After Race Japanese GP 2013

Teams and driver said after race :

Caterham

Charles Pic - 18th
"I had a good start but we'd already decided to serve the drive-through penalty at the end of lap one to get it out of the way and I was playing catch up from there. My target from there was to pass Chilton and I finished almost 20 seconds clear of him so that's about as much as we could have hoped for today.

"I was on a set of hards for the first stint and they held up ok, they felt pretty good and I was given the all-clear to push quite early on so aimed to cut the gap as much as I could. We stopped for the first time on lap 17 and did the second stint on new options and my pace was good on them, right up until the second stop on lap 35.

"The final stint was on another set of hards and I came out around 11 seconds behind the Marussia so pushed as hard as I could and had the gap down to eight seconds with 11 laps left. I was gaining on him at about a second a lap and with five laps left I got him and pulled away, finally finishing 18th. I have to say I'm pretty happy about that, bearing in mind the time I lost on the first lap but I just kept pushing. I think it's a fair result today for the work the whole team put in, and one that shows we never stop fighting."

Giedo van der Garde - DNF
"My start was ok but going into turn one I was squeezed between both the Marussia cars and had nowhere to go. I lost my front wing in contact with Bianchi and then the car went straight off and into the wall. It was quite a heavy impact but I'm ok. Obviously that's disappointing, but it was a racing incident and sometimes these things happen so now we'll move on to India and push for a better weekend there and for the rest of the season."

Ferrari

Fernando Alonso - 4th
"Fourth place was the most I could do today, as the three ahead of me were really out of reach and so, given our starting position and how practice went in general, I am happy. It was an action packed race and even if we suffered with traffic, degradation was more normal than in Korea and we were back to having a good pace. Certainly, we need to find something extra if we want to finish on the podium in the next four races. Today, Mercedes had a few problems and we made up some important points, but we must give it our all, if we want to stay second in the Constructors' classification, because they are not far behind. I am very proud of having become the driver with the most points in the history of this sport, even if for a few years now, with the change to the points system, you get more. Now I want to celebrate this record and think about the next race in India. This one is already in the past".

Felipe Massa - 10th
"That was a really difficult day, with the drive-through wiping out any chance of having a good race or bringing home more points. When I came down pit lane, I didn't realise I was going too fast. It's the first time it's happened to me and it's a real shame, because in the first stint of the race, I had a good pace. Having taken the penalty, I was stuck in traffic and the cars that had made a third stop towards the end of the race were able to pass me easily on new tyres. I am disappointed, because I'm sure that without that mistake I could have got a good result. In the remaining races, we must continue to fight and I hope we can be competitive starting right away in India".

Stefano Domenicali, team principal
"The Suzuka weekend began with the sad news of the death of Maria de Villota and our first thoughts are with her. Considering the potential of our car, thanks to the work of the team at the track, we have obtained a result that allows us to stay second in both Championships, in line with our current objectives. With today's fourth place, Fernando tops the list of the all-time highest number of points scored, proof of his extraordinary talent and something which makes us very proud. Up until the penalty, Felipe was fighting for a top five finish and it's a shame that the drivethrough affected his race, so that he was not rewarded for all his efforts. Today's leading trio had a better pace than us, but now it's important that we do not let up at all: over the final four races, we have an obligation to demonstrate that Ferrari never gives up fighting for the top places".

Pat Fry, technical director
"The first part of the race was very intense from a strategic point of view, as it was affected by traffic and the decision to bring forward the pit stops, which most of the teams did today. For us, it would have been a pointless risk to stop earlier than planned, because we had based our race on a two stop strategy and it would have therefore been difficult to make it to the end. Our level of degradation was better than last week's and our race pace meant we could make up places. Today's performance was definitely affected by traffic and even if the podium was not within our reach, the pace was enough for us to have finished right behind the top three by a smaller margin. Fernando drove a great race, getting a very good start and showing once again just how strong he is in the race. Certainly, we can't be satisfied with fourth place, but we are pleased about the fact Fernando has taken the lead in the all-time points table. I am very disappointed for Felipe, because he did not deserve to finish down in tenth place at the end of a weekend that had started so well. I think it's true to say that, without the penalty he would have been able to fight for fifth with Raikkonen and Hulkenberg. For the last four races, we will evaluate if it is worth bringing some improvements to motivate the drivers and teams over the closing stages of this championship".

Force India

Paul di Resta - 11th
"At the start of the race I didn't get a good launch and a few cars came by me, and then we lost out at the first pit stop because the Williams of Bottas jumped us. That compromised the second stint, which is why we went very aggressive with an early second stop to get track position and move ahead of the Williams. The car felt better for the final stint and it looked like we were on course for a point. In the end we were about five laps too short with the tyre life because I couldn't defend from Jenson [Button]. With four races to go we need to take the positives from this weekend and will travel to India determined to get back in the points."

Adrian Sutil - 14th
"It's been a very tough weekend and starting from the back of the grid made it difficult to get close to the points. In the end I finished P14 and had some good battles, but there was a lot of oversteer in the car and it was not easy to be consistent. The best part of the race was the start because I moved up to P16, but we just didn't have the race pace we needed today and couldn't get the performance from the tyres."

Robert Fernley, deputy team principal
"We made no secret of the fact that Suzuka was going to be the most difficult track for us in the second part of the season. So it was no surprise that points were hard to come by today. Paul came close in P11, but his race strategy was hampered in the second stint when he was running behind Bottas. He finally cleared the Williams by pitting early for his second stop, but we were missing the pace to fend off the recovering Button and that cost us the final point. With Adrian it was a similar story as he ran behind Maldonado for much of the race and struggled with tyre performance. So it's been an uphill struggle for us, but we remain upbeat as we head to India for the team's home race. The upcoming tracks should play more to our strengths and give us the opportunity to get back to scoring regular points."

Lotus

Kimi Raikkonen - 5th
"I had a very poor start. I left the line with wheelspin and lost a few places which wasn't ideal, but I managed to gain places back later on in the race. After the final pit stop the car was working much better. It ran well in the last half of the race and I was very happy with it. It was a pretty normal race I would say. It's difficult to overtake here so it's good that we got some points. We did what we could."

Romain Grosjean - 3rd
"Today was just a very, very good race. What a start! It was superb to go past both the Red Bulls like that and it'll be one of my best memories of the year. The car was fantastic on the first set of tyres and we managed to pull away, but then the Red Bulls were able to reel us in later on. Ultimately, we were the only car to almost catch the bull. It's been a great home race for my engineer; it's always good to come to Japan and it's really good to be back on the podium again."

Eric Boullier, team principal
"It's great to see such a good fight in the race and both our cars show so strongly. Once again, both drivers, our strategists and the pit crew performed brilliantly and we did the very best we could on track. We don't have the pace to beat Red Bull, but today we showed them that we are nevertheless quite formidable whilst also underlining to Mercedes and Ferrari that we are a strong contender for the final four races of the season. We must say a big thanks to everyone at Enstone for the fantastic car we have in the E21. To see Romain leading the race was very satisfying and we hope to see that again very soon."

Alan Permane, trackside operations director
"It was a great race for us and superb to see Romain leading for so much of it. We were the only team to take the fight to Red Bull; ultimately they were too quick for us but we took a strong and well deserved third place with Romain and a fighting fifth with Kimi. Romain made a fantastic start and we had enough in hand in the first stint to be able to pit a lap later than Mark, but they started to catch us on the medium tyres and Sebastian was able to catch and pass reasonably easily with their superior pace. It's a great feeling to show so strongly at Suzuka."

Marussia

Jules Bianchi - DNF
"All in all I think this is a weekend that was destined not to come my way, which is a shame as I love the Suzuka Circuit. We did our best to fight back and I was very confident in the way we would approach the race. Unfortunately, as I turned into the first corner on the opening lap, van der Garde hit my rear wing which pushed me off track and into the gravel. Nothing more to say really, except my thanks to the Team for a lot of hard work this weekend. We'll be back to do better in India I hope because there are good signs for the car performance."

Max Chilton - 19th
"Generally this has been a really positive weekend for me and one where we've made all the right moves. It was great to qualify ahead of my three nearest competitors for the first time yesterday and today I held position for most of the race, so it was pretty disappointing to lose out just a few laps from the end. I was happy with the way our race was panning out but on the prime tyre in the final stint I struggled a lot more and made a small mistake going onto the marbles, which caused me to go off. From then on, with those tyres, there was little I could do to recover. Although we lost out in the end, I think we have to focus on the positives. The car is a lot stronger and we are in a good place for the fight with the Caterhams."

John Booth, team principal
"A disappointing end to a weekend where we've seen some very positive signs with car performance. Jules' start was again fantastic this week and this enabled him to jump Giedo van der Garde. Had his race continued, then with the turn of pace that we saw on his long runs on Saturday morning, we feel sure he would have had a strong showing. Max was enjoying a good race and we were managing his pace well in order to ensure we made the two stop strategy work. Unfortunately he struggled a little more on his last set of prime tyres and he ended up running wide, which let Charles Pic through. Overall we have good reason to feel encouraged by many aspects of this weekend and we are looking forward to introducing some smaller developments for India, which we hope will continue to improve the pace of the car."

McLaren

Jenson Button - 9th
"The first two stints of the race were pretty difficult as I had massive understeer. That was my fault: on the lap-to-grid, it felt like I had too much front-end, so I took some wing out of the car. It was the wrong thing to do - it left me with too much understeer, and I kept locking up the fronts, which destroyed the front tyres. For the third set, we added some front-wing, and the balance came back to me. In the end, the car was really good to drive - especially my final stint on the Option tyre, which was a lot of fun, especially as I was able to chase down and pass a couple of other cars. In the closing laps, I made a great move on Paul [di Resta] around the outside of the chicane. I made the same move on Felipe [Massa] too, but he forced me over the kerb, so I ended up getting him on the straight. So it was an enjoyable end to the race, but a disappointing beginning."

Sergio Perez - 15th
"It was a very unfortunate afternoon for us. I had such bad luck - things just didn't go our way today. In fact, I think you could say that everything that could go wrong, did go wrong. We had an incident with Nico [Rosberg] in the pitlane, some of slow pitstops, and then another incident with Nico, which caused me to suffer a puncture - luckily, however, right at the entrance of the pitlane. After a difficult race like this, all we can do is look ahead. In two weeks' time we'll start all over again - I'll be hoping for more luck in New Delhi."

Martin Whitmarsh, team principal
"Today's race was a tough one for both our drivers, but they both showed stout character in dealing with various adverse occurrences with great determination throughout all 53 laps. Jenson made a good start off the line, but through no fault of his own was then embroiled in a first-corner incident, consequently dropping a few places. As a result, he also flat-spotted his tyres, which caused a significant vibration that we elected to curtail by bringing him in for his first tyre stop earlier than we otherwise would have done. We were consequently forced to convert his planned two-stop strategy to a three-stopper, which was a pity, but he drove a truly excellent race thereafter, taking advantage of rubber fresher than that of his rivals in his fourth and final stint to pull off some excellent overtaking manoeuvres and bag a hard-won ninth place by the flag.

"Checo made an excellent start, moving from P11 on the grid to P8 at the end of lap one, and was able to keep pace with all but the three front-runners throughout his first stint. Unfortunately, his first tyre stop was compromised by the unsafe release of Nico's Mercedes, causing him [ie, Checo] to emerge behind Esteban's [Gutierrez] Sauber, behind which he lost a lot of time throughout his second stint, unable to overtake despite making plenty of brave attempts to do so. Then, in his third stint, Checo suffered a left-rear puncture, also ironically in an incident with Nico, which necessitated an extra unscheduled pitstop that put him out of contention for a points-scoring finish. Had that not occurred, he, like Jenson, would have earned some valuable points. From here we go to New Delhi, where we hope to consolidate our fifth place in the Constructors' World Championship by enjoying what we hope will be a less eventful and more productive afternoon than we did here at Suzuka today."

Mercedes

Lewis Hamilton - DNF
"I got a fantastic start this afternoon, better than both Red Bulls for probably the first time this year. Mark moved right, so I had to move as well, which sandwiched Sebastian between me and Romain. Seb's front wing clipped my right rear, cut the tyre and that was that. It wasn't his fault at all, just one of those things that wasn't meant to be this afternoon. I feel most gutted for the team - the guys here at the track and in the factory - because they are doing an amazing job right now and we're just not getting the reward for it. Looking to the last four races, I will just be going out there to enjoy them and score as many points as I can for the team. I still believe that second in the Constructors' Championship is in our reach if our luck takes a turn for the better and that's what we will all be aiming for."

Nico Rosberg - 8th
"I made a good start today and was in a strong position until my first pit stop. Unfortunately we then had the incident as I left the pit box which ultimately cost me a top position. We will analyse internally with the team what went wrong but it was immediately clear that we would get a penalty. After that, we switched to a three-stop strategy and that worked out as well as it could for us. I was able to do some good overtaking manoeuvres, although I wasn't happy with Perez as the rules are clear; you can defend once and close the door but you can't switch sides again. Trying to overtake the Sauber at the end was very tough and while it's difficult to be satisfied with eighth place given our potential, at least we were able to salvage some points."

Ross Brawn, team principal
"A tough afternoon for us which was made more frustrating by the fact that we had a good car today and unfortunately did not get the opportunity to demonstrate that. Our lap times were pretty competitive and the tyre durability was good but for various reasons, we weren't able to race well. We suffered a puncture with Lewis off the line and, whilst he managed to recover to the pits, the damage subsequently proved too great to continue. With Nico, we had the issue with the pit stop which led to the drive through penalty. We're normally a pretty reliable team in the pits and I don't fully understand what happened yet but we will investigate and take any necessary actions. The team has worked extremely hard over the past two weeks and I still believe we have the potential to finish the season in second place in the Constructors' Championship but we have to use the potential of the car to the full in the four remaining races to achieve that aim."

Toto Wolff, executive director
"That was a character-building afternoon for our team. Lewis suffered an unfortunate racing incident on the run down to turn one and had to complete an entire lap with a punctured right-rear tyre. That seriously damaged the underfloor of the car and it became clear soon after he went back out that the rear brake temperatures were climbing and the car pulling to the right. So the only sensible precaution was to retire the car after seven laps. As for Nico, he drove a strong race but his finishing position was dictated by the drive-through penalty that he received for an unsafe release at his first pit stop. After that, he recovered well to finish in eighth position and salvage four points."

Red Bull

Sebastian Vettel - 1st
"A very rewarding win today; it's a great feeling. I love this track and it's just fantastic to win here. It was a horrible start to be honest; we found ourselves sitting in third place and then tried to go longer in the first stint. I had great traction after I got past Romain and after that the only threat was Mark who got stuck behind Romain. We could then manage the gap until the end of the race. The Championship is the big target of course, but the season is very long still and the best way to wrap it up is not to think about it. I'm happy to go home for a bit now and to relax before we go out to India. That's an impressive country and I'm looking forward to racing there in a couple of weeks."

