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New Tesla, McLaren, and Ferrari models added to Takata recall list

UPDATE: A McLaren spokesperson confirmed to Autoblog that "a number" of McLaren models in the US, Japan, and South Korea will be recalled to fix non-dessicated airbag inflators. However, the recall only affects passenger airbags, as all driver's-side inflators use a different technology and are not affected. The timeline is still being determined. It's been more than two and a half years since the Takata airbag recall first made waves. Despite knowing which airbags were at fault and the exact cause of the failure, manufacturers like Audi, Ferrari, McLaren, and Tesla have been building and selling cars with defective airbags. Although it takes several years for the airbag to degrade to the point of failure, all of these new cars will eventually have to be recalled for replacements. It appears that time has come, as the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has now issued a recall on some of these new models. Models from Tesla and McLaren have been added to NHTSA's recall list for the first time. Tesla is recalling every 2012 - 2016 Model S while McLaren is bringing back every model it's made since relaunching its road-car business in 2012. Not even the P1 is free from failure. Other automakers have expanded their affected-vehicle list. All of Ferrari's 2016 - 2017 lineup now falls under the recall and joins a number of previously recalled models, while Audi is recalling the 2017 R8. Since the recall started, dozens of automakers have recalled millions of affected cars to replace potentially fatal and highly flawed airbags that can deploy bits of metal at occupants. Eleven deaths in the United States are directly related to the faulty airbags. Before the recall, Takata held a sizable share of the airbag market. When the failures began to occur, some automakers were left with no alternative suppliers. As it takes a few years for the airbags to fail, automakers without other options faced a choice: they could either build cars that would be recalled in the future or stop building cars altogether until a secondary supplier could be found. These recalls seem to be happening so frequently that owners may not know what to do or where to check to see if their car is potentially affected. NHTSA is keeping a comprehensive list of all affected models. Their website can help owners determine if they have a potentially problematic airbag installed and the steps to take to replace it.

Audi launches traffic light timing system in Las Vegas

Audi announced today that its new Traffic Light Information (TLI) system will go online in Las Vegas this month, making it the first city to activate a vehicle-to-infrastructure (V2I) system on public roads. The system transmits information from traffic lights to servers operated by Audi partner Traffic Technology Services and onto compatible Audis over a 4G LTE connection. This will allow drivers to see how long it will take the red light ahead to change to green. The feature is available on Audi A4, A4 Allroad, and Q7 models built after June 1, 2016, and requires a subscription to Audi's streaming service. Audi points out that setting up a V2I infrastructure opens up the possibility to provide navigation directions that take traffic lights into account. Cars could even coach drivers how fast to go to hit more green lights. In addition, this information could allow engine start-stop systems to shut off sooner when approaching red lights and start up immediately when the light turns green. Information could also flow back to municipalities, giving them a more accurate picture of traffic flow. Washington will soon join Las Vegas in supporting Audi's V2I technology. They're the only two cities confirmed so far, though Audi says it's working to get more on board. Related Video:

Audi works on AI with this mini Q2 that can park itself

Audi created a special Q2 that possesses the ability to find parking spaces, drive to them, and park itself. However, you won't be able to ride in it yet, because it's rather small. The Q2 is actually a 1/8-scale electric-powered model of the compact crossover, but the technology inside should eventually scale up. The model features just two mono cameras, one facing forward and the other rearward and 10 ultrasonic sensors around the body. According to Audi, the on-board computer uses information from all of these sources to figure out where the parking space is, and what maneuvers are necessary to enter it. The Q2 uses trial and error to improve how it parks. Audi will explain this Q2 and its artificial intelligence technology at a conference in Barcelona, Spain, this week. According to Audi, the subsidiary that created this model, Audi Electronics Venture, will transfer the tech to a full-size car in the next step of the project. With cars that can parallel park autonomously, and drive semi-autonomously, it's not hard to imagine them piloting themselves through parking lots on their own in the near future. Related Video:

