Armadillo-T electric vehicle concept folds up for easy storage

Michael Bay, your real-life Transformer has arrived. Sort of.

From postwar Packards to Beetles old and new, there are no shortage of cars that vaguely resemble the armadillo.

Yet none, so far as we know, have mastered the shelled mammal's impressive vertical leap -- and none possess that oh-so-armadillian trait, the ability to curl up into a little protective ball.

Not more than once, anyway.

Apparently finding this lack of armadillo-ness to be the main factor holding us back from a future of efficient transportation, a group of researchers from the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology spent gobs of money on a very, very special prototype.

Yes, the Armadillo-T has hit the scene, and nothing will ever be the same. It doesn't jump, but according to the Wall Street Journal, the prototype EV starts off small (about the size of a smart car) and gets smaller, reducing its overall length to just 65 inches after parking. That means you can fit three of the neatly packaged parcels in the footprint of one standard parked car.

You might be wondering what happens if the car folds up with the occupant inside. A smartphone activation system is supposed to prevent that from happening, but the very nature of the transition from road-mode to storage-mode -- the rear of the vehicle flips up and to sit on top of, and partially enclose, the passenger pod -- means that locking your friend inside and initiating the transformation probably won't result in a busted spine.

And speaking of transformations, we guess the dual nature of the Armadillo-T technically makes it a capital-T Transformer, but its aesthetics -- and lack of weaponry -- leave us a bit cold. Maybe project leader Professor Suh's people could talk to Michael Bay's people and work up something more intimidating for Armadillo-T2: Production Version.

Anyway, forget about the car's golf cart-like looks and stance for a moment: This is (one more) prototype for a real, transforming car that has at least a ghost of a chance of entering production. Its mode of operation is different than the ones employed on the Renault Zoom concept MIT's Hiriko/CityCar project, which could possibly make it more viable to build and sell. At the very least, it's interesting to watch it in action.

Push the technology a bit further and there's no telling what'll happen: We imagine a family sedan that folds down to the size of a suitcase will remain out of reach, but maybe we can get an S-Class that tucks into a nice leather steamer trunk.

-- Graham Kozak

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Why we're not fearing the loss of moving parts in new cars

Switching from mechanical to electrical technology isn't a bad thing for people who love to drive. It's making driving easier and more fuel efficient.

Even though some car enthusiasts lament the creep of technology into cars, electronics replacing mechanical parts are nothing new. Think of power steering and how it has helped made driving easier and safer for decades.

More recently, electric power steering that uses electric motors to assist driver input instead of a hydraulic pump, as with earlier systems, has become common. EPS also saves fuel, because it runs independently of the engine's power and allows for start-stop systems that shut off the engine at traffic lights. 

But regardless of whether power steering was hydraulically or electrically assisted, drivers continued to have a direct mechanical connection to the front wheels. That is, until the first "steering-by-wire" system was recently introduced on a production vehicle, the 2014 Infiniti Q50. 

This means that the mechanical linkage connecting the front wheels to the steering wheels has been replaced with electronics. The advantages of steering-by-wire systems include advancements in stability control and that the steering ratio can be infinitely varied. 

But such arrangements also mean that there's no physical feedback or tactile "steering feel" for the driver, which is anathema to enthusiasts. Some complain that electronics are more prone to failure, although a fail-safe system on the Infiniti Q50 relies on a good ol' mechanical linkage if that happens. And remember the last time you flew on a commercial airline? The pilots were using steering-by-wire to control the plane.

Such systems likely are just the beginning of electronics replacing critical mechanical functions and parts on cars, and in a more obvious fashion than steering-by-wire.

• Beating the Man in Volkswagen's slippery XL1
• New Tesla crossover debuts at 2013 Detroit Auto Show
• 2014 Infiniti Q50: Bold moves made good

For example, Tesla wasn’t able to completely eliminate the door handles on the Model S for improved aerodynamics on the all-electric luxury sedan. Instead, the handles are flush with the body and pop out only when the driver approaches with the key. But Tesla does want to ditch the side mirrors on the Model X crossover that it plans to launch late next year.

The original Model X concept had cameras built into the doors that fed video displays inside the car. Tesla said that removing the side mirrors would reduce wind resistance and therefore increase efficiency and battery range. But the idea doesn’t adhere to the Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard 111 regulating rearview mirrors on cars.

