The U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has issued a recall alert for 2012 model year Honda Accord sedans and Honda Crosstour vehicles. The cars may have an air bag inflator that wasn’t manufactured to specifications and may fail to deploy the driver’s side- or passenger’s side air bags during a collision. According to the NHTSA, just under 350 of the Honda vehicles may have an issue with its side curtain air bag inflators. And American Honda Motors will begin notifying Accord and Crosstour owners affected by this recall on or about Feb. 10. Honda says it will replace the side curtain air bags from the recalled Accords and Crosstalks free of charge. For more information, consumers can call Honda’s toll-free customer service line (800-424-9153) or visit the NHTSA’s website: www.SaferCar.gov . Recall: 2011 Honda Accord / 2011 Honda Crosstour – Side air bags      Campaign ID#: 12V030000 [NHTSA] View original here:  Honda recalls 2012 Crosstour and Accord for air bag issues

It’s been a long time coming, but after years of speculation, hope and fear, BMW’s M division has launched their first Diesel cars/SAVs. As if to apologize for the lack of spark plugs, the marketing gurus have branded these new M Diesels as “M Performance Automobiles.” We’re hard at work trying to determine if this is a cypher with encoded meaning. Here’s what we know about the new M diesels so far, and why they may be slightly sub-branded from the M division. A matter of redline. The heart of an M car is always its engine. Historically, M cars have had hearts that beat very fast – as in 8,000 + rpm; in the medical community we’d call that ventricular tachycardia. In the BMW community, we call that spinning to heaven. Predominately due to the specific burn rate of diesel fuel, compression-combustion engines (diesels) cannot rev as high as sparked (gasoline) engines. Most diesel engines in the automotive market today rev to a maximum of 4,000 to 4,500 rpm. Above 3,000 rpm, most of these diesels will sound and feel like they are about to spin themselves to oblivion, becoming rash, noisy and a bit unhappy. BMW diesels, however, welcome revs – whatever their redline might be. In the case of the new M diesels, redline is set to a maximum 5,400 rpm. That may not sound very high in the company of high-revving M engines, but trust us: for a diesel, that is stratospherically high. Consider that modern turbo-gasoline M engines – such as the S63tu engine found in the new F10 M5 – rev to a maximum 7,200 rpm, and this high-revving diesel appears that much more impressive. The new M diesel gives up only 1,800 rpm to the highest revving turbo-gasoline M engine, and produces prodigious power along the way. This diesel, ladies and gentlemen, is an engineering marvel, a technological masterpiece. We will lay down the farm to bet it will win multiple engine of the year awards. This 3.0 liter turbo diesel is a genuine M engine – let’s get that matter out of the way early on in this tech piece. One turbo, two turbo. Two turbo, three? Did somebody say three turbos? Isn’t that kind of a lot of turbos? Indeed it is, and we don’t mind one bit that there are six scrolls packing air into...

Each week, our German correspondent slices and dices the latest rumblings, news, and quick-hit driving impressions from the other side of the pond. His byline may say Jens Meiners, but we simply call him . . . the Continental. After this year’s Detroit auto show and a trip to California for a press event, I am back on my German home turf. This Detroit auto show—public days of which just ended last weekend—was the best one in several years. After thumbing through my notes, I’ve compiled a few of my observations from Cobo Hall and subsequent meetings, outlining the highlights, lowlights, and so-so performances. Yes: Acura NSX . Finally, another super sports car from Honda! A Honda/Acura rebirth is on the way, disturbing comments by the company’s North American marketing executives notwithstanding. This car won’t be a compromise. One caveat: Voices tell me CEO Ito has seen the light in the form of electrics and hybrids. At least he thinks so. No: Cadillac ATS . Cadillac has been defined by its characteristic and unmistakably angular styling language, and I was expecting an ultra-contemporary, aggressive compact sports sedan. A sharper and more compact CTS, please. Alas, the ATS falls flat down on its unremarkable face—and the interior doesn’t save it, either. Are Cadillac’s designers voluntarily abandoning its styling language, or was this car clinicked to death? At this point, it makes no difference. But hey, it’s supposed to beat the 3-series on the road, right? We’ll see. Yes: Audi’s Q3 Vail concept . “Two months ago, [CEO] Rupert Stadler asked us to create a Q3 for America to gauge interest in the car,” says exterior designer Frank Gruner. His team took the off-road styling package add-ons, resprayed them in a granite color, added running boards, aluminum appliqués, and 20-inch wheels, plus an aluminum roof rack with integrated LED lights.The concept was so well received that Stadler confirmed the Q3 will come to the U.S. So-so: the Mercedes-Benz SL550 . I love the fact this car is up to 275 pounds lighter than its predecessor, and I am sure it will be an absolute blast to drive. (Please also mark me down for extended test drives of the upcoming SL63 and SL65 AMG versions.) Meanwhile, however, allow me...

