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Red Bull may seek engines from Ferrari after Mercedes snub

Red Bull and Renault's fractured relationship is pushing the Austrian F1 team to find a new engine provider. But after a trip across the German border to chat with Mercedes-Benz proved fruitless, the team is apparently set to head across its home country's southern border, and into Italy. Yep, Red Bull Ferrari could be a thing next season. According to RBR boss Christian Horner, the company is just doing "necessary due diligence" in contacting other engine suppliers, although he's willfully admitted to Germany's Bild newspaper that the "idea of Mercedes is finished," BBC Sport reports. It wasn't so much that Mercedes and Red Bull couldn't come to financial agreement – Red Bull owner Dietrich Mateschitz views throwing money into F1 in much the same way you or I toss pennies into the mall fountain – but rather that the Germans had no interest in supplying the best engines on the grid to the factory team's perennial rival. BBC Sport seems to think that fact, along with what the outlet calls Red Bull's "antagonistic" relationship with engine suppliers, killed the Mercedes deal. Honda and RBR aren't likely to happen either, thanks to McLaren (not that we think Red Bull would approach the Japanese, which have struggled mightily all season long). By process of elimination, that just leaves Ferrari. Scuderia Ferrari Team Principal Maurizio Arrivabene confirmed that his team can accommodate Red Bull's engine needs, and that he wasn't concerned with the idea of a Ferrari engine in an Adrian Newey-designed body. "In theory they have big names, with Newey as chief designer and it is easy to think that if you give them the engine they will build a scary chassis, which means they will be really competitive," Arrivabene told BBC Sport. "Concerning my team, my engineers and aerodynamicists know their own jobs. For that reason I don't have a problem, and competition is nice when you have a stronger competitor." "This doesn't mean tomorrow morning we will give our engines to Red Bull or Toro Rosso," Arrivabene added. And it's that statement we'd suggest remembering. There are, after all, still seven races left in the 2015 season, which is quite a lot of time for new and different developments within the sport's notoriously gruesome political process. In other words, don't count on an announcement from any team or manufacturer for at least a few more races. Related Video:

Lamborghini, Aston Martin, Mercedes-AMG, Porsche and Koenigsegg Lego sets coming this summer

Lego has announced a slew of new automotive-themed sets. As is typical fashion for brand of building toys, the subject matter leans toward ultra-exotic, ultra-expensive vehicles, ranging from a $139,000 Mercedes SL63 on the low end to a $3 million Koenigsegg Jesko Absolut on the high end. If you can't afford those cars in real life, soon you'll be able to build your own plastic models of them. Some of the real-world counterparts aren't obtainable no matter what the cost. Take the Lamborghini Lambo V12 Vision Gran Turismo, for example. The one-off concept was designed by Lamborghini exclusively for Gran Turismo, the PlayStation racing simulator. However, Lamborghini did build a 1:1 version for the physical world, with the 808-horsepoewer hybrid V12 from the Sian FKP 37 beneath its bodywork. The Lego version is part of the company's Speed Champions line, which measure about 6 inches long. It does an excellent job of capturing the original's insectoid look and Y-shaped taillights. The set is made up of 230 pieces and will retail for $26.99. This is Lego's first Vision Gran Turismo car but we hope to see more.  Also joining the Speed Champions line are two 2-car sets. An Aston Martin-themed set pairs a Vantage safety car with an AMR23 Formula 1 racer. Both are finished in AMR's bright green with actual sponsor logos. The set contains 564 pieces and will cost $44.99. Also arriving as a 2-car set are a pair of Mercedes-AMGs. A black G 63 and yellow SL 63 Roadster, along with a pair of sunglasses-clad bros, make up the 808-piece set. It also retails for $44.99. All three Speed Champions sets arrive on June 1, 2024. If you're looking for something a bit more advanced and detailed, Lego also offers the Technic line. First up is a Porsche GT4 e-Performance, a 1,000-horsepower race car based on the 718 Cayman. This set can also function as a remote controlled car that moves forward, backward, and steers via a downloadable smartphone app. The 834-piece set costs $169.99. Last but not least, there's the Koenigsegg Jesko Absolut, a model of the Swedish supercar that is said to have a top speed of over 300 mph. The model does an admirable job of capturing the car's 0.278 Cd drag coefficient, considering it's comprised of 801 individual plastic bricks. This set will retail for $49.99 and, along with the Porsche, comes out August 1, 2024. Related Video LEGO Speed Champion Build: 1968 Ford Mustang Fastback

Consumer Reports no longer recommends Honda Civic

Consumer Reports annual Car Reliability Survey is out, and yes, there are some big surprises. First and foremost? The venerable publication no longer recommends the Honda Civic. In fact, aside from the walking-dead CR-Z and limited-release Clarity fuel-cell car, the Civic is the only Honda to miss out on CR's prestigious nod. At the opposite end there's a surprise as well – Toyota and Lexus remain the most reliable brands on the market, but Buick cracked the top three. That's up from seventh last year, and the first time for an American brand to stand on the Consumer Reports podium. Mazda's entire lineup earned Recommended checks as well. Consumer Reports dinged the Civic for its "infuriating" touch-screen radio, lack of driver lumbar adjustability, the limited selection of cars on dealer lots fitted with Honda's popular Sensing system, and the company's decision to offer LaneWatch instead of a full-tilt blind-spot monitoring system. Its score? A lowly 58. The Civic isn't the only surprise drop from CR's Recommended ranks. The Audi A3, Ford F-150, Subaru WRX/STI, and Volkswagen Jetta, GTI, and Passat all lost the Consumer Reports' checkmark. On the flipside, a number of popular vehicles graduated to the Recommended ranks, including the BMW X5, Chevrolet Camaro, Corvette, and Cruze, Hyundai Santa Fe, Porsche Macan, and Tesla Model S. Perhaps the biggest surprise is the hilariously recall-prone Ford Escape getting a Recommended check – considering the popularity of Ford's small crossover, this is likely a coup for the brand, as it puts the Escape on a level playing field with the Recommended Toyota RAV4, Honda CR-V, and Nissan Rogue. While Ford is probably happy to see CR promote the Escape, the list wasn't as kind for every brand. For example, of the entire Fiat Chrysler Automobiles catalog, the ancient Chrysler 300 was the only car to score a check – there wasn't a single Dodge, Fiat, Jeep, Maserati, or Ram on the list. That hurts. FCA isn't alone at the low end, either. GMC, Jaguar Land Rover, Mini, and Mitsubishi don't have a vehicle on CR's list between them, while brands like Mercedes-Benz, Volvo, Nissan, Lincoln, Infiniti, and Cadillac only have a few models each. You can check out Consumer Reports entire reliability roundup, even without a subscription, here.