A Fiat board member has expressed concern that Chrysler’s planned Initial Public Offering could split the automakers into two separate companies. Fiat has been planning to fully merge with Chrysler since becoming a shareholder in 2009.

“If the IPO will take place, there will be two companies, and that’s different than having a single one,” Fiat chairman John Elkann told Bloomberg.

He added that “there is no doubt” that a Chrysler IPO will alter Fiat’s relationship with the Auburn Hills-based automaker.

Chrysler’s IPO would give the UAW’s retiree health fund the opportunity to sells its shares in the automaker on the open market. The fund, known as VEBA, holds a 41.5 percent stake in Chrysler. Fiat owns the balance.

Fiat has spent the last several months negotiating with the UAW over the value of its outstanding shares. Chrysler’s IPO could force Fiat’s hand in paying the UAW’s asking price for its ownership stake.

If Fiat fails to secure VEBA’s shares before the IPO, the company could lose access to Chrysler’s $12 billion cash reserve. 

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Nissan is recalling more than 900,000 vehicles worldwide due to an accelerator sensor glitch that could cause an engine stall.

Nissan announced on Thursday that it is recalling a total of 908,900 vehicles worldwide because of a an accelerator pedal sensor defect. Nissan says the fault can cause the sensor to become unstable, which could result in weak acceleration or possibly an engine stall.

Nissan says about 764,800 of the vehicles, which range from the 2004-2013 model years, are in Japan. Those vehicles include the Serena, X-Trail, Lafesta and Fuga.

In the United States, Nissan is recalling 98,300 vehicles, including the Infiniti M.

Nissan will remedy the problem by installing new accelerator pedals and reprogramming the engine control unit. Nissan spokesman Chris Keeffe told Reuters that the entire procedure should take about 90 minutes.

Photo by Mark Elias.<![CDATA[
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History repeats itself – at least the history written by Wolfsburg, Germany-based Volkswagen.

VW has once again brought a blast from the past back, this time in the form of the 2014 Volkswagen Beetle GSR.

Don’t remember the 1970s original? Just 3,500 copies of the Gelb-Schwarzer Renner (literally: Yellow Black Racer) gained legendary status among cognoscenti as one of the hottest factory Beetles of all time.

For 2014, another 3,500 are on their way to dealers worldwide as part of the reborn GSR project, a stepping stone for VW’s R-Line of performance-oriented cars.

Leaps and bounds

Back in the day, the original Beetle was only capable of 50 horsepower. Flash forward to 2014, and the reconfigured and newly-toned and sculpted Beetle is now the recipient of VW Group’s 2.0-liter TSI turbocharged four-cylinder engine that produces 210 horsepower and 207 lb-ft of torque. A bigger sibling to the new 1.8T engine found in the 2014 Passat and Jetta, it also powers the standard Beetle Turbo lineup.

New technologies are found through the reconfiguration of the cylinder head on this front-driver. Utilizing an internal exhaust header, rather than an externally-mounted header set and combining it with coolant chambers manages to chill the exhaust gasses by 160-degrees for a more dense charge when they hit the turbocharger. The end result is more power and efficiency.

Power gets to the front-driven wheels through a six-speed manual transmission. The entire package is tied together through a MacPherson struts package with lower control arms, coil springs and shocks in front, and a-new-for-2014 multi-link kit with coilovers at the rear that replaces the torsion beam setup from last year. The set is tied together with anti-roll bars at both ends. An electric power-assisted rack and pinion steering system helps the tillerman to point the way.

Stings like a bee

Then there’s that color. Bright lemon yellow, it is a direct throwback to the original. Black accents abound, including a flow-over scheme that starts on the hood, helping to hide the darkened moonroof, over a rear decklid spoiler and finally finishing up on the trunk lid.

Black striping with GSR logos on the side and 19-inch “Tornado” wheels are icing on this R-line based cake.

The GSR package carries over inside as well, with a leather-wrapped and numbered steering wheel, a special GSR shift knob and embroidered sports seats. Subtle yellow stitching is seen throughout and does its best to remind you this is no run-of-the-mill Bug.

Go (not flower) power

As VW continues to attempt to dispel the cutesy image of the (old) New Beetle, the automaker is emphasizing that its latest creation is more like a hot hatch with a retro body.

We found the inline turbocharged four-cylinder offered great acceleration that showed responsiveness throughout the power band. Chilling the exhaust with coolant allows the use of less fuel without resulting in reduced performance.

With turbo ducting now an integral part within the cylinder head, the engine enjoys a lower overall weight, as well. VW claims the design allows for more instantaneous response and horsepower versus the older engine.

Offering a spirited romp through the gears from a standing start, this huffed four-banger turned in an exhilarating performance through the mountain logging roads near the Silverado trail in Napa Valley, California. The gearbox felt like a precision unit found in some of its larger, more expensive German brothers, offering correct shifting without the hunting that seems characteristic of some gearboxes from the Pacific Rim. Very precise. We wish all shifters were this good. Sixth gear felt relaxed even while climbing slight mountain grades.

We found steering at times a bit on the light side, which we got used to as time in the GSR went on. The new suspension configuration offered flat cornering through most turns including some hairy switchbacks that had us questioning the sanity of some of the region’s highway designers. This is a confidence-inspiring chassis, even if it lacks the hard road feel of a more dedicated sporting car.

Leftlane’s bottom line

Volkswagen revisits a respected model from its storied past as an attempt to “butch” up its Beetle range. The 2014 Beetle GSR helps to add a dash of pepper to the R-Line lineup, even if the engine is located at the wrong end of the car (!). But time, and technology continue to move on, and the technology seen in the GSR is definitely top shelf.

We do miss that asthmatic sounding air-cooled wheeze that used to come from the Beetles of old, though.

2014 Volkswagen Beetle GSR base price, $30,815.

Photos by Mark Elias.<![CDATA[
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Bentley’s Continental GT3 race car will make its motorsport this December at the 2013 Gulf 12 Hours in Abu Dhabi. The Continental GT3 made its world debut at the 2012 Paris Motor Show.

Since its global debut, the Continental GT3 has been undergoing a series of rigorous performance, setup and durability tests at tracks across Europe. Bentley says the Continental GT3 passed all tests with flying colors and is officially ready for its first competition.

“The car has performed extremely well so far, and has matched or exceeded our simulations in every respect,” said Brian Gush, Bentley’s Director of Motorsport. “With 3,000 km of testing completed already, the team is very pleased with progress and we’re gaining confidence in our package. We’re all looking forward to the Gulf 12 Hours in December and can’t wait to run the car against the competition for the first time in its first test race.”

Wearing a body similar to that of the road-going Continental GT, the GT3′s 4.0L twin-turbocharged engine is also related to the mill used in the production car. However, the GT3 is rated at 600 horsepower and makes use of a six-speed sequential gearbox.

Bentley hasn’t campaigned a factory-backed racecar since it won the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 2003.

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Volvo’s Concept Coupe debuted strictly as a design exercise at the 2013 Frankfurt Motor Show, but a new report indicates the Swedish automaker could be considering a small production run of the stylish two-door.

After receiving an overwhelmingly positive reaction to the concept car, Volvo’s Board of Directors is said to be mulling a limited production run of the Concept Coupe. According to Germany’s Auto Bild, a decision on the matter could be made in 2014.

Inspired by the iconic P1800, the Concept Coupe would be Volvo’s lone entrant into the luxury sedan segment. The automaker recently ended production of its C70 two-door.

Given its limited production run, the road-going Concept Coupe would likely carry a hefty asking price. It remains to be seen if Volvo would aim as high as Mercedes-Benz’ six-figure CL coupe.

Few other details are known, but the Concept Coupe would sit nicely in Volvo showrooms alongside the upcoming 2015 XC90 crossover, which is expected to borrow many of the show car’s design cues.

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Lexus has announced details for its 2014 IS F model. The performance sedan largely carries over unchanged from last year’s model, but Lexus has added a few tweaks to give the IS F a little more life in its final year of production.

While standard versions of the IS have moved on to a new rear-wheel drive platform for 2014, the 2014 IS F remains based on the second-generation IS. A new generation of the performance line is expected in the coming months, but it’s possible Lexus could skip over the four-door IS F in favor of a new RC F coupe.

No matter what the future holds, the 2014 IS F arrives with a few improvements, including LED fog lamps and a carbon fiber rear spoiler. Inside the IS F now boasts headrests embossed with the “F” logo, Alcantara trim on the doors and center console and semi-aniline leather-trimmed seats.

Under hood nothing has changed, with the 2014 IS F utilizing the same 416 horsepower 5.0L V8 found in last year’s model. Shifting duties are handled by an eight-speed automatic gearbox.

Available at dealerships now, the 2014 Lexus IS F carries a base price of $63,350, representing a slight increase over the 2013 model’s $61,750 asking price.

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Years of foot-dragging over rear visibility standards has landed the United States Department of Transportation at the center of a new lawsuit.

Federal regulators were given the all clear to formulate new rear visibility rules in 2007 – which could include mandatory backup cameras – but have so far punted the decision to put anything into law. Fed up with the government’s slow progress, two individuals along with four organizations filed a lawsuit in federal court in New York on Wednesday that aims to press the issue.

“When Congress ordered this rule issued in three years, they meant three years, not seven,” Scott Michelman, an attorney for Public Citizen, a consumer advocacy group, told Automotive News.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has set several deadlines to formulate backup rules, but has whiffed on every one. The agency’s last self-imposed deadline passed in December of 2012.

The NHTSA has never given a formal explanation for its lack of movement on the issue, but added costs are believed to be a driving factor. It’s estimated that making backup cameras a requirement would add between $58 to $203 to the cost of a vehicle, which comes out to roughly $18 million per life saved.

Despite the government’s refusal to act on the issue, backup cameras are becoming more prevalent in the industry. According to Edmunds.com, 77 percent of all 2013 vehicles sold in the United States can be equipped with a backup camera, compared to 32 percent of 2008 model year vehicles.

Honda will become the first mainstream automaker to offer backup cameras as standard equipment across its entire range when its new Fit debuts next year. 

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