Mark Webber - 2nd
"We were on the back foot a bit after Romain's great start. I wanted to put pressure on him for the win. Sebastian was on a different strategy to me and in the end it worked out pretty similar. It's hard to know which was right (a two or three stop strategy), as we were trying to cover off Romain. I did my best and in the end it was a good result."

Christian Horner, team principal
"A massive result for the team to achieve a one two in Japan. It was an exciting race that was dictated by the tyre strategy. We split the strategies between a three-stop for Mark and a two-stop for Seb, based on the expected tyre lives on the two cars. Both drivers managed to make it work to navigate their way past Romain Grosjean, in particularly brave moves down into Turn one. A great result for the Team and both Championships and congratulations to Renault for another one-two-three finish on the podium."

Sauber

Nico Hulkenberg - 6th
"I think, we did everything we could today. I was already surprised by the pace of the car going to the grid as it felt really good. Again I managed to keep both Ferraris behind me for a long time, even if it wasn't enough as my tryes just gave up a little bit at the end of the race. We were fighting throughout the race today. Just after my second pit stop I was surprised I was able to pull away a bit from Fernando (Alonso), but he was probably saving his tyres. It was a great team result with P6 and P7, and hopefully a nice present for Peter Sauber. I'm fairly confident we can fight for points again in India."

Esteban Gutierrez - 7th
"Finally I can feel great satisfaction after the race. It has been a lot of work to get up to this point and, while it has not been an easy path, I think it has been a very solid one. Over the past few races we have been improving a lot and, as I said yesterday, we have to keep optimistic and this is the result of that. Knowing we can achieve something like this, you really go forward and do your best and push. Even though the last few laps were very difficult with Nico Rosberg behind me, it was overall a great race. I want to thank the team as is has done a great job today. Also many happy returns to Peter Sauber on his 70th birthday."

Tom McCullough, head of track engineering
"This is our first double points score of the year and a fantastic result for the team. Some good strategy work saw us punching a little bit above our weight for most of the race. Esteban made a great start and had a fantastic first lap and it is really good for him to score his first points today. This has been coming for a while, we never doubted he would make it, and this is a well deserved seventh place. For Nico it was also a good race and he worked hard for his sixth. I hope the boss enjoyed this on his 70th birthday today."

Monisha Kaltenborn, team principal
"This is a fantastic result for us, especially on Peter's birthday. We hope he is happy with this. Both drivers, once again, put up a fantastic fight. It is further proof we are going in the right direction and gives us a lot of confidence for the remaining races, as there is a lot we can still fight for. Hats off to both drivers and to the team that did a great job both at home and here. On behalf of the whole team I would like to wish Peter Sauber a happy 70th birthday. Over the past 43 years motorsport has shaped his life. He established the Sauber F1 Team in Formula One as well as the Sauber brand in motorsport. Sauber is now the fourth oldest name in Formula One. Peter was able to achieve all of that from Switzerland, which four decades ago no one believed was possible. He founded a motorsport team, brought it to the highest level of motorsport and was able to compete continuously in Formula One for over 20 years. Sauber Motorsport today is a technology centre of the highest standard. Peter Sauber always focused on the interests of the team. For that he deserves the utmost gratitude and respect."

Toro Rosso

Jean-Eric Vergne - 12th
"There are some positive elements from today, because the car worked very well in this afternoon, However, our pit stops were not the best and cost us some time. After the start I found myself in traffic, so the team decided to call me in a bit early for the switch from the Option to the Prime, but the pit stop was slow and just put me back in the traffic. It was hard to overtake, so we tried lengthening the next two stints and the remaining pit stops were not the best. Apart from that, my pace seemed reasonable, so it's a shame, as I think I could have done better, especially as I had a lot of new tyres for the race. I really hope I have a bit more luck and another good car in India."

Daniel Ricciardo - 13th
"I am disappointed not to have scored some points today, because I am convinced I was heading for the top ten, which would have been an encouraging result, after struggling with the balance of the car on Saturday. We started on the Hard tyre and after I made a good start to move up two places, it was looking good as I passed Bottas on the track and moved up the order as those on the Medium pitted ahead of me. I was moving up the order again after my first stop and then I made a move on the outside of Sutil at the 130R and got past him. But after that, I ran wide onto the grass, which lost me a bit of time. Sadly, the Stewards decided I had gained an advantage by going off the track and had to take a drive-through penalty, which of course ruined my race. I was ninth when I came in for the penalty and it dropped me down outside the points."

James Key, technical director
"First of all, the mechanics need to be commended for doing a good job in rebuilding Jev's car after the fire yesterday. We were reasonably flexible regarding our strategy for today, looking at a three stop for Jean-Eric, as he had plenty of new tyres, so it seemed like a sensible choice, while with Daniel we were looking at a two stopper. As often happens at Suzuka, Jev got stuck in traffic after the start, so we brought him in early, but a long stop put him back in the same place. After that he drove very well in the middle of the race, overtaking other cars. Daniel had a clearer start, moving up two places right away and kept out of traffic. Then, well after he passed Sutil, he ran wide onto the gravel, losing time. However, the Stewards decided he had gained an advantage. He therefore had to come in for the drive-through penalty, that cost him a top ten finish."

Williams

Pastor Maldonado - 16th
"It was pleasing to be able to make a move on the last lap to gain a position over my teammate. I felt we got the strategy slightly wrong today and we were struggling with the pace a bit, but we did manage to get 100% out of the car."

Valtteri Bottas - 17th
"At the beginning of the race we didn't look too bad and managed to keep some cars behind us. At the end of the second stint and into the third stint our pace seemed to drop off and we weren't able to keep our positions. As the tyres wore out at the end we did struggle a bit, so unfortunately we couldn't fight anymore."

Xevi Pujolar, chief race engineer
"It was a good clean start and first lap from both drivers. We were racing the Toro Rosso's and the Force India's and aiming for a two-stop strategy. We stuck to strategy but needed to be more aggressive in the second stint to keep them behind so in the end we weren't able to hold them off. Ultimately our pace wasn't good enough. This circuit is hard on tyres and our tyre life was on the limit so we couldn't pit any earlier than we did otherwise we risked not making it to the end of the race. Valtteri and Pastor therefore ended up racing each other, and after Valtteri had been ahead for the majority of the race, Pastor found a way through in the final chicane of the last lap."

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Sebastian Vettel is P1 on Japanese GP

Sebastian Vettel took his fifth victory in a row during an enthralling Japanese Grand Prix, which boiled down to a strategic battle with Red Bull team-mate Mark Webber and the Lotus of Romain Grosjean.

All three drivers led the race at one point or another, but as the Red Bulls split their strategies between a two-stop for Vettel and a three-stop for Webber, the single Lotus got outfoxed and outpaced over the 53 laps. Webber forced his way through to second place on the penultimate lap, with a strategy that put the emphasis on on-track action rather than playing out the passing in the pit stops.

Giedo van der Garde's race ended on the first lap after tangling with Jules Bianchi

Fernando Alonso finished fourth to ensure the championship will be stretched out for at least one more race, with Kimi Raikkonen recovering from a poor start to finish fifth ahead of another strong performance from Nico Hulkenberg. Esteban Gutierrez took the first points of his career in seventh ahead of Nico Rosberg, Jenson Button and Felipe Massa in the final points positions.

The start of the race set up the battle for the lead as Grosjean made a brilliant start to lead into the first corner from fourth on the grid. Lewis Hamilton was also in the mix but got squeezed by Webber from the left and as he reacted his right-rear tyre made contact with Vettel's front wing. He suffered a puncture that dropped him to the back of the pack and ultimately led to his retirement due to damage to the floor of his Mercedes.