The one where we give you real car-buying advice | Autoblog Podcast #495

On this episode, Mike Austin and David Gluckman dive into some useful advice for people searching for a good used car, something David has been dealing with lately. They also talk about what they've been driving lately (Mike took a road trip in our long-term Fiat) and answer some Spend My Money requests from listeners looking for advice. And we have listener questions and comments to discuss, so thanks for sending those in. The rundown is below. Remember, if you have a car-related question you'd like us to answer or you want buying advice of your very own, send a message or a voice memo to podcast at autoblog dot com. (If you record audio of a question with your phone and get it to us, you could hear your very own voice on the podcast. Neat, right?) And please send trivia questions! You'll get the honor of stumping your fellow listeners, and we'll thank you too. Autoblog Podcast #495 The video meant to be presented here is no longer available. Sorry for the inconvenience. Topics and stories we mention 2017 Audi A6 Our long-term 2016 Fiat 500X 2017 BMW 330i Used cars Rundown Intro - 00:00 What we're driving - 01:09 Listener mail - 12:49 Buying advice - 20:20 Spend My Money - 29:38 Total Duration: 57:23 Get The Podcast iTunes – Subscribe to the Autoblog Podcast in iTunes RSS – Add the Autoblog Podcast feed to your RSS aggregator MP3 – Download the MP3 directly Feedback Email – Podcast at Autoblog dot com Review the show on iTunes

Audi Lunar Rover Prepares for 2017 Moon Landing | Autoblog Minute

The Audi E-tron Quattro lunar rover will undergo final testing in the Middle East before an attempted launch in 2017. Audi Autoblog Minute Videos Original Video autos

Audi's lunar rover is nearly ready for the moon

Last year, Audi announced it was working on a lunar rover with a group called the Part-Time Scientists. Now the company says the design of its Lunar Quattro is complete, and all that's left is final testing before it's ready to head for the moon. Since Audi and its 16 engineers became involved with the project, the rover has actually increased in size, as have its tires. The company says this is for added stability. Despite the added size, the rover is now lighter, bringing it down from 38 to 30 kilograms (what we'd call 66 pounds). Otherwise, the rover is generally the same as it was last year. All four wheels are still powered by electricity, so Audi touts it as being both a Quattro and an E-tron vehicle. Cute. The rover will undergo final testing in the Middle East where it will run through simulations of the mission. For those unfamiliar, the mission parameters were set by Google for the Google Lunar XPRIZE. The prize is worth $30 million and will go to the first team to land a privately funded lander and rover on the moon, drive the rover 500 meters, and send back photos. If the mission is successful, we should get some great 3D and 360-degree shots of the lunar rover left behind by the Apollo 17 mission in 1972, since the proposed landing site is nearby. The Part-Time Scientists team that Audi partnered with has also booked a launch for its ALINA lunar lander, which will carry a pair of the Lunar Quattro rovers to the moon's surface. The launch was scheduled with Spaceflight Industries and is set for the end of 2017. Spaceflight Industries has managed 11 rocket launches with different companies and rockets between 2013 and 2015, and will also launch a probe from Israeli XPRIZE competitor SpaceIL sometime next year on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket. Related Video:

Audi's Quattro division is now Audi Sport, and it has 8 new models on the way

Audi announced today that its Quattro GmbH performance and technology division will officially be renamed Audi Sport GmbH. The name change is the first since the division's introduction in 1983, and it should more clearly describe its function within the company and remove confusion with the Quattro all-wheel-drive system offered on all Audis, sporty or not. With its new name, Audi Sport will continue to handle the brand's RS models, the R8, customer race cars, customized road cars, and Audi Sport lifestyle products. While the clearer new name is good news, we're more interested in the division's announcement that it will release eight new cars in the next 18 months. The company didn't reveal exactly which cars these will be, but it did clarify which cars Audi Sport is currently responsible for. These include all variants of the RS 3, RS Q3 crossover, RS 6, RS 7, TT RS, R8, and S8 plus. Since the A4/S4 and A5/S5 models were just redone, we can guess that they will be next on the list for RS-ification, resulting in new RS 4 and RS 5 models. If that includes Sportback, coupe, and cabrio versions of the RS 5, and an RS 4 sedan and Avant, that would put us up to five already. Both the A6 and A7 have only seen a minor refresh recently, so it's likely that we'll see new versions of each soon followed by their own RS variants. However, whether those fit in the 18-month window will depend on how soon we see the standard models. Our other guesses are a bit fuzzier, and based completely on speculation. We could imagine one or two ultra-high-performance R8 models being announced – something like the last-gen R8 GT, perhaps offered in coupe and spyder forms – as well as RS versions of the other members in Audi's crossover fleet, the Q5 and Q7. It's also possible one of the models could be a new customer race car, since Audi Sport currently builds and sells the R8 LMS race car. At the very least, we know the Audi Sport folks are busy and people will no longer get them confused with an all-wheel-drive system. Related Video:

New European charging network will offer speeds up to 350 kW

It's about to get easier to fast-charge your electric vehicle across Europe thanks to four major automakers working together in a new joint venture. BMW, Daimler (Mercedes-Benz), Ford, and the VW Group (Audi and Porsche) have all signed a Memorandum of Understanding to install about 400 DC fast charging sites in Europe. As you may know, there are different types of fast chargers, but the ones that this group is talking about installing will be able to charge an EV in much less time than other stations. That's because these chargers will offer power levels of "up to 350 kW." Compare that to what's generally considered the current gold standard, the Tesla Superchargers, which have rates of up to 145 kW and a statement not that long ago from a Ford exec that suggested that 150 kW chargers would be the new normal. Of course, the Tesla chargers use the company's proprietary connector and the new network the JV is setting up will use the CCS standard. The first new stations will go up in 2017 and those 400 sites are just the beginning. A joint statement by the JV says that EV drivers will "have access to thousands of high-powered charging points" by 2020 along highways and main roads. "The charging experience is expected to evolve to be as convenient as refueling at conventional gas stations," the companies said. While not every electric vehicle will be able to take advantage of the 350 kW charging rate, the companies involved would be silly to build the infrastructure without vehicles that can handle that kind of energy flow. The JV says it would welcome participation from other automakers and will cooperate with interested regional partners. Related Video: News Source: Daimler Green Audi BMW Ford Mercedes-Benz Porsche Volkswagen Electric fast charging

Crash sends race car driver sliding into first place

A Belgian race car driver won an unexpected victory at the 2016 FIA GT World Cup race last weekend when he slid to victory on the roof of his car. According to Motorsport.com, this year's FIA GT World Cup race at the Macau Guia race track in Macau was more accident prone than usual. The race had already been delayed by one crash earlier in the day when Belgian driver Laurens Vanthoor went into Mandarin Bend too hot chasing Porsche driver Earl Bamber, to whom Vanthoor had just lost his lead. Vanthoor's Audi clipped a wall at about 155 miles per hour causing his car to flipped on to its roof and continued down the straightaway at speed. Thankfully, despite the speed and violence of the crash, Vanthoor escaped mostly unscathed. Officials immediately red-flagged the race and, because of delays caused by the earlier crash, the race was called. Since the race was canceled, officials performed a countback on the previous lap's results and declared Vanthoor the winner despite the fact that he finished upside down. In the aftermath, a shaken Vanthoor questioned whether or not he deserved to win. "I don't really know if I deserved it in a way, as I crashed and made a mistake and I am still a winner – which is very awkward," Vanthoor told Motorsport. "But I don't really know what to say. It would have been a better show for everybody without the crash and a better victory, but I don't know what to think about it." Related Video: News Source: Motorsport.com Auto News Weird Car News Audi Porsche fia macau red flag

2018 Audi A5 and S5 Sportbacks are coming to America

Fans of hatchbacks have cause for celebration, because Audi confirmed the 2018 A5 and S5 Sportback models are coming to the US. The five-door variant of the classy A5 coupe and convertible line will appear in America this spring. Pricing was not announced. While we will be getting the hatchback, we won't get every powertrain option offered in Europe. Those versions will be offered with an array of gas and diesel engines, and some will be available with a manual transmission. We'll only get two engines here, and they both come with automatics. The standard A5 Sportback will come with the same turbocharged four-cylinder as the A5 coupe and convertible and the A4 sedan. It makes 252 horsepower and 273 pound-feet of torque of torque and is paired with a seven-speed dual-clutch transmission. The S5 Sportback gets the same 354-horsepower turbocharged V6, which also makes 369 lb-ft of torque and sends power through a conventional 8-speed automatic. Both Sportback models are nearly as fast as their two-door siblings, reaching 60 mph in 5.7 and 4.5 seconds respectively. That's just a tenth of a second slower than either coupe. The Sportback also has one more difference compared with the European version. All American A5 Sportback models will come with Audi's Quattro all-wheel-drive. The Sportbacks feature similar interiors to their coupe and convertible brethren, along with the same infotainment options. This includes the available Virtual Cockpit LCD instrument panel and MMI system. Of course the biggest difference between the Sportback and the two-door models is space. Audi claims the Sportback has twice as much cargo room as the coupe. And the back seat will obviously be much more comfortable and usable. View 14 Photos You don't sacrifice too much in style, either. The A5 coupe's distinctive, Coke-bottle character line has made the transition to a longer profile gracefully, and it's complemented by the greenhouse inspired by the bigger A7 Sportback. So if you've always wanted an A5 for its looks, but felt you needed something more practical, you won't have to compromise with the Sportback. Related Video: