Auto News 5

Toyota is recalling 790,000 Tacoma pickups from 2005-2011, including 690,000 in the U.S., to fix a rear suspension defect.

There is a possibility that one of the leaves in the leaf springs could fracture due to stress and corrosion, the automaker warned in a statement. If this occurs, the broken leaf may come in contact with surrounding components, including the fuel tank, and cause a leak.

In related news, the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has launched an investigation after 163 Toyota Corolla owners complained of unintended acceleration -- similar to a flaw that led to a recall of 10 million Toyotas in 2009. This time, as many as 1.69 million Corollas from 2006-2011 are under scrutiny.

Source : autonews.com

From GMM

Two teams already have a "big head start" when it comes to the 2015 regulations, according to Sahara Force India technical boss Andy Green.

With the shape of this year's nose designs ranging from the odd to the unseemly, the FIA has moved to end the situation by tweaking the rules for 2015.

It means teams like Lotus, Sahara Force India, Toro Rosso, McLaren and Caterham - with the sorts of designs most targeted by the FIA rule change - are having to fundamentally re-design the front of their cars for next season.

Sahara Force India's nose. (Photo: WRi2)

With a slightly less radical approach this year was Red Bull, but designer Rob Marshall says the change to meet the 2015 rules will still make a big difference.

In initial wind tunnel testing, he said "We were surprised how much (downforce) we lost".

His counterpart at Sahara Force India, Andy Green, agrees: "The first wind tunnel test showed 20 points of downforce lost".

Green, however, thinks some teams have been dealt an advantage by the 2015 rule change, as the grid next year is expected to be filled with noses resembling those of this year's Ferrari and Mercedes cars.

Germany's Auto Motor und Sport said those two teams are very close to already complying with the 2015 rules.

Green said that is a "big head start" for Ferrari, and particularly Mercedes, having already gone through the long and expensive process of crash-testing the impressively short nose on its dominant W05 car.

He explained that the nose is central to the entire "aerodynamic philosophy" of the car, meaning Mercedes and Ferrari's rivals now have "a lot of lessons" to learn.

The very first production Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat (chassis #0001), the only one to be finished in Viper SRT's Stryker Red paint, was recently sold at an auction for $825,000 USD.

It comes with special Hellcat badging, specific VIN documentation, and one-of-a-kind memorabilia including a special HEMI painted presentation box, an electronic vehicle build book and video documentary.

All proceeds from the sale will be donated to the charity organization Opportunity Village, which helps people with intellectual disabilities. The Engelstad Family Foundation matched that donation, bringing the total to $1.65 million USD.

Source : motorauthority.com

Round 15 of the 2014 Formula 1 World Championship brings us to Suzuka for the Japanese Grand Prix, held at the Suzuka Circuit, one of the most thrilling and challenging road courses in the world.

Here are seven things to know about the Grand Prix of Japan.

1
Suzuka features a crossover and is the only figure-of-eight circuit on the calendar, meaning that it features both clockwise and anti-clockwise elements. It was designed by Dutchman John Hugenholz in 1962 and hosted its first Grand Prix in 1987.

2
The Japanese Grand Prix has been run 24 times at Suzuka (1987-2006, and from 2009 onwards) and four times at Fuji (1976-77, 2007-08). The only other Japanese track to host a Grand Prix is the TI Aida circuit, which staged the Pacific Grand Prix in 1994 and 1995.

3
The inaugural Japanese Grand Prix in 1976 was held at Fuji and won by Mario Andretti in a Lotus 77. James Hunt, driving for McLaren, dramatically clinched the ‘76 drivers' title by finishing third, narrowly beating Niki Lauda in the title chase.

Mario Andretti, Lotus 77, 1976 Japanese Grand Prix (Photo: WRI2)

4
The furthest back on the grid any Japanese Grand Prix winner has started is 17th. That was Kimi Raikkonen in 2005 in a McLaren-Mercedes, when he thrillingly took the lead on the final lap.

5
Michael Schumacher has won the Japanese Grand Prix 6 times (1995, 1997, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2004). Team McLaren won the race 9 times.

