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Wednesday, July 14, 2010
RPMGO.com (former Auto Unleashed) |
- Report says Toyota unintended acceleration incidents were caused by driver error
- 2011 Ford Explorer set to be revealed on July 26, teasing continues until then
- Video: Red Bull showcases Rhys Millen’s Pikes Peak performance
- Subaru’s new design boss wants to make cars less ‘quirky’, more mainstream
- Lotus to bring five new concepts to the Paris Motor Show
- Alfa Romeo Giulietta Sprint coupe version might appear
- Next generation Chevrolet Aveo hatchback and sedan leaked through patent photos
- BMW X6 gets turned into a real two-door coupe thanks to ArmorTech
- Subaru recalls 73,000 2010 Outback and Legacy models over wiring problems
- Toyota Matrix and Corolla steering issues aren’t worth a recall, will be fixed for free in the future
| Report says Toyota unintended acceleration incidents were caused by driver error Posted: 14 Jul 2010 02:36 AM PDT  Toyota faced a huge scandal at the beginning of 2010, when it was faced with unintended acceleration concerns on the majority of its models. The Japanese company acted swiftly and issued two large recalls, one for floor mats, the other for the sticky accelerator pedals, but people were already pointing fingers at the company. Now, according to a new report from the Wall Street Journal, things aren’t quite so. The reputed newspaper cites inside sources which claim that from the investigations led by the Department of Transportation up until now on the reported cases of unintended acceleration, driver error was the most to blame. According to the sources, from the information collected from the Event Data Recorders (EDR) on the crashed Toyota models, there were telltale signs that the brake pedal wasn’t used right before the crash in many cases. This means just one thing: people were stepping on the gas pedal instead of the brake one, right before the vehicle got into an incident. There was one clear exception though, in the case of the Lexus ES350 crash from late 2009, where a police officer and his family lost their lives due to pedal entrapment by the floor mat. Bear in mind this isn’t official just yet, as the DoT and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration are still waiting for investigations to be completed, as well as a query led by NASA itself into the Toyota unintended acceleration problems. Still, drivers pressing wrong pedals might explain quite a lot of things, especially as many such crashes raised plenty of questions. Source: Wall Street Journal Post published on Rpmgo.com Related posts:
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| 2011 Ford Explorer set to be revealed on July 26, teasing continues until then Posted: 14 Jul 2010 02:20 AM PDT  Ford is practically torturing its fans with the Facebook page for the 2011 Ford Explorer SUV, as it has been slowly revealing teaser shots of the next generation SUV. Now, we at least know when it will all end, as the new Blue Oval model will be presented to the public on July 26. Until then, we are now treated with a shot of the headlight of the future 2011 Explorer, confirming what many already believed, that it will borrow cues from the existing Ford Fusion. Still, perhaps Ford would’ve been better off starting this teaser campaign a bit later, as people aren’t that fond of waiting around and catching slivers of information every now and then. At least Facebook users might get a chance to win a 2011 Explorer if they’re lucky. Source: Ford Explorer Facebook Post published on Rpmgo.com Related posts:
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| Video: Red Bull showcases Rhys Millen’s Pikes Peak performance Posted: 14 Jul 2010 02:09 AM PDT  When Rhys Millen revealed that he will partner with Red Bull for the 2010 Pikes Peak Hill Climb challenge, many people expected that the energy drink manufacturer would just slap on its livery on the Hyundai PM580 prototype race car and call it a day. Luckily for us, that didn’t happened, as Red Bull was keen to chronicle Rhys Millen’s record breaking attempt at achieving an under 10-minute time on the Pikes Peak course. His attempt was unsuccessful, but what resulted was one heck of a video of Millen’s race. Hit the jump to check out it out. Source: Red Bull Post published on Rpmgo.com Related posts:
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| Subaru’s new design boss wants to make cars less ‘quirky’, more mainstream Posted: 14 Jul 2010 02:00 AM PDT  Subaru is definitely one special automaker, as it has always relied on its hardcore fans to drive sales of its cars, even though some might have not been that attractive to the regular public. That will change though, as the new Subaru design boss, Osamu Namba, says that the Japanese company will be slowly moving away from its previous design strategies, which he described as ‘quirky’, in favor of a more mainstream styling. How will this more mainstream styling look like? Well the Subaru Hybrid Tourer concept from last year is the best example, as it is the first project penned by Namba after he joined the company. The concept was praised by a lot of people for moving past the regular Subaru lines and adopting a new strategy. Frankly, while we’re all for Subaru becoming more mainstream and earn bigger sales, we’re more than satisfied with the current new designs, like the 2011 Impreza, Legacy or Outback. What about you? Do you welcome this new design paradigm shift for Subaru? Share your thoughts below. Source: AutoWeek Post published on Rpmgo.com Related posts:
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| Lotus to bring five new concepts to the Paris Motor Show Posted: 14 Jul 2010 01:41 AM PDT  According to a recent report, Lotus is keen on revamping its whole operation, as the British sportscar manufacturer will move on from building fast, lightweight models to fully-pledged, upmarket cars, set to rival models from Ferrari and the likes. The place where this rebirth will occur is the Paris Motor Show, this fall. But besides the new strategy, AutoExpress is now upping the rumor ante, saying that not one but five new concepts and design studies will be presented by Lotus at the Paris convention. These will include two new GT models with engines at the front, a new roadster, a new Esprit and an unknown mystery model. Not much else is know as of yet, but Lotus fans should definitely tune into the Paris show, as it will mark a turning point for the British brand. Source: AutoExpress Post published on Rpmgo.com Related posts:
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| Alfa Romeo Giulietta Sprint coupe version might appear Posted: 14 Jul 2010 01:25 AM PDT  Alfa Romeo’s new model, the Giulietta hatchback, has already impressed a lot of people with its sleek design and promise of a fast, reliable and stylish means of transportation. Now, according to a new report from Italy, Alfa might be preparing a coupe version of the Giulietta, which might resurrect the Sprint badge from the automaker’s past. For those of you that don’t remember, in the 1950s, the Alfa Romeo Giulietta Sprint was introduced, with a coupe notchback design, similar to what you see in the unofficial illustration above. The Sprint badge then designated a more conventional three-door coupe in the 1980s.  For today’s market though, we’re pretty confident that Alfa Romeo will keep the hatchback design, and just remove two extra doors from the existing Giulietta, in order to turn it into a Sprint version. Still, all of this is just speculation, so until your hear it straight from Alfa or Fiat, the five-door hatch is still the best (and only) choice. Source: Autoblog.it via Automarket Post published on Rpmgo.com Related posts:
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| Next generation Chevrolet Aveo hatchback and sedan leaked through patent photos Posted: 14 Jul 2010 12:59 AM PDT  After yesterday’s big leak of the Volkswagen Jetta Coupe, a new set of patent photos showcase another future model, the next generation Chevrolet Aveo. As you can see above and below, GM has trademarked both the hatchback and the sedan versions of the 2012 Aveo with the US Patent Office. Basically the two versions retain much of what we saw on the Aveo RS concept in Detroit and on the official photo of the sedan, afterwards.  The design is much more aggressive, in the vein of the upcoming Cruze sedan. The new Aveo will compete with the likes of the Fiesta, and pack a wide array of upgrades over the current generation, which, suffice to say, isn’t winning any awards. We can expect the new Chevrolet Aveo to be showcased at the Paris Motor Show this fall, or at the LA Auto Show at the end of the year. Source: Automarket Post published on Rpmgo.com Related posts:
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| BMW X6 gets turned into a real two-door coupe thanks to ArmorTech Posted: 14 Jul 2010 12:26 AM PDT  The BMW X6 has been marketed as a Sports Activity Coupe, even thought the German model had four actual doors and a rear hatch. Now, for those that really want the X6 to be a regular coupe model, ArmorTech has revealed a brand new customization package, which turns the X6 from a five-door to just a three-door model. For a price, a large one of course, the Russian engineers from ArmorTech will modify the X6 to make it a true coupe, with just two front doors. This is done by pushing back the B-pillar, making the front doors longer and bringing the rear window closer to the front of the car. The seats are also modified, to allow easy access in the back.  Besides the two-door kit, ArmorTech also offers performance and aerodynamic upgrades, but it’s safe to say that quite a few rich people with questionable taste will flock to get their X6 in an even more impractical version. Those people shouldn’t forget about this Porsche Cayenne Coupe project, which was revealed some time ago. What do you think? Is the X6 better off without two extra doors? Share your thoughts below. Source: WCF Post published on Rpmgo.com Related posts:
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| Subaru recalls 73,000 2010 Outback and Legacy models over wiring problems Posted: 14 Jul 2010 12:01 AM PDT  After another recall earlier this year, which affected the Legacy and Outback models, Subaru is at it again, recalling 73,698 vehicles. This time, as opposed to a leaky CVT gearbox hose, the problem with 2010 Outback and Legacy models manufactured between February 16, 2009, and April 12, 2010, stems from a cluster of wires behind the steering wheel assembly. It seems that, over time, the wires can develop cracks if they are subjected to heavy use. As such, the driver won’t be able to control various functions from the steering wheel. These include the horn, cruise control, radio settings, paddle gear shifters and even the airbag assembly. The recall is already underway, and you can contact Subaru for more details at 1-800-782-2783. Source: NHTSA Post published on Rpmgo.com Related posts:
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| Posted: 13 Jul 2010 11:47 PM PDT  The beginning of 2010 was a bleak time for Toyota, as the Japanese company was forced to recall a huge number of models for a variety of reasons. In between those news, it seems that the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration also revealed that it will open an investigation in regards to 749,685 Toyota Matrix and Corolla models. The 2009 and 2010 model year vehicles received 168 complaints regarding the steering system, which was prone to drifting and locking up while at highway speeds. Even though a lot of time has passed since February, the NHTSA has yet to reveal an official result. Meanwhile, the Detroit Free Press has just revealed that Toyota will take action, but not in the form of a recall. According to the statistics of the Japanese company, even though 437 complaints were made directly to it, including 11 injuries and 18 crashes, the steering problem for the Matrix and Corolla doesn’t deserve a full pledged recall. Instead, Toyota will issue a new Technical Service Bulletin, and offer to fix the problem for free, if any customer demands it. As such, if you feel that your Matrix or Corolla isn’t responding properly to steering input, mechanics will be advised to check tire pressure and alignment, and if that doesn’t work, they will implement a new steering software. It will definitely be interesting to see how the NHTSA will react to this decision and how the Pontiac Vibe, a badge-engineered version of the Matrix, will be affected by this Source: Detroit Free Press Post published on Rpmgo.com Related posts:
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