When the Model X appeared at the Detroit Auto Show in January of this year, traditional side mirrors had replaced the cameras. But Tesla’s head designer, Franz von Holzhausen, recently said that the company is "still in talks with authorities to get the necessary permissions" to replace the side mirrors with cameras.

This isn’t an original idea, of course, or the first time technology from an automaker has gotten out ahead of the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration, which oversees automotive safety regulations. Audi’s R8 e-tron supercar concept included a 7.7-inch widescreen LED in place of the traditional glass rearview mirror.

The LED displays images from an always-on, wide-angle camera in a heated mount in the rear bumper. Audi used a special LED created by Samsung that provides a wider viewing angle than a traditional mirror does, and it doesn't need a backlight, so uses less power. Audi adapted the digital rearview mirror from its LeMans-winning R18 e-tron prototype.

Volkswagen also got rid of the side mirrors on the XL1, an ultra-efficient diesel-hybrid supercar that debuted at this year’s Geneva Auto Show and replaced them with two door-mounted cameras a lá Tesla. A writer for Automotive News drove the XL1 around VW's hometown of Wolfsburg, Germany, and reported that "relying on cameras was unsettling at first, but it worked fine" and pointed out "how useful night-vision side mirrors could be."

While some auto enthusiasts almost reflexively decry the advance of technology such as drive-by-wire and driver assist systems that take over in case of an accident, the majority of car owners embrace electronics if such systems make their time behind the wheel safer and easier.

Plus, you can't stop progress -- and in my opinion, that's a good thing. Otherwise, we'd still be wrestling with non-assisted steering.

Doug Newcomb has been covering car technology for more than 20 years for outlets ranging from Rolling Stone to Edmunds.com. In 2008, he published his first book, "Car Audio for Dummies" (Wiley). He lives and drives in Hood River, Ore., with his wife and two kids, who share his passion for cars and car technology, especially driving and listening to music.

Georgia, California most expensive states to operate a car

Survey takes into account fuel, taxes and fees, insurance and repairs – and shows that high gas prices can be offset by other operating costs.

You would think that states such as California, which has the highest gas taxes in the country, and New York, with sky-high prices for parking in the metropolitan area, would be the most expensive places to own and operate a car.

But while California comes in at No. 2 on Bankrate's first-ever Car Cost Index, New York is way down at No. 20. No. 1 is Georgia, followed by California and then Wyoming.

Bankrate also said its survey showed that in some states, lower operating costs such as insurance and repairs more than compensate for high gas prices.

To determine the annual cost of operating a car in each state, Bankrate drew data from the National Association of Insurance Commissioners on average car-insurance costs, from CarMD.com on average repair costs and from Kelley Blue Book on taxes and fees. It estimated gasoline costs by using average pump prices from GasBuddy.com for 2012. Bankrate said it didn't include data on vehicle depreciation “since geography isn't a major factor in determining that cost.”

While lots of attention is given to fuel prices, Bankrate found that high gas prices can be offset by lower insurance premiums and the cost of taxes and fees. In fact, for the top five states on its list, gas prices varied from a high of $1,129 per year in No. 1 Georgia to a low of $811 in No. 5 Nevada.

And even though Alabama had the second-highest annual fuel cost ($1,284) after No. 3 Wyoming ($1,643), it ranked 34th on the list since repairs ($352), taxes and fees ($662) and insurance ($667) in the state are all below the U.S. averages of $353, $1,058 and $762, respectively.

Here are the five most and least expensive states in which to operate a car, based on average annual costs for gasoline, repairs, insurance premiums and taxes, according to Bankrate's Car Cost Index.

Most expensive

Georgia ($4,233) 

California ($3,966)

Wyoming ($3,938)

Rhode Island ($3,913)

Nevada ($3,886)

Least expensive

Oregon ($2,204)

Alaska ($2,227)

South Dakota ($2,343)

Montana ($2,660)

Indiana ($2,698)

For the complete list, go to Bankrate.com.

