Hack a Tesla, win $10,000

In the world of computers, competitions that challenge so-called "white hat" hackers are fairly common. Break into this system in X minutes and we'll give you Y dollars. Rarely, though, does this world cross over with the realm of automobiles.

At the 2014 SyScan Conference, which runs from July 16 to 17 in Beijing, hackers have the chance to win $10,000, provided they can break into the systems of a Tesla Model S. According to BidnessETC, in order to win, a successful hack will need to remotely access the 17-inch touchscreen display (shown above) that dominates the Model S cabin in order to surf the Internet and access the vehicle's controls.

While we're not computer experts, it seems like a tall order. The Model S may maintain a constant data signal via its driver's cellphone, but it seems unlikely that Tesla hasn't installed a comprehensive security system to prevent electronic tampering. Tesla, for what it's worth, has no part in the competition.

It will be interesting to see if there are any successful attempts. As Forbes mentions, hackers have been successful in gaining access to more conventional automobiles, although those attempts were under the watchful supervision of DARPA researchers.

Of course, we'll find out just how potent the company's security efforts are when the conference kicks off next week.

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VW Tiguan to get three-row version?

The Volkswagen Tiguan is starting to get a little long in the tooth, and the German automaker is reportedly already deep in development on the second-generation model. If rumors prove true, Volkswagen may be keeping a big secret when it comes to the new compact crossover. Company insiders speaking to Autocar claim that there are both five- and seven-passenger versions of the next Tiguan in the works. It raises an interesting question about the future of the larger Crossblue concept, though.

According to the sources, the five-passenger, second-gen Tiguan is about a year away from its debut at the 2015 Frankfurt Motor Show. The new CUV rides on VW's MQB platform, and its size is roughly the same as the current model. The even bigger news from the insiders hits a few months later when a longer-wheelbase, seven-passenger Tiguan with three rows of seats is unveiled at the 2016 Detroit Auto Show.

Here's where it gets confusing: VW CEO Martin Winterkorn announced at the 2014 Detroit show that the Crossblue was coming to the US in 2016. In concept form, it also used the MQB platform and seats seven. It seems rather odd for an automaker to introduce a pair of three-row CUVs on the same chassis in the same year in the US. Although, it's possible that this could just be a name change for the production Crossblue, it doesn't seem likely. It could also be that Tiguan's third row will be a much smaller, occasional-use only sort of proposition, in much the same way that Nissan now offers its Rogue compact CUV with three rows, yet it also markets the much larger Pathfinder (though admittedly they aren't on the same chassis). We've contacted Volkswagen to straighten this story out, and we'll update you when we hear back.

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Top Gear in hot water after staging crash at scene of fatal accident

The guys from UK's Top Gear just can't seem to stay out of trouble, especially main host Jeremy Clarkson. Usually, it's the things that come out of their mouths that cause controversy, like the two recent accusations of using racing slurs. However, the show's latest problem came not from what was said but from where they were shooting and how.

According to the Daily Mail, Clarkson and James May were recently shooting a segment for the next season of the show in Charlbury, Oxfordshire, England. The filming involved the two of them crashing Peugeots that they were driving. May's car ended up in the ditch and Clarkson's in a field â€" hardly groundbreaking for Top Gear. The controversy arose because a woman died in 2010 in a head-on collision nearby on the same road, and while also driving a Peugeot.

The Daily Mail admitted that the choice of location was likely unintentional, and spokespeople for the show haven't commented on the incident. However, local politicians called the situation "reckless and insensitive." With the BBC already giving Clarkson his last warning to watch what he says, any added controversy for the show comes at a bad time.

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Mercedes C-Class Cabriolet nears production readiness

Mercedes-Benz has lifted some camouflage off the C-Class Cabriolet, the vehicle that will finally give the German manufacturer a dedicated challenger to the BMW 4 Series Convertible and Audi A5 Convertible.

As has been reported already, there's a folding canvas roof below that camouflaged faux hardtop. We'll admit, we do find it somewhat surprising that Mercedes isn't going with a folding metal roof, like competitor BMW. Aside from that detail, expect the C-Class Cab's sheetmetal to be nearly identical to its four-door counterpart below the beltline.

As for when we can expect this new model to arrive, there's no clear date, although it does look remarkably production ready. If it doesn't debut earlier, we'd expect to see the new C-Class Coupe and Cabriolet at the 2014 Paris Motor Show in October. As for where it will be built, don't expect either two-door C-Class to head to Alabama. For reasons unclear, Mercedes will likely opt to keep production of both the coming Coupe and Cabriolet in Germany.

Keep an eye open for more on the new C-Class Cabriolet in the coming weeks and months, and in the meantime, check out the spy shots above.

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Fast & Furious 7 shooting wraps, cast thank-you note mourns Paul Walker

Shooting has officially wrapped on the latest installment of the Fast and Furious franchise, and as part of that, the cast and crew has issued a touching note that pays tribute to the new members of the film, the series' late star, Paul Walker and of course, the fans.

"There was a time when we didn't know how we could go on, or even if we should. But we listened to you, and you inspired us not only to keep going but to try and make the best Fast and Furious movie yet," the note read.

The film, which reunites Vin Diesel, Jordana Brewster, Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson, Ludacris, Tyrese Gibson, Michelle Rodriguez, has had a troubled production following the death of Walker. The script was rewritten and Walker's brothers, Caleb and Cody, stepped in to help complete the Walker's unfinished scenes.

"From the start, Vin has been our leader who feels what's right for Fast in his gut and in his heart. When we had to stop production last year, Vin gathered us back together and moved us forward when we needed it most. He led us to this day," the note continued.

We've included the full note below. Scroll down and have a look. Fast and Furious 7 arrives in theaters on April 3, 2015.

We made it.

Today we completed the last shot in the production of FAST & FURIOUS 7.

We wanted to take this moment to express how thankful we are for your support. We felt the love and strength from our fans throughout this journey, and it's because of you that we got here.

There was a time when we didn't know how we could go on, or even if we should. But we listened to you, and you inspired us not only to keep going but to try and make the best FAST & FURIOUS movie yet.

Our FAST family has been together for almost fifteen years now and has grown a lot in that time. From the start, Vin has been our leader who feels what's right for FAST in his gut and in his heart. When we had to stop production last year, Vin gathered us back together and moved us forward when we needed it most. He led us to this day.

Some of us have been here from the very beginning. Vin, Michelle, Jordana and our producer Neal all go back to that first little movie we shot on the streets of LA. We came back to LA in FAST 7, and it was an especially emotional homecoming for those who've grown up with each other since that first shoot.

There are those we count as brothers who we gathered along the way and are with us again: Dwayne, Tyrese, Luda, Lucas and our writer, Chris. We've got some new additions this time in Jason, Kurt, Djimon, Nathalie and our director, James. Caleb and Cody joined us to honor their brother and help complete his work.

Our family is big and strong but it won't ever quite be whole again without Paul.

All of us -- those who've been here from the start and those whose first FAST film is 7 -- wanted to create a special film for him and for you. We believe we have.

Thank you for being there for us. You are the biggest part of our family, and we couldn't have gotten here without you.

The countdown to April 3 begins.

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Dodge CEO and Gas Monkey Garage dissect the 10-second Challenger Hellcat

So far, whenever we've seen the 2015 Dodge Challenger SRT with its 707-horsepower, supercharged Hellcat V8, the muscle car has been smoking its tires. Dodge is finally proving that the SRT can do more than ruin perfectly good sets of rubber, though. In it's latest video, company CEO Tim Kuniskis hands the Hellcat off to the guys from Gas Monkey Garage to show how quickly the automaker's most powerful model can make it down the drag strip.

Of course, the only fitting contender to race against Dodge's latest top muscle car is its grandpa â€" a Hemi-powered 1971 Challenger, in this case. ​Before getting to the main event, the hosts also show off some of the SRT's unique features like the blanks in the grille that feed the intercoolers. We'll go ahead and spoil that the Hellcat makes its pass in the 10-second range, and the video admits the tires on the production version would take just a touch longer to cover the quarter-mile. However, you have to watch film to see just how quick it actually goes. Scroll down to see a classic example of American muscle drag racing against its modern legacy.

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NHTSA and Ford investigating steering issues in Crown Vic, Grand Marquis and Marauder

There may be more steering woes for the Ford Crown Victoria. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has opened a preliminary evaluation into the Crown Vic and Mercury Grand Marquis from the 2004 to 2007 model years and the Mercury Marauder for the 2004 and 2005 model years because the steering shaft can jam. The issue could potentially affect an estimated 500,000 vehicles.

According to the regulator, there is a possibility that the driver's side heat shield for the exhaust manifold can rust, dislodge, and then wedge into the steering shaft. If this occurs, it leads to a situation where the driver can no longer control the car.

NHTSA has received five complaints of this happening, including one alleged case with an injury. In that situation, the car was driving onto the highway, lost control and rolled over. One occupant was hurt in the accident.

This isn't the first case of potential steering issues with the Crown Vic. Ford recalled 370,000 of them in 2013 in fix some components because of possible corrosion. NHTSA also investigated some police models for issues with the steering shaft.

A Ford spokesperson told Autoblog via email: "We are cooperating with NHTSA on this investigation, as we always do." It has no further information about the evaluation at this time. Scroll down to read the entire NHTSA report.