Prior to his current job as head of Mini, Kay Segler ran BMW’s M division. It seems almost obvious, then, when he tells us that he wants JCW to serve the same purpose for Mini that M does for BMW. Once the JCW Countryman arrives , Mini will offer John Cooper Works packages for all of its models, but Segler wants to further differentiate JCW products in the future. This means that cars wouldn’t so much be equipped with the John Cooper Works package, but rather positioned as standalone models. Mini already considers the standard JCW powerplant—a turbocharged 1.6-liter four making at least 208 hp—a “unique” engine, and not a standard Cooper S mill with more boost. But we interpret Segler’s remarks to mean that the John Cooper Works engine will come in for additional work in the future; that could mean it will get some unique internals, or that the displacement will be increased. Segler’s sentiments also suggest that more hard-core, limited-edition models like the upcoming new-gen Mini GP could be produced. Other than the Countryman, Mini models are likely to remain front-wheel-drive-only for the foreseeable future. Getrag showed a proof of concept for an all-wheel-drive setup that would fit in a regular Mini hatchback a few years ago, but Segler told us it was still too expensive to adopt without much higher volumes. The engineers and execs at Mini are aware there’s a limit to how much power the front wheels of a car can handle, and that the current JCW cars are right up to the edge. How they’ll deal with adding power in the future, then, remains an open question. We have spotted all-wheel-drive Mini hybrid prototypes , however, with electric motors providing power to the rear wheels; this is one possible solution. Even though Minis have a real penchant for getting absurdly expensive with options and accessories—see our $46,244, ex-long-term JCW convertible as a prime example—Segler says the company will be careful about pricing future John Cooper Works offerings. Take a note from the relatively reasonable pricing of the BMW 1-series M and M3 GTS , we’re told. Considering that the 1-series M was something of a bargain at $47,010, that’s encouraging. Diesel For You, Too The single most common request that Mini gets from American customers,...

Introduced as 2007 models, the current Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra full-size pickup twins are due for a revamp. Our spy photographers (dressed like snow leopards, we hope) have nabbed several shots of both extended- and crew-cab versions during cold-weather testing. While it’s difficult to make out much in the way of design aside from the familiar cab-in-front, bed-in-back layout, here’s a rundown of what changes to anticipate. Keep Reading: 2014 Chevrolet Silverado / GMC Sierra Spy Photos – Future Cars Read the original post: 2014 Chevrolet Silverado / GMC Sierra Spy Photos: New Small-Block, Less Weight Continued here: 2014 Chevrolet Silverado / GMC Sierra Spy Photos: New Small-Block, Less Weight

There was no need for coffee at 7:00 am while en route to Bridgestone’s winter driving school. No amount of caffeine could possibly match the waking power of following an Audi R8 and Porsche 911 in caravan down twisty roads leading to the entrance of a decommissioned Formula 1 racetrack – while driving a spanking new M3. Arriving fashionably late (sorry instructors! We’ll blame it on the Audi’s Navi…) we took our seats and settled in with refreshments for a discussion of car control, the physics of driving at the limits of grip and finally, tire technology. None of the presentation was boring in the least – but rather engaging and interesting, regardless of skill level and experience. I must admit, I learned something new – and not to sound arrogant on the topic of tire tech, but I’m rather well versed. What I learned was that there is another function of tire tread that I had (somehow) overlooked and never considered before. Tire tread, as defined by the diagonal groves in Bridgestones RE-11 performance tire, for example, serve the purpose of diffusing heat, cooling the tire. Wow. There’s an epiphany. I’m still a little embarrassed I’ve never thought of that, but heat dissipation is extremely relevant in the world of high performance tire design – in fact a tire’s temperature rating and ability to handle high temperatures is central to its performance. Think of the blistering that occurs with modern Formula 1 tires – this degradation of the tire is caused by heat, secondary to abrasion with the road surface. Once the blisters surface the tire falls away, and the driver must slow down to manage what’s left of his tires. Coincidentally, I learned something else about Bridgstones, specifically the RE-11. I learned that the outer half of its tread pattern was taken directly from Bridgestone’s last F1 rain tire design. There is a “cool factor” there that I cannot help but succumb to – I’m curious to see how the RE-11 performs on a wet racetrack. After a thorough classroom session that got our heads wrapped around the skills we were about to practice, we set off for the skid pad, and a wide-open cone course. Hard acceleration, braking, cornering,...

More than 68,750 Toyo Extensa all-season tires are being recalled by its manufacture the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said today. Certain sizes of the tire have a manufacturing flaw which could cause failure and increase the risk of collision and injury, warns the federal regulators. According to the NHTSA, the P225/60R16 97T size of the Extensa, produced by Toyo Tire Holdings from September 2009 through November 2010, were manufactured with a kink in the bead area of the tire . The manufacturing flaw could lead to a crack in the tire, near a car’s rim. And if the crack is left undetected, the tire may fail and the driver may lose control of the vehicle and possibly crash. In February, Toyo is expected to notify customers affected by this recall to have the tires replaced free of charge. For more information regarding this recall, consumers may call Toyo Tire toll-free at: 800-442-8696. Recall: Toyo Extensa A/S tires – Bead      Campaign ID#: 12T002000 [NHTSA] See more here:  Recall: Toyo Extensa tires for cracking and failing risks

In 2011 at the Geneva Motor Show, BMW introduced the Vision ConnectedDrive , a concept that showcased future technologies that will make their way into BMW production vehicles. Among the innovative features, one stood out in particularly: the touch-sensitive dashboard. BMW’s Head of Interior Design, Marc Girard gave us an exclusive demo of the innovative fabric that with a swipe of your fingers transfers the information displayed on the LCD screen built into the passenger’s dashboard onto the driver’s 3D Head-Up Display. New Scientist magazine now reports that researchers at the Polytechnic School in Montreal, Canada, have developed a soft polymer-based fiber with electrical properties that can be woven into fabric. Creating a durable fabric that can control a range of functions and differentiate tactile motions is a breakthrough technology developed by professor Maksim Skorobogatiy and his team of researchers at the university. The magazine says that BMW has plans to install the touch-sensitive smart fabric in future models, along with General Motors and aircraft-manufacturer Bombardier. Our own sources say that within five years, future high-end BMWs will include this new technology and will create the fist real synergy between the car and its passengers. More here: BMW to use touch-sensitive smart fabric in cars

The electric-car movement is gaining momentum, with both BMW and Honda charging ahead toward putting their electron-powered vehicles on the street. To that end, Honda delivered a Fit EV to Torrance, California, on Friday. Home to Honda’s North American headquarters, the city is playing a key role in gaining real-world data from Fit EV drivers. Over the past year, Honda has worked with Torrance to identify local charge locations and gain feedback from residents about related issues. Honda will also work with Google and Stanford University to gain further driver feedback. This electric version of the Honda Fit is powered by a 20-kWh lithium-ion battery and coaxial electric motor derived from the FCX Clarity fuel-cell vehicle . Honda claims the Fit EV has a 123-mile maximum driving range, or a 76-mile range in combined city and highway use. Efficiency is aided by a user-controlled, three-mode system like that used in the Honda CR-Z hybrid . Drivers can select Economy, Normal, or Sport to bolster efficiency or performance. Honda says the differences are an increase of 17 percent in driving range with the Economy mode over the Normal mode and 25 percent better than Sport mode. In Sport mode, the performance is adjusted for improved acceleration. To help further conserve energy, a dashboard display can help the driver determine when to shut off accessories such as the air conditioning or radio to save electricity. Drivers will also be able to connect via a smart phone or computer to manage the vehicle’s energy use, though hopefully not when behind the wheel. A pocket remote also allows connectivity to the vehicle. With these tools, drivers will be able to check charge, start a charge, or activate air conditioning, as well as provide charging alerts to help with utility rates, a 24-hour roadside assistance, and a charging station locator. The battery can be charged in 12 hours when using 120-volt outlet and around six hours with a 240-volt outlet. The Fit EV will be available to consumers in California and Oregon this summer. Go here to see the original:  Honda delivers first electric Fit

Car and Driver writers have been rubbing Bar’s-Leaks-smeared elbows with the miscreants who put on the 24 Hours of LeMons since the very first race , and so it follows— the way the Daewoo Maepsy followed the Holden Gemini—that we’d make an inexplicable sponsorship arrangement out of this common interest in a strangely competitive race series for $500 hoopties. What it means for you, the crapcan-racing fan: You’ll be able to keep up with the LeMons action right here on C/D .com. Our 24 Hours of LeMons: Inexplicably Presented by Car and Driver page will offer live race updates, plus stories on ill-advised LeMons cars, even- more -ill-advised LeMons lifestyle choices, and any other rod-throwin’ LeMons mayhem we find in our travels around the country. Among the content you can find there already: race schedules, the best team costumes from the 2011 season , the most memorable Judgemobiles of all time , and past LeMons feature stories we’ve done at C/D . Your host for much of the action will be Murilee Martin—a.k.a. Judge Phil of the 24 Hours of LeMons Supreme Court—and he’ll be taking the occasional break from his duties busting racers who “bought that M6 engine from some crackhead for 50 bucks” to bring you the coverage. On race weekend, he’ll provide updates on all the on-track action, including on the storied Humber Super Snipe v. Chrysler TC by Maserati rivalry. The rest of the time, he’ll fill you in on wild car builds, heroic examples of Field Expedient Engineering, recipes for Valve Cover Chili, and other LeMons highlights. For those of you not familiar with the glorious, racetrack-property-value-lowering five-year history of the 24 Hours of LeMons, we suggest you check out Judge Phil’s Encrustation of 24 Hours of LeMons Nonsense for a crash course. Full LeMons info, of course, also is available at 24hoursoflemons.com Excerpt from: 24 Hours of LeMons Live Race Updates, Features, and More: Get ‘Em Right Here! Excerpt from: 24 Hours of LeMons Live Race Updates, Features, and More: Get ‘Em Right Here!

It Really Was a Toyotathon Sales of the Toyota Camry in 2011: 308,510 Sales of all Mazdas in 2011: 250,426 Sales of all BMWs in 2011: 247,907 Date of Tōhoku earthquake: March 11, 2011 Date flooding started in Thailand: July 31, 2011 Minimum number of months Toyota operated below 100% production capacity in North America: 6 Car sales rank of Camry in 2011: 1 What the numbers reveal: Earthquake be damned, the Camry was a juggernaut in 2011. One generation ended and a new Camry was recently launched. Yes, the company relied on incentives—what automaker doesn’t in the mid-size segment?—but even crippled by natural disaster, the Camry outsold every car in the States and every vehicle save the Chevy Silverado and the Ford F-150. Fiat 500’s Year One Even Worse than Jack Black’s Sales of the Fiat 500 in 2011: 19,769 Sales of Mini vehicles, excluding Countryman, in 2011: 40,828 Fiat’s original 2011 U.S. sales goal for the 500: 50,000 Date Fiat’s CEO affirmed that it was “still on track” to meet that target: August 24, 2011 Date Car and Driver said Fiat was falling woefully short of its sales target: July 6, 2011 Date Marchionne admitted the 500’s U.S. sales target was “incredibly naïve”: January 9, 2012 What the numbers reveal: It’s very difficult to launch a new car brand in the U.S., and harder still to do it with a product that’s not right for this market. The 500, while occasionally fun to drive, is just too small for American buyers. Its party trick is an ability to park in small spaces, a requirement for vehicles only in a few high-density American cities like New York, Boston, and San Francisco. Fiat’s execs insisted everything was fine during 2011, and said their original goal of 50,000 units had nothing to do with Mini’s 2010 sales total of a little more than 45,000 cars. Now Marchionne has admitted both that the target was absurd and that the Mini total was the basis of the original goal. We expect that in a year or two Fiat will give up on attaining any meaningful volume for the 500 and instead will just refer to it as a halo product, showing the company’s Italian flair. Know Your Strengths Percentage of Jeep models sold that weren’t a Grand Cherokee or Wrangler in 2011: 40 Percentage of Volkswagens sold that weren’t a...