Nissan Titan to get Cummins turbodiesel V8 in 2015

Ram will share Cummins cachet with Japanese automaker

Chrysler Group may have to share with Nissan Motor Co. the stylish chrome capital C and black block letter Turbo Diesel logo that has adorned Ram heavy-duty pickups for nearly a quarter century. It was unclear today if there will be marketing implications to Nissan using the Cummins name on a competitive truck.

Nissan announced earlier today that its Titan pickup will get a Cummins turbodiesel in the 2015 calendar year. "We will definitely leverage the Cummins brand name," said Nissan spokesman Dan Bedore.

Cummins has been the sole supplier of diesel engines for Chrysler's Ram pickup since 1989 -- and the Cummins name is seen as a key reason why many customers buy the truck. The Cummins diesel engine has a reputation for long life, low maintenance and good fuel economy while towing heavy loads.

 The Ram with a Cummins diesel is rated at 850 pounds-feet of torque and can tow an industry-best 30,000 pounds. Silver Cummins Turbo Diesel badges are attached to the fenders of Ram trucks with the engine. Chrysler officials would not comment on Nissan's deal with Cummins or whether the name on a competitor's truck could hurt Ram's sales or dilute the brand's exclusivity.

Ram spokesman Nick Cappa said buyers associate the Cummins engine with ability to tow and haul huge loads. "People buy heavy-duty trucks for their capability, and that's what we deliver," he said.

The Cummins engine Chrysler uses in the Ram is a 6.7-liter inline-six, while Nissan's Cummins diesel is a 5.0-liter V8 based on a different design. Chrysler uses the Cummins engine only in heavy-duty versions of the Ram. Nissan doesn't offer a heavy-duty version of the Titan, and the Cummins engine will provide greater towing ability and higher fuel economy than the Titan's gasoline V8.

Later this year, Ram will offer a V6 turbodiesel from VM Motori in the light-duty or 1500 versions of the Ram.

Working on logo

Cummins spokesman Dave Groggin said the company will work with Nissan on the logo, but he said it is too early to say if there will be any differences. "It's our logo, not a Ram logo. We worked with Ram on the logo and we'll work with Nissan," he said. "Clearly both automakers see value having our logo on the side of their vehicles."

Details of the next Mississippi-built Titan, which hasn't been fully revamped since its 2003 introduction, aren't being disclosed at this time, the company said.

"Truck owners told us there's a demand for the performance and torque of a diesel in a capable truck that doesn't require the jump up to a heavy-duty commercial pickup," Fred Diaz, vice president for North American Nissan sales and marketing, said in the statement. "There is no question that the new Titan will turn heads."

Missed expectations

Nissan missed expectations a decade ago with Japan's first pickup that appeared to match the size and power of the trucks that are a cornerstone of U.S. sales for General Motors Co., Ford Motor Co. and Chrysler. Nissan never met an initial target of selling 100,000 Titans a year, and delivered just 10,020 this year through July, a sixth the volume of Toyota Motor Corp.'s Tundra, and a fraction of the sales of Ford's F-Series, GM's Silverado and Chrysler's Ram pickups.

Titan sales fell 42 percent in July compared with the same month last year and have dropped 21 percent for the first seven months of the year, according to the Automotive News data center. Nissan's total U.S. sales have risen 9 percent over the same seven months.

U.S. full-size pickup sales jumped 23 percent this year through July, according to Autodata Corp., as an improving economy encourages buyers to replace their aging trucks. Large pickups account for a majority of earnings for U.S. automakers, according to Morgan Stanley.

               

The diesel engines will be built at a Cummins factory in Columbus, Ind., for installation at Nissan's Canton, Miss., plant.

Diesel appeal

Owners of large pickups are among the most loyal to GM, Ford and Chrysler. Nissan hired Diaz, 47, earlier this year after the executive headed Chrysler's Ram brand and Mexican unit. Toyota, which is readying a revamped Tundra, has no plans to add a diesel powertrain at this time, said Bill Fay, the company's group vice president for U.S. sales, in an interview in San Diego.

Karl Brauer, senior analyst at Kelley Blue Book, said fuel efficiency requirements continue to push automakers to consider new, alternative drivetrain solutions. "By offering a Cummins turbo diesel in the next Titan, Nissan is increasing both performance and fuel efficiency for its truck just as the segment is seeing rapid growth," he said in a statement. "Customer loyalty among truck buyers remains a barrier to brands like Nissan and Toyota, but a 5.0-liter turbo diesel, offering approximately 550 pound-feet of torque, could change truck buyers' consideration list when the next Titan hits showrooms next year."