INVESTIGATION Subject : Steering Column Shaft Obstruction

Date Investigation Opened: JUL 07, 2014
Date Investigation Closed: Open
NHTSA Action Number: PE14021
Component(s): ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING , STEERING
All Products Associated with this Investigation
Vehicle Make Model Model Year(s)
FORD CROWN VICTORIA 2004-2007
MERCURY GRAND MARQUIS 2004-2007
MERCURY MARAUDER 2004-2005

Details
Manufacturer: Ford Motor Company

SUMMARY:The Office of Defects Investigation has received five complaints alleging incidents of steering shaft obstruction caused by interference from a dislodged heat shield. The complaints indicated that the driver's side exhaust manifold shield can dislodge due to corrosion of the attachment bolts and become jammed between the manifold and steering shaft preventing the steering from turning or requiring excessive force to overcome the interference. In one incident (VOQ 10578715), the steering allegedly locked up on a highway entrance ramp, causing a rollover crash and injury. The complaint indicated that the heat shield was discovered to be dislodged after the crash, with witness marks from the alleged obstruction between the steering shaft and engine block. A preliminary evaluation has been opened to assess the frequency, scope and safety consequences of the alleged defect. VOQs associated with this investigation are: 10317493, 10471833, 10479681, 10545112, 10578715

ODI RESUME

Investigation: PE 14-021
Date Opened: 07/07/2014
Investigator: Chris Lash
Reviewer: Jeff Quandt
Approver: Frank Borris
Subject: Steering Column Shaft Obstruction

MANUFACTURER & PRODUCT INFORMATION
Manufacturer: Ford Motor Company
Products: MY 2004 to 2007 Crown Victoria, Grand Marquis, Marauder
Population: 500,000 (Estimated)
Problem Description: The drivers side exhaust manifold heat shield can rust and become dislodged, potentially jamming the steering shaft.

*Description of Other: EWR field report data

ACTION / SUMMARY INFORMATION
Action: A preliminary evaluation has been opened.

Summary:
The Office of Defects Investigation has received five complaints alleging incidents of steering shaft obstruction caused by interference from a dislodged heat shield. The complaints indicated that the driver's side exhaust manifold shield can dislodge due to corrosion of the attachment bolts and become jammed between the manifold and steering shaft preventing the steering from turning or requiring excessive force to overcome the interference. In one incident (VOQ 10578715), the steering allegedly locked up on a highway entrance ramp, causing a rollover crash and injury. The complaint indicated that the heat shield was discovered to be dislodged after the crash, with witness marks from the alleged obstruction between the steering shaft and engine block.

A preliminary evaluation has been opened to assess the frequency, scope and safety consequences of the alleged defect.
VOQs associated with this investigation are: 10317493, 10471833, 10479681, 10545112, 10578715

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Ironic plane crashes into American Paint & Body Collision Center in Florida [w/videos]

Sometimes, it seems like the universe just loves creating a touch of irony. Take the case on July 10, when a single-engine, Beechcraft airplane crashed into building in Titusville, FL. By itself, there's nothing especially funny about that, but of all the structures to hit, the plane smashed into an auto shop called American Paint & Body Collision Center.

According to Florida Today, the pilot and his passenger received minor injuries, but the rest of the people in the shop at the time were unharmed. The crash occurred when the plane started having engine trouble. It first hit the building's ceiling and kept going right into the middle of the showroom. Scroll down to watch two videos about the incident. The first is a brief news report, and the second shows the inside of the store afterwards with the plane clearly visible.

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Swedish man bests Kobe Bryant by jumping speeding Lambo

Way back in 2008, Los Angeles Lakers' shooting guard Kobe Bryant created a minor uproar with a viral video filmed and released by Nike. In it, the 16-time NBA all-star vaulted a moving Aston Martin. The promotional plug of the whole thing was that Bryant's ups were courtesy of his new Nikes, although he later admitted that "Hollywood" had a big part in the video.

This new video is allegedly real, though, and comes without the help of a promotional plug for a basketball shoe. It stars a Swedish man named Al the Jumper. Rather than an Aston Martin, Al jumps a Lamborghini Gallardo Superleggera, which is heading right for him at 80 miles per hour. It is, if it's as real as claimed, a very impressive feat, especially after seeing how handily Al clears the Lambo.

Scroll down for the video and then head into Comments and let us know what you think.

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2014 Volkswagen Amarok Canyon

There are those European automakers that compete in the North American market and those which don't. Volkswagen, for its part, may stand firmly in the former category, but there are still entire model lines that remain out of reach for American buyers: diminutive hatchbacks like the Up! and the Polo, of course, but also entire brands like Seat and Skoda which (unlike Audi, Porsche, Bentley, Bugatti and Lamborghini) aren't offered Stateside altogether. But there's another brand within the Volkswagen Group whose products don't, in Wolfsburg's estimation, warrant shipping to the United States â€" one that would be all too easy to forget. And that's Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles.

Though its products wear the familiar VW emblem, Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles stands essentially as another brand within Europe's largest and most successful auto group. It mostly produces vans like the Caddy, Transporter, Crafter and Caravelle, but is also responsible for the only pickup truck built in Germany: the Volkswagen Amarok. Like its van stablemates, the Amarok isn't offered in North America, so we crossed the pond to drive it for ourselves (and, of course, for you) to see what we were missing out on.

• Previewed by the Robust concept back in 2008, the Amarok has been on the market (certain markets, anyway) since 2010. Assembled both in Argentina and in Hannover, Germany, the Amarok is similar in form to other short-bed, four-door pickups like the Mitsubishi Triton (similarly not available in America) and the Honda Ridgeline.
• The version we drove on both paved and off-road sections of the Milbrook Proving Ground in the UK was the Amarok Canyon, a special edition that's based on the mid-spec Trendline (not on the base Startline or top-spec Highline) but upgrades with more bells and whistles, from 19-inch alloys and running boards (which are mounted too close to the body to actually use as a step) to tinted glass and two-tone upholstery. As a result of all the extra equipment, the relatively reasonable 20,000-pound UK starting price (before tax) balloons to a comparatively enormous as-tested price of 37,841 pounds (including VAT). That makes this fully-loaded pickup about the same price in the UK as an entry-level Touareg, which starts at nearly $45k in the US. Significantly more, for comparison's sake, than the Honda Ridgeline that starts here at just under $30k and tops out at $37,505.
• Powering the Amarok Canyon â€" an interesting trim name considering the GMC pickup of similar size and nameplate â€" is a 2.0-liter four-cylinder TDI packing 178 horsepower and 310 pound-feet of torque. (A scrawnier 138hp version available on base models.) It's mated to either a six-speed manual or eight-speed automatic transmission, and drives through VW's 4Motion all-wheel drive system. We drove both versions, and found ourselves wondering why more pickups aren't available with stick-shifts back in America, because the combination of rough-and-tumble truck with manual transmission, quite frankly, proved intoxicating. (Last we checked, for reference, you could still get three pedals on the Chevy Colorado/GMC Canyon, Ram HD, Nissan Frontier and Toyota Tacoma, but that's about it.)
• With the six-speed manual, the Amarok Canyon will run from 0-62 miles per hour in 11.0 seconds and top out at 110 mph. (Add another 0.3 seconds and cut two mph for the automatic.) In other words, the Amarok is not one of Volkswagen's more performance-oriented models, but then it's not designed to be.
• Driving the Amarok on a variety of surfaces, we were, however, impressed with the combination of truck attributes and German engineering â€" a rare combination considering that every pickup available Stateside is a product of either an American automaker or a Japanese one. Their trucks may be able to haul more than VW's, but if you've ever stepped into a pickup and felt a bit of a disconnect between the ruggedness of its construction and that of its fit-and-finish, the Amarok would likely surprise you with its German build quality. The overall feeling is of a truck â€" inside, out and underneath, right down to the knobs and interior trim â€" that has been hewn from sturdy materials.
• What you shouldn't expect, however, is for the Amarok to drive like a Touareg with a pickup bed at the back. It's not a crossover â€" it's a truck, and it drives that way (even if it exhibits more car-like refinement than most). But after a day of piloting nimble hot hatches and cossetting diesel luxury sedans (more on those to follow if you watch this space), the Amarok proved a breath of fresh, earnest air and left us with a big smile across our faces. This writer never considered himself much of a truck guy, and in truth has not driven many pickups; it took the Amarok's unique combination of go-anywhere capability coupled with German engineering to really see the attraction (especially where necessity doesn't dictate the form).
• Which only raises the question: should Volkswagen bring the Amarok to North America? We don't doubt that it would find a fair few customers in American dealerships (and maybe a few more in Canada, where European tastes often prevail), but the Amarok was never designed with the US market in mind. And four years since its introduction overseas, the opportunity may have passed VW as the Amarok soldiers along. But sooner or later, Volkswagen will have to replace the Amarok with a new model. When it does, we hope it at least takes American tastes and potential demand into account. Because as it stands, we're missing out.

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Saudi Arabia may institute higher fuel economy standards; keep 45-cent/gallon gas

When it comes to global oil production, Saudi Arabia is one of the absolute leaders, producing nearly 10 million barrels of crude every day. That means it can offer its citizens gas prices of about 45 cents per gallon. Despite this remarkably low price, though, the controversial, monarchical Middle Eastern country has just announced a series of reforms for the auto industry that will see American/European/Chinese-style fleet fuel efficiency standards come into effect.

According to Green Car Reports, the Kingdom's fleet standards are more lenient than those in the US and considerably easier to meet than Chinese or European standards. Fleets will need to return an average of 12 kilometers per liter (about 28.2 miles per gallon) by 2020. In the near term, though, vehicles will need to feature fuel economy labels as early as next month, and will need to meet more stringent fleet standards by late 2015 or early 2016. The push to increase fuel efficiency of Saudi cars is so intense that the country is even considering a program like Cash for Clunkers, in a bid to get older, less fuel efficient cars off the roads.

As for the motivation behind this sea change, it's a fairly simple one to break down â€" Saudi energy demand is increasing at a rate that the economy can't support, with a steady four-to-five-percent increase every year, according to Green Car Reports.

While we can get behind the reasoning and the new standards, what we don't understand is why fuel prices will remain at 45 cents per gallon. As GCR points out, this is not unlike the American model, where prices are intentionally kept lower while higher standards are mandated. But with such a ridiculously low fuel price, it seems odd that there isn't a proposal for at least a small price increase to help curb demand.

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Crowdfunding your new grad's car?

Dear Driving for Dollars,
My son just graduated from college and will be starting a "real" job soon where he will need to commute. We will be throwing him a party and we'd like to suggest that our family and friends give him money for him to buy a car. Is there an easy way to collect the money and ensure that it gets spent on buying a car?
-- Amy

Dear Amy,
So you want to make sure the money gifted is used to buy a car and that your son doesn't change his mind and use it for something else, eh?

What you are talking about is essentially a form of crowdfunding, where the person asking for money uses an online company, usually affiliated with a bank, to request financial support for his project. It works in much the same way an online donation to a charity operates, except that the "charity" is a friend or family member and not a nonprofit entity.

Crowdfunding has been a resource for people to start businesses, raise money for college, pay for a medical procedure and many other needs, and generic crowdfunding businesses such as Indiegogo would allow you (or your son) to start an account to collect money for his car purchase. But there's no requirement that the money raised go toward the car purchase.

Car companies are beginning to offer crowdfunding opportunities as a way to attract young buyers like your son to their brand or even a specific car. Chrysler did this recently with a program called Dodge Dart Registry.

BoostUp is one crowdfunding company that is specializing in working only with individuals for personal use, such as buying a car or home, taking a trip or funding a wedding. It is unique in that it requires the money raised be spent with one of its partners, which "boosts" the amount raised by offering a cash rebate or discounted percentage on the purchase.

As a result, you don't exactly have complete control that it gets spent on a car, but your son won't be able to simply receive a check either. However, there is a pretty substantial incentive for him to buy the car. Currently, BoostUp works with 850 dealers in all U.S. states, covering 13 car brands that offer $250 to $1,000 in matching cash toward the purchase of a new or used car. It also has a national agreement with Hyundai, which is offering a dollar-for-dollar match up to $500 for any new car purchase through Jan. 2, 2015.

Once your son has settled on the car he wants, make sure he negotiates the best loan by avoiding these five car loan mistakes that cost you money.

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This FL man accused of stealing drivers licenses has best tattoo ever

Bentley and Porsche are two of the jewels in Volkswagen Group's luxury brand crown, but in Florida they also have a very tenuous connection with crime. With his multiple face and neck tattoos, including a Bentley logo right between his eyes, Derek Denesevich (pictured above) has been charged with the surprising crime of alleged identity theft. He recently surrendered to a Florida court, and could face seven years in prison, if convicted.

You might wonder where Porsche fits into this. According to the Sun Sentinel, Denesevich's accomplice was one Porscha Kyles, who worked for the Broward Clerk of Courts. She allegedly used her access to driver's license records to steal information and sell it to Denesevich. He is then accused of filing fraudulent income taxes to recoup the refund checks.

According to the Sentinel, Kyles has already pleaded guilty to conspiracy and identity theft and was sentenced to three years and one day in prison. The duo reportedly stole over 100 identities and made at least $120,000. Scroll down for a video about this pair of auto-related criminals.

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Who should stop hot-car deaths?

STORY HIGHLIGHTS

• Nonprofit group: At least 44 kids died from heatstroke in cars in 2013
• By 2018, the government will require rear visibility technology in all new cars
• Nation's traffic group says technology to prevent hot car deaths isn't reliable yet
• Parents are split over whether a government mandate is needed

Editor's note: Kelly Wallace is CNN's digital correspondent and editor-at-large covering family, career and life. She is a mom of two girls. Read her other columns and follow her reports at CNN Parents and on Twitter.

(CNN) -- While the case of the Georgia father accused of intentionally leaving his toddler son to die in a hot car continues to grip the nation, it has also sparked a debate about whether more could be done to prevent the accidental deaths of children from heatstroke inside a car.

Is it an issue for the automakers to tackle voluntarily? Should the federal government mandate a driver-reminder alert? Is it solely a matter of parental responsibility? Those are just some of the questions parents across the country, experts and public officials are asking.

Today, in most new cars, you hear an alert if a driver or passenger is not wearing a seat belt or if you leave the key in the ignition when you get out of the vehicle.

Beginning in 2018, another major safety feature will become a requirement. Under a final rule issued earlier this year by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, all new cars will be required to have rear-visibility technology. More than 200 people -- 31% of them children under 5 -- are killed annually in "unintentional backing" incidents, according to the government agency.

The national nonprofit KidsAndCars.org is one of the organizations that helped get the rear visibility standard passed by Congress and signed into law by President George W. Bush in 2008.

Change has come slowly, said Janette Fennell, the group's founder, noting that it has taken six years since the president's signature for the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration to issue the final rule, and it will take four more years for the standard to be fully in effect.

What's next in case of Georgia father whose child died in hot car?

"We won't have 100% of our vehicles meeting the rear visibility standard until 2018, and ... you know the numbers of how many people are going to be killed and injured," said Fennell, who created her organization after she and her husband were kidnapped and locked in their trunk while their 10-month-old child was taken somewhere else.

They managed to escape and find their baby, who was also unharmed, but the experience led to the creation of KidsAndCars.org. The group's first victory was a regulation that all new cars beginning in 2002 include a trunk release that glows visibly in the dark interior of a car trunk.

"We do not know of one fatality in the trunk of a car that has that little release," she said in an interview.

Fennell and her organization have have been following the issue of children dying from heatstroke in cars for more than a decade. At least 44 children died from child vehicular heatstroke in 2013, according to her agency. She believes the technology exists today that could dramatically save lives.

READ: After leaving a child in a car, 'that pain ... never goes away'

"You can't buy a car (today) that doesn't turn your headlights off for you or remind you to turn off your headlights," said Fennell, who argues these changes in cars show that the auto industry knows people are human and will forget to do things like turn off the car's lights.

"And the question just begging to be answered is, who has decided it's more important not to have a dead car battery than a dead baby? And I don't say that to be harsh or sensational. It's just a fact."

NHTSA: Technology not "there yet"

The National Highway Transportation Safety Administration did a study, as CNN reported back in 2012, and concluded that the devices that existed at that time to try to reduce infant heatstroke deaths were not reliable enough.

"In fact, we recommend against people relying on the products ... to protect their most precious cargo," said David Friedman, the agency's acting administrator, in an interview.

Friedman said while the agency was able to conclude that rear visibility technology can protect children and adults from back-over incidents, the technology to protect children and adults from heatstroke "just doesn't seem to be there yet."

" 'Yet' is an important word there," said Friedman, who says his agency continues to evaluate new technologies.

OPINION: I, too, left my child in a hot car

The focus now, says Friedman, is on making sure people follow some simple safety tips that, if followed, can reduce infant car heatstroke by 100%: tips such as "look before you lock," or put a reminder in the back of your car such as your cell phone, pocketbook or briefcase -- something you just wouldn't leave your car without -- to remind you that you have a child in the back seat.

Another tip is to always lock your car and keep the keys out of reach, since about 30% of fatalities from vehicular heatstroke come from children who decided to play in the car, said Friedman. He said another 20% of the deaths come from people who knowingly left their kids in the car, thinking they would be gone only a short time.

"The sad reality is ... all it takes is a few minutes for the temperature inside a vehicle to turn deadly," said Friedman.

States across the country aren't waiting for the federal government or the auto industry to step in, and are calling for new laws on the books. Nineteen states currently make it illegal to leave a child unattended in a vehicle, according to KidsAndCars.org. Two of those states are doing more: A new law in Tennessee now protects bystanders who break into a hot car to rescue a child from being held liable for damages, and in Connecticut, there is a push to stiffen penalties for leaving a child unattended in a car.

CNN's Kelly Wallace asked parents, experts and federal officials if the government should require an alert in cars.

Parents: Mixed opinions on role of government

Has awareness of the problem and a desire to do more to prevent these deaths risen to a level where there is a demand for a government mandate?

In conversations with parents across the country, there's a real difference of opinion.

Janis Brett Elspas, a mom of four in Los Angeles, thinks we need a government-required alert signal to prevent people from forgetting children in cars.

Latest in Georgia hot car death case

"The problem is, like wearing a seat belt itself, people still ignore the warning light (and) sound that appears on their dashboard," added Elspas, founder of the blog Mommy Blog Expert. Government-mandated education of parents is also needed, she said.

Julie DeNeen, a mom of three in Clinton, Connecticut, thinks the government should require that car seats come outfitted with a technology to alert the driver that a child is still there when the car stops, just as the government already sets guidelines on height and weight restrictions for a car seat and use of a 5-point harness.

"No one argues about the government setting the specifications for a car seat," said DeNeen. "It would be a small effort on the part of the company and make a big impact on children's lives."

Cynthia Lieberman, co-founder of CyberWise.org, a site focused on helping parents, educators and children use digital media safely, thinks the government could put guidelines in place for in-car child safety monitoring tools, guidelines the auto industry would be required to follow.

"Adults should have the option to use the car manufacturer's device or select their own monitoring system," she said, pointing to one device, a Cars-N-Kids car seat monitor that sends an alert to your smart phone if the car seat is too hot or cold, or the child gets out of the seat.

But on the other side are many voices that say this is not an issue for the government.

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"Honestly, people need to slow down and focus," said Rhonda Woods, a mom of three in New Milford, Connecticut, who says the topic has sparked a big discussion in her house for the past week.

"There is no need to be so engrossed in our phones or our own minds that we lose touch with those around us, very specifically, our kids."

Laura Beyer, a mom of two grown children in West Allis, Wisconsin, and blogger for the local newspaper's website, agrees. "I would hate to have the government intervene on such basic parenting skills," she said. "I can bet $1 million that parents remember to grab their cell phones, purses and such, but how the heck can they forget a human being they claim to love?"

Other parents think voluntary technology that parents can choose is a better solution.

"It should be an add-on option that when purchasing a car, a buyer can choose," said David LeRoy, a father of two boys in Chicago, who created a Facebook group for African-American fathers last year.

To others, the larger issue, which government regulation and technology can't really impact, is parents who knowingly leave their children in cars and don't realize the dangers of such an act.

Elizabeth Flora Ross, a mom of a 5-year-old in Jacksonville, Florida, and a former marketing executive turned freelance writer, recently witnessed and wrote about a case of a baby left in a hot car in her community. Thankfully, the baby was OK.

When she asked her Facebook followers how many people have left their kids in cars, she was surprised by not just the number of parents who admitted they had, but how they didn't feel there is anything wrong with it.

"Perhaps regulation would make parents think twice. ... But I believe the key lies in building awareness of the dangers and working to change attitudes and behaviors."

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Jaguar Land Rover offers (some) detail about new Ingenium engine

Jaguar Land Rover officially announced its Ingenium family of engines with the unveiling of the 2.0-liter version in the Jaguar XE concept at the 2014 Geneva Motor Show, but it kept details very thin at the time. All we knew was that the new turbocharged mills could be configured to use gasoline or diesel, and be positioned longitudinally or transversely. Months later, JLR is finally letting some more info slip about its new baby, but there are still some big questions to be answered.

For the Ingenium project, Jaguar Land Rover gave its engineers a clean sheet of paper and told them not to worry about using any previous parts or machinery. In the end, the designers came up with a family of turbocharged, aluminum-block engines based around modular, 500cc cylinders to allow it to grow or shrink as the market demanded. The layout was also made adaptable enough to incorporate hybrid drivetrains, if needed. "Being configurable and flexible are the two key strands of Ingenium's DNA because we have future-proofed our new engines from the outset," said said Ron Lee, the company's director of Powertrain Engineering.

To maximize efficiency, Jaguar promises that all versions of the Ingenium engines come with computer-controlled, variable oil pumps and water pumps to use only as much energy as needed. They also get direct injection, roller bearings for the cams and stop/start. The diesel version alone has 17 percent less internal friction than the mill it replaces, the company claims. JLR is also promising class-leading figures for Ingenium's torque and horsepower too, but it's not giving away those specs just yet.

While it all sounds intriguing, we still have to wait a while before actually driving a product that makes use of the Ingenium. The production of the 2.0-liter diesel (codenamed AJ200D) doesn't begin until early 2015. Scroll down to read the full press release about JLR's new pride and joy.

Jaguar Land Rover Powers Up New Ingenium Engine Family

Ingenium is an all-new family of compact, lightweight, low-emissions diesel and petrol turbocharged engines that deliver both the efficiency and performance that our global customers desire

Configurable and flexible common diesel and petrol architecture enables maximum manufacturing efficiency, more variants, higher quality and greater speed to market

Designed and engineered in-house by Jaguar Land Rover engineers, volume production begins in early 2015 at the all-new Jaguar Land Rover Engine Manufacturing Centre near Wolverhampton, UK

Weighing up to 80kg less than today's engines, Ingenium uses patented technologies to reduce friction and deliver class-leading CO2 emissions, refinement and high performance

Whitley, UK: Ingenium, the new family of premium diesel and petrol engines designed, engineered and manufactured by Jaguar Land Rover, delivers class-leading levels of torque, horsepower and refinement while reducing emissions and fuel consumption.

The company today revealed more of the technical details of these new lightweight, compact low-emissions modular engines as it showcased some of the company's future technologies.

Ingenium: Configurable, Flexible, Modular
Jaguar Land Rover has developed its own new family of advanced technology, low-friction, high-performance petrol and diesel engines to meet growing customer demand for lower fuel consumption and cost of ownership, without compromising performance and the driver experience.

Ingenium's design brief presented Jaguar Land Rover's engineers with a tough and complex challenge. Its new engine family would need to be:

Configurable and flexible to enable seamless installation in a range of new Jaguar and Land Rover vehicles

Scalable up and down to create smaller or larger displacement variants in the future

Able to accommodate a range of powertrain layouts including rear-, all- and four-wheel drive

Engineered to support manual and automatic transmissions as well as electrified hybrid drive systems

Easily accepting of new advances in engine technologies as they become available

Jaguar Land Rover powertrain engineers at the company's Whitley and Gaydon development facilities have based Ingenium's foundation on extremely strong and compact aluminium blocks for both diesel and petrol versions.

These lightweight blocks share the same bore, stroke, cylinder spacing and 500cc cylinder capacity. This helps give Ingenium the configurability and flexibility around which smaller or larger engines can quickly and efficiently be developed to meet future regulatory and competitive requirements. To support the development of this future powertrain technology, including the new Ingenium family, Jaguar Land Rover has invested £40 million to expand and enhance its Powertrain Engineering facility at its Whitley Technical Centre.

All diesel and petrol Ingenium variants will be equipped with state-of-the-art turbochargers that improve performance, particularly at low speeds, and that help reduce consumption and CO2 emissions.

Ingenium's modular design enables both petrol and diesel engines to share many common internal components and calibration strategies. This reduces complexity, raises quality and simplifies manufacturing, and allows Jaguar Land Rover to react more quickly to changes in global demand.

"Customers around the world are increasingly demanding cleaner-running, more efficient vehicles that maintain or even enhance the performance attributes expected of a rugged all-terrain vehicle or a high performance car. Our Ingenium engines deliver this to a new level," said Dr. Wolfgang Ziebart, Jaguar Land Rover Group Engineering Director.

"Engineering and manufacturing our own engines improves our ability to react to changes in demand and improves our ability to react to changes in legislation and competitive technologies in the future," added Dr Ziebart. "We believe that with the range of technologies we are investing in, Jaguar Land Rover can absolutely satisfy the often conflicting requirements of delivering engaging high-performance luxury vehicles that reduce our carbon footprint in the long-term."

Technology Powerhouse
Ingenium bristles with innovations that will deliver more of what Jaguar Land Rover's global customers expect from premium high-performance engines: outstanding low-end torque, effortless acceleration and class-leading emissions performance with low consumption.

One strategy Jaguar Land Rover powertrain engineers used to accomplish this was a focus on reducing internal friction

In the first Ingenium engine to go into volume production, a 2.0-litre diesel known as AJ200D, friction is reduced by 17 per cent compared to the current engine, helping to make it one of the most efficient and responsive 2.0-litre turbo diesels in its segment.

Ingenium engines feature six key technologies that combine to reduce friction, add refinement and improve performance. They include:

Roller bearings on cam and balancer shafts, instead of machined-in bearing surfaces.

Computer-controlled variable oil pumps that save energy by delivering the optimum amount of oil at all speeds, engine loads and temperatures.

Computer-controlled variable water pumps that adjust the amount of coolant flowing through the engine, based on temperature, speed and driving conditions. The split or twin circuit cooling system offers the twin benefits of lowering CO2 emissions by enabling fast warm ups, and providing quick cabin heat on cold days.

Simplified cam drive system designed for modular application.

Crankshafts that are offset from the centre of the block.

Electronically controlled piston cooling jets to improve efficiency in the oil pumping circuit. Jets are switched off when piston cooling is not needed. They also enable the engine to reach its optimum operating temperature faster, further helping to reduce CO2 emissions.

All Ingenium engines will be equipped with advanced and efficient turbochargers, central direct high-pressure fuel injection, variable valve timing and start-stop technology.

Ingenium will also come to market as one of the most tested and proven Jaguar Land Rover engines ever. Before the first Ingenium engine is sold, it will have already undergone the equivalent of more than eight years of the toughest, most punishing testing that Jaguar Land Rover engineers could devise. These tests include a huge range of integrity and durability testing, including more than 72,000 hours of dyno testing and 2 million miles of real-world testing to ensure these engines deliver - and continue to deliver.

Key Role in Vehicle Weight Reduction
Jaguar Land Rover already leads the industry in the production of lightweight, aluminium-bodied vehicles. The introduction of Ingenium unites the company's light-weight chassis expertise with powertrains specifically designed and calibrated to complement reduced weight vehicles.

Jaguar Land Rover engineers are focusing on reducing vehicle weight by optimising every component in every system, powertrains included. Despite adding features and increasing power output, Ingenium engines weigh as much as 80kg less than today's equivalent engines.

"Ingenium fulfils our commitment to offer our global customers some of the most advanced powertrains available in some of the lightest vehicles in the premium SUV and performance car segments," said Ron Lee, Jaguar Land Rover Director of Powertrain Engineering.

"Being configurable and flexible are the two key strands of Ingenium's DNA because we have future-proofed our new engines from the outset. Ingenium will be able to accept new advances in fuel, turbocharging, emissions, performance and electrification technologies when they are ready and accessible to be deployed.

"We were able to design Ingenium in this way because we had the rare opportunity to start the project with a clean sheet of paper. We weren't locked into any of the usual restrictions that force engineering compromises because we had no existing production machinery that would dictate design parameters, no carryover engine architectures to utilise and no existing factory to modify," said Lee.

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Bentley wants to get into the coachbuilding business

There was a time when a customer would buy a chassis from an automaker like Bentley and then take it to a coachbuilder to have whatever bodywork they wanted put on it. The practice was particularly prevalent in Bentley's earlier days, but the industry has progressed in such a way â€" with tighter regulations and unibody construction â€" that such a practice is no longer feasible. But Bentley wants to get back into that business.

Speaking to UK trade publications recently, Bentley sales chief Kevin Rose indicated that the company is looking into setting up a special division within itself to meet the demands of extremely wealthy customers who want to commission their own coachbuilt custom creations. It's an emerging trend that's seen Ferrari Special Projects build one-offs like the F12 TRS and SP12 EC and McLaren Special Operations the outlandish X-1, and Bentley wants to get in on the action.

It wouldn't be the first even to rebody a contemporary Bentley in recent years. Carrozzeria Touring Superleggera offers the Flying Star (pictured above) that turns the Continental GT into a shooting brake, and Dany Bahar's new coachbuilding outfit Ares plans to do the same. By bringing it in-house, however, Bentley would be able to pick the chassis up off the assembly line at the right time and provide the necessary support and factory backing.

With such an initiative in place, we'd likely finally see a Mulsanne convertible built, along with countless permutations of the Continental family and upcoming SUV. A four-door Flying Spur GTC parade car? No problem. Two-door Falcon sport-ute? Just sign here, sir. The sky's the proverbial limit, and that's where Bentley appears to have set its sights.

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Rolling Coal: America's political divide reaches the roads [w/videos]

Jason Mendelson was driving his Toyota Prius in the right lane of Interstate 64 near Richmond, Virginia, when a white pickup truck with two protruding smokestacks cut into the lane ahead.

After a few moments, the pickup spewed a torrent of black smoke that enveloped his small car. The pickup sped away. Mendelson didn't think much of the odd interaction until a few minutes later, when the pickup returned and again left him in a cloud of smoke.

"That's when I realized, 'Okay, this was on purpose,'" he said.

Indeed, he was the victim of a practice called "coal rolling" or "rolling coal," which if you're unfamiliar, is the equivalent of farting in someone's vehicular face.

Own a diesel pickup truck, and you can spend somewhere between several hundred to several thousand dollars on modifications that make the vehcile capable of belching towers of black smoke on command, all for the apparent pleasure of leaving fellow drivers or pedestrians choking on a cloud of soot.

Victims aren't usually chosen at random. Rather, coal rollers take particular delight in targeting drivers of green-friendly cars like the Toyota Prius, because rolling coal isn't always mere indiscriminate harassment, but a form of grassroots political protest against President Obama and perceived burdensome federal regulations.

Coal rollers take particular delight in targeting drivers of green-friendly cars like the Toyota Prius.

"I run into a lot of people that don't really like Obama at all," one coal-roller tells Slate, which detailed the practice at length. "If he's into the environment, if he's into this or that, we're not. I hear a lot of that. To get a single stack on my truck â€" that's my way of giving them the finger. You want clean air and a tiny carbon footprint? Well, screw you."

This isn't the first time that clashes between conservatives and liberals have reached the automotive world. In 2012, one-time Republican leader Newt Gingrich took a swipe at the Chevrolet Volt, declaring on the campaign stump that "you cannot put a gun rack in a Volt." But it may be the first time that politics have been a root cause of everyday harassment of drivers on American roadways.

YouTube is filled with examples of coal rollers providing footage of their brazen pranks (or brazen stupidity, depending on your perspective), many of them with hundreds of thousands of views. In one, a driver with a "Prius Repellent" sticker on his rear window, sends a billowing cloud of black smoke toward the Toyota hybrid behind him. In another, a young driver, under the headline of "This is what I think of hybrid cars," coal-rolls a Ford Fusion Hybrid that belongs to his parents. In another, between goofy giggles, a driver leaves a police cruiser in a black haze. In yet another, a driver doesn't attack a green-car driver, but a friend who happens to be sleeping in the cab of another vehicle â€" pranking friends and family is another running theme among coal rollers.

There are countless examples that, collectively, provide an astounding look at the coal-rolling subculture.

In recent days, the Environmental Protection Agency at the center of many coal rollers' angst has issued a statement saying that the modifications that enable rolling coal are illegal. "Tampering with vehicle pollution controls is against the law," an EPA spokesperson tells Autoblog. "Tailpipe pollution, uncontrolled by emissions reduction technology, contains high levels of soot and smog-forming chemicals, which are linked to premature death in people with heart or lung disease, aggravated asthma and other serious, negative health effects."

Out on the road, there are no specific laws that prohibit rolling coal.

The EPA says it has reached settlements with some of the largest manufacturers of defeat-device equipment, and that it aggressively enforces the relevant portions of the Clean Air Act.

Out on the road, there are no specific laws that prohibit rolling coal, but there may be indirect traffic violations that result from the practice. Laws vary on a state-by-state basis, but conceivably, cutting off another driver or intentionally impairing their vision could result in a ticket. Some could run afoul of emissions regulations. In the meantime, motorists like Mendelson are left to fend for themselves.

"It's illegal, but who is enforcing that? It would have to happen in front of a cop, so I don't think there's a whole lot that can be done," he said. "When someone pulls in front of you like that, it's a safety risk ... it's also a symptom of a greater underlying problem of intolerance combined with stupidity. It's disturbing that someone feels so threatened that they have to essentially attack someone they don't know, who can't defend themselves, who might not even have the views they think you do."

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2014 Toyota FJ Cruiser Ultimate Edition

Introduced at the end of 2006, this is the last year for the Toyota FJ Cruiser, the reincarnated FJ40-series Land Cruiser that will shortly journey to Takama-ga-hara, the Plain of High Heaven. In its first model year, we drove it to SEMA and found it, shall we say, coarse. It bobbled on the freeway and droned in the cabin, its boxy interior providing four bounce-boards for unpleasant frequencies. Tall mirrors helped one work around the eclipse of vision aft of the B-pillars, but navigating traffic required forethought and technique. Its turning circle was measured in kilometers. For the first two years of its life, it needed premium gas. It may have been fun to look at, but we couldn't wait to get out of it.

That's not the case anymore, and now the FJ Cruiser is poised to join a long list of vehicles that got better and better, then got axed.

Driving Notes

• The current FJ is rugged, and surprisingly it's not really all that coarse dynamically. We drove into the California desert, spent nearly a week playing around off-road, drove it back and then did a lazy Sunday drive to Santa Barbara, all in amiable comfort. That could have to do with our Ultimate Edition being fitted lots of Toyota Racing Development parts, like the TRD coils wrapped about Bilstein shocks affixed to handsome 16-inch TRD wheels on 265/75 R16 BF Goodrich All Terrain T/A tires. The bellow from the TRD-engraved tailpipe is totally copacetic at steady throttle, but gets a touch frenzied if you bury the accelerator.
• Moving is not a problem, though. The 4.0-liter V6 puts out 260 horsepower and 271 pound-feet, not a raging amount of go for a 4,343-pound truck, but plenty to do whatever you need to do as long as you remember you're in an SUV. (When the FJ first came along, it had 239 hp / 278 lb-ft).
• Beyond its quadratic styling â€" that we still think looks good â€" the FJ remains full of quirks, like the three miniature windshield wipers, the sun visors for the side windows, the backup camera screen in the rearview mirror, the fact it's available in two-wheel drive and, on the 4x4 versions, with a six-speed manual transmission.
• It still feels like Toyota knew this was only going to be a fling and not a love story, so it didn't lavish its heart nor its wallet on the relationship. The FJ Cruiser only ever received incremental improvements, the interior is barely different now than it was in 2007. You can't get factory navigation or automatic climate control, the audio system's dot matrix and glowing orange display take us back to 90s-era Sony Walkmans, and the giant HVAC dials are useful for those who wear wearing welder's gloves while they drive.
• The interior is likely a big part of the reason sales have declined from more than 56,000 in its first year to just over 13,000 for the last two years. It can't be the off-road ability â€" the FJ digs dirt like hippos love mud. In addition to the trail-specific suspension, there's a two-speed transfer case, locking rear differential, hill descent control, a quarter-inch aluminum skid plate and rock rails outside, the triptych of compass, clock and inclinometer completing the feature set inside. It will do its fair share of rock crawling, and it will happily dine on rocky stretches of desert and covers pure desert ground with the calm of an ostrich.
• We'd take the manual, preferring to have full control in the tricky bits, but the five-speed automatic puts on a good performance.
• Many complain about interior room, but we didn't find it problematic. Once you get past the shoebox ambience, it's easy to get in through the giant front doors, and although your grandfather might make a mess of getting into the back seats, we couldn't see how it would be a problem for anyone purchasing the FJ Cruiser for its intended purpose â€" off-roading. Open the rear-hinged back doors, slide the front seats up, haul in. A deep cutout in the back of the front seat left swinging-knee room for us, and that was with the front seat as far back as it would go. Bonus points for the genuinely adjustable armrest on the driver's seat, a feature we're not used to seeing outside of a Land Rover.
• There are only 2,500 Ultimate Edition FJ Cruisers on offer this year, all in Heritage Blue and sporting the white headlight surround mimicking the FJ40 face that launched a squillion off-road adventures.

With the Hummer H3 gone and the FJ Cruiser in hospice, the Jeep Wrangler will once again be left alone in the US market as the ideal post-nuclear, go-anywhere truck for the misanthropic survivalist. One of the most popular games in the off-road party is to take sides as vehemently as Union and Confederate when it comes to one's choice in rig, but no matter which side you're on the party is a lot more fun when there's more choice. For that reason and more, and turning 180 degrees from our first experience in 2006, we say it's a shame the FJ has to go.

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eBay Find Of The Day: 1946 Tucker Torpedo Prototype II hides a secret Riviera

The Tucker Torpedo is one of the great what-if stories of automotive history. Preston Tucker hoped to revolutionize the industry with a car unlike any other on the road at the time. However, due to a variety of problems, he only managed build 51 vehicles before closing shop. Over time, they have become highly sought-after; ​In 2012, one sold for $2.65 million at auction.

That brings us to this Tucker "replica" that you see above because it might be one of the ugliest monstrosities ever put together. However, we might extend some leniency to the creator, as the vehicle isn't actually trying to replicate the classic look of the 1948 Tucker Torpedo. Instead, it is attempting to reproduce an earlier prototype from 1946 that actually features that weird, trident nose. According to the seller, his uncle built the car as a labor of love and supposedly used actual plans from Tucker as inspiration.

Underneath all of the crazy changes is a 1971 Buick Riviera powered by a 455-cubic-inch (7.5-liter) Buick V8. Some of the replica's odder modifications include the front fenders that turn with the wheels and the fin running down the back. All three headlights work, but the one in the middle is only for the high beams. Oddly, the small hinged sections on the roof are meant to open to avoid hitting your head when getting in or out. Maybe the seller's uncle was a very tall guy?

According to the eBay auction, the car does run but definitely needs some restoration, as well. It appears to be reasonably popular, though. As of this writing, it has 18 bids with a price of $7,300 with the reserve not yet met. Bidding ends on July 15.

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Porsche Cayman GTS in track battle with 996 GT3

Here's your tough question of the day: Would you rather drive a new Porsche Cayman GTS or a slightly older, 996-era Porsche 911 GT3? Certainly, both cars have their plusses. The Cayman is the more modern proposition, sure, but the GT3 is, well, a GT3. So yes, it's a tough decision.

If you're one of the lucky souls that have to make that choice, then this video from Evo should prove pretty helpful. It's a track battle, starring Jethro Bovingdon with a new GTS and an old GT3.

Calling the GTS "fantastically agile" and "fast, but it's also hilariously good fun," Bovingdon bangs home a solid lap time of 1:05.2 before switching to the GT3. It's remarkable to see just how dated the 996-generation 911 looks after viewing the newer Porsche, and from where we sit, it's further proof that the old car's headlights are something that's best forgotten. Styling qualms aside, though, can the GT3 keep up with its racy younger cousin?

You'll need to scroll down to find out. After watching the video, head into Comments and let us know which of these two vehicles you'd rather have. An informal straw poll of the Autoblog staff turned in a fairly even vote, so we're counting on you, loyal readers, to break the tie. Have your say below.

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Acura recalls 2013-2014 ILX, ILX Hybrid over fire-prone headlamps

The Acura ILX just can't seem to catch a break. The Japanese automaker recently decided that the ILX Hybrid would no longer be offered in the US for the 2015 model year. Now, a possibility for fires has also cropped up in the compact luxury sedan. Acura has announced a recall of 14,078 examples from the 2013 and 2014 model years because the headlights could overheat and ignite the car. The company also issued a stop-sale for examples still at dealers until they can be repaired.

The campaign covers ILX and ILX Hybrid models with halogen projector headlights from specific build dates. The problem is that the headlights aren't cooled sufficiently when the cars aren't moving. After several hours of sitting with them on, it's possible for the lights to build up so much heat that they melt and potentially cause a fire.

To Acura's knowledge, there was only one case of an ILX actually catching fire due to this problem, though. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration defect notice, a car was idling at a dealer for about two hours when the model went up in flames. The automaker brought the vehicle in for a detailed investigation to find what caused the blaze.

To fix them, Acura will replace both headlights on all of the affected models, and owners will be notified in late July. Scroll down to read Acura's statement and the NHTSA recall request with the specific build dates of the vehicles. The full defect notice can be downloaded as a PDF, here.

Statement by Acura Regarding Headlight Recall: 2013-2014 Acura ILX
07/08/2014 - TORRANCE, Calif.

14,078 model-year 2013-2014 ILX vehicles affected in the U.S.
Halogen projector beam headlights will be replaced, free of charge
One fire was reported after car was parked with engine idling and lights on for several hours
No related crashes or injuries have been reported

Acura will voluntarily recall 14,078 model-year 2013-2014 ILX vehicles in the United States to replace both halogen projector beam headlight assemblies free of charge. When a vehicle is parked with the engine running and the low-beam headlights on for an extremely long period of time, the original headlight design may not allow sufficient heat to escape. Excessive heat buildup in the headlight assembly can cause deformation and melting of plastic components which could affect headlight operation and, eventually, result in a fire. One fire was reported after the ILX had been parked with the headlights on and engine idling for several hours. No crashes or injuries have been reported related to this issue.

Acura is announcing this recall to encourage all owners who purchased an affected vehicle to take it to an authorized dealer as soon as they receive notification of this recall from Acura. Mailed notification to customers will begin in late-July. In addition to contacting customers by mail, at that time, owners of these vehicles will be able to determine if their vehicles require repair by going to www.recalls.acura.com or by calling (800) 382-2238 and selecting option 4.

# # #

RECALL Subject : Headlight Temperatures Causing Fires/FMVSS 108

Report Receipt Date: JUN 13, 2014
NHTSA Campaign Number: 14V323000
Component(s):
Potential Number of Units Affected: 14,078
All Products Associated with this Recall
Vehicle Make Model Model Year(s)
ACURA ILX 2013-2014

Details
Manufacturer: Honda (American Honda Motor Co.)

SUMMARY:
American Honda Motor Co., Inc (Honda) is recalling certain model year 2013 Acura ILX vehicles manufactured January 16, 2012 to March 1, 2013, ILX Hybrid vehicles manufactured January 12, 2012 to February 7, 2013, and certain model year 2014 ILX vehicles manufactured May 2, 2013, to May 31, 2014, and ILX Hybrid vehicles manufactured October 18, 2013 to February 19, 2014. Excessive heat temperatures around the headlight bulb and reflector unit may diminish the output of the headlight and cause smoke, melting, and fire. Thus, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard No. 108, "Lamps, Reflective Devices, and Associated Equipment."

CONSEQUENCE:
The diminished light output may decrease the driver's visibility, increasing the risk of a crash. Additonally, the excessive heat coming from around the bulb and reflector could cause the headlights to overheat, increasing the risk of a fire.

REMEDY:
Honda will notify owners, and dealers will replace the headlights, free of charge. The recall is expected to begin on July 28, 2014. Owners may contact Acura customer service at 1-800-862-2872. Honda's number for this recall is JE9.

NOTES:
Owners may also contact the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (TTY 1-800-424-9153), or go to www.safercar.gov.

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New research suggests US auto sales to peak this year

The industry is on pace to sell more than 16 million cars this year ... but don't break out the party hats and champagne just yet.

June was a terrific month for the auto industry. Americans made it the busiest month of sales in nearly eight years, buying more than 1.4 million vehicles, according to Autodata Corp. It was the strongest month of sales since July 2006, combining with robust sales in May to send expectations soaring.

Despite a brutal winter that hampered sales earlier in the year, the industry is on pace to sell more than 16 million cars this year. If that pace holds, it will be the first time since before the Great Recession that milestone has been eclipsed.

But don't break out the party hats and champagne just yet.

Amid the rampant enthusiasm, AlixPartners, a global business advisory firm based in New York, has released a study that douses some of the budding hope the industry could soon return to the halcyon days of 17-million in annual sales. Instead, the study suggests sales could peak later this year and then retreat.

"The good news is the global auto industry made it through the financial crisis, recession and a whole lot of pain," said John Hoffecker, co-president of the Americas at AlixPartners. "The bad news is what's ahead is uncertain and unprecedented, and could be painful as well."

Rising interest rates, longer-term trends of younger Americans showing indifference toward driving and a decline in vehicle usage rates could equal diminishing sales.

While the firm projects sales of about 16.3 million vehicles this year, it projects that interest rates will begin to rise next year and sap consumers' purchasing power. Combined with longer-term trends of younger Americans showing indifference toward driving and a decline in vehicle usage rates, sales could begin to diminish.

The findings are detailed in the firm's report "Blind Curves Ahead for Auto Industry." AlixPartners has dubbed the next generation of drivers "Generation N" for their neutral opinions about driving, their growing use of car-sharing services and increasing reliance on Uber and Lyft. Those factors may indeed have a longer-term impact on sales, but in the near term, the primary factor will be interest rates.

"The biggest factor would be this credit bubble, and without making an exact projection of when that will happen, that, to use is the window when you'll see an impact on car sales," said Dan Hearsch, a director in the automotive practice at AlixPartners. "The other side of it is cyclical and predictable. ... We're a little more pessimistic because of these other factors."

Cheap credit is one reason there has been remarkable growth in the industry. By the end of 2013, the industry posted year-over-year sales growth for five consecutive years. It's only the third time since the end of World War II that growth has been recorded in five straight years.

A three-percent rise in rates â€" about the historical average â€" would mean a consumer would have about $2,500 less to spend on a new car.

Yet a three-percent rise in rates â€" about the historical average â€" would mean a consumer would have about $2,500 less to spend on a new car. Such a rise could pinch consumers who are already extending the lengths of their loans to record highs. A recent study from Experian Automotive showed the average term of a car loan has reached 66 months, the highest since the company started tracking the number in 2006. The report said nearly a quarter of all new loans issued in the first quarter of 2014 were 73 to 84 months in duration.

IHS Automotive, another global market-analysis firm, sees small growth over the next two or three years in the auto industry, with demand inching from 16.2 million vehicles this year to 16.5 million next year. Beyond that, they also see interest rates tempering demand.

