2019 Aston Martin Vantage on 2040-cars

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GM says second recalled ignition switch was made in China

The defective ignition switch that led General Motors to recall an additional 3.4 million large sedans earlier this month was manufactured in China, according to a report filed with safety regulators obtained by Reuters. The switches can be knocked out of the run position, much like those affecting the Chevrolet Cobalt and other GM small cars, turning off the engine and safety systems like the airbags. Unlike GM's previous ignition switch recall, though, this latest issue will see dealers simply modify the key rather than replace the ignition switch outright, despite the fact that the switches were "slightly" below torque specifications. If what GM is claiming about this switch's origin is true, it'd mark the second high-profile recall of a part manufactured in China, following Aston Martin's (relatively) huge recall due to faulty accelerator arms in over 75 percent of the cars it had built since 2007. For what it's worth, from our perspective, the link between the Aston plastics and this GM switch seems just a bit too tenuous for us to put a lot of stock in GM's problems stemming from the location of its parts supplier, especially when the related investigation into its corporate culture has resulted in so many other culpable actors. Featured Gallery 2008 Buick Lucerne CXL Special Edition News Source: Reuters Recalls Aston Martin GM Safety supplier gm ignition switch recall gm safety ignition switch

The Rolls-Royce Dawn leads this month's list of discounts

If you're one of the few readers of this site who is in the market for a $350,000 Rolls-Royce Dawn, well, first of all, good for you. And you should be prepared to keep some extra money in your pocket, too, as the drop-top Roller leads this month's list of the largest monetary discounts with an average of $14,733 taken off the machine's $359,250 sticker price. That means buyers are paying an average transaction price of $344,517 for the 2020 Rolls-Royce Dawn this month, according to data provided to Autoblog by TrueCar, which equals about 4.1% off the price on the sticker. An intriguing pair of supercars land in second and third positions this month. The 2019 Acura NSX is selling for an average of $145,174 this month, which represents a 9% discount, or $14,373. With an eerily similar 9% discount of $14,079 comes the 2020 Aston Martin Vantage, which has an average transaction price of $142,002 this month. The Maserati Quattroporte is up next with an average discount of $13,634. Another Rolls-Royce model lands in the fifth spot, but instead of the aging Dawn it's the brand-new Cullinan SUV. Although the luxury 'ute boasts a large discount of $12,427, its staggeringly high retail price of $332,750 means buyers are getting a little less than 4% off the sticker. More interesting to most buyers will be the 2019 Lincoln Navigator, which is one of our favorite full-size SUVs in America. Buyers of Lincoln's range-topping vehicle are getting average discounts of $11,761. That represents a 13.4% savings for a final price of $75,940. For a look at the best new car deals in America based on the percentage discount off their suggested asking prices, check out our monthly recap here. And when you're ready to buy, click here for the Autoblog Smart Buy program, which brings you a hassle-free buying experience with over 9,000 Certified Dealers nationwide. Related Video:

Aston Martin and Brough Superior go two-up on a range of motorcycles

With several auto and motorcycle shows yet to come before the end of the year, the back of the Tokyo Motor Show doesn't mean the end of teasers. Aston Martin has released the merest line drawing of its next collaboration, a project with the resurrected English bike maker Brough Superior Motorcycles (pronounced "bruff"). The tie-up will debut Nov. 5 at the EICMA motorcycle show in Milan, Italy, and Aston Martin says it "will showcase the integration of beautiful design and exquisite engineering in strictly limited-edition motorcycles." This will be the first time the carmaker's wings will appear on a motorbike. It'll be interesting to see how the partners merge what look like two divergent design philosophies. When Englishman Mark Upham brought Brough back to life in 2012, he asked Frenchman Thierry Henriette of Boxer Design to pen a new bike visually tied to the original Broughs from the 1920s. The SS100, re-creating Brough's most popular model, is compelling but not pretty nor sleek, hung throughout with weighty, overtly constructed metallic forms. The Anniversary and Pendine Sand Racer models are lighter, but just as art deco and cyberpunkish in ways that Aston Martin design is not. On the other hand, Brough was — and is — also known for using excellent materials, build quality and performance, and they aren't inexpensive. Plenty of overlap with the Gaydon car company there. Somehow out of all that will come, we are told, "the perfect balance between performance and design." Mercedes-AMG partnered with Ducati for a few years in the MotoGP racing series and on some AMG-themed bikes, then traded for a partnership with MV Agusta on the AMG-themed Solar Beam. However, those were basically paint jobs on bikes Ducati was already making. It sounds like Brough and Aston Martin intend a more involved venture — and "motorcycles," plural — between carmaker and bike builder than we've seen recently. We'll have more answers in two weeks.