, is repaying the government nine years before its loan was due.

“Today’s repayment is the latest indication that the Energy Department’s portfolio of more than 30 loans is delivering big results for the American economy while costing far less than anticipated,” Ernest Moniz, the energy secretary, said in a statement.

Tesla’s payment will be the latest source of excitement to its supporters. But whether Tesla remains a good advertisement for government aid partly depends on how the company now performs. Should Tesla falter badly, it will only highlight the risks of lending to experimental companies.

Electric car enthusiasts have rushed to buy its main product, the Model S, a high-priced luxury sedan. Tesla also has plenty of fans in the markets, where investors who have piled into the company’s shares, in the belief that Tesla will find plenty of buyers for its cars.

Elon Musk, who co-founded and leads Tesla, issued a statement thanking the Energy Department, Congress and taxpayers for the loan. “I hope we did you proud,” he said.

After the demise of Solyndra in 2011, government efforts to subsidize clean-energy companies came in for special scrutiny. Mitt Romney included Tesla in a batch of companies he called “losers” during last year’s presidential contest.

Tesla’s exit from the government loan may now refresh the debate over how much support to give young, clean-energy firms.

“Tesla is repaying early and it’s a great vindication,” said Greg Kats, president of Capital-E, a firm that invests in clean-energy companies. “Tesla has really helped push the Big Three automakers down the energy efficiency track.”

Noah Berger/ReutersA Tesla Model S at the factory in Fremont, Calif. Electric car enthusiasts are flocking to the Model S, which is a luxury sedan.

The Energy Department on Wednesday said that losses on its loans were equivalent to 2 percent of its $34 billion portfolio.

Tesla has not fully weaned itself from government support. Buyers of Tesla cars can get substantial tax credits that reduce the purchase price. After a $7,500 tax credit, the lowest-cost Model S is $62,400.

The company is also able to generate large amounts of revenue from selling green energy credits to other automakers. Morgan Stanley estimates that Tesla can cover its capital expenditures this year from selling those credits.

Tesla was able to pay back the loan all at once because it took advantage of a meteoric rise in its stock price. Its soaring share prices helped it raise approximately $1 billion in the market last week by selling new stock and debtlike securities.

“The reason the loan is being paid off is not because of vehicle sales,” said Patrick J. Michaels, a director at the Cato Institute, a libertarian-leaning research group.

Tesla started delivering the Model S to consumers earlier this year and expects to sell 21,000 cars in all of 2013. But it is not clear whether the initial burst of demand for its sedan was merely the result of enthusiasts rushing to get their cars. Skeptics doubt the market is as big as the company projects, and expect the shares to plunge when that becomes apparent. While Tesla has made ambitious targets for selling cars, its more immediate financial projections seem less impressive. It recently suggested that cash flows from its operations might not be positive in the second quarter and it seemed to forecast a drop in North American sales in the second half of the year.

One perceived weakness in Tesla’s plans is the relative expense of the Model S. The company may face only limited demand until it comes up with a substantially cheaper car.

“They are going to have to have a vehicle that costs much less than $100,000,” Mr. Michaels said.

Though Tesla is on an upswing now, the Energy Department appeared to have some concerns about the company during the life of the loan. In several instances, the department softened the conditions of the loan. These amendments to important covenants might have allowed Tesla to avoid falling into a default, which could have been embarrassing for the Energy Department after the collapse of Solyndra.

Defenders of the amendments say it is common for investors to change the terms of financing for young companies. Also, the changes show that the Energy Department spotted that Tesla had potential and was wise to make the adjustments.

“Tesla is arguably making the most exciting car in the world today,” said Mr. Kats, who worked in the Energy Department during the Clinton administration. “This loan program has exceeded expectations.”

Wheels: Argentines Win the 2013 Mille Miglia

Jerry Garrett Juan Tonconogy and his co-driver, Guillermo Berisso, streaked toward a Mille Miglia victory Saturday in a 1927 Bugatti T40.

BRESCIA, Italy — A sky-blue 1927 Bugatti T40, driven by Juan Tonconogy of Argentina, on Saturday won the 2013 edition of the Mille Miglia Storica. Mr. Tonconogy, and his co-driver, Guillermo Berisso, arrived at the finish line shortly after 10 p.m. in the re-enactment of the famed Italian road rally. They had left the start line here at 7 p.m. on Thursday, embarking along with 415 competitors on a 1,000-mile odyssey to Rome and back, through 196 cities on the Italian peninsula.

The cars, all selected from among vehicles that either did race or could have raced in the 24 editions of the Mille Miglia held from 1927 to 1957, had to perform dozens of time, speed and distance trials along the way. Mr. Tonconogy tallied 35,417 points, 576 more than the runners-up, Giordano Mozzi and Mark Gessler, in a 1933 Alfa Romeo 6C 1500 Gran Sport. That same Alfa had won the rally a year earlier, in the hands of a different team of Argentine drivers.

A 1933 Aston Martin Le Mans, driven by Giovanni Moceri and Tiberio Cavalleri, was third. Something of a surprise in fourth place was a 1933 Ford Model B roadster. One of just a handful of American cars entered, it was driven by Gianmario Fontanella of Italy, who finished just nine points ahead of the 1927 Bugatti T37 of Bruno and Carlo Ferrari.

Jerry Garrett The Bugattis of Giulio Felloni (21) and Bruno Ferrari (23) battled for dominance on a highway through Emilia-Romagna. The No. 23 Bugatti ultimately took a fifth-place finish.

It is the fifth attempt by Mr. Tonconogy, 34, to win the rally, and he is now the youngest winner in the 31 years that the tribute rally version of the event has been staged. He is the developer of a winery, resort and spa in the Mendoza region of Argentina; he is also involved in his family’s business interests in Miami, according to published reports.

“I raced with the best co-pilot in the world,” Mr. Tonconogy said of Mr. Berisso on the victory podium. “We are extremely satisfied with the outcome reached, especially since this edition was packed with talented drivers and extremely competitive vehicles.”

The race has grown in recent years from something of a nostalgic, parochial remembrance for a bygone era of dubious street races to an international celebration of a golden era in automotive history.

Jerry Garrett Although rare in the Mille Miglia, a handful of American cars were entered this year. This 1933 Ford Model B roadster, driven by the Italian Gianmario Fontanella, finished fourth.

Automakers supported the event — emptying out their museums in some instances — to help teams field cars. Among the manufacturer-backed participants were those driving entries from Alfa Romeo, Aston Martin, BMW, Bentley, Bugatti, Ferrari, Fiat, Jaguar, Lancia, Maserati, Mercedes-Benz and Porsche.

None of the race’s many celebrity participants — pro golfers, Olympic athletes, actors and actresses, auto executives and assorted executives — figured among the top finishers; most seemed to be, quite literally, just along for the ride. Scoring reasonably well among that group was the racer Andy Wallace in 137th place, the fashion model David Gandy in 169th and the businessman-racer Roger Penske in 202nd.

The race, organized this year by 1000 Miglia S.r.l., was plagued by almost constant rain, although no major incidents were reported. Worker and student demonstrations in Bologna — not rare occurrences — did little to disrupt the rally. It toured some areas in Emilia-Romagna that were particularly hard hit by a major earthquake that struck in the final hours of the 2012 event.

Of the record entry number, 340 were classified as finishers, even though more than a few had to be pushed across the finish line. The last stragglers did not arrive until the predawn hours on Sunday.

Jerry Garrett This 1933 Alfa Romeo 6C 1500 won the Mille Miglia last year in the hands of different drivers. On Saturday, the car clinched a second-place finish for Giordano Mozzi and his co-driver, Mark Gessler.

Wheels Blog: Tesla vs. Chrysler: Who’s on First?

Twitter Part of the Twitter battle between Elon Musk and Chrysler over which American company paid off its federal loans first.

The Twitter messages are once again flying from Tesla Motors.

In a Wednesday announcement, the Palo Alto, Calif., automaker said it had paid off the entire loan made to the company by the Energy Department — and added that it was “the only American car company to have fully repaid the government.”

Within hours, Gualberto Ranieri, a senior vice president at Chrysler, responded on Chrysler’s blog: “The information is unmistakably incorrect. It’s pretty well-known that almost exactly two years ago – May 24, 2011 – Chrysler Group LLC repaid (in full and with interest) U.S. and Canadian government loans more than six years ahead of time.” Chrysler also responded via Twitter.

“Not so fast, Tesla,” says @chrysler comm chief, re claims it’s first to repay U.S. govt. @teslamotorsbit.ly/14zB6sJ #shortciruit

— Chrysler (@Chrysler) May 23, 2013

Elon Musk, Tesla’s chief executive and a Twitter regular, responded, saying: “As many have already noted, @Chrysler is a division of Fiat, an Italian company. We specifically said first *US* company.” And later, he added: “More importantly, @Chrysler failed to pay back $1.38B. Apart those 2 points you were totally 1st.”

Tim Rue/Bloomberg News Tesla Motors chief executive Elon Musk (pictured) maintains that Chrysler, which is mostly owned by Fiat SpA, is no longer an American company.

Mr. Musk’s second Twitter message is in reference to a portion of Chrysler’s TARP loan that was assigned to the old Chrysler when the United States government sold its stake in the newly organized Chrysler Group LLC to Fiat SpA. Of the $12.5 billion the government had loaned the old Chrysler, approximately $1.3 billion was left behind. On June 2, 2011, the United States Treasury said in a statement that it was “unlikely to recover the difference of $1.3 billion owed by Old Chrysler.”

Asked to respond to Mr. Musk’s contention that Chrysler Group LLC is not an American company, Mr. Ranieri, in a telephone interview, said: “I don’t have any response to that. Chrysler Group LLC is the company of Walter Chrysler, and it speaks for itself for what it does.”

When asked if he could expand on that, Mr. Ranieri added, “I love espresso ristretto, so I don’t have anything more to add.”

Wheels Blog: Aston Martin Shows the CC100 in Germany

Aston Martin Aston Martin showed off its CC100 Speedster Concept at the 24 Hours of Nürburgring race last weekend.

Among the many 100th birthday activities Aston Martin had going on during last weekend’s Nürburgring 24-hour race, almost lost in all the events was the introduction of the CC100 Speedster Concept.

“I have nicknamed it DBR100 because of its affinity to the great 1959 race-winning cars, and of course, our anniversary,” said Ulrich Bez, the company’s chief executive, who introduced the car on Saturday before the start of the race. “But this car shows that the soul of Aston Martin is as powerful as ever.”

Mr. Bez drove the CC100 around the track on a parade lap, followed by Sir Stirling Moss in the classic ’59 DBR1 – a 24-Hours of Le Mans winner – and a lineup of DB5s, One-77 limited edition models and other special Aston Martin cars.

Aston Martin Aston Martin’s CC100 Speedster Concept.

The open-top, V-12-powered concept, which Aston Martin has no firm plans to bring to production, does signal a new design direction that will be incorporated into future models, Mr. Bez said.

The concept was taken from sketches by the designers Marek Reichman and Miles Nurnberger to reality in just the last six months at the company’s headquarters in Gaydon, England. Mr. Nurnberger said his assignment was simple, yet daunting: “Create something that reflects the 100 years of Aston Martin heritage and signals the future of the brand.”

The CC100 rides on the company’s VH platform, has a full carbon-fiber body structure and a 555-horsepower 6-liter engine that will propel the car from zero to 60 m.p.h. in under four seconds, the company said. The car has a top speed of 180 m.p.h.

Aston Martin Aston Martin’s CC100 Speedster Concept.

Wheels Blog: Cadillac to Recall SRX Models for Wheel Problem; Triumph and Nissan Issue Recalls

Cadillac Cadillac said it will recall 19,000 SRX models for a problem with wheel lug nuts that could increase crash risk.

General Motors will recall almost 19,000 2013 Cadillac SRX models because the lug nuts on its 18-inch wheels may loosen, the automaker told the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

In a report posted Friday on the safety agency’s Web site, the automaker said it traced the problem to “wheel nuts with a blue tint Teflon content topcoat, a nut torque at the lower end of the acceptable range and a rarely occurring rotor dimensional characteristic.”

The combination means “one or more of the wheel lug nuts could detach” possibly causing a crash. However, the automaker said it found the problem on vehicles in its fleet and was not aware of any wheels coming off or crashes related to the defect.

In other actions:

• Triumph says it will recall about 279 of its 2012-13 models because an indicator light might show that the transmission is in neutral when a gear has been selected, according to a report posted on the N.H.T.S.A. Web site. The action covers Triumph’s Speed Triple, Speed Triple ABS, Speed Triple R, Speed Triple R ABS, Sprint GT, Sprint ST, Tiger 1050 ABS and Tiger Sport models.

• Nissan’s worldwide recall of 841,000 vehicles does not include any in the United States or Canada, Steve Yeager, a spokesman for the company wrote in an e-mail. Mr. Yeager said the recall affected Cube, March and Micra models sold in Japan, Europe, Asia, Oceania, Africa, Latin America and Middle East, where the automaker will tighten the steering wheel fixing bolt to the correct torque.

Wheels: The Flamboyant Cars of Liberace

Marty Lederhandler/Associated Press Liberace with a 1956 Rolls-Royce Silver Cloud I, which he used in a Radio City Music Hall show in 1985.

“Behind the Candelabra,” the new HBO movie about Liberace, has a scene in which he drives up to his Hollywood home (it’s actually Zsa Zsa Gabor’s home, but that’s another story.) in a Mercedes-Benz 450SL, and arrayed around the driveway is a collection of cars as flamboyant as the entertainer.

Claudette Barius/HBO Michael Douglas, left, and Matt Damon in the HBO film “Behind the Candelabra,” directed by Steven Soderbergh.

The movie, making its debut this weekend and starring Michael Douglas as Liberace, is billed as a look into Liberace’s private life and loves, so it is no surprise that considerable screen time is given to the man’s cars. Jerry Goldberg, the marketing director of the Liberace Museum in Las Vegas, said in a 2010 interview that over the years Liberace had owned at least 30 cars before he died in 1987.

For decades, the museum, which closed to the public in 2010, had a more or less permanent display of seven of his favorite vehicles. These included a gold metal-flake, customized 1972 Bradley GT that Liberace drove in Palm Springs, Calif., where he lived. There was also a 1957 taxicab from England; it still had a working meter that registered pounds, shillings and pence. The museum’s display noted that Liberace loved picking up guests in it and turning on the meter.

His “Bicentennial Rolls-Royce,” a 1954 model that was painted in patriotic red, white and blue. For a 1976 performance he wore an outfit, including hot pants, that matched the car and piano. Matching cars, costumes and pianos were a recurring Liberace theme, as familiar in his act as his signature tune, “I’ll Be Seeing You.”

One of Liberace’s more valuable cars was a 1962 Rolls-Royce Phantom V Landau with a retractable top. He had it covered in a mosaic of jewel-like mirrors, with patterns of prancing horses. It has been described as “a disco ball on wheels.”

Liberace’s collection also included a certain amount of schlock, of questionable value. One of his favorites was a replica of a 1931 Ford Model A; Liberace used it as a stage prop.

There is also a 1971 Volkswagen Beetle Convertible that Liberace commissioned George Barris, the customizer, to turn into a mini Rolls-Royce. The resulting mirror-encrusted creation was lathered in hot pink paint and had the license plate “VWRR JR.”

Of course, there is also the so-called Rhinestone Roadster, a sort of kit-car creation adorned with faux gemstones that matched a stage costume and the piano that was used in his 1986 performance at Radio City Music Hall.

That car, by the way, was on display in New York last week, along with other Liberace memorabilia, in conjunction with the movie’s premiere. The Liberace Foundation still controls many of the museum’s artifacts (although some have been sold).

His favorite car? Mr. Goldberg, the Liberace museum’s marketing director, said it was a 1954 Cadillac Eldorado presented to him by his old television show’s sponsor, Citizens National Bank.

But what was Liberace’s first car? Mr. Goldberg said Liberace’s first car, which he couldn’t afford to buy until he was already 30 years old, was a red 1950 Oldsmobile Rocket 88 convertible.