"We think the explosive growth in the market is probably over," said George Magliano, a senior economist with IHS Automotive.

Like AlixPartners, IHS sees a gradual hike in interest rates on the horizon over the next two or three years. Magliano said he also believes rising oil prices will play a role in diminishing demand, as will tapering interest in new cars from an aging population.

Rising oil prices could present a new opportunity for automakers to boost sales of hybrid and electric vehicles. But a combination of improvements in internal combustion engines plus the higher upfront costs of an electric vehicle still make consumers reluctant to buy them, a trend both firms believe will continue.

By 2017 AlixPartners predicts connected cars will account for 80 percent of sales in North America.

"Ultimately, the payback on an electric vehicle just takes too long," Magliano said. "Something will have to change."

The challenges for selling EVs aren't only on the consumer end. Hearsch said battery packs, which comprise about 35 to 40 percent of an electric car's cost will either need to become cheaper or their range will need to be extended for the cars to become viable options for more Americans. Demand for lithum and nickel, which are used in creating the batteries, is currently outpacing supply, Hearsch said.

More so than electric cars, the X-factor for the long-term health of the industry lies in connected cars, autonomous cars and self-driving cars. It's not a question of when they'll be ready for the road â€" it's when will the road be ready for them?

Internet-connected cars are already a regular part of traffic, and by 2017 AlixPartners predicts connected cars will account for 80 percent of sales in North America. Beyond that, the government and OEMs alike need to prepare for more car-to-car and car-to-infrastructure communication that will allow autonomous driving and self-driving cars to proliferate.

It may be too early to assess precisely when such roadway and legislative overhauls will occur, but they will be key to the future sales.

"The next big wave will be autonomous cars," Magliano said. "A few years ago, who would have thought we'd be talking about that today? This industry has gone completely haywire, from a dead industry to something that's very high tech. We are close."

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Opel launch new Corsa hatchback [w/videos]

Though its brand portfolio may have shrunk in recent years with the loss of Oldsmobile, Saturn, Pontiac and Hummer, General Motors still sells its wares around the world under a wide array of brands: Chevy, Buick, Cadillac and GMC in its home market, Holden in Australia, and a whole mess of joint-venture brands in China. In Europe, however, it's all about Opel, with Vauxhall tackling the UK market with a nearly identical product lineup but a different badge. And it's those two brands through which GM has just revealed its new Euro-centric hatchback.

Representing the fifth-generation model for Opel and the fourth for Vauxhall (which badged the first-gen model as a Nova) is this new Corsa, replacing a now eight-year-old model. Set to be revealed at the Paris Motor Show in October, the Corsa represents GM's assault at the likes of the Ford Fiesta and Volkswagen Polo in the European market and slots into both brands' lineups in between the smaller Adam and the larger Astra.

It's based on a heavily revised version of the GM-Fiat Small platform that underpinned the model it replaces, not to mention a variety of other products from Opel, Vauxhall, Fiat and Alfa Romeo. Power options center around a new 1.0-liter three-cylinder engine that uses a balance shaft (unique among three-cylinder engines) to reduce noise, vibration and harshness, as well as a turbocharger, direct injection and stop/start ignition to maximize output and efficiency. It'll be available in either 90- or 115-horsepower guises, and is joined by a 1.2- and 1.4-liter fours as well as a 1.3-lier diesel. Buyers will also be able to choose between three- and five-door body-styles, with design cues obviously borrowed from the more stylish Adam city car.

As the latest product from one of the world's largest automakers, the new Corsa also naturally benefits from the latest technologies inside the cabin and under the hood, details of which you can delve into in the pair of press releases under the videos below.

Opel Reveals Fifth-Generation Corsa

2014-07-09

- New drive: New chassis, new generation engine and transmission technology
- New standard: High quality interior with IntelliLink and host of assistance systems
- World premiere: Opel's bestseller to debut in October at Paris Motor Show

Rüsselsheim. Opel today reveals the new, fifth generation of the Corsa. Opel's bestseller aims to offer a new driving experience in the small-car market segment by raising the bar for chassis, engine and gearbox performance. The new, refined and efficient 1.0-liter three-cylinder turbo engines, smooth-shifting transmissions, the new suspension and optimized steering deliver class-leading levels of comfort and precision. The new Corsa also comes with a totally new interior that enhances the perception of high quality and spaciousness, including best-connected IntelliLink infotainment technology and ultra-modern driver assistance systems. Opel's designers have also given the new Corsa a dynamic shape in line with the brand's design philosophy, introducing flowing, sculptural forms and precise detailing. The new Corsa is equipped with everything required to ensure continuation of 32 years of success in a highly competitive market segment. The fifth generation of Opel's bestseller will make its world premiere at the "Mondial de l'Automobile 2014" in Paris (October 4 to 19), rolling off the assembly lines in Zaragoza and Eisenach before the end of the year.

"The Opel Corsa has always been widely praised, particularly for its appealing looks and an efficient use of space within compact dimensions," says Opel CEO Dr. Karl-Thomas Neumann. "This has been a decisive factor in the model's enduring popularity, and we are, of course, carrying this core appeal forward in the new generation. Thanks to many new technologies, we are also offering a fantastic driving experience, which raises the standard in this vehicle class. The fifth Corsa generation will be full of surprises."

Recipe for success: Youthful design and generous space in compact dimensions

Across four generations spanning 32 years, almost 12 million Corsas have been sold in Europe, including 2.8 million from the current fourth generation. With average yearly sales of 370,000 units, the Opel Corsa is one of the most enduringly popular models in its segment. A key to its success is outstanding space efficiency: within a compact length of 4 meters, Opel's bestseller offers plenty of room for up to five occupants â€" in both family-friendly, five-door and dynamic, sporty three-door body formats. At the same time, the Corsa's exterior design conveys practicality and strong, stand-out appeal with its youthful, dynamic looks. The new Corsa generation now seamlessly carries forward this recipe for success â€" while being radically different. Its exterior design is fresher, more sophisticated and has even more character. The bold face is characterized by the "wing" shaped headlights incorporating Opel's signature "wing" LED daytime running lights and the low sporty trapezoidal grille, with its dynamic bar supporting the Opel emblem. The sculptured body sides feature Opel's typical dynamic "blade" body signature. At the rear end the wide horizontal split tail lights help to visually widen the car and flow through to the rear shoulders, giving it an even better stance. But it's when you sit in the new Corsa and drive it that the change is the most apparent. The completely new cabin featuring clear, elongated shapes and a mix of sophisticated materials, together with the substantially more comfortable chassis, sharper steering, all-new powertrains and significantly lower noise levels all combine to ensure a completely new driving experience.

Absolute precision: New chassis and new steering for highest driving stability

The top priority for the Opel engineering development team was to provide Corsa customers with a driving experience comparable to larger, more expensive cars in terms of comfort and precision. New chassis and steering systems provide the foundation. The chassis does not inherit a single component from the current Corsa. Straight line and cornering stability is increased thanks to a 5 millimeter lower center of gravity, a stiffer sub-frame, a new suspension geometry including a new front knuckle. Roll behavior, steering response and understeer characteristics are all improved. New damping characteristics also give the fifth-generation Corsa better filtration of disturbances from potholes and uneven road surfaces, providing exemplary comfort in a small car.

The development of a completely new electrical architecture for the fifth generation Corsa enables a more sophisticated level of interaction between its various systems. Together with a new steering geometry and steering software calibration, this enhanced system benefits the new, speed-sensitive electric power steering: it has a more precise response and improves both driving pleasure and comfort. A new standard feature in all Corsa models that allows reducing steering effort at low speeds, the City mode is easily activated at the press of a button.

As for the current Corsa, customers can choose between two chassis set-ups, Comfort and Sport. The Sport chassis has stiffer springs and shock absorbers as well as a specific steering geometry and calibration for a more direct response.

Engine highlight: Latest generation 1.0 ECOTEC Direct Injection Turbo

The highlight under the hood of the new so-called "Corsa E" of the fifth generation is the installation of Opel's newly-developed three-cylinder, 1.0 ECOTEC Direct Injection Turbo, part of the brand's major powertrain offensive. This ultra-modern pocket powerhouse is the only 1,0-liter three-cylinder production engine with a balance shaft, which enables it set a new class benchmark for exceptionally low noise, vibration and harshness (NVH) characteristics, as well as high driving comfort. The compact, all-aluminum 1.0 ECOTEC Direct Injection Turbo, which of course already meets Euro 6 emission standards, is available in two output configurations, giving 66 kW/90 hp or 85 kW/115 hp. Both shine with excellent responsiveness and strong low-end torque, pumping out 170 Nm from just 1,800 rpm. Opel's new, small-displacement three-cylinder engine is fitted with Start/Stop technology as standard.

The new Corsa's gasoline powertrain line-up is also extended with the introduction of a new 74 kW/100 hp 1.4-liter turbo engine with 200 Nm maximum torque, as well as further developed, Euro 6 compliant 1.2 and 1.4-liter naturally-aspirated units. In addition, completely revised, more refined and now also Euro 6 compliant 1.3 CDTI engines with 55 kW/75 hp and 70 kW/95 hp expand the Corsa offer on the diesel side. At launch, the most frugal Corsa version â€" with 70 kW/95 hp, 5-speed manual transmission and Start/Stop â€" emits just 89 g/km CO2. Additional low emission variants will follow as soon as next spring.