The diesel engines will be built at a Cummins factory in Columbus, Ind., for installation at Nissan's Canton, Miss., plant. Nissan didn't provide investment figures or say whether additional U.S. manufacturing jobs would result from the project. Cummins is also based in Columbus, south of Indianapolis. Nissan's North American unit is based near Nashville, Tenn.

Bloomberg contributed to this report 

(Nissan's deal with Cummins could have marketing implications for Ram originally appeared on Automotive News.)

-- Richard Truett

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NHTSA probes Grand Cherokee fires

Blazes start in headliner

U.S. auto safety regulators are investigating the 2012 Jeep Grand Cherokee SUV after complaints about fires inside the car.

In a filing Monday, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said it has received three reports of fires in the headliner of the SUV near the passenger-side sun visor. The inquiry covers 146,000 vehicles. It is not related to a long-running probe of older Grand Cherokees that caught fire when struck from behind.

In each of the three complaints that prompted the NHTSA investigation, the driver smelled something burning and saw smoke coming from the headliner. Lowering the windows in an effort to clear the smoke only fanned the flames.

The three fires had to be extinguished because they kept burning after the car was turned off. In one case the fire shattered the sunroof, and in another the burning visor fell onto the passenger seat and set the seat on fire.

Chrysler Group said the Grand Cherokee remains one of the safest cars on the road.

“Customer safety is paramount at Chrysler Group,” a spokesman wrote in an e-mail today. “Accordingly, our engineers are investigating this concern while also fully supporting the preliminary evaluation opened by [NHTSA].”

NHTSA typically begins this type of evaluation when consumer complaints or manufacturer service bulletins suggest there may be a safety-related defect.

Once that evaluation is complete, the agency either begins an engineering analysis or closes the inquiry. Based on the outcome of the engineering analysis, a vehicle may be recalled or the inquiry may be closed with no further action.

-- Gabe Nelson of Automotive News

"Grand Cherokee headliner fires probed by NHTSA" was originally publish by Automotive News.
 

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From Mexico, Vuhl 05 promises track-day thrills

The Vuhl 05 set to debut at the Goodwood Festival of Speed on July 11.

Mexico is emerging as a big player in the automotive manufacturing industry. Ford, Mazda, Volkswagen, and Toyota are currently building vehicles there; they’ll be joined in the coming years by Honda and Nissan, as well asVolkswagen’s second Mexican plant, which will produce Audis. 

But despite the millions of cars being made in Mexico each year, there still aren’t many made by Mexican automakers. To this point, the limited-production Mastretta MXT sports car was all that was available, but soon there will be another Mexican performance machine with the debut of the Vuhl 05.

In the vein of track-day stars like the Ariel Atom and KTM’s X-Bow, the Vuhl 05 is an open two-seater born to carve up corners, made by enthusiasts for enthusiasts. The brainchild of brothers Guillermo and Iker Echeverria, whose father drove and built his own race cars for more than 30 years, the Vuhl 05 is the culmination of the brothers’ experience running their own design firm based out of both Mexico City and Detroit. 

The Vuhl 05 is powered by a 2.0-liter turbocharged Ford EcoBoost engine, generating an impressive 285 horsepower and 310 lb-ft of torque. The 1,600-pound curb weight of the Vuhl 05 helps it achieve a power-to-weight ratio of 400 horsepower per ton.

Drivers in the Vuhl 05 will sit in carbon bucket seats and shift a six-speed manual transmission. The dashboard can record performance data, while a built-in HD camera records your best (or at least your most entertaining) laps for posterity. The open canopy and a plethora of splitters, diffusers and spoilers give the Vuhl 05 a look reminiscent of the KTM X-Bow. Would it be wrong to call it the “Mex-Bow,” just for giggles? Maybe a little, but the 3.7-second 0-60 mph time and 152-mph top speed mean that the Vuhl is no joke on the track, and the Echeverria brothers are hoping it makes a strong impression as it makes its debut at England’s Goodwood Festival of Speed beginning July 11.

