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Former Ferrari world champion and motorcycle ace John Surtees dies

"The main thing is that whatever I've done, I've done from the heart." – John Surtees John Surtees, the motorsports legend who's the only man to win world championships in motorcycle and Formula One competition, died Friday, March 10. He was 83 years old. Surtees' greatest fame in F1 came in 1964 when he won two races and finished second three times to capture the drivers championship and propel Ferrari to the constructors title. Dubbed "il Grande John" by the Scuderia fans, he returned Ferrari to the top of the motorsports world, but he infamously left the team after a falling-out with management in 1966. Surtees also raced in F1 for Honda, Lotus, Cooper, and others. He survived a crash during practice in 1965 while driving a Lola sports car, which broke his pelvis, ruptured his kidneys, and damaged his spine and left leg. He oversaw his own racing operation in the 1970s, and his cars competed in F1, Formula 2 and F5000. Surtees also competed in the 24 Hours of Le Mans in the 1960s and won the 1966 Can-Am title for Lola. One of the few drivers who was equally talented on a motorcycle, Surtees counted seven titles on two wheels, dominating the circuit in the 1950s for Norton and the MV Agusta. In a biography on his website, Surtees said he relished the competition above all else. "The main thing is that whatever I've done, I've done from the heart. I have loved being involved in first building and riding motorcycles and then driving cars – but above all, competing." Surtees was born in England in 1934. His father was a motorcycle racer and his son, Henry, competed in Formula 2. Henry was killed during a crash in 2009 at Brands Hatch in England. John Surtees' death immediately drew reaction from around the motorsports world, including Ferrari, MotoGP, and F1. This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. Related Video: Motorsports Ferrari Honda john surtees

Car Club USA: CleanMPG Northwest Rally

Car Club USA heads to Los Angeles for the CleanMPG Northwest Rally, where a group of like-minded hypermiling enthusiasts led by Wayne Gerdes attempts to drive from Los Angeles, CA, to Bend, OR, on one tank of fuel. For this challenge, Wayne tapped some of the most accomplished hypermilers in the world, including Guinness World Record holder Bob Winger and Mike Sefton, "the most fuel efficient driver in all of Canada." It doesn't take long for the competition to get heated. "They're not aggressive enough, and it's not going to save them anything by being soft right now," says Gerdes as the group attempts to navigate the Interstate traffic. "Driving in Los Angeles is a hyper miler's nightmare," says Winger. The trip will challenge both car and driver, while putting the latest fuel-efficient tech to the test. Wayne is piloting the Volkswagen Golf Sportwagen TDI, Sefton drives the Audi A3 TDI, and Winger attempts the trek in a Honda Accord Hybrid. It's diesel versus hybrid tech on this fuel-efficient trip of a lifetime. Each Car Club USA episode features a different car club or event from across the US, where passionate owner communities gather to share automotive experiences and embark on incredible adventures. From Main Street cruises to off-road trails, catch all the latest car club activity on Autoblog. Green Audi Honda Volkswagen Alternative Fuels Fuel Efficiency Green Culture Green Driving Driving Diesel Vehicles Hybrid Car Club USA Videos Original Video cleanmpg

China's largest dealer body pushes back against foreign automakers over huge inventories

Do not think for a second that automakers forcing inventory on dealers in order to pad the numbers is a ruse known only in the US. Stories of individual brands have hinted at the trouble Chinese dealerships are having trying to move units as the country's economic growth remains hot but comes off the boil, like the one revealing that 95 percent of Toyota-FAW showrooms are losing money. Yet Toyota isn't the only culprit, and the issue has become so dire that the China Automobile Dealers Association (CADA), the largest dealer body in the country, has written to the government to complain. Chinese car sales are expected to close out the year with an annualized growth of six-percent, down from last year's 14 percent when targets were set, while in the background the pace of overall economic expansion is the slowest its been since the early nineties. Automakers, shipping cars on schedule to make their earlier targets, have blown up inventories such that they are an average of 1.8 times monthly sales, when the preferred multiplier is from 0.9 to 1.2. According to the CADA, the price wars and necessary incentives mean that only 30 percent of dealers are operating in the black. That number is down a whopping forty percent since 2010. In response, Toyota has already said it will not make its 2014 target of 1.1 million cars sold. We're a long way from 2012, when Toyota planned on selling 1.8 million cars in China in 2015, a target that's now as realistic as a manticore. BMW, Honda and Nissan have erased numbers on their spreadsheets, too; BMW growth dropped from 20 percent to 8 percent midyear after it began "reducing wholesale supplies," and Honda has been reworking its plans as sales have decreased each of the past six months. It's a big deal for Chinese dealers to begin protesting publicly, the CADA saying, "In the past, dealers were angry, but dared not speak out. But now, they have to shout because the situation is getting so unbearable." With six-percent growth forecast for next year and dealers unwilling to remain underwater, The Year of the Sheep coming in 2015 could portend meaning beyond the zodiac. News Source: ReutersImage Credit: AP Photo/Andy Wong BMW Honda Nissan Toyota Car Buying Car Dealers