6
Kojima entered its own Japanese F1 cars in the 1976 (Kojima KE007-Cosworth) and 1977 Japanese Grand Prix (Kojima KE009-Cosworth). Driven by Masahiro Hasemi, the KE007 finished 11th in 1976. The KE009, driven by Noritake Takahara retired from the race in 1977. These marked Bridgestone's first attempt in F1.

The Kojima KE009-Cosworth (Photo: Bridgestone)

7
Peter Warr (former team manager of Lotus F1 Team) won the very first Japanese Grand Prix held in 1963, driving a Lotus 23 sportscar.

There's no denying the importance of seat belts, airbags, disc brakes and other basic safety devices. In fact, they've helped save countless lives for decades. It's just that progress keeps yielding more and more advanced systems and technologies, leading drivers to take some older ones for granted. Heck, even stability and traction control are now yesterday's news.

In recent years, automakers and their partners have gone to great lengths to develop highly sophisticated safety features that take into account the faster, busier world we live in and the growing threat of driving distractions created by our new “connected” lifestyles. A few of them are what some people may call gadgets (head-up displays), others are annoyances (vibrating seat bolsters), but many are clever solutions that make a real difference.

Until autonomous vehicles take our streets by storm, here are the top 10 car safety innovations on the market right now, in no particular order:

LED headlights and taillights
Laser headlights aren't quite here yet, although BMW and Audi are working hard on it, so the next-best thing is LED headlights. These crisper, more powerful units make vehicles easier to see by other drivers while lighting the road up to 300 metres ahead for superior visibility. You can even find them on entry-level cars like the 2014 Corolla.

Although LEDs currently fall a little short of the brightness achieved by high-intensity discharge (HID) headlights, they hit maximum brightness within a millionth of a second. When used in brake and indicator lights they're said to improve the reaction time of other road users by around 30%.

Continue reading Top 10 modern car safety innovations

Ford aims to raise global sales 52 percent annually by 2020 by tapping fast-growing Asian markets, investing heavily in Lincoln, and expanding its global offerings of small cars and utility vehicles.

Japanese auto parts maker Toyoda Gosei agreed to plead guilty to price-fixing and pay a $26 million fine, the Justice Department said.

The UAW and two top German labor groups have signed a letter of intent to jointly organize the Volkswagen AG assembly plant in Chattanooga, a top UAW official said today.

Toyota said it would recall about 690,00 Tacoma 4X4 and Tacoma pre-runner pickup trucks in the U.S. to fix issues with the vehicles' rear suspension system.

Toyota in the US will recall 690,000 Tacoma pickup trucks for corrosion checks, CNBC reported.

European cars probably discharged 38 percent more carbon dioxide on real-world roads last year than their ratings promised, a transportation lobby group said.

European cars probably discharged 38 percent more CO2 on real-world roads last year than their ratings promised, a transportation lobby group said. That means more fuel, costing the average consumer an extra 450 euros a year.

The number of deaths linked to a faulty ignition switch in General Motors cars rose by two last week to 23, according to a report today from the lawyer overseeing a program set up to compensate accident victims.

Ford is recalling 850,050 2013-2014 C-Max, Fusion, Escape and Lincoln MKZ vehicles in North America to check the restraints control module.

BMW is teaming up with Chinese internet giant Baidu to start highly automated driving trials in Beijing and Shanghai. BMW research vehicles capable of automated driving have already undergone trials on German autobahns.

Hyundai Motor reached a tentative wage deal today with its South Korean labor union, a union spokesman said, potentially resolving disputes that had dragged on longer than expected and led to partial strikes.

News 29 Sep, 2014

Lexus GS F will take on the BMW M5 and feature an uprated version of the new 5.0-litre V8

Pictures See all 6 pictures 29 Sep, 2014

Honeywell says it welcomes the European Commission's (EC) move to give Germany two months to comply with the Mobile Air Conditioning Directive.

A safety advocate group has petitioned federal regulators to open an investigation into an estimated 4.9 million Chrysler vehicles for issues that could lead to engine stalls and other problems, according to documents posted online by the U.S.