Vuhl is taking orders now for consumers who want an 05 of their own, with deliveries scheduled to begin in early 2014. Initially the Vuhl 05 will be offered only in the United Kingdom and the United States, but the company hopes to expand deliveries into other European countries, the Middle East and China in the next few years. 

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2014 Camaro gets Bumblebee treatment for 'Transformers 4'

The one-off concept car is even wilder than the 2014 production model coming this summer.

With the 2014 Chevrolet Camaro sporting a thinner grille and restyled lights – not to mention the return of the vaunted Z/28 model coming this summer with 500 horses – you'd think that'd be enough to satisfy buyers of this retro muscle car. 

It wasn't working for director Michael Bay, who ordered a custom 2014 Camaro to play Bumblebee in "Transformers 4," the tender but deadly autobot that's best friends with Shia LaBeouf's lead character. The whole front end is new, with an even thinner grille and LED headlights that look half-open, plus a reshaped, domed hood and a lower valance that stretches the air intake farther to the corners. The rear brake ducts are functional and wide-open as opposed to the faint strakes on the production car, and the fuel filler door has been moved onto a black cover replacing the rear window.

If we had to make a good guess, we'd say the gray BBS wheels – at least 22 inches, like on the Hot Wheels 2013 Camaro – have spacers fitted, seeing as they're almost popping out of the fenders. For a sports car, Bumblebee should be squatting lower, but again, those tires barely fit as is. In addition to this special concept, Bumblebee will also be seen in the film as a "restomod" 1967 Camaro complete with modern equipment, just like the Eleanor Mustang from "Gone in 60 Seconds." 


While we could see Bay wrecking the 2014 Corvette Stingray in the film, the one-off Camaro is a bit too special for real crashes – and there's not a chance in hell he'd scrape the $2.4 million Bugatti Veyron Grand Sport Vitesse and the even rarer Pagani Huayra running alongside in the chase scenes. If that happens, we'll be marching on Hollywood with burning stakes.

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Datsun hatchback teased before Indian reveal

Nissan's Datsun brand will be sold in developing countries starting in 2014.

Nissan released sketches of its new Datsun subcompact hatchback, the first in a line of cheaper cars that are reviving the automaker's founding name from a 32-year slumber.

The as-yet-unnamed model, which will be revealed in New Delhi on July 15, will appear only in developing markets, including India, Indonesia, Russia and South Africa when it goes on sale next year. Automakers in these countries have long offered stripped and sometimes older versions of popular global models in an effort to trim sticker prices. At worst, bottom-barrel automakers such as Chery have entered these markets with unsafe and poorly-built cars, as I found while visiting South Africa this year. 

Nissan hopes to change that perception with Datsun, and while these cars won't be certified for Europe, Japan or the United States, they will give buyers "a rewarding brand experience with no compromise in terms of accessibility, reliability and durability," the company said in a statement. The Datsun name was replaced by Nissan in 1981.

Early estimates have pegged the new Datsun's price at the equivalent of $12,000, or roughly twice that of the Indian-built Tata Nano, currently the world's cheapest production car. Engines may go down to 800cc in some markets and warranties will be cut versus regular Nissan models. Pricing and all other details, including the name, will be revealed at the launch.


Nissan wants to grab eight percent of the global market by 2016 as part of a business plan to increase operating profits to that same amount. In Indonesia alone, Nissan has spent $395 million to expand a plant it expects will build 250,000 cars per year by 2014.

With the backing of Nissan, Datsun shouldn't have any trouble making a dent in these markets, where burgeoning middle class societies such as South Africa and India, long shut out from personal transportation, are more apt to cross-shop new brands and less likely to discriminate based on name alone.  Plus, with Nissan and other automakers establishing new plants in India, Indonesia and China, the labor is cheaper and there are fewer regulations to clear. 

So, it's a win-win for everyone -- unless you're expecting a small car to come with 10 airbags and all the latest safety equipment we take for granted here.

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Where do the most patriotic car buyers live?

Among prospective car buyers, the country's regions are generally predictable in their automaker preferences.

We like to brush them off, but regional stereotypes exist because they're partially based on truth. Among car buyers, it's common to say that liberal Northeasteners and West Coasters love the Toyota Prius and conservative Southerners and swing-state Midwesterners go for domestic pickup trucks.

