• THE 2014 FORMULA ONE season is only weeks away. This season undergoes the most radical changes in a decade. The 2.4-liter V8 engines are binned and replaced by turbocharged 1.6-liter V6s with twice the electrical boost power. A controversial double-points rule decided in Abu Dhabi meeting is dividing the sport, and cars will have wild-looking new nosecones thanks to the latest FIA crash regulations. The inaugural race of the season will be in Melbourne, Australia, on March 16.

(Full review of the 2014 F-1 season and calendar of races will be published in High Gear next week).

• MARY BARRA, CEO of General Motors, was named the world’s most powerful woman in business by Fortune magazine in its inaugural list of 50 Global Most Powerful Women in Business. When asked about her biggest challenges, Barra said they are not challenges but rather opportunities — and these are strong position in China to build on and the Cadillac brand which has the right products. She also said she wanted to empower the teams at GM to be more innovative by reducing complexity within the company. Barra pointed to the Chevrolet Volt as being a great innovation and an example of one of GM's goals.

• ASTON MARTIN is recalling more than 17,000 cars made since late 2007 including all left-hand models built since November 2007 after discovering a Chinese sub-supplier was using counterfeit plastic material in a part supplied to the luxury sports carmaker. The issue affects 75 per cent of the company’s production for that period. The Vanquish model is not affected. Aston Martin, which is owned by Kuwaiti and private equity investors, found that Shenzhen Kexiang Mould Tool Co. Ltd., a Chinese subcontractor that molds the affected accelerator pedal arms, was using counterfeit plastic material supplied by Synthetic Plastic Raw Material Co. Ltd. of Dongguan, according to documents filed with the US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. The recall is likely to cost Aston Martin $2.4 million.

• SUBARU revealed a new sedan at the Chicago Auto Show last week. Subaru's redesigned 2015 Legacy joins a growing group of family sedans with coupe styling. It could give the brand a real competitor in the mid-sized sedan segment. Subaru has tried to make the Legacy sexier with each redesign — the car is celebrating its 25th anniversary. So far, the sedan hasn't struck a chord in the competitive mid-sized sedan segment. The 2015 Legacy has the coupe-like silhouette of the four-door Volkswagen CC and the new Mercedes-Benz CLA. It also strikes a resemblance to the Kia Optima, Hyundai Sonata and Ford Fusion.

• JAGUAR LAND ROVER delivered a 46 per cent growth in sales across the MENA region in 2013, a result that exceeds JLR’s global performance, which saw sales up 19 per cent in 2013. The hike was driven by the introduction of a series of unique new vehicles including the Jaguar F-TYPE and All-New Range Rover Sport. MENA sales were led by the recently introduced flagship Range Rover, which is now the best-selling vehicle for the brand. The Range Rover Sport also delivered a strong performance across the region, with sales up 25 percent over the previous year, driven in part by the overwhelming popularity of the All-New model which hit showrooms mid-way through 2013. Sales across the rest of the Land Rover portfolio told the same story, including the Range Rover Evoque, the Land Rover LR4 and the Land Rover LR2, up 32, 31 and 33 per cent respectively. Jaguar also continued to deliver a robust performance, with a sales increase of 30 per cent over 2012. The success was seen across the board, with sales of the flagship Jaguar XJ up by 38 per cent, followed by the popular XF saloon which delivered a healthy growth of 19 per cent.