Today hot auto news

Kia recalling 2001-2004 Optima sedans in rust-prone states over subframe corrosion

The 2001-2004 Kia Optima is being recalled in several states for corrosion of the front subframe. The recall covers some 36,538 examples sold in the U.S. in the following states: Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Main, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, West Virginia, Wisconsin, and the District of Columbia - all areas typically noted for being high rust threats due to their difficult winters and use of road salt.

According to the recall, internal corrosion of the front subframe can weaken the mounting points near the lower control arm, leading to everything from irregular tire wear to abnormal stress levels in the system that may contribute to a cras.

The recall begins this month, but neither Kia nor NHTSA have outlined a potential fix in the recall notice posted after the jump.

Continue reading Kia recalling 2001-2004 Optima sedans in rust-prone states over subframe corrosion

BMW X6M leaks out ahead of New York unveiling

The official details on the BMW X6M and X5M aren't due to be released until tomorrow, but Carscoop decided to drop the first batch of photos of the new uber-utes from BMW a day early. Early reports indicate both M-modified sleds will be powered by a tweaked variant of the twin-turbocharged V8 currently fitted to the X6, with output increasing from 400 hp to 550 hp. The suspension, brakes and transmission will all be modified for duty in the Ms, but that's all we have for now. Check back tomorrow for the official details.

Gallery: BMW X6M Leakage

2012 Mazda3 with new SkyActiv engine gets 40 mpg, updated exterior

The 2012 Mazda3 has officially made its debut at the 2011 New York Auto Show, and it's brought along the first production use of the long-awaited SkyActiv fuel-efficiency tweaks. That means the newest Mazda3 is good for a whopping 40 miles per gallon on the highway thanks to the addition of a new SkyActiv-G four-cylinder engine mated to either a new six-speed automatic or manual transmission.

Previously, the Mazda3 has only been good for up to 33 mpg in its most efficient form, but the new drivetrain advancements will go a long way toward making the model more competitive against ever sharper metal from Ford, Chevrolet, Hyundai and Honda. Mazda says that the new 2.0-liter, direct-injection four-cylinder is good for 155 horsepower and 148 pound-feet of torque, which offers modest increases over the old, non-DI 2.0-liter mill.

That old lump will still be around as standard equipment on the sedan, though don't expect to see it on the Mazda3 hatch. Instead, the long-roof will still benefit from the larger 2.5-liter four-cylinder found in the last-gen vehicle.

In addition to the newly-efficient drivetrain, the 2012 Mazda3 also wears a suitably updated exterior. Buyers can look forward to redesigned headlights and an adjusted front fascia with a slightly different grille that tones down the exuberance of the car's trademark grin. Likewise, the rears of both the sedan and hatch have received a subtle warming-over. Follow the jump to hear it from Mazda's own mouth.

Gallery: 2012 Mazda3

Continue reading 2012 Mazda3 with new SkyActiv engine gets 40 mpg, updated exterior

Video: Jo~ao Barbosa's wife no longer wonders what he does for a living

When you're young, no one tells you marriage is really about finding some one to have, hold and torture 'til death do you part. From playful infractions like forgetting whether your significant other hates pickles, onions or both to more serious matters like who uses more paper towels, matrimony puts a relationship and those parties involved into the world's most powerful pressure cooker. Even so, few of us get the chance to delight in the suffering of our significant others in quite the way Rolex Sports Car series driver João Barbosa does. The driver recently took his beautiful wife around Daytona International Speedway in a two-seater Daytona prototype. At 185 mph.

Mrs. Barbosa doesn't appear to take to the experience all that well. Throughout the duration of six-minute video, it's difficult to tell whether the high-pitched wail is her screams or the whine of the race car's gearbox. Impressive. In fact, it's the most fun we've had watching a racer's wife get a peek into their husband's office since racer Riccardo Patrese's better half got a little animated in the passenger seat of a Honda Civic Type-R a few years ago.

Hit the jump to check out the video for yourself, but just remember; what goes around comes around. Especially in marriage.

Continue reading Jo~ao Barbosa's wife no longer wonders what he does for a living

Official: Jaguar celebrates 20 years of XJ220

What binds car enthusiasts to one another? A love for cars, certainly, but we'd argue there's a deeper psychological connection. Namely that we've never quite grown up, and don't really care to. We're all still the little boys we once were, hanging posters of our favorite supercars on the walls of our childhood bedrooms. The only way to convince us of the reality of our own age is to show us how old the then-new supercars we pined for as kids have now become. So it's with a big lump in our collective throat that we bring you the news that the Jaguar XJ220 is now 20 years old - and along with it, that we're all 20 years older than we were when it came out.

The first time we got a glimpse of the mid-engined XJ220 was actually back in 1988 when it debuted at the British Motor Show. But that was in concept form. It wasn't until 1992 that the first customer took delivery. And while it was a fair bit different from the concept version (okay, so the drivetrain was very different, with half the cylinders and half the driven wheels of the V12 concept), what we got was still earth-shattering in its capabilities - particularly for its time, but still by any objective measure. The production XJ220 packed 550 horsepower, hit 60 in less than four seconds and hit a top speed of 213 mph... a new record in the early 90s.

By the time production ceased two years later, Jaguar and TWR had built just 275 examples. The one pictured above is one of ten pre-production prototypes, specifically the example that Andy Wallace piloted to that landmark top speed at Ford Stockton, Texas, in 1991. The yellow example (also pictured in our high-resolution image gallery) was one of the very rare XJ220 S homologation specials with carbon fiber bodywork and 700 horsepower on tap. Click the thumbnails to scope it out and follow the jump for the full press release to take a trip back to your childhood.

