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NHTSA expands new Takata probe to 4 more automakers

DETROIT — The U.S. government's highway safety agency has launched an investigation into four additional automakers that have a potentially deadly type of Takata air bag inflator in their vehicles but have yet to recall them. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said in documents posted Thursday that it is investigating Audi, Toyota, Honda and Mitsubishi in connection with a Takata recall involving 1.4 million inflators. This brings the total number of manufacturers potentially impacted to five, as BMW was connected to the issue when it was brought to light earlier in December. The inflators made by the now-bankrupt Takata have a distinct and separate problem that can cause them to blow apart a metal canister and spew shrapnel into people's faces and bodies. The problem killed a driver in Australia who was in an older 3-Series BMW, which has already recalled more than 116,000 vehicles. The problem is so dangerous that in some cases BMW has told drivers to park their vehicles until repairs can be made. The safety agency says in documents that Takata didn't provide details on the affected makes, models or model years of vehicles with the defective inflators. So it is telling the companies to recall them promptly. The agency says that based on when the faulty inflators were produced, it's likely that the vehicles to be recalled came from the 1995 through 2000 model years. In letters to all four automakers, NHTSA says they have five business days to notify the agency after finding out about a safety defect. “If your company has not yet gathered enough evidence to make a determination that the subject air bag inflators present an unreasonable risk to motor vehicle safety, reply with a detailed work plan including the benchmark dates required to make the determination,” the agency wrote in letters to all four automakers dated Wednesday. A Honda spokesman said Thursday it hasn't determined yet whether its vehicles are affected, but a decision should be made soon. Audi, Mitsubishi and Toyota said they are still investigating. NHTSA has told the companies to respond by Jan. 17. On Dec. 4, NHTSA posted documents from Takata and BMW detailing the problems. The documents said the Australian driver was killed, while another Australian driver and a driver in Cyprus were injured. Unlike previous recalls, the Takata non-azide inflators do not use volatile ammonium nitrate to fill the air bags in a crash.

Notes and notations on the 2014 Rolex 24 at Daytona [w/video]

This year is the 52nd edition of the Daytona 24 Hours. The 2014 Rolex 24 at Daytona is also the first race of the year in the brand new TUDOR United SportsCar Championship (TUSCC) With the merger of the American Le Mans Series and Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car Series rewriting and revising the rules of American sports car racing right up until yesterday, we've made the journey to an intermittently wet and constantly freezing Daytona Beach, Florida with Audi to watch the new R8 LMS and every other competitor explore the limits of those rules on the track.
With a ton to cover - and a couple of videos below to watch, including some slo-mo qualifying footage and a hot lap in an R8 LMS - let's not waste time with chit-chat, eh?
Quick things to know about the classes and the leader-light system:

Refreshed 2015 Audi A8 starts at $77,400*

Audi definitely made the US wait for the refreshed 2015 A8 and S8. The updated models were first unveiled last summer, but it has taken until June for the revised flagship sedan to reach dealers here.
The refreshed A8 line doesn't come cheap, though. Prices are up $2,000 or more over the 2014 model year. The basic 3.0T model goes for $77,400 or $81,400 for the long wheelbase version. The long wheelbase TDI is $85,100. The standard 4.0T model asks $86,400 or $90,400 for the longer one. An S8 sets back buyers $114,900, and the full bore A8L W12 is $137,900. All of these prices exclude destination (which was $895 last year and now stands at $925, according to Audi representative Mark Dahncke).
To make the wait worth it, Audi is packing the sedan with new technology and given it the slightest restyle. All models of the luxurious vehicle now come standard with full LED headlights. The 2015 model also benefits from electromechanical steering, available variable ratio steering and active lane assist. The night vision system is also updated to detect animals and alert the driver. Mechanically, there are some tiny tweaks as well. The 4.0T V8 is boosted to 435 horsepower, compared to 420 hp previously, and the 6.3-liter W12 now has cylinder deactivation.