Why that car? Though Olds clearly had a winner with the new 88 and Liberace loved the color red, why an Olds 88?

Eighty-eight matches the number of keys on a piano.

PSA ne fermera pas Aulnay en 2013

Regarder le reportage Sur le site PSA d'Aulnay-sous-Bois, des hommes en lutte

"Aulnay est programm? pour fermer en 2014 et non pas en 2013", a de son c?t? r?affirm? ? l'Assembl?e le ministre du redressement productif, Arnaud Montebourg, se fondant sur les engagements pris par le constructeur fran?ais aupr?s de l'Etat en "contrepartie" d'une garantie publique de 7 milliards d'euros pour sa banque PSA Finance.

LA GR?VE SE POURSUIT

En d?but de matin?e, le directeur financier du groupe PSA Peugeot Citro?n avait ?voqu? devant des analystes la possibilit? d'une fermeture anticip?e du site de la Seine-Saint-Denis, paralys? depuis plus de trois mois par une gr?ve. "Ce n'est pas tant que nous souhaitions fermer par anticipation, mais le fait qu'un petit nombre de personnes continue ? perturber notre usine pourrait nous y obliger", a d?clar? M. Chatillon. "Je ne peux pas vous dire aujourd'hui quand cela se produirait, mais ceci ne poserait pas de probl?me", a-t-il assur?.

"Qu'ils la ferment cette usine, on ne marche pas au chantage", a r?agi Jean-Pierre Mercier, d?l?gu? CGT du site PSA d'Aulnay. Les propos du directeur financier sont "une nouvelle preuve que la direction de Peugeot ne respecte aucun engagement", a-t-il ajout?, assurant que la gr?ve allait se poursuivre. A l'appel du syndicat, environ deux cents salari?s d'Aulnay et d'autres usines, comme Saint-Ouen ou Metz, se sont rassembl?s dans le calme mercredi devant le si?ge parisien du constructeur, o? se tenait l'assembl?e g?n?rale des actionnaires.

Dans la salle, un repr?sentant de la CGT a r?p?t? son opposition ? des r?solutions portant sur le rachat et l'annulation d'actions et sur la distribution d'actions gratuites, qui ont ?t? adopt?es. La direction a r?affirm? de son c?t? qu'elle n'avait pas l'intention de s'en servir, conform?ment aux engagements pris aupr?s de l'Etat en contrepartie de la garantie publique qu'elle lui octroie.

N?GOCIATIONS SUR UN ACCORD DE COMP?TITIVIT?

PSA a annonc? des ventes en baisse de 6,5 % au premier trimestre 2013, ? 13,03 milliards d'euros, et craint que le march? europ?en puisse "?tre plus difficile qu'attendu" en 2014. Pour cette ann?e, il table sur un recul du march? de 5 %, apr?s un premier trimestre en repli de 10 %. Le chiffre d'affaires de la branche automobile, la plus importante, a recul? de 10,3 %, ? 8,7 milliards d'euros, malgr? la progression de ses ventes en Chine et en Am?rique latine. Le constructeur paie sa d?pendance ? l'Europe, o? il r?alise 57 % de ses ventes et o? ses immatriculations ont recul? de 17 %.

Lire : A la peine en Europe, PSA doit encore r?duire ses co?ts

Face ? cette situation, il pr?voit d'engager avec les syndicats de ses sites fran?ais des n?gociations sur un accord de comp?titivit? comparable ? celui trouv? par son rival Renault. Le constructeur esp?re les lancer d?s le mois de mai et souhaiterait que cela soit "boucl? ? l'automne", a indiqu? le pr?sident du directoire, Philippe Varin. Il compte aussi c?der de nouveaux actifs immobiliers, pour 200 millions d'euros, et retarder au besoin des d?penses d'investissement.

Cela permettrait au groupe de compenser la possible baisse du march? automobile europ?en et de "maintenir l'objectif de retour ? l'?quilibre" de sa tr?sorerie op?rationnelle ? la "fin 2014". Pour 2013, il pr?voit toujours de diviser par deux le rythme de sa consommation de liquidit?s. "Le groupe a tous les atouts pour r?ussir son redressement", a assur? M. Varin devant les actionnaires.