And by the raw, faceless audience metrics from car-shopping website CarGurus, this is all true.   

CarGurus, based in Cambridge, Mass., tracked the brands its users chose from a pool of 500,000 queries they sent to dealerships in June. Of the 51 cities surveyed, Detroit came out on top, with 68 percent of prospective buyers looking for American-brand cars, compared with San Francisco, which landed at the bottom of the list at 37 percent. Other top cities swayed by American cars were Cleveland, Indianapolis, St. Louis, Kansas City, Mo., and Tulsa, Okla., all of which ranged from 58 to 61 percent of online shoppers.

In total, 27 cities favored American cars by at least half, including southern cities like Nashville, Tenn., Birmingham, Ala., Louisville, Ky., and Richmond, Va. The split between Asian and European cars varied more among all cities, from a low of 11 percent probing Detroit-area dealers for Asian cars to 28 percent in Houston and 29 percent in Richmond, for example. Las Vegas buyers asked for European cars 30 percent of the time despite half choosing American. Asian cars were favored more in Washington, D.C., Boston, New York, San Diego and San Jose, Calif., than any other cities (between 32-34 percent), although Los Angeles and San Francisco, despite posting the lowest interest in American cars, were more interested in all three global regions at nearly equal levels.

In the end, this is simply one study from one month from one website, but it's a decent snapshot of general buying preferences. Subarus, for example, are practically the state bird of New Hampshire and the BMW 3-Series is like the Ford Taurus of Los Angeles. But for all the stereotypes associated with cars, there are bound to be plenty of owners breaking them with unexpected choices.

Nothing more American than that, right?

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Car Tech Spotlight: Top-flight sound in the Range Rover Evoque

You could get better sound than with the 16-speaker, 825-watt Meridian Surround Sound System, but not by much.

With cloud-connected smartphone integration and in-dash applications getting a lot of attention, car stereos have become almost an afterthought. But we are living in what I consider the golden age of factory car stereos.

Never before could you get such great sound quality – not to mention a half-dozen or more media choices, in some cases – at a decent price from so many automakers. Factory audio systems have gotten so good, in fact, that re-creating the same experience with aftermarket gear actually could cost you more money, which was never the case in the past.

A good example of this is the Meridian system in the 2013 Range Rover Evoque Prestige that I recently tested. This trim level –and all others – comes with an 11-speaker, 380-watt Meridian sound system, while the $6,400 Premium Package option adds the 16-speaker, 825-watt Meridian Surround Sound System as well as a hard-disk navigation system, a Surround Camera System, Automatic High Beam Assist and other accoutrements.

In my testing, I found that the higher-powered system is just as sonically satisfying as the 29-speaker, 1,700-watt Meridian system that is available exclusively in the flagship 2013 Range Rover Autobiography model. That SUV has a sticker that's more than twice that of my loaded Evoque Prestige.

This was the second time I’ve had a chance to drive an Evoque with the upgraded Meridian system, and the second time I came away impressed with the system’s sound quality. Specific attributes include a smooth response throughout the frequency spectrum, accurate tonal quality so that instruments are lifelike, superb sound staging and imaging that project a palpable sonic picture of the performers strung across the dashboard, very little discernible distortion and solid bass from the system’s 8-inch subwoofer.

I was also impressed with the same setup in a 2013 Range Rover I tested in February. The 29-speaker Meridian Surround Sound System in this particular Range Rover Autobiography model was impressive, but it wasn’t $50,000 more impressive.

That’s the difference in cost between the Range Rover with the 19-speaker system, an $1,850 option on that model, and the Autobiography trim, which costs $135,995.  And while the comparison between the systems in the Evoque and the Range Rover may not be apples-to-apples, the comparison between the two top Range Rover trim levels is.

The Autobiography's 29-speaker system is indeed better, and includes speakers in the headliner and the seat backs and Meridian’s Trifield 3-D processing.  But it's not that much better to my ears, which have been testing car audio systems for 25 years.

But let your own ears be the judge before spending extra money on this or any audio option.

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Recall: 185,000 Toyotas for power steering failure

The 2012 Yaris may lose power steering, but only 74 cars in the U.S. are affected.