Who could have predicted such an outcome? NHTSA has closed its nearly two-month investigation into the fiery deaths of some crash-tested Chevy Volts, concluding that “no discernible defect trend exists and that the vehicle modifications recently developed by General Motors reduce the potential for battery intrusion resulting from side impacts.” Some more choice quotes from the NHTSA statement : “NHTSA remains unaware of any real-world crashes that have resulted in a battery-related fire involving the Chevy Volt or any other electric vehicle.” “Based on the available data, NHTSA does not believe that Chevy Volts or other electric vehicles pose a greater risk of fire than gasoline-powered vehicles. Generally all vehicles have some risk of fire in the event of a serious crash.” Sound familiar? We said as much a month ago . The statement also reiterates that emergency responders, tow-truck drivers, and those operating storage facilities need to be aware of the specific risks surrounding damaged high-voltage batteries. NHTSA says it has partnered with the National Fire Protection Association, the Department of Energy, and unnamed others to develop guidance for these groups. Unless the NHTSA announcement itself catches fire, we probably won’t be hearing about this topic for a while. Unless we just jinxed it. Original post: All That for Nothing: NHTSA Closes Investigation into Chevy Volt Battery Fires, Finds Nothing to Worry About Read the original here:  All That for Nothing: NHTSA Closes Investigation into Chevy Volt Battery Fires, Finds Nothing to Worry About

With the waving of the green flag to start the January 27th BMW Performance 200, the opening round of this year’s Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge, the 2012 North American sports car racing season gets underway for more than 50 BMW drivers gathered for the Grand-Am Sports Car Series 50th Rolex 24 at Daytona weekend. The BMW Performance 200 will see the 16 BMWs entered in the Grand Sport and Street Tuner classes led to the green flag by a very special new BMW. The 2013 BMW M5 will serve as the race pace car and be displayed at the track throughout the weekend. Additionally, the all-new 2012 BMW 3 Series will make its second public appearance at the Rolex 24 only weeks after making its worldwide debut at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit, Michigan. The opening round of the CTSCC season has been won by a BMW M3 for the last three seasons and the car has gone on to sweep the GS class titles in the last two years. “BMW Performance Parts is thrilled to sponsor the opening round of this year’s Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge,” said Craig Westbrook, Vice President Aftersales, BMW of North America. “As leaders in the performance parts and accessories market, there is no better place to showcase our passion than on the racetrack.” Every “Ultimate Driver” of the 12 BMW and BMW powered teams racing at the venerable Daytona International Speedway road course in both the CTSCC BMW Performance 200 and the classic twice-around-the-clock Rolex 24 will be looking to continue their successes from 2011 Grand-Am competition. In both 2010 and 2011, BMW teams won championships in two of the three Grand-Am series. Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates began 2011 with a BMW Powered victory at the Rolex 24 at Daytona and continued their winning ways to capture a second consecutive sweep of Grand-Am Daytona Prototype Engine Manufacturer, Driver and Team titles. Turner Motorsport added the Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge Grand Sport Driver and Team titles, contributing to a second consecutive GS Manufacturer’s championship for the BMW M3. Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates returns with its 2011 race-winning driver lineup in the No. 01 Telmex-liveried car of Joey Hand, Scott Pruett, Graham Rahal and Memo Rojas. Turner Motorsport...

Kia Motors Corporation has issued a recall for the 2006 – 2008 Optima sedan and for the 2007 – 2008 Kia Rondo. In those vehicles, Kia has identified a problem with the driver’s side airbag that could prevent the airbag from deploying during an accident. The flaw is linked to Optimas manufactured between September 29, 2005 and January 29, 2008, and… View post:  Kia Recalls Over 145,000 Optimas, Rondos For Airbag Flaw

The U.S. National Highway traffic Safety Administration has issued a recall alert for nearly 145,800 vehicles from Kia Motors America. Certain models of 2006-2008 Kia Optima sedans and 2007-2008 Kia Rondo wagons may have front air bags that might not deploy, increasing the risk of injuries to drivers. According to the NHTSA, the problem stems from the clock spring assembly of the driver’s air bag system. Over time, the assembly may become damaged and develop a high electrical resistance in the air bag’s electronics which will prevent the safety device from deploying during a collision. NHTSA believes the issue affects 2006-2008 Kia Optimas made from September 2005 through January 2008 and 2007-2008 Kia Rondos made from September 2006 through March 2008. In March, Kia is expected to alert customers affected by this safety recall. Owners of the recalled vehicles will be instructed to bring their Kia Optima or Kia Rondo to local dealerships where mechanics will replace the air bag clock spring assembly will be replaced free of charge. For more information, consumers can contact Kia (800-333-4542) and reference Kia’s recall campaign number: SC094. They can also visit the NHTSA’s website, www.SaferCar.gov , for more information about NHTSA Recall Campaign ID # 12V014000. Recall: 2006-2008 Kia Optima / 2007-2008 Kia Rondo – Air bags      Campaign ID #: 12V014000 [NHTSA] More here:  Recall: Kia Optima and Rondo vehicles’ air bags might not deploy