Continue reading Jaguar celebrates 20 years of XJ220

Danica washes up for Go Daddy Super Bowl ads

For the past few Super Bowls, internet registrar GoDaddy.com has spent a sizable portion of its annual ad budget on one or two commercials. The tradition lives on for 2009's big game, and racing's most famous female driver is back with Go Daddy for another starring role. You may remember last year's "Exposure" spot was pulled by Fox due to excessive use of beavers (really), so Go Daddy implored the audience of 100 million to go to the website to see it online. This time, Danica has two commercials, which, keeping with tradition, feature plenty of cleavage and little reference to what Go Daddy actually does.

You can check out both spots after the jump. The first 30 second spot includes a naked Danica in the shower with an attractive German lady (we're not kidding). The second commercial features Ms. Patrick in a courtroom with several extremely busty women talking about "Enhancements." And of course, each commercial ends abruptly, prompting viewers to head over to GoDaddy.com to watch the "unrated" conclusion. Brilliant. Terrible scriptwriting, but brilliant.

Continue reading Danica washes up for Go Daddy Super Bowl ads

Chicago Auto Show: Scion xB and xD info leaked early

In a move that can only be deemed as stupid, lazy or incredibly devious, Car & Driver published images and information on Scion's redesigned xB and all-new xD more than a day and a half before the car's are scheduled to be debuted here in Chicago. The info went live last night but wasn't discovered until an industrious member of the ScionLife forum messed with the URL and found it.

First up is the new xB, which has grown in size thanks to leaving the platform it shared with the now defunct xA. Gone is the toaster-esque styling as well, replaced with a design that's still a box, though one with fender flares, a little more character in the front end and a thick C/D-pillar. It's also reported that the interior has been upgraded along with losing the not-loved center-mounted gauge pod. The xB will also share its powerplant with the tC now, which means a 2.4L four-cylinder generating 158 hp and 162 ft-lbs. of torque will be on tap to send power through a five-speed manual or four-seed automatic.

The xD is the new kid in the Scion camp, replacing the less well-received xA. It rides on the same platform as the Yaris, but is powered by the 128-hp, 1.8L four-cylinder found in the Corolla and Matrix. The xD will feature the same transmission choices as the new xB and send power to the front wheels only. The xD's styling shares the same thick C/D-pillar seen on the new xB, which appears to be a new Scion trademark styling cue. We'll leave judgment of the car's overall design to you, but will just say that it looks like a cross between a Camry and a JDM-market Mazda Verisa.

Gallery: 2008 Scion xD and xB leaked images

Report: These are North America's top producing auto plants

Volkswagen has the honor of being this year's top producing North American automotive manufacturer by a wide margin with its Puebla, Mexico facility. The factory managed to produce 510,041 units last year, beating out second-place Nissan and its Aguascalientes, Mexico plant by a staggering 149,245 units, according to Ward's Auto. Nissan jumped from third to second place after Toyota and its Georgetown plant dropped from the top five. Toyota and Honda both saw themselves ousted from the leader board after a year pockmarked by disruptions from earthquake and tsunami activity in Japan and flooding in Thailand.

The Japanese automakers' vacancies made room for Hyundai and its facility in Montgomery, Alabama with 338,127 units to take fourth place. Ford, meanwhile, moved from fifth in 2010 to third in 2011 with 344,446 units from its Dearborn Truck plant. Nissan rounded out the top five last year with the company's plant in Smyrna, Tennessee taking the automaker's second spot on the list.

Ward's Auto reports Volkswagen enjoyed a boost from the popularity of the Jetta. That model alone helped push the company's Puebla facility to a 75,356 unit gain over last year's figures. Head over to Ward's to see the full report.

Video: Mercedes-Benz Actros semi fitted for taxi duty, picks up humorous fares

The new-generation 2012 Actros big rig has already won Truck of the Year - for the fourth time - and Mercedes-Benz figured it would have some letting other truck people know about its semi. It kitted an Actros out in the eggshell hue and black-and-yellow sign that's standard-issue German taxi livery, then sent it to pick up passengers.

The hook? Some of these passengers were waiting outside competing truck companies like MAN and Volvo, and were a little surprised at the arrival of their seven-ton chariot. Follow the jump to see it in action.

Continue reading Mercedes-Benz Actros semi fitted for taxi duty, picks up humorous fares

Report: Pininfarina P4/5 Competizione going hybrid?

Race cars are going hybrid these days. Formula One racers store regenerated brake energy. Porsche packs a flywheel into the 911 GT3 R. Just the other day, Toyota unveiled its new TS030 Hybrid endurance prototype. And now even Jim Glickenhaus' one-off Ferrari-powered, Pininfarina-designed P4/5 Competizione is said to be getting a hybrid powertrain.

Emerging reports from Europe indicate that the GT prototype is preparing to return to the Nürburgring-based VLN series, but this time, it'll be packing some electric boost. That bit is tipped to come from a system provided by Magneti Marelli that's similar to the Kinetic Energy Recovery System it developed for Scuderia Ferrari for use in F1. The 4.0-liter V8 will continue providing principal motivation, but the added jolt of power could be just what the team needs to conquer the Green Hell with green(er) propulsion.