Sebastian Vettel Takes Dominant Australian Grand Prix Win

Sebastian Vettel won the inagural race of the 2011 F1 season after a dominating performance in Melbourne. The German driver made full use of his pole-position and lead the race from start to finish, taking his 11th Formula 1 win. Vettel adopted a two-stop pit strategy and finished with a 22.2-second advantage over second ranked Lewis Hamilton (McLaren), who had to race with a detached floor after running wide on lap 33.

Third place went to Russian Vitaly Petrov, the big surprise of the Australian GP, who got off to an excellent start. The Renault driver went from sixth to fourth immediately after the green light, taking advantage of Button and Alonso both running wide in the first corner. Petrov gained another position after the first round of pitstops and kept it until the end of the race, scoring his first ever Formula 1 podium finish.

Fourth-placed Fernando Alonso had a tougher time on the track, with the Spaniard having to deal with a three-stop strategy and a poor start that sent him from fifth to ninth before the first corner of the race. The Ferrari driver then quickly started recovering lost positions, managing to finish fourth. Mark Webber and Jenson Button finished the race fifth and sixth respectively, while Ferrari's Massa had to settle for ninth, behind the Ferrari-powered Saubers of Sergio Perez and Kamui Kobayashi.

However, the two Sauber drivers were disqualified after the race for rear-wing infringements, so Massa got seventh place eventually.

Mercedes GP had a poor race, as both Schumacher and Rosberg failing to finish the Australian GP. The former quit on lap 19 for technical reasons, after suffering a puncture on lap 1, while the latter had to stop after being hit by Barrichello on lap 22. Overall, it was an enjoyable race to watch, although significant rule changes like the Drag Reduction System (DRS) and the reintroduction of the Kinetic Energy Recovery System (KERS) didn't seem to have a decisive effect on overtaking.

By Dan Miahalascu

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Renault Samsung SM7 Concept Teased ahead of Seoul Motor Show

Renault's South Korean brand Samsung released a teaser sketch of the SM7 concept car that previews the next-generation of the firm’s large sedan. The current SM7, which is built on Nissan’s J31 platform that underpins the Asian market Nissan Teana and the sixth-generation of the North American Nissan Maxima, has been on the market since 2004.

Its successor will be unveiled at the upcoming Seoul Motor Show (April 1-10), in the form of a design study. The teaser image shows a car with a sporty, muscular design, with the front end being dominated by a large trapezoidal grille that is continued in the form of the engine hood. The SM7 Concept sports a low, coupe-like profile that ends in... unknown territory, since the back of the car is hidden from view.

Official details are scarce, but the next SM7 is expected to use an elongated platform of the SM5 (known to Europeans as the Renault Latitude). Developed together with the French automaker, the future SM7 is expected to arrive in production form in the second half of 2011.

There are no plans for selling the car in Europe, since Renault says it doesn't intend to have a bigger car than the Latitude in its range. It could make a nice Safrane though...

By Dan Mihalascu

Renault Rolls Out 1000th Clio Gordini RS

The Renault Alpine plant in Dieppe produced the 1,000th Clio Gordini RS model this month, less than a year after its introduction. Built since May 2010, the Clio Gordini RS is sold in 18 countries, most of them in Europe.

Renault revived the Gordini name at the end of 2009, when it presented the Twingo Gordini RS. Other members of the Gordini family include the Twingo Gordini and more recently, the Wind Gordini, which premiered at this year’s Geneva Motor Show.

Although in the past Gordini was linked with motor sports and performance versions of Renault's road cars, currently the name is only used to designate styled-up and better equipped models, with no technical changes at all. Compared to the base Renaultsport Clio, the Gordini version brings only exterior and interior styling tweaks.

Half of Renault's Twingo RS and Clio RS models sold in Europe are wearing the Gordini nameplate and its renowned white stripes. According to Renault, the Twingo RS is the second best sold car of the A sport segment, with a market share of 25 percent in Europe's biggest five markets in 2010, while the Clio RS owns 16 percent of the B sport segment.

By Dan Mihalascu

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Renault Wind Gordini at Geneva Motor Show 2011

at Geneva Motor Show 2011
Wind Renault Gordini Renault released a picture which has scheduled mendebut at the Geneva Motor Show 2011.

Designed to attract automotive enthusiasts, this car is equipped with sports suspension as well as conventional color from blue and white Renault. Inside, the changes are relatively small but using a two-tone leather seats, steering wheel and gear knob-style casual.

