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Yearly auto recall record demolished in 6 months

With nearly 40 million vehicles under repair campaigns and counting, 2014 will almost certainly go down as the year of the automotive recall. At just past the halfway mark, we are already at record levels, and there aren't any signs that the epidemic is slowing. General Motors' latest 8.4 million vehicle recall in the US puts the industry over the top for the title of the most cars with fixes pending from automakers ever. That's a prize no one ever wants to receive. According to TheDetroitBureau.com, the US recall total has hit 39.85-million vehicles to surpass the previous record of 33.01 million in 2004. Perhaps more surprising, with over 26 million repairs pending, it's still quite possibly that GM could recall more vehicles by the end of the year than the 27.96-million unit total of the entire US auto industry last year. With over 40 campaigns under its belt in 2014, the roughly one million cars it would take would hardly come as a surprise at this point, especially with increased government scrutiny into the Detroit automaker's processes. The pace of recalls started off relatively normal this year, with just a smattering of campaigns. The most surprising early on was Aston Martin calling in about 75 percent of its output since 2007 due to counterfeit plastic, but with just a few thousand cars, it was relatively tiny in pure numbers. GM really kicked things off soon after, but we didn't know it at the time. It issued its first bulletin for 778,000 Cobalt compacts in early February. Things only ballooned from there as more models were added to its growing ignition switch problem. The onslaught of announcements from every major automaker hasn't abated since then. Some industry executives are trying to put a positive spin on the situation. "With what's transpired (in recent months), there's a higher level of scrutiny," said Joe Hinrichs, Ford president of the Americas, to TheDetroitBureau.com. He believes that automakers are looking at data much more thoroughly than before, and it means better customer safety. Still, many consumers probably wish these problems had been found before their car went on sale.

2017 Ford GT looks resplendent in Liquid Silver and will be built in Ontario

You didn't think we'd let an opportunity to capture another high-res image gallery of our favorite vehicle from the North American International Auto Show pass by, now that it's taking center stage in Chicago, did you? Especially since it's now painted in a brand-new hue? Of course not. And so we're happy to present to you the 2017 Ford GT in Liquid Silver, wearing titanium-tinted racing stripes. It may not be as classically American as the show-stopping blue that debuted with the concept in Detroit, but it's beautiful nonetheless. And, in even better news, we hear that the GT has been confirmed for production at Ford's factory in Markham, Ontario, according to our Canadian friends at CTV News. To recap what we know about the Ford GT – besides the fact that we're in mad, mad love with it, of course – it's beautiful, will be powered by a mid-mounted 3.5-liter twin-turbo V6 with "more than 600 horsepower," it's beautiful, it sends all that power to the rear wheels through a seven-speed dual-clutch gearbox, it's beautiful, blends a carbon fiber monocoque and body panels with aluminum subframes, and it's beautiful. We think it's likely headed for endurance-racing competition, as was the original GT40 that is its spiritual grandfather, and we're sure it will look good doing it. Heck, maybe it'll even win at Le Mans. In any case, check it out in high-res glory below, in multiple color schemes, in both images and video. Related Video: Related Gallery Ford GT Concept: Detroit 2015 View 45 Photos Related Gallery Ford GT View 11 Photos Related Gallery 2017 Ford GT: Chicago 2015 View 30 Photos Image Credit: Live photos copyright 2015 Drew Phillips / AOL Design/Style Plants/Manufacturing Chicago Auto Show Ford Coupe Performance Supercars Videos autoblog black

2015 Saleen 302 Black Label Mustang unveiled with 730 horsepower

The last time Saleen made these pages it was to report that the firm was out of money. However, just before that announcement, the tuning specialist told us about the three Saleen 302 Mustangs it was developing at three levels - White Label, Yellow Label and Black Label, with those latter two trims to put out 640 horsepower and 565 pound-feet of torque. Well, the Black Label is here - don't let the California Sunset paint fool you - and it's more powerful than planned, with 730 hp and 600 lb-ft blasted out of a 5.0-liter Coyote V8 hooked up to a twin-screw supercharger. Saleen says it's the most powerful, refined, and advanced Mustang it has ever built. Keeping all that power on the road is the increase in downforce that comes from a body that's been extended one inch in front and two inches in the back, and the wing suspended over the decklid. The stock suspension is refitted with Saleen S4 springs, shocks, swaybars and bushings, and the 20-inch wheels on 275-section rubber hide 15-inch dimpled rotors. The interior gets the requisite frills in leather and contrasting stitches, as well as new gauges and badging. It'll take $73,214 to open the door, but just $2,015 to put down a deposit. For more info, check out the press release below. Related Video: 2015 Saleen 302 Black Label Mustang March 15, 2015 -- Earlier this year, Saleen Automotive released their 2015 White and Yellow Label 302 Mustangs to much fanfare. To round out their fleet, Saleen pulled out all the stops and developed one of the best Mustangs to date. This car is set to change the way pony cars are looked at from here on out. At a one-of-a-kind event in Downtown LA, Saleen raised the curtain on the latest pony car out of their Corona, CA headquarters. "Since I started building cars in 1984 my goal has always been to go above and beyond where anybody has been before", said Steve Saleen. "This will by far be the most refined and advanced Mustang we have built to date." With over 30 years of experience in both racing and manufacturing vehicles, it was only a matter of time before Saleen built a Mustang as comprehensive and technologically advanced as the 2015 302 Black Label. Power Saleen combined the reliability and potency of the 5.0L Coyote motor with a twin-screw supercharger. The pair produces the most power from a production Mustang yet at 730 horsepower and 600 lb-ft of torque on 91 octane gas.