Even though its sales were down across the board, GM, the largest automaker in the U.S., suggested that 2013 marked the end of the recession for the auto industry. The automaker sold 2.8 million new cars during the calendar year.

Ford, meanwhile, boasts that its namesake division is the country’s largest single brand and it broke sales records for the Fiesta, Fusion and Escape models.

The big news at Chrysler is the early success of the Jeep Cherokee. With more than 15,000 sold last month, the Cherokee trailed only the division’s larger Grand Cherokee in sales volume.

Among import brands, Audi, Hyundai, Mercedes-Benz, Nissan, Land Rover and Subaru have all reported record-breaking sales in the U.S.

December’s Numbers
- Acura down 2% to 15,751
- Audi up 15% to 17,013
- BMW flat at 37,389
- Buick down 7% to 15,379
- Cadillac down 1% to 18,165
- Chevrolet down 8% to 153,493
- Chrysler down 21% to 20,270
- Dodge down 9% to 47,689
- Fiat up 1% to 3,745
- Ford up 2% to 218,058
- GMC down 2% to 43,120
- Honda up 2% to 135,255
- Hyundai up 6% to 63,005
– Infiniti up 5% to 13,232
- Jeep up 34% to 53,275
- Jaguar up 47% to 1,544
- Kia down 14% to 33,631
- Land Rover up 11% to 5,764
- Lamborghini up 5% to 46
- Lexus up 18% to 34,757
- Lincoln up 8% to 7,984
- Maserati up 216% to 1,053
- Mazda down 16% to 22,964
- Mercedes-Benz up 17% to 33,007
- MINI up 2% to 6,592
- Nissan up 11% to 96,526
- Ram up 17% to 36,028
- smart down 14%
- Subaru up 10% to 40,172
- Toyota down 1% to 156,086
- Volkswagen down 23% to 34,015
- Volvo down 21% to 4,888

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More than simply a GoPro-like camera mounted to the windshield, PDR is integrated into the new Corvette’s electronics to provide viewers with a high degree of information. Moreover, the system records data on an SD card that lets drivers replay their experiences either on the vehicle’s instrument cluster (when parked) or on a computer or TV screen at a later date.

Mounted into the windshield header trim near the rearview mirror, the system’s 720p HD camera records everything the driver sees directly in front. Audio is picked up via a dedicated microphone inside the Corvette’s camera, allowing drivers to narrate their own trip if they want.

A telemetry recorder developed with Corvette racing partner Cosworth is hard-wired to the car’s Controller Area Network (CAN), which allows it to work like a black box recorder. Information that it can pick up includes engine speed, transmission selection, braking force, steering wheel angle and lateral g’s.

Four modes include three data overlay screens, which look something like a video game display:

• Track mode – includes speed, RPM, g-force, lap times and even a location-based map discerned from the car’s GPS and Bing-enabled satellite maps.
• Sport mode – a more limited display with speed and g-force.
• Performance mode – designed to show performance metrics like 0-60 mph runs, 1/4 mile sprints and 0-100 mph runs.
• Touring mode – A simple video and audio-only replay.

Using Track mode, drivers can view corner traces, cornering force and vehicle speed to analyze their driving habits

“It’s like having a 32 GB crew chief trackside, proving you with real-time feedback to improve your driving skills,” Corvette chief engineer Tadge Juechter said in a statement released to members of the media.

With a 32 GB memory card put into the SD slot, the system can store about 13 hours of driving.

Chevrolet has not priced PDR, which it says will become available at the beginning of the 2015 model year on Corvettes.

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BMW has released a video delving into the design philosophy of the 2015 i8 hybrid sports car. In it, the automaker appears to address traditional enthusiasts who eye the company’s new direction with a modicum of uncertainty.

“Don’t worry,” the besuited BMW spokesman begins, “For us practicality and aesthetics are two sides of the same coin. A dazzling design is a must for a BMW.” He then goes on to describe everything from established Bimmer traits like the twin kidney grille and complex surfacing to new styling languages like the “layered” rear end.

Of note is a V-shaped band that starts at the hood scoop and runs over the length of the roof to the rear deck. A key point about Lambo– er, scissor — doors is made, which have no visible handle. Instead, the latch is hidden inside the door’s trailing edge where it overlaps a scoop on the rear quarter panel. Its 2+2 interior nods to BMW tradition with a driver-oriented dash and console, with the gear selector tilted towards the captain, except now the materials are recyclable.

The video is a followup to another recent production by BMW about the i8′s performance. In that clip, potential concerns about the i8′s 231hp three-cylinder turbo and 131hp electric motor are addressed.

Photo by Ronan Glon.<![CDATA[
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Nissan is returning to the highest echelons of American racing later this month at the 24 Hours at Daytona. It will mark the Yokohama-based automaker’s first foray into Prototype-class in over 20 years.

In partnership officially announced yesterday, engines built by NISMO (Nissan Motorsports) will power an Oreca 03 LMP2 chassis campaigned by Muscle Milk Pickett Racing. A trio of three former prototype racing champions — Lucas Luhr, Klaus Graf and Alex Brundle — will headline the driving roster, making for a promising team.

In 2011, Luhr co-piloted a Nissan GT-R to overall victory in the GT1 World Championships. Together, Luhr and Graf won the 2012 and 2013 American Le Mans LMP1 driver’s championships behind the wheel of an HPD ARX-03a. This year, however, they’re trading in the Honda for the Nissan-Oreca and will be joined by Alex Brundle, no stranger to prototype Nissans, having finished as high as second overall in the World Endurance Championships behind the wheel of the Oak Racing Nissan-Morgan LMP2.

From 1988 to 1991, Nissan won four consecutive IMSA championships in the Grand Touring Prototype (GTP) class with their iconic red and blue on white race cars. The IMSA Tudor 24 Hours at Daytona begins January 25.

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Tata Motors has confirmed it will present a diesel-powered variant of the tiny Nano at the 2014 Auto Expo that will open its doors next month in India.

Technical specifications are vague at best but Tata has hinted in the past that the mill will be a 45-horsepower two-cylinder unit tuned to return approximately 85 mpg in a mixed cycle, a statistic that would make the Nano India’s most fuel-efficient car by a long shot.

Like the existing gasoline- and CNG-burning variants of the Nano, the diesel-powered model will be available with four customization packages called Jet, Alpha, Remix and Peach, respectively. The bundles include aesthetic add-ons such as stickers, emblems, wheels and body kits.

The diesel variant will be offered in the same trim levels as its gas-burning counterpart. Base models will still be as bare-bones as ever but upmarket trim levels will be available with A/C, a CD player, a four-speaker audio system, remote keyless entry, USB and auxiliary jacks and even Bluetooth connectivity.

Look for more details about the Nano Diesel to emerge in the weeks leading up to its debut. Pricing information will be available closer to its launch.

Other Engine Options
Diesel aside, the Nano is not undergoing any modifications for 2014. With a converted base price of about $2,500, the Nano is offered with a rear-mounted two-cylinder 624cc engine that makes 37 horsepower and 37 lb-ft. of torque. Linked to a four-speed manual transmission that spins the rear wheels, the twin sends the Nano to a top speed of just 65 mph and enables it to climb up to 30-percent grades. The trade-off to the lackluster performance is that the Nano returns nearly 60 mpg in a mixed cycle while emitting 93.5 grams of CO2 per kilometer.

A bi-fuel variant of the engine that can run on either gasoline or compressed natural gas (CNG) thanks in part to hardened valves is available at an extra cost. The mill’s output drops to 33 horsepower and 33 lb-ft. of twist when burning CNG, making the Nano one of the slowest, least-powerful new cars in the world.

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