To use the machine with a kitchen pacunya turbo-powered 1.2-liter 99 hp. It also offered 1.6-liter engine with 133 hp power

Dacia Produces its 4,000,000th Vehicle after 45 Years

Renault's Dacia brand produced its 4,000,000th car at the Mioveni plant in Romania, 45 years after the company’s foundation in 1966. The car with which Dacia achieved the milestone is a 4WD Duster Laureate in a brown finish powered by an 110HP 1.5-liter diesel engine.

Since Renault took over the factory from the Romanian state in 1999, the company has produced close to 2 million cars. Dacia built its 1,000,000th car in 1985, the second million in 1998 and the third million in 2007. Only three and a half years later another million was added, thanks to increased production fuelled by demand and sustained by the €1.2 billion ($1.7 billion) investment Renault made since taking over the Romanian brand.

The Duster is currently Dacia’s best selling model of the brand, with half of the 65 cars produced every hour in Mioveni belonging to the Duster range. Since its launch in 2010, the low-cost SUV received over 100,000 international orders, with Dacia selling nearly 4,900 Dusters in its home market last year.

To celebrate the production milestone, the company released a “how it's made” footage of its 4,000,000th car that you can watch below.

By Dan Mihalascu

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Ghosn and Pelata Give Up Their 2010 Bonuses and 2011 Stock Profits to Restore Renault's Image after Spy Fiasco

This could be the final episode in the Renault EV espionage case: after a meeting held on Monday, CEO Carlos Ghosn presented the board with an action plan that includes the reinstatement and/or compensation of the three sacked executives and the intention to restore Renault's image and public confidence in the company and its management.

In order to do the latter, Ghosn announced that he, COO Patrick Pelata and all senior executives involved “will waive their variable remuneration accruing for 2010 as well as any stock option entitlements for 2011.” Surprisingly, no one was fired, although Pelata offered his resignation to Ghosn. The CEO refused to accept it, emphasizing his and Pelata’s commitment to leading Renault. Speaking to French TV station TF1, Ghosn said he rejected the COO's resignation “in the interests of Renault”, adding: “I didn't want to add crisis to crisis.”

The action plan also includes “appropriate disciplinary proceedings against three employees in Renault’s security division”, as the internal investigation conducted by the Central Directorate of Interior Intelligence (DCRI) points to organized fraud, with at least one Renault employee being involved.

Finally, in order to improve the protection of the company, Renault will overhaul its security structures, based on an analysis of recent events. The affair could prove very costly for Renault, as the three ousted executives are expected to seek damages well beyond Ghosn's €9.2 million annual salary. “Nobody would be shocked if he left with eight, nine or ten million euros,” said Michel Balthazard's lawyer about his client in an interview. Matthieu Tenenbaum will also demand “substantial material compensation”, according to his attorney.

By Dan Mihalascu

Sources: Renault, Businessweek

Renault Admits Wrongdoing in Spy Case, Issues Apologies to the Three Ousted Officials

Today's episode on the Renault EV espionage case is one of the most interesting yet, with CEO Carlos Ghosn and COO Patrick Pelata issuing their official apologies to the three executives accused of spying.

Renault’s admission of wrongdoing comes after a communication with the French prosecutors, who found no substance in the complaint filed by the automaker against its former employees. Authorities from Liechtenstein and Switzerland confirmed that Michel Balthazard, Bertrand Rochette and Matthieu Tenenbaum had no bank accounts in the respective countries, thus refuting Renault's claim.

“Carlos Ghosn, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, and Patrick Pélata, Chief Operating Officer, present their sincere apologies and regrets, personally and in the name of Renault, to Messrs Balthazard, Rochette and Tenenbaum, who were wrongly accused in this affair. They are committed that reparations be made to the three executives, and that their honor in the public eye be restored,” Renault said in a statement.

Ghosn and Pelata also expressed their intention to meet with the three employees “as soon as possible.”

The judiciary investigation will now concentrate on the fraud against Renault, with prosecutors issuing yesterday "organized fraud" charges against Dominique Gevrey, the security chief whose internal investigation led to the firing of the three execs.

CEO Carlos Ghosn called for an extraordinary board meeting today, at the end of which sanctions may be applied to the people involved in the case.

By Dan Mihalascu

Sources: Renault, Autonews

Fired Renault Executive Asks French President Nicolas Sarkozy to Intervene in Spy Case

Each day brings something new in Renault’s EV-related espionage affair. This time Bertrand Rochette, one of the three employees fired by the company, has appealed directly to French President Nicolas Sarkozy to intervene in the case. More specifically, Rochette's lawyers have called on Sarkozy and Justice Minister Michel Mercier to demand they be given access to the legal complaint Renault filed in January against unknown persons.