Toyota is recalling about 185,000 hatchbacks to fix electrical problems that can disable the power steering, according to Reuters and the company.

In the U.S., only 74 cars are affected – the 2012 Yaris hatchback – compared with about 130,000 cars in Japan, where the Yaris is sold as the Vitz. 

Due to moisture and manufacturing problems with the steering computer, which sends signals to an electric motor to assist the wheel, the system can short-circuit and disable the assist altogether. At low speeds without power steering, it will be harder to turn the wheel, and the driver will see a warning light on the dash if the problem occurs, Toyota said.

The rest of the cars are located in Europe, where the Yaris is Toyota's best-selling model. Toyota is also recalling the 2011 Yaris (the current-generation model was released one year prior to the U.S.) and another car called the Verso-S from 2011 and 2012, Reuters said.

Dealers will replace the power steering computer at a date that Toyota has not yet specifid. The 74 Yaris owners in the U.S. can visit www.toyota.com/recal​l or call Toyota at 1-800-331-4331.

In June, Toyota recalled 242,000 hybrids worldwide to fix weakened brakes, including about 87,000 in the U.S. In January, Toyota recalled 1.29 million cars, including 752,000 Corolla and Matrix models and 270,000 Lexus ISsedans in the U.S., for airbag computers that could short-circuit and windshield wipers that could detach.  

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So A Musician, An Autocrosser, And A Model Walk Into a Camry…

The Camry controversy continues! Famed Nurburgring racing instructor and TTAC contributor Mike Solowiow says the Camry SE sucks. Unfamed Ohio circle track racer and occasional Grand-Am pay-driver/equipment-destroyer Jack Baruth says it’s GRRRRRRRREAT!

Clearly this can only be settled with more racetrack testing of Camrys. Which leads to the completely inexcusable actions above.

Your humble author somehow managed to get a completely empty session at Nelson Ledges Road Course. No other cars. Nobody in the flag stations. Totally empty facility, except for a few people driving lawnmowers. I’m not going to say that I snuck in and was almost immediately ejected, because that’s not strictly true. They knew I was going to be there. Kind of. The bottom line is that I’m probably allowed to come back, some time in the 22nd Century.

Given that kind of freedom and a completely awesome 2012 Camry LE featuring a four-cylinder engine and just 28,000 rental gentle miles, I decided to take some friends around the track. You’ll see some outtakes from that session in an upcoming review of the Camry LE. But the way we ended the day was like this: I piled my brother Mark, whom European TTACers can see during his August tour, National ProSolo Champion Marc Pfannenschmidt, and Marc’s wife, a former model and current wedding photographer, in the Camry for a quick chat.

The first thing we discovered is that the Camry can accomplish that relatively rare street-car feat of taking the “Kink” flat-out. Mostly because it’s only doing 108mph when said Kink appears. Still, the car’s basic composure continues to impress, even without the improved steering and suspension response of the SE model.

The second thing we discovered is that the foot-operated E-brake works very well.

The following disclaimers apply: Do not drive a car no-handed at 80mph in a turn. Ever. Not even on a track. You could get killed. Don’t E-brake your car in a turn. Not even on a racetrack. You could get killed. If there had been a single other car on course, none of this would have happened. Drive safe and smart. No texting occurred during the making of this video, but Marc’s wife’s figure does cause distracted driving and caused a guy at a gas station near Garrettsville, Ohio to walk into a pole because he was staring at her going the other way. Your mileage may vary, but my mileage was excellent.

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3 Steps Forward, 2 Steps Backward

Digsby

IM, Email, and Social Networks in one easy to use application!

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230 horsepower and 3362 lbs doesn’t sound very impressive on paper. But that’s the last reason anyone buys a BMW 328i. I admit that in my numbers-obsessed adolescence, I was skeptical of the promise of a silky-smooth I6 and the intangible promise of perfect poise and balance. Why not just go straight for the 335i? And then I drove one.

It turned out that yes, the 328i really did deliver on the much vaunted promise of being one of the finest sports sedans in the world. Since then, I have longer for a naturally aspirated, manual transmission BMW. The 328i has always held a certain appeal, though I wouldn’t turn down the E90 330i, with its juiced-up 3.0L I6.