That meant Grosjean led the two Red Bulls into the first corner, in the opposite order to how they finished. But even though Webber and Vettel looked faster than the Lotus in the early stages they bided their time in the knowledge the race could be played out through the pit stops. The strategies appeared to be fairly fluid, but for the two Red Bulls the foundations had been laid during Friday practice. Webber was running less downforce than Vettel, which meant his car was primed for overtaking but not as easy on its tyres as his team-mate's. Vettel reaped the rewards of that decision and shuffled himself onto a two-stop strategy by using that extra downforce to protect his tyres, while Webber had to take the fight to Grosjean in order to make his more aggressive four stints work.

Grosjean was caught in between, but ultimately did well to stay in touch with what was undoubtedly a slower car. He covered Webber at the first pit stop to ensure he didn't lose track position, but in doing so opened the door for Vettel to run a little longer. Vettel's first stop was two laps later than Grosjean's, but his second was eight laps later than the Lotus, so even though he came out behind the Frenchman in his final stint, passing him for the lead was easy.

Webber, meanwhile, had been putting his pieces in place for a push in the laps of the race and rejoined in third place on medium tyres after his third stop. He was a second faster than his team-mate and Grosjean, which looked as though it would be enough to worry Vettel. However, he needed to get ahead of Grosjean first, and with limited traction due to his set-up he failed at his first three or four attempts to get past into Turn 1. That gave Vettel the cushion he needed and it was only when the battle between Grosjean and Webber came up to a gaggle of backmarkers on the penultimate lap that he finally found a way past on the inside of Turn 1.

By that stage Vettel was clear at the front and well on his way to his fifth victory and another step towards his fourth drivers' title. However, Alonso prevented the celebrations kicking off in Japan by guiding his Ferrari from eighth to fourth. He finished 35.6s off Grosjean in third after being held up by team-mate Massa early in the race and losing a position to Hulkenberg in the first pit stops as a result. He eventually found a way back past the Sauber on lap 46 after a robust defence from Hulkenberg, who lost fifth place to a perfectly executed overtaking move from Raikkonen on lap 52 of 53.

Although the battle for victory in the two championships is all but over, the battle for second in the constructors' is heating up with Ferrari ten points clear of Mercedes and Lotus closing in on, and just 23 points off, third place. The next instalment of that battle and Vettel's sensational success story will come at the Indian Grand Prix in two weeks' time.

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Dani Pedrosa Win Malaysian GP

Dani Pedrosa has won the Shell Advance Malaysian Motorcycle GP, collecting his third victory of the 2013 MotoGP™ season. Marc Marquez completed a Repsol Honda Team one-two after a nail-biting battle with Yamaha Factory Racing’s Jorge Lorenzo, as the reigning World Champion rounded out the podium.

With four races to go in 2013, Sepang marked the first event of a triple-header which next weekend takes the MotoGP™ fraternity to Australia, before racing in Japan on the final weekend of the month. Saturday saw Marquez storm to a fourth consecutive pole position as the newcomer attempted to edge ever closer to an historic title win.

Pedrosa’s victory came as his first for almost five months, having not stood atop the podium since Le Mans in mid-May. He narrowly missed out on taking the lead as Lorenzo swept through at the start, but overhauled the Mallorcan at the end of the first lap. As Lorenzo became involved in an intense battle with Marquez, who finally made the move stick at Turn 14 with just over 11 laps to go, Pedrosa extended his advantage to pick up a second successive victory on the outskirts of Kuala Lumpur.

The result means all three of the rostrum finishers retain mathematical possibilities of clinching the World Championship, although Marquez is the only rider who could claim the title at Phillip Island next weekend. Should he do so, the 20-year-old Catalan would become the first rookie premier class title winner for 35 years.

Outside of the top three at Sepang, multiple winner Valentino Rossi (Yamaha Factory Racing) experienced a somewhat lonely ride to fourth spot as Alvaro Bautista (GO&FUN Honda Gresini) came out on top in a battle with Cal Crutchlow (Monster Yamaha Tech3); the Spaniard now moves up to sixth place in the Riders’ Championship, ahead of LCR Honda MotoGP’s Stefan Bradl who was forced to miss the race because of a broken ankle. Tech3’s Bradley Smith and Ducati Team’s Andrea Dovizioso were seventh and eighth, ahead of lead CRT runner Aleix Espargaro (Power Electronics Aspar) and Yonny Hernandez (Ignite Pramac Racing).

In 15th spot, NGM Mobile Forward Racing’s Colin Edwards clinched the final point after he, Avintia Blusens’ Hector Barbera and PBM’s Michael Laverty were handed ride-through penalties for jumping the start. A total of five riders failed to finish, including 2006 World Champion Nicky Hayden who parked his Ducati Team machine on the start/finish straight after suffering technical problems.

Round 16 of 18, the Tissot Australian Grand Prix, will take place next weekend as Marc Marquez attempts to become the youngest ever MotoGP™ World Champion.

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@MarcMarquez93 Pole on Malaysian GP

Marc Marquez will start from a fourth consecutive MotoGP™ pole position for the Shell Advance Malaysian Motorcycle Grand Prix. Multiple Sepang winner Valentino Rossi lines up second from Britain’s Cal Crutchlow, with title contenders Jorge Lorenzo and Dani Pedrosa on the second row of the grid.

Having crashed out in dramatic fashion at MotorLand Aragón, it was Pedrosa who topped the first three practice sessions at the Sepang International Circuit. However, when it came to qualifying the 2012 race winner was unable to muster anything other than fifth place, six tenths of a second down on Marquez’s 2’00.011 pole which establishes a new qualifying record for the venue. This marks Marquez’s eighth pole of 2013, his fourth in succession and fifth from the latest six race events.

In a repeat of the German GP front row, albeit with the second and third-placed riders reversed, Rossi and Crutchlow will start second and third for their respective Yamaha Factory Racing and Monster Yamaha Tech3 outfits. In the case of the nine-time champion, he provisionally held pole position after enjoying a slipstream from Ducati Team’s Andrea Dovizioso down the back straight, whereas Crutchlow celebrates a first front row start since his home race at Silverstone last month.

Lorenzo (Yamaha Factory Racing), who won his first MotoGP™ title at Sepang in 2010, will start fourth after missing out on pole by half a second. Behind the reigning World Champion, Marquez’s teammate Pedrosa (Repsol Honda Team) misses the front row despite his rapid pace throughout practice, while the championship contenders will be accompanied on Row 2 by Alvaro Bautista; incidentally, the GO&FUN Honda Gresini rider will rise to sixth in the riders’ standings if he finishes fifth or higher in the race, as LCR Honda MotoGP’s Stefan Bradl was put out of action after suffering a right ankle fracture through a crash in final practice.

Row 3 will consist of Tech3’s Bradley Smith, equaling his second best MotoGP™ qualifying position of seventh from the aforementioned Dovizioso and lead CRT runner Aleix Espargaro (Power Electronics Aspar), who passed through to the final shootout from Q1. Andrea Iannone rounds out the top ten for Energy T.I. Pramac Racing from Ducati Team’s Nicky Hayden, whereas the absent Bradl was classified 12th but is now set to undergo surgery. This promotes NGM Mobile Forward Racing’s Colin Edwards to a fourth row position, with the grid completed by Damian Cudlin who contrary to initial plans races again with PBM this weekend.

Heading into Sunday’s race, which begins at 4pm local time (GMT +8) and with rain expected by many, Marquez heads Lorenzo in the standings by 39 points. Pedrosa is third overall and 59 points off the lead, meaning he will be mathematically ruled out of title contention if Marquez wins and Pedrosa fails to score points in Sunday's 15th round of the campaign.