PSA doit encore boucler son plan de restructuration, qui concerne plus de onze mille deux cents salari?s en France et comprend la fermeture d'Aulnay. Un ultime comit? central d'entreprise (CCE) extraordinaire est pr?vu ? ce sujet le 29 avril. La Bourse de Paris a salu? les projets de r?duction de co?ts envisag?s par la direction. Peu apr?s 16 heures, le titre bondissait de 10,43 %, ? 6,02 euros, dans un march? en hausse de 1,18 %.

A Tasting Menu of Porsche’s Finest Vintages

Prices for 911s have been rising. Rob Sass takes a look at a few of the most collectible versions.

1973 911 2.7 CARRERA RS

The 2.7 RS is perhaps the most charismatic and sought-after 911 of the 1970s. Its light weight, in combination with a 210-horsepower engine, gave it excellent performance. Front and rear spoilers, the first on a road Porsche, and bold Carrera graphics make this rare model irresistible to collectors. With prices reaching $500,000, fakes abound; hire an expert to be sure you get what you pay for.

Wheels Blog: Coming Up Is Auto Racing’s Biggest Weekend of the Year

Alexander Klein/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images A woman watches the first practice session at the Circuit de Monaco in Monte Carlo on Thursday.

This weekend is auto racing’s biggest of the year. No major championship will be decided, but the weekend will see three classic events run in the United States and Europe. The action kicked off Thursday morning with practice in Monaco, which on Sunday will be the site of the sixth event of the year counting toward the Formula One World Drivers Championship.

On this side of the Atlantic, the 97th running of the Indianapolis 500 will be on Sunday, and that evening Nascar’s longest race, the Coca-Cola 600, will be run at the Charlotte Motor Speedway. All three events will be televised.

NBC Sports, in the first year of its Formula One contract, is scheduling more than 19 hours of live broadcasts instead of having its announcers in an American studio talking over the Formula One feed. On the day of the race, the pre-event show will air on NBC Sports at 7 a.m.; the race itself will be on the NBC network at 7:30 a.m., the first time a Formula One event has been televised live on a major American TV network.

Bernie Ecclestone, Formula One’s boss, has demanded ultra-soft tires, turning this year’s championship into a guessing game over which tire compound to use. Sebastian Vettel of Germany, the three-time champion and his Renault-powered Red Bull car are in the lead with 89 points, with the Finnish Lotus-Renault driver Kimi Raikkonen in second at 85; Fernando Alonso, the Ferrari team leader from Spain is third with 72 points. Vettel and Alonso have each won two races, Raikkonen one. The event will consist of 78 laps of the 2.07-mile circuit for a total of 161.4 miles.

The Indianapolis 500, in its earlier years the dominant sporting event of the Memorial Day weekend in the United States, has declined in stature as a result of decades of internecine warfare among teams, organizers and sanctioning bodies, but still manages to produce a major spectacle for the more than 300,000 fans in attendance.

Ed Carpenter Jr., stepson of the former Indianapolis Motor Speedway president, Tony George, has the pole position with a qualifying time of 228.76 m.p.h. During qualifying, there was only a gap of 1.4 seconds a lap – or about five m.p.h. – between Carpenter and the last car in the 33-car field, driven by Katherine Legge.

ABC will be televising the 500 for the 49th consecutive year, beginning at noon. The race itself – 200 laps around the 2.5-mile oval – starts at 1 p.m.

Mike Mccarn/Associated Press Denny Hamlin after winning pole position for Sunday’s Nascar Sprint Cup series Coca-Cola 600 auto race at Charlotte Motor Speedway in Concord, N.C.

Five hours later and about 600 miles to the southeast, the Coca-Cola 600, the day’s longest event, will get under way. Jimmie Johnson, the five-time Nascar champion and six-time winner of events at the Charlotte Motor Speedway, is as usual one of the favorites. Whereas passing at Monte Carlo will be difficult on the narrow city streets, passing at Charlotte is something else: the 1979 Nascar event holds the local record for passes – 59 lead changes in 400 laps.

The 600 will be shown on Fox, with preliminaries at 5:30 p.m. and the race beginning at 6 p.m.