The introduction of the turbo-four BMWs has added a certain urgency to that desire, and this article by Road & Track isn’t helping matters. The guys at R&T have come to the same conclusion that many of us have over at TTAC. For all its supposed pace and efficiency, the turbo-4 can’t compare to the purity and sophistication of the I6 powertrain and the hydraulic steering system. I’m off to find one on Craigslist, hopefully not in that eggplant color.

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TTAC Contest Winner Announced

Ladies and gents, we have a winner for our giveaway of “Icons and Idiots” by Bob Lutz.

Our winner is Chris Archer who sent us this story

I think I deserve to win the Bob Lutz book because I will appreciate reading it but  I don’t have the necessary disposable income to purchase it. I am a 24 year old Navy submarine veteran and currently sell new Ford/Chrysler products at a dealership in rural northeastern Michigan. I have been enamored with automobiles since a young age. This fall I will be taking advantage of the GI bill to attend Michigan Technological University. After I graduate I would like to continue to work in the auto industry. I follow your site religiously. To prove I’m a true lunatic/enthusiast please reference the attached picture of my daily driver 1993 Saab 900S. 

 

Very respectfully,

 

Chris Archer

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Nicely done, sir. We thank you for your service and hope that you enjoy your book. And your Saab.

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Jeep Consolidates Patriot/Compass Starting In 2014

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Buyers hankering for a more macho alternative to the Buick Encore won’t have to wait too long for something to fill that void. According to Edmunds, an all-new Jeep, similar in size to the Encore, will debut next year.

The Jeep Compass and Patroit will both die in 2014 to make room for a B-segment Jeep built in Italy using a Fiat platform. The most likely donor will be the Small Wide architecture being used for the Fiat 500L, which has provisions for an all-wheel drive system built in to it. It’s a safe bet that it will be very similar to the Fiat 500X (above). Jeep’s Mike Manley cited global markets as the driving force behind this product

“The weight of that market today is outside North America, predominately Europe,” said Manley. “It is growing in China. I think when we launch our SUV here, you are going to see quite significant growth in that segment in the U.S.”

As Manley notes, the small SUV segment is explosive in world markets. Most of the examples sold are two-wheel drive car based vehicles with zero off-road capability, but Europeans couldn’t care less. That means the whole “Trail Rated” business won’t be an issue in Europe, but the Jeep faithful here may have something to say about that.

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Prius Sales To Fall Short Of Expectations

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Talk about timing: On the day Toyota announced that cumulative sales of the Prius passed the 3 million mark, Reuters says Toyota may fall short of its goal to sell 250,000 of the Prius in the U.S. this year.

“The 240,000 to 250,000 range is kind of where we’re settling our sights for the Prius family,” Toyota’s U.S. sales chief Bill Fay told the wire.

U.S. sales of all Prius models fell 5.1 percent during the first six months of 2013, while Toyota’s overall U.S. sales rose 6 percent. The Prius usually gets a lift from rising gasoline prices. The reverse is also true.

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Meet The Most American Sedan: The Toyota Avalon

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Red Avalon – now with extra white and blue

Very few car buying decisions are guided by patriotic motivations. And the few there are, are rarely supported by hard data. Which spares us embarrassing moments. “Many of the ‘most American’ cars on dealership lots today are made by Japanese automakers,” says Edmunds. ”The most American sedan, for example, is Toyota Avalon, and the most American hatchback is Honda Crosstour.”

Most American Vehicles
Category	Vehicle	Local Content*
Sedans	Toyota Avalon	80%
SUV/Crossovers	Ford Expedition	80%
Minivans	Dodge Grand Caravan	80%
Hatchbacks	Honda Crosstour	75%
Trucks	Ford F-150, Toyota Tundra	75%
Convertibles	Chrysler 200	74%
Coupes	Chevrolet Camaro	71%
Wagons	Cadillac CTS Wagon, Toyota Venza	65%
* Percentage of U.S./Canadian content based on information reported by carmakers to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) under the American Automobile Labeling Act (AALA).

This is a list of the “most American cars” by segment, using – your tax dollars at work – the definition set by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, and that of the American Automobile Labeling Act. Under which, by the way, a car would be pure American if it is built from 100% Canadian parts.

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