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First Pole For Mark Webber Japanese GP 2013

Mark Webber took pole position for the Japanese Grand Prix as he beat team-mate Sebastian Vettel at Suzuka.

With Vettel struggling with a KERS issue at the start of Q3, Webber took full advantage to go over 0.3s quicker than his team-mate and set the provisional pole time. On the second runs Vettel was still unable to beat Webber's time and his team-mate then improved again to consolidate pole position.

Lewis Hamilton was last over the line but could only put his Mercedes third on the grid alongside Romain Grosjean, with Felipe Massa and Nico Rosberg making up row three.

It was another disappointing Saturday for both Fernando Alonso and Kimi Raikkonen, with Nico Hulkenberg in seventh place outqualifying them both. Alonso starts from eighth and can't lose any more ground in the race - if Vettel were to win - in order to keep the championship alive.

The two Red Bulls set a blistering pace on their only runs in Q2, with Vettel 0.2s clear of Webber. With everyone else then going out for another run at the end of the session the times bunched up and just half a second covered Webber down to 15th place. Ultimately a late lap from Massa took him through and knocked out Sergio Perez. Paul di Resta also just missed out, and while Valtteri Bottas and Pastor Maldonado did too it was the first time both Williams cars had been in Q2 since Hungary.

Q1 was briefly red-flagged with three minutes remaining as Jean-Eric Vergne's Toro Rosso caught fire. The rear brakes had overheated on his car and he pulled over with both brakes alight, with the session stopped due to the smoke billowing across the track as marshals tried to put the fire out.

That led to a mad dash at the end of the first part of qualifying with only Webber, Hamilton, Alonso, Vettel and Jenson Button not taking to the track. With Vergne having been in 16th place before his problem, he dropped out along with Adrian Sutil - who receives a five-place grid penalty for changing his gearbox after his FP3 crash.

There was a good performance from Max Chilton as he outqualified both his team-mate Jules Bianchi and the Caterhams. While Bianchi and Charles Pic came in to the session with 10-place grid penalties hanging over them, to be comfortably clear of both Caterhams was impressive and Chilton told Sky Sports afterwards that he was "chuffed" with what he described as "a mega lap".

        Driver                 Teams Time
1 M Webber (AUS) Red Bull 1'30.915
2 S Vettel (GER)         Red Bull 1'31.089
3 LC Hamilton (GBR) Mercedes 1'31.253
4 R Grosjean (FRA) Lotus 1'31.365
5 F Massa (BRA) Ferrari 1'31.378
6 N Rosberg (GER) Mercedes 1'31.397
7 N Hülkenberg (GER)Sauber 1'31.644
8 F Alonso (ESP) Ferrari 1'31.665
9 KM Räikkönen (FIN)Lotus 1'31.684
10 J Button (GBR)  McLaren 1'31.827
11 S Perez (MEX)         McLaren 1'31.989
12 P di Resta (GBR) Force India 1'31.992
13 V Bottas (FIN)         Williams 1'32.013
14 E Gutiérrez (MEX) Sauber 1'32.063
15 P Maldonado (VEN)Williams 1'32.093
16 D Ricciardo (AUS) Toro Rosso 1'32.485
17 A Sutil (GER)         Force India 1'32.890
18 JE Vergne (FRA) Toro Rosso 1'33.357
19 M Chilton (GBR) Marussia 1'34.320
20 C Pic (FRA)         Caterham 1'34.556
21 G van der Garde (NED)Caterham 1'34.879
22 J Bianchi (FRA) Marussia 1'34.958

f1-live

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BMW i3

Developed at a reported cost of over £2 billion, the i3 is also significant in that it forgoes front-wheel drive in favour of rear-wheel drive, just like BMW’s traditional combustion-engine models. The promise? An entertaining driving experience quite unlike any other series-production existing electric car.

On top of this, the i3 offers an impressive range of app-based services that allow you to network the car with various mobility solutions – including public transport networks – in a move aimed at easing transport requirements.

So, as well as appealing to the head, BMW hopes its first i branded model, which grew from an internal project known under the codename Mega City Vehicle, will also appeal to the heart. And in doing so, garner broader appeal than any battery-touting rival. Young, old, singles, family car buyers, environmentally conscious, enthusiast drivers, technology obsessed – BMW says it has attempted to appeal to all tastes and requirements.  

For starters, the i3 looks very futuristic, with a concept car mimicking appearance quite unlike any other BMW model past or present. The form language is unique; the only real giveaway to its BMW roots being the kidney-shaped grille and the blue-and-white roundels it wears front and rear. It is relatively compact, running to 3999mm in length, 1775mm in width and 1578mm in height. However, the inclusion of 19-inch wheels shod with low rolling resistance 155/40 profile tyres as standard tend to make it appear bigger than what it really is.

What is it like?
The silhouette suggests mini-MPV, and this is fully reflected inside with upright seating for five at a pinch. The contemporary looks continue within the styling of the steering wheel, dashboard and high-resolution displays.

You step up into the cabin, which boasts a flat floor, underneath which sits a 230kg battery. The lithium-ion unit consists of 96 individual cells and comes with a warranty valid for up to six years or 100,000 miles. There is a commanding view from the high-mounted driver’s seat, although you look in vain for any bodywork beyond the base of the windscreen, such is the acute angle of the stubby bonnet. The view out back, meanwhile, is hampered somewhat by the substantial pillars and a shallow rear window within the tailgate. Accommodation up front is excellent, with the i3 imparting an airy and upbeat ambiance.

The decision to eschew a conventional steel monocoque in favour of a more advanced combination of aluminium, carbonfibre and steel construction for the i3 required a big investment in production infrastructure, but it has allowed BMW to bring its first dedicated electric car to market with a kerb weight that undercuts the competition at just 1195kg. By comparison, the similarly sized Nissan Leaf hits the scales at 1525kg, while the smaller Renault Zoe weighs 1390kg.

Further weight-saving measures are evident throughout; the outer body is a combination of thermoplastic panels, the windows use thinner glass than you find in the more traditional BMW models, the chassis uses largely bespoke aluminium components and selected interior trims, including the top of the dashboard, go largely untreated.

As well as being relatively light, the advanced construction used by the i3 also helps endow it with what BMW describes as class leading rigidity. This inherent structural strength has allowed designers to do away with traditional B-pillars and permit the use of coach style rear doors. It’s meant to easy entry to the rear. However, a combination of the high-mounted floor and curvature of the roof makes getting in a more difficult exercise than it would appear. The stubby rear door also boasts fixed windows.

The electric motor used by the i3 is mounted within its own sub-frame, which forms part of the rear axle assembly. It is coupled to a gearbox that provides uninterrupted progress owing to the fact that it boasts just a single ratio. Drive is sent to the rear wheels with the choice of three modes: Comfort, Eco Pro and Eco Pro Plus - the latter of which acts as an energy-preserving mode by limiting top speed to 50mph, reducing the performance of the air conditioning and, in combination with the most advanced optional navigation system, provides routing on roads with favourable topography. Also on board are traditional safety features such as traction, dynamic stability and cornering brake control.

With 168bhp and 184lb ft of torque the moment you brush the throttle, the new BMW is more than merely brisk. In fact, its performance is good enough to match some big name hot hatches with 0-37mph in 3.7sec, 0-62mph in 7.2sec and a 50-75mph split of 4.9sec. Traction is excellent, even on a heavily loaded throttle away from the lights, without any hint of wheelspin or interruption from the various electronic driving aids.  The nominal 93mph top speed is limited to preserve the battery charge.  

