Yahoo Autos Force India's Name Change Problem
Welcome to The Grid, R&T's quick roundup of the auto industry and motorsports news you should know this morning.
Force India's Problem
Force India had a stellar season in F1, finishing fourth for the season in the constructor's championship. Earlier this year, Team Principal Vijay Mallya had said that he wanted to drop "India" from the name in order to attract more sponsors. But the team has run in to a problem: squatters.
Apparently, every time a name leaks out, like Force One or Force (which is an acronym for Formula One Racing and Creative Engineering), someone reserves the domain names and squats on them, making it impossible for them to get it. That sounds trivial, but it's actually an important thing for the team from a branding perspective. Right now, the team will be Force India in 2018, though that could still change if they find a URL that isn't taken...
Another Mazda Crossover?
Mazda was hoping to be selling 400,000 cars annually in the US this year. The company is actually on track to sell closer to 300,000 cars. However, those predictions are now changing, with thought being the big numbers will start in 2019 and will really take off in 2021 with a new crossover.
The model will be built in the new joint Toyota/Mazda plant and will be an exclusive US model. Masamichi Kogai, Mazda's CEO, believe it has the potential to be the brand's best selling model when it goes on sale in 2021.
F1's New Logo
Formula One has had the same iconic logo for 23 years. But Liberty Media, the new-ish owners of F1, has decided that 23 years is enough. The new logo is above. It's simple, but perhaps a bit too simple?
Ford's Chinese Proving Ground
Ford is investing $200 million in Nanjing, China, where it has an R&D center. About half of that has gone in to a new proving ground.
The test center takes up 160 acres and has 80 types of road surfaces along with a two mile test track. This comes on the heels of Ford's announced $750 million investment in and partnership with Anhui Zotye Automobile Co, a Chinese electric car maker.
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