The lawyers based their request on the fact that their client doesn't know exactly what the complaint contains, although it involves him directly. Furthermore, the attorneys said Rochette's right to defend himself had been compromised since he can't appeal against Renault in court without knowing what he's accused of.

"We can envisage keeping an investigation secret to avoid any interference or hindrance, but public statements about the accusations should immediately be accompanied by transmitting full information to the person concerned about what he is accused of," legal advisers wrote in the document sent on Thursday.

Interesting times lie ahead in the investigation, with a key part of the case to be unwrapped in the coming days. Results of official probes into whether or not the three executives had bank accounts in Switzerland or Liechtenstein are expected soon and they could prove the innocence of the three ex-employees. If that happens, Renault's top management will have a lot of explaining to do.

By Dan Mihalascu

Source: Autonews

Renault Spy Saga Continues, French Company Paid €250,000 for the Tip

The Renault espionage case is as close as it gets to an automotive “Watergate”. The scandal, which resulted in Renault firing and filing a complaint against three of its top executives for allegedly stealing documents related to the company's EV program, continues to make waves in France.

As it turns out, Renault has started to back down on the accusations, acknowledging the fact that it may have been misled to point the finger on the three executives. In a newspaper interview quoted by the Automotive News, Renault's chief operating officer Patrick Pelata said the company is considering two scenarios.

"Either we are confronted with a case of espionage and a senior security executive is protecting his source despite everything, or Renault is the victim of a manipulation, which we don't know the nature of, but which could be a fraud," said Pelata. "In this case, if all the doubts are lifted, we will propose the reinstatement of the three executives and, in any case, Renault will be very careful to make good any injustice." Pelata stressed that either way, Renault is a victim.

The three employees Renault fired are Michel Balthazard, former vice president of advanced engineering at Renault, his deputy Bertrand Rochette and the former deputy director of the electric vehicles program, Matthieu Tenenbaum. All three claim they have done nothing wrong and are taking legal action against Renault.

The key of the puzzle right now is finding out the identity of the person that tipped off Renault about the three executives. In exchange for the tip, Renault reportedly paid €250,000 ($345,400) to this unnamed source via its two security managers, the only people who know the identity of the company's “Deep Throat”. However, according to French newspapers, they refuse to reveal the person's name to the police.

The case could have serious consequences for Renault - "up to the highest level of the company, that is to say up to myself," said COO Patrick Pelata. Renault risked triggering a diplomatic scandal in January when China was linked as a possible recipient of the leaked information. The company's relationship with the French government has worsened too, with state officials blaming Renault for undertaking its own investigation from August 2010 to January 2011 instead of immediately informing the authorities (the French state owns 15% of Renault). We'll keep you informed as the case develops.

By Dan Mihalascu

Sources: Reuters, Automotive News, Le Figaro

Renault to Launch All-Electric Twingo in 2014, Zoe Z.E. Coming in 2012

Renault will add a new Twingo to its Z.E. range of electric vehicles in the second half of 2014, according to Jacques Bousquet, head of Renault Italy. The French automaker’s official said the Twingo Z.E. will be the company's fifth EV, after the Kangoo, Fluence, Twizy and Zoe.

The executive revealed that Renault’s alliance with Daimler AG helped speed up the development of the next-generation Twingo-based Z.E. model, as the Twingo's new platform will be shared with a future four-seat Smart car.

Bousquet added that the Kangoo Z.E. will be joined by more electric vans in the future. "The Kangoo Z.E. is the first of a broader range of battery-powered light commercial vehicles we are currently developing," he said.

The official also revealed the timetable for the market launch of the Z.E. models as well as their prices in France. The first to go on sale will be the Fluence Z.E. sedan, which will arrive in showrooms in mid-2011 with a base price of €26,000 ($36,200) including sales tax. The monthly fee for the battery lease (on a 36-month plan) will be €79 ($110).

Next up will be the Kangoo Z.E.. The small commercial van will cost €20,000 ($27,850) excluding tax, while there’s also a €72 ($100) fee to be paid each month for the battery pack. In France, the car will cost €15,000 ($20,900) since it qualifies for incentives, equaling the price of the diesel Kangoo.

The two-seater Twizy EV will be launched in December for a price of €6,990 ($9730) including tax, plus €45 ($63) as a monthly payment for the battery. Finally, the core model for the Z.E. range, the Zoe supermini, will arrive in mid-2012. The price hasn't been announced yet, but Renault plans to sell 150,000 units a year of the Zoe Z.E.

As for the Kangoo and Fluence EVs, Renault aims to sell 30,000 to 50,000 units a year of each model.

By Dan Mihalascu

Source: Automotive News

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