The sporting impression is reinforced by relatively light and direct steering. In combination with a low centre of gravity, this endows the i3 with swift and sharp directional change response for excellent maneuverability in urban driving conditions. The electro-mechanical steering system is shared, in part, with the next generation Mini hatchback and becomes more direct as lock is wound on, although there’s sufficient response from the centre position to provide class leading levels of low speed agility. Indeed, in the cut and thrust of city traffic, the new BMW is extraordinarily agile and fun to drive.

To enhance its sportiness, BMW has provided the i3’s MacPherson strut (front) and multi-link (rear) suspension with relatively firm spring rates. The ride is quite firm and tends to become frigid on anything but smooth road surfaces. The damping, on the other hand, is relatively soft, leading to rather exaggerated levels of lean when you pitch the new BMW into a bend. The tall but narrow tyres provide relatively strong adhesion, but with so much performance on hand it doesn’t take much to get the traction and stability control systems working mid-corner.

The i3 has been configured to provide quite dramatic driveline braking the moment you step off the throttle, at which kinetic energy is fed back into the batteries.

This constantly maximises the level of energy recuperation and means you rarely need to engage the brake pedal except when you come to a complete standstill. However, the braking effect is predetermined and cannot be altered as on other recent plug-in electric cars.

There are times, especially on the open road, where a multi-stage recuperation system or even a free-wheeling coasting function would come in handy, even if it meant trading out some of the kinetic energy-producing potential, and with it ultimate range.

Should I buy one?
We’re yet to figure the i3 independently but its official consumption figures point to a real world range of up to 100 miles, or some 12 miles less than that hinted to by the standard EU mandated test.

This is well beyond the average daily commute in the UK, which BMW studies put at 30 miles, suggesting its hi-tech driveline will meet the needs of most commuters. What really impressed was its relative economy on light throttle loads at constant city speeds, at which the i3 requires little more than half its claimed average of 12.9kWh, according to its detailed energy consumption readout.  

Still, there are larger issues than range that stand in the way of the i3’s quest for electric car supremacy; namely its £25,680 price tag with the government’s generous subsidy deducted being among them.

This makes BMW’s first dedicated series production electric car over £5000 more than the Nissan Leaf and a cool £10,000 more than the Renault Zoe.

But perhaps more pertinent is the fact that it is around £5000 more than the excellent 116d EfficientDynamics – the most economical of BMW’s traditional combustion engine models.

Alternatively, prospective customers can opt for a three-year leasing deal with a £2995 deposit and monthly payments of £369.

If you can live with the range, have easy access to high-voltage charging and are mostly city bound, the i3 is well worth a look. Its individual styling, contemporary feel, excellent performance, engaging agility and various connectivity solutions all hint at a bright new future for the automobile, even if it takes eight hours to charge it on a regular low voltage mains socket.

BMW i3

Price £25,680 (including £5000 Government rebate); 0-62mph 7.2 sec; Top speed 93mph; Consumption 12.9kWh/100km; CO2 0g/km; Kerbweight 1195kg; Engine synchronous electric motor; Installation rear, transverse; Power 168bhp; Torque 184lb ft; Gearbox automatic, fixed ratio; Battery/capacity lithium-ion, 22.0kwh

autocar.uk

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Mazda Biante SKYACTIV 2013

Already launch in Indonesia, Mazda Biante has the SKYACTIV - G 2.0L 4 cylinder inline configuration, DOHC 16 valves, and FWD, a technical breakthrough that can achieve a high compression ratio with a ratio of 12.0:1, resulting in a satisfactory driving performance, fuel economy and vehicle emissions controlled.

Dual Sequential Valve Timing ( SV - T ) is a technology Mazda in terms of the timing of opening and closing of valves for gas valve ( intake valve ) and exhaust valve ( exhaust valve ). Electronic Throttle Control ( ETC ) is a technology that connects the accelerator pedal to the throttle electronically.

SKYACTIV - DRIVE six - speed AT with Direct Mode and Active Adaptive Shift is a six - speed automatic transmission that gives a feel instantly like a manual transmission with a smooth gearshift . Control technologies for the SKYACTIV - DRIVE transmission alter engine torque to the wheels and gearshift times according to the speed when the driver moves the accelerator pedal.

For transmission, is the 6 - speed Skyactiv. This version is also equipped with a manual operation that will vary with the Tiptronic automatic transmission. Because, on a stick transmission, for manual operation, simply press the small button on the right side of the transmission rod.

For manually shifting gears can done through " paddle shifters " who was behind the steering wheel right and left. Both paddle only used to move the teeth into a higher position . As for the move teeth to a lower position, simply press the button on the bars sticking out in horizontal who are at the top ( on the right and left with pressed with the thumb ). More practical and easy to use!

In class, our new MPV complete with paddle shifters. Others, still use a xenon lamp and autolevel, outside mirrors with turn signal and can be folded. For security included Anti - lock Brake System ( ABS ), Electronic Brake Force Distribution ( EBD ), Emergency Brake Asisist ( ABA ), Dynamic Stability Control ( DCS ), Traction Control System ( TCS ).

Installed SKYACTIV Engine

Mazda Biante also equipped with SKYACTIV Technology by i - STOP system ( idlestop ), which can save fuel by turning off the engine when the brake pedal is pressed and the car stops at traffic lights or in congestion and also automatically start the engine when the brake pedal is released.

This vehicle produces maximum power is 111 kW ( 151 PS ) / 6,000 rpm with maximum torque is 190 Nm ( 19.4 kgm ) / 4,100 rpm with a fuel tank capacity of 60 L. Recommended fuel is unleaded petrol RON91 or more with the use of fuel by JC08 test mode is 14.8 km / L.

I - STOP system always shut off the engine in such a way that the position of the piston, where ready for the next firing, so that the engine is more responsive and refined for a smooth driving experience. i - STOP also works by monitoring engine temperature, cabin temperature and driver input to the brake pedal, gear lever and steering wheel.

Interior, has not changed, but there are additional accessories. For rear passengers, is now provided monitor LCD 10.1 -inch screen, just above the middle of the ceiling - just above both front seat backrest specifically for rear passenger roof that can be folded.

To continue to use the head unit 6.1 inch touch screen , can play DVD format , CD , MP3 , WMA , AAC and Divx video . New feature is the navigation . While the Multi - Information Display ( MID ) for trip information such as control , now appear with a white color ( previously red ). The door comes now equipped with speed sensors that are safer than likely the children pinched.

@aditya_flux

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Kawasaki J300

Photo of the scooter new in 2014

Scooter Kawasaki J300 : this is the new exclusive Kawasaki J300, the first scooter ever proposed by Kawasaki. A reader sent us the first photo " stolen " on the street, thanks to him and congratulations for the excellent work in Kawasaki.

Thanks to the reporting of an anonymous reader who called us the other day in the newsroom, we knew there was a camera crew around Milan who took photos and movies turned a "strange " scooter green and black with the brand Kawasaki.

Trying to confirm, we later discovered in a blog that it was all true. Well, thanks to another reader here is the photo of the J300! As we wrote Thursday in a news which was then picked up by websites around the world (sometimes citing the source, not mentioning it in most cases, especially if Italians : the envy bad thing!)

The scooter you are likely to see the next EICMA sports aggressive lines typically Kawasaki, including the black - green livery. Also confirmed the presence of a component worthy of the " dark green " : look at the suspension and braking system with petal discs and " tone wheel " for ABS.