But it is not just completely new and further developed engines that make driving the new Corsa even more fun and comfortable. The introduction of new transmissions also contributes to the enhanced driving experience and improvement in efficiency. Both versions of the 1.0 ECOTEC Direct Injection Turbo are mated to an all-new, compact six-speed manual gearbox. Highlights include greater efficiency, thanks to low friction design and a precise shift feel. Changing gears in the new Corsa is comfortable and smooth, as well as fast and precise. With the launch of the new Corsa, Opel also offers its newest-generation six-speed automatic transmission, as well as the completely new Easytronic 3.0 automated manual transmission giving enhanced, smoother responsiveness â€" the perfect way to affordably combine the comfort of an automatic with the efficiency of a manual.

Best connectivity with top safety: IntelliLink and driver assistance systems

Cleanly designed, the cabin of the new Corsa is organized around an eye-catching driver control center whose instrument panel fascia is designed around horizontal lines that optically enhance the generous interior spaciousness. The IntelliLink system's 7-inch color touchscreen is ideally located on the center stack, close to the gear shift. This allows the driver's hand to swiftly and naturally move between the transmission control and the touchscreen. The new Corsa's state-of-the-art infotainment system offers best connectivity opportunities, is compatible with Apple and Android devices and can be operated by voice command. Bluetooth and Siri Eyes Free can also be used. Several apps are available such as BringGo for navigation, as well as Stitcher and TuneIn for internet radio and podcasts, and there is a practical FlexDock parking and charging station for smartphones.

The new Corsa introduces a host of driver assistance systems, many of which are unrivalled in its vehicle class. Safety is increased thanks to new systems that are all available in the Corsa for the first time â€" such as bi-xenon headlamps with cornering light, the Side Blind Spot Alert and the Opel Eye front camera with Road Sign Recognition, Lane Departure Warning, High Beam Assist, Following Distance Indication and Forward Collision Warning. To provide maximum safety, Forward Collision Alert uses a red, head-up warning that is projected into the windscreen. In addition, the Tire Pressure Monitoring System display warns the driver in the event of excessive pressure loss in one of the tires.

Driving comfort is also improved by the Advanced Park Assist that automatically steers during parking maneuvers, as well as by the Rear View Camera and the Hill Start Assist. The steering wheel, front seats and now the windshield can all be heated to provide cozy warmth in the cabin and good visibility on cold days. The high-class interior features finely sculpted front seats boasting superb workmanship, a large panorama roof, and pleasant ambient lighting, which lends the cabin a warm, welcoming atmosphere.

And for active sportsmen and women, the new Corsa's characteristic rear end optionally integrates the practical FlexFix bicycle carrier, which is exclusively offered by Opel.

###

VAUXHALL REVEALS FOURTH-GENERATION CORSA
2014-07-09

- First official pictures of New Corsa ahead of late-2014 launch
- New engines, transmissions and engine technology
- New interior with IntelliLink
- Set for unveil at Paris Show, October 4-19

Luton â€" These are the first images of Vauxhall's Fourth-Generation Corsa, which will reach production later this year and is set to raise the class benchmark for driveability, comfort and practicality in a model which has become a household name for British small-car buyers.

Still one the UK's top-selling and best-loved cars, the current model continues to garner affection from its owners thanks to its perfect combination of compact exterior dimensions and clever use of cabin space â€" major considerations when the new car was conceived.

As a result, the new, Fourth-Generation Corsa is near-identical in length to the current model and retains its enviable space utilisation for occupants.

But almost every other element of its design and engineering has changed, significantly improving the car's driveability, efficiency, connectivity and overall ownership experience.

All of the car's body panels are new, and provide greater definition between the 'sporty' look of the three-door and the 'premium' five-door models. For the first time on a Corsa the car's striking profile has been overlaid with Brit Mark Adams' sculptural design, including elements such as the 'blade' running across the lower door-sections.

Almost every element of the Corsa's generous cabin is completely new, including a completely re-designed instrument panel and dashboard, and greatly improved levels of functionality, highlighted by Vauxhall's sophisticated IntelliLink system â€" its first use in a high-volume application.

Under the bonnet, new engines and transmissions will be available from launch. A 1.0-litre, three-cylinder ECOTEC Direct Injection Turbo â€" just one of a raft of new engines from Vauxhall's new powertrain offensive â€" will headline in the petrol offerings, while a much improved 1.3 CDTi, which meets stringent Euro-6 regulations, will appeal to diesel buyers.

Improved driveability to class-leading standards has been a key goal during the New Corsa's development, and to achieve this it has a completely re-designed chassis, with no carry-over componentry, and an emphasis on exceptional rolling refinement, ride quality, precise handling and stability.

'Corsa remains the best-selling car in Vauxhall's range, which is testament to the continued appeal of the current model to UK buyers, supported by a raft of innovative sales programmes that make the car even more enticing,' said Tim Tozer, Vauxhall's Chairman and Managing Director. 'So New Corsa has its work cut out â€" both as a worthy replacement for the existing car later this year, and as a new challenger in a highly competitive class. We're confident that it will jump both hurdles with ease.'

Corsa and the UK market

Currently in its third generation, the Corsa has been Vauxhall's best-selling car for many years, generally sitting at number two in the overall passenger car sales charts. However, its popularity in Scotland and Northern Ireland has blossomed over the years, where it tops the overall sales charts, while being Scotland's best-selling car for the last five full years.

And there's no sign that sales are slowing. In its last full year, Vauxhall sold 83,000 Corsas in the UK, outstripping total full-range sales of manufacturers like SEAT, Skoda, Renault and Citroen. Such is its popularity, that the UK is now the lead market for Corsa by a large margin (Germany was the second biggest market in 2013 with around 50,000 sales).

Taking Europe as a whole, Corsa is the second most popular nameplate across the continent after 32 years in the market. During that time, over 12 million have been sold, or an average of 370,000 cars each year.

Research conducted by Vauxhall has found that the following qualities repeatedly lead buyers to current Corsa:
- Compact 4m length, for ease of manoeuvring
- A generous and well-packaged interior which belies its exterior dimensions
- Youthful and dynamic looks
- Familiarity with appearance and positive association with 'Corsa' name

So the challenge with the Fourth-Generation model has been to retain these assets and build on them in terms of the car's driveability and interior design/functionality.

New Corsa = New Chassis

A completely re-designed chassis underpins every New Corsa, with no carry-over components from the current model, and all-new suspension components.

The new car has a 5mm lower centre of gravity, aiding stability and roll characteristics, while a reinforced, stiffer front sub-frame and new front suspension geometry, including new knuckle joints, give drivers more taught and precise handling.

New speed-sensitive electric power steering â€" which incorporates a City mode for low-speed manoeuvring and parking â€" receives a specific UK tune to cater for our unique and challenging topography. Understeer has been reined in and friction dialled out of the system, allowing drivers a smoother, yet more precise command of the car's steering.

Improvements have also been made to damper characteristics, for both Comfort and Sport set ups, raising the bar for ride comfort and rolling refinement within the Corsa's class. The new car's rear suspension has also been re-tuned to allow better straight-line and cornering stability.

Complementing New Corsa's chassis hardware, are a plethora of driver safety systems made possible by a new electrical architecture. These include: Hill Start Assist, Automatic Park Assist (the car will self-steer into a parking place), and Tyre Pressure Monitoring System.

Powertrains â€" new engines and transmissions for greater efficiency and driveability

The highlight of the New Corsa's engine line-up will be the fresh-to-market 1.0-litre, 3-cylinder ECOTEC Direct Injection Turbo petrol. Part of Vauxhall's major powertrain offensive, which is rapidly gaining traction within the market, the compact 'triple' is the only production three-cylinder engine on the market with a balancer shaft, making it especially smooth and resonance-free and a class benchmark for reduced NVH (Noise, Vibration & Harshness).

Meeting the latest stringent Euro 6 emissions regulations, the ECOTEC will be available with either 90PS or 115PS outputs, each of which achieves 170Nm of torque from just 1,800rpm. While final fuel consumption data will be announced later this year, when combined with a Start/Stop system, emissions and fuel consumption are expected to be exceptionally low for a petrol engine.

A new version of Vauxhall's 1.4 turbo engine will also launch with New Corsa. Designed for maximum fuel efficiency, but with strong mid-range performance, the new unit produces 100PS and 200Nm of torque. Two naturally aspirated petrol engines â€" a 1.2- and a 1.4-litre â€" have been revised and adapted to suit the new car. Significant improvements to the current Corsa's 1.3 CDTi diesel engine have been made to bring it up to Euro 6 emissions standards for the new model.

Two new six-speed gearboxes â€" a manual and an automatic â€" are available with New Corsa, with improved shift quality and providing greater overall efficiency.

New cabin design combines new levels of quality, functionality and connectivity

While the basic dimensions of the New Corsa's cabin remain largely the same, almost everything that sits in it has been re-designed.

A new driver control centre takes pride of place within the newly-designed instrument panel, which is themed around horizontal lines. The New Corsa is also the first high-volume Vauxhall to be available with IntelliLink, the innovative communications system which has already been seen in the ADAM model.

IntelliLink operates through a 7-inch colour touchscreen, and can be controlled via apps such as BringGo (for navigation), Stitcher and TuneIn (for global radio channels and internet podcasts). The system is compatible with both Apple and Android 'phones, and incorporates additional features, such as voice command, Bluetooth, Siri Eyes Free and FlexDock, an area for locating/charging your mobile phone.

In its fifth generation, Corsa has never been so well served for driver comfort and safety. The new model will be available with heated front seats, steering wheel and windscreen, as well as soft-tone ambient lighting and a full-size panoramic roof, taking the car's equipment levels into the premium segment of its class.

New safety systems also proliferate. Buyers can choose from a list including Side Blindspot Alert, High Beam Assist, Lane Departure Warning, bi-xenon lights and a rear-view camera.

More details about New Corsa, including full pricing, will be revealed later in the year.

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