It remains now only to discover if the scooter will be produced directly from Kawasaki or whether ( as is more likely ) the house of Akashi will rely on a scooter manufacturer with proven experience , maagri reusing all or part of the mechanics of a model already in trade.

It seems certain, however, looking at the picture, the new Japanese scooter is final and ready to go into production . At this point, then we just have to wait a few weeks to admire him live at the Kawasaki stand , that every year should be in Hall 6 of EICMA in Rho - Milanofiera.

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Harga Motor Honda Oktober 2013

Harga OTR terdiri dari 2 komponen.

- Harga kendaraan tanpa surat surat yang biasa disebut harga Off The Road
- Harga biaya balik nama yang biasa disebut harga BBN

Untuk setiap daerah harga Off The Road akan berbeda dikarenakan perbedaan kebijakan dari main dealer perihal harga transportasi motor dari pabrik. Tidak hanya itu, harga BBN juga akan berbeda karena pajak yang berlaku berbeda beda mengikuti kebijakan daerah.

Harga yang tertera dibawah ini sudah NETT.

Update terakhir: 6 October 2013

Tipe Motor Harga OTR Diskon Harga NETT Cash

Revo FIT                       11,750,000 450,000 11,300,000

Revo STD 12,350,000 450,000 11,900,000

Revo CW 13,125,000 350,000 12,775,000

Blade S 13,950,000 600,000 13,350,000

Blade R 14,350,000 500,000 13,850,000

Blade Repsol 14,550,000 500,000 14,050,000

Supra X 125 STD 14,850,000 350,000 14,500,000

Supra X 125 CW 15,900,000 350,000 15,550,000

Supra X 125 Helm-In FI 16,525,000 100,000 16,425,000

Spacy STD 11,940,000 0          11,940,000

Spacy PGM-FI               13,200,000 450,000 12,750,000

BeAT FI STD 12,350,000 0          12,350,000

BeAT FI CW 13,150,000 100,000 13,050,000

BeAT FI CBS 14,130,000 0         14,130,000

Scoopy FI 14,250,000    0          14,250,000

Vario CW 14,600,000 100,000 14,500,000

Vario Techno 125 STD    15,550,000 100,000 15,450,000

Vario Techno 125 CBS   16,450,000     0          16,450,000

PCX                             36,800,000     0          36,800,000

Verza 150 SW 16,300,000 100,000   16,200,000

Verza 150 CW 17,380,000  250,000  17,130,000

New Mega Pro STD 18,650,000 300,000 18,350,000

New Mega Pro CW 19,850,000 300,000 19,550,000

CB150R StreetFire 22,750,000 200,000 22,550,000

Tiger                              25,600,000 300,000 25,300,000

CBR 150R 37,200,000 0          37,200,000

CBR 150R Repsol 37,950,000 0          37,950,000

CBR 250R STD RWB      45,000,000    0          45,000,000

CBR 250R STD Repsol 46,000,000     0         46,000,000

CBR 250R ABS Hitam     52,000,000    0 52,000,000

CBR 250R ABS Repsol 53,250,000     0         53,250,000

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Mercedes Benz A45 AMG

Fastest Hatch By Merc

No V8. No rear-wheel drive. It's Hatchback. The Mercedes-Benz A45 AMG is bordering on the radical for the German brand’s fabled performance division.

Aufrecht Melcher Grossapach, as it’s otherwise not so well known, has been producing rear-tyre-shredding Mercedes muscle sedans and sports cars since the late 1960s (and officially since 1990).

Mercedes, though, is in the middle of an aggressive sales expansion with a whole new range of affordable, compact cars targeting younger buyers than the traditional Benz owner – so the company has applied the AMG badge to its smallest model, the A-Class, for the first time.

Starting at $74,900 before on-road costs, the Mercedes-Benz A45 AMG costs less than half the price of what was previously the most affordable AMG model, the C63 AMG sedan.

The A45 has half the number the cylinders, though we should have guessed AMG wasn’t going to produce any ordinary engine for its first four-cylinder.

With 265kW produced from the 2.0-litre turbo, the A45 AMG’s engine is the most powerful series production four-cylinder in the world. With 133kW per litre of capacity, its specific output surpasses that of a Porsche 911 GT2.

Even AMG engineers aren’t brave enough to try putting all that power through the front wheels alone, so the A-Class for its hottest form switches from front-drive to all-wheel drive.

It’s an on-demand set-up that is front drive in normal driving but capable of sending up to 50 per cent of the engine’s torque to the rear wheels when required.

Such an occasion would be off-the-line acceleration, and the 0-100km/h result for the Mercedes-Benz A45 AMG is 4.6 seconds (though it’s been clocked faster).

That’s three-tenths quicker than its closest current rival, the $64,900 BMW M135i with 235kW and an equal 450Nm of torque of 450Nm.

Think of the transition between the six-cylinder VW Golf R32 to the four-cylinder Golf R, or the BMW 330i six to 328i four, and there are plenty of examples showing how many manufacturers have struggled to make turbo fours sound as good as six-cylinders.

And while the M135i’s engine entertains with induction noise and a snarling soundtrack, the A45 is different to other AMGs in that its aural show owes more to its variation of exhaust notes than what you can hear under the bonnet besides a little chirrup from the turbo.

But terrific those notes are. Lift off the throttle and the A45’s sports exhaust – an option elsewhere in the world but standard in Australia – burbles and crackles on the over-run, while upshifts in the transmission’s Sports mode are accompanied by what can be best described as mini thunderclaps.

There’s just a hint of turbo lag if you drive the A45 AMG in the Comfort gearbox mode but it disappears entirely in Sport.

It’s an engine that’s easy to drive at low speeds, but let it rip and there’s an unrelenting surge towards the 6200rpm redline via a thumping mid-range.

The tachometer needle swings with such enthusiasm that it’s easy to find yourself forgetting to upshift quickly enough – if using the paddleshift levers and Manual mode – and find yourself bumping into the limiter.

Barrel into a series of corners and the Mercedes-Benz A45 AMG expands its list of impressive attributes to mark it out as a brilliant hot-hatch.

Super-tight body control keeps the baby AMG terrifically planted over bumpy country roads, intimately bolstered bucket seats keep the driver secured, and the A45’s balletic balance through direction changes enforces this Mercedes as a car capable of a thrillingly fluid drive.

There’s no torque steer when jumping enthusiastically on the throttle out of corners, either – just tremendous levels of traction that allows you to get on the power early, as well as huge levels of grip from the Dunlop Maxx Sport 235/35s fitted to our test cars (Continental rubber will also be available).

On the road the A45 AMG can carry such high cornering speeds without threatening to understeer, though the AWD set-up still feels more like a front-wheel-drive rather than rear-wheel-biased car so the only missing piece of the fun factor jigsaw is the ability to play around more with the hatch’s back end.

The steering is a bit stiff around the straight-ahead so you can find yourself making fussy incremental movements of the wheel on a straight road, but it offers plenty of satisfaction with just-right weighting, accuracy and genuine feel.

The dual-clutch auto brings quick shifts, though as we experienced with the gearbox in the regular (A-Class-based) CLA overseas earlier this year the driver’s downshifts via the paddle shift levers can be annoyingly ignored at times.

On the racerack (we also tested at Phillip Island), the A45 AMG doesn’t disappoint. Understeer that is near-impossible to find on the road reveals itself at unlimited speeds, but the hatch’s tremendous grip levels and that responsive front end remain impressive constants. The (big) brakes are superb – strong, easy to modulate and fade resistant.

It’s still not an AMG where you can play around with the rear end much in slower corners, but there is mid-corner adjustability via the throttle in fast challenging corners – such as PI’s Southern Loop and Lukey Heights – to tuck the nose into the apex if the A45 does start to push wide.

The optional Performance suspension ($1990) is definitely a box worth ticking if you do plan to attend some track days. A so-equipped A45 brings 20 per cent stiffer springs and dampers sits noticeably flatter through corners than one of the standard suspension.

We didn’t get to try the Performance suspension on the road, though we can tell you the standard suspension on country roads is firm yet forgiving enough that it avoids the low-speed harshness that can be experienced in the C63.

If you want more downforce to suck your A45 AMG to the ground, a $1990 Aerodynamics Package (pictured above) brings a larger front splitter, front flics and a prominent rear wing. Mercedes says the package applies another 40kg of downforce at 250km/h.

In Australia, though, that’s about as useful as the Drivers’ Package that’s also standard and lifts the A45’s top speed to 270km/h.

Still, there’s no denying Mercedes-Benz has been as generous with the A45 AMG’s equipment as other A-Classes.

Inclusive gear includes 19-inch silver alloy wheels (black alloys optional at $450), glass sunroof, front and rear sensors, AMG bucket seats, performance steering wheel, blind spot and lane departure warnings, Harman Kardon audio with surround sound, bi-xenon headlights that peer around corners and can automatically switch off high beam for oncoming traffic, leather-trimmed seats with heating and electric adjustment, metallic paint and Comand infotainment system with navigation, internet connectivity and digital radio.

There’s a high-quality feel to the cabin, too, with expensive-feeling materials including the artificial carbon fibre weave on the dash. The use of red for stitching, parts of the seats, inner vent surrounds and seat belts contribute to an appropriately sporty design theme.

If practicality still has to be a factor in the A45 buying process, the A-Class offers good legroom in the back seats (though realistically only for two adults, and you wouldn’t want the front occupants to be too tall), storage options are plentiful, though the boot is on the small side even for a hatch.

So, as we said at the start, this is an AMG with a difference. We need to try it as a daily driver to see whether it’s easy to live with in the commuting grind, but on the open road and on the track, even if there’s no billowing smoke from the rear tyres, the Mercedes-Benz A45 AMG serves up the kind of agility, performance and overall sense of slight deviousness expected from that famous tri-letter badge.

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Hyundai Genesis Coupe

A review of the Hyundai Genesis Coupe is both a good news story, and a bad news story.

The good news is that the Hyundai Genesis Coupe is the only rear-wheel-drive, two-door sports coupe that exists between the Toyota 86/Subaru BRZ and the Nissan 370Z and BMW 1 Series. The bad news is that Australians wanting to buy either the turbocharged four-cylinder or non-turbo V6 version of the car must wait until a new model is built in right-hand-drive … which is confirmed to happen, but not until 2015.

The Hyundai Genesis Coupe is expected to cost around $40,000, which is the same money as a front-wheel-drive Volkswagen Golf GTI. The German-built hatchback is no doubt classier, more spacious, and it is brilliant to drive. But with power going to the back wheels, the Genesis coupe should do oversteer – meaning the tail of the car can be adjusted via the throttle, shifting the rear end from slightly moving sideways to full sideways.

But a rear-wheel-drive car is also arguably more ‘connected’ to its driver than cars pulling themselves from the front wheels. Typically, steering is less corrupted because the front wheels don’t have to put power to the ground as well as turn.

So the questions are whether the Hyundai Genesis Coupe can match a Golf GTI for driver appeal, and whether it is worth the extra over the 86/BRZ. If it isn’t, what can we suggest Hyundai work on for the next generation which actually will arrive on local shores.

First up is the 2.0-litre turbo (below) that produces a healthy 204kW and 373Nm. By comparison a Golf GTI makes 155kW and 280Nm, so a fair more whack is available in the Korean-built rear-drive coupe. But the Genesis Coupe weighs 1525kg, a full 165kg more than the VW hot-hatch, so some of the performance benefit is negated.

Outright performance still isn’t a problem for the Genesis Coupe with the smaller engine – it will get from zero to 100km/h in a fraction under seven seconds. Immediately obvious, however, is the driveability issues – that is, a sticky clutch that makes smooth getaways difficult, a notchy gearbox that makes quick shifting of gears less enjoyable than it should be, and an engine that isn’t as linear as some.

The 2.0-litre engine is quiet and smooth, but it also lacks character and there is a bit of a delay with delivery from right at the bottom end of the rev counter. Going the other way – stopping from speed – the Brembo brakes of the R-Spec Genesis Coupe models bring the 19-inch wheels and tyres to a halt confidently.

That theme continues with steering that is lacking in the sort of precise movement expected from the best sports cars. The steering is light, but the movement between keeping the wheel straight and getting the wheels to turn in is delayed, creating an unwelcome nervousness.

The handling, however, is very good. The Genesis Coupe sits flatly in the bends, resisting too much push from the front end when corners are tackled at speed. If balance is required – that is feeling the front end lose grip, lifting the throttle, then feeling the rear end come around – then look to that perennial hot-hatch favourite featuring the letters G, T and I.

Perhaps surprisingly, the way the Genesis Coupe rides over bumps large and small is pleasing for a sports car. It isn’t a luxurious, plush, ultra-comfortable ride, but there’s a firm sophistication to the way this Hyundai deals with road irregularities that keeps it from being too harsh and uncomfortable.

Swapping to the 3.8-litre V6 (above) brings even more power and torque, 260kW and 400Nm. Forget Golf GTI associations as the V6 is more powerful than a Nissan 370Z that costs $70,000, though the Genesis V6 weighs up to 1639kg – or a full 194kg more than the two-seat Nissan coupe.

But the non-turbo V6 quickly establishes itself as a better proposition than the turbocharged four-cylinder engine. The clutch and gearbox are smoother and more fluent. There’s also a grainy engine note that endows the Genesis coupe with a vaguely muscle-car character. It feels grunty, and characterful.

The V6, however, also highlights an ordinary stability control calibration that takes seemingly random bites out of the brake disc when in the middle of a corner – despite the car being able to cope with decent cornering speed.

In practicality terms, the Hyundai Genesis Coupe gets a 283-litre boot, so it isn’t as versatile as a hot-hatch. Its rear seat only accepts two people, and there’s not much rear legroom and even less headroom thanks to a sloping roofline.

Having launched in South Korea and North America in 2007, the six-year-old Genesis Coupe feels its age in terms of interior plastic quality and ergonomics. Hyundai has made big strides in this area in recent years, though, so there is cause for optimism that the next-generation model will better compete in these terms with $40,000-50,000 sports car rivals.

The Genesis Coupe is already well equipped with six airbags, active front head restraints, rear LED tail-lights, tyre pressure monitor, digital radio, and on the R-Spec and Premium models, leather trim, electric-adjust driver’s seat, satellite navigation, sunroof, auto dimming rear-view mirror and climate control.

None of which will matter to Australians, obviously. This generation of Genesis Coupe only has two years left on sale in North America before a whole new model debuts and will be sent to our shores.

There’s no word yet on specifications or pricing for the new car, but the Genesis Coupe does show enough promise to be a worthy addition to the Hyundai model range in this country. Unlike other segments Hyundai competes in here, the Genesis Coupe, as an affordable rear-wheel driver, will carve a decent niche for itself between the Toyota 86/Subaru BRZ and Nissan 370Z and BMW 1 Series Coupe.

As it stands, though, the Hyundai Genesis Coupe is a worthy and likeable sports car option seeking finesse. Get the gearbox, turbo response, stability control and steering to match the fun handling and strong performance, and the next-generation Genesis Coupe will be worth the two-year wait. It may also be a wholly good news story.

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