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24 Hours of Le Mans live update part one

We tasked surfing journalist Rory Parker to watch this year's live stream of the 2016 24 Hours of Le Mans. What follows is an experiment to experience the world's greatest endurance race from the perspective of a motorsports novice with a profanity-laden stream-of-consciousness writing style. Parker lives in Hawaii and spends far more time spearfishing than behind the wheel of a car. Jump ahead to Part Two here, and Part Three here. Big Money and billionaire hobbyists and rockets on wheels. Jets belching French color smoke overhead. Balance of power fuckery. Plenty of water on the ground this morning. Absurdly expensive motorcars lined up in the pissing rain. Fast twitch lunatics behind the wheel. Chomping at the bit. Let's go let's go let's go! Race hasn't even started, Ford #67 maybe dealing with clutch issues. Karma? That beautiful bastard Brad Pitt's out on the track, waving the tricolor flag. It's a standing start in "Noah's Ark" weather and the 2016 24 hours of Le Mans is go! First lap takes place behind the safety car, finished in a record setting 8 minutes 27 seconds. Wrong kind of record maybe, but this is the first time I've set my mind to watching the whole damn race. Feel like I'm part of history. 3:00 AM on Kauai, a little too early for life. Sucking down coffee like a maniac. Don't fall back asleep. Got my hands on four hours of rest, how much more can I need? Better be enough for the next twenty four hours. Gonna get kinda punchy toward the end. Jason Statham on the scene. Four feet of solid muscle, non-existent hairline. Lovely wife peanut gallery sitting next to me calls him the "best race car drive in the world." Not sure if she's serious. Toss up, could go either way. Statham's a funny guy. Heir to the Bruce Willis comedy action crown. Really good in the movie where the fat comedy lady plays a spy. Ford's on the road. Problems with gearbox pressure, apparently. Nearing a half hour in and the safety car is still on the track. Hellish amounts of water on the ground, in the air. Visibility is garbage. Getting better. Twitter wags, "Not with a bang but a whimper." Just building suspense. Mother Nature felt like killing some people today, race officials need to dial back the drivers until it dries a tad. Normal inclination would've seen 'em flying, guaranteed early lap wrecks. Sad news for that bloodthirsty part of my lizard brain I try and keep suppressed. Good news for humanity. #12 in the pit for a bit.

Ford recalling 433k cars for engines that don't shut off

Ford Motor Company has announced an enormous recall affecting 433,000 vehicles built between April 2014 and June 2015. There's a problem with the body control module in the affected vehicles that can prevent them from turning off, even if the key is removed from the ignition or stop/start button has been pressed. Individual models include the Focus and C-Max, both built at the Michigan Assembly Plant. The defective Foci were built between June 17, 2014 and June 12, 2015, while the C-Maxes were built between April 22, 2014 and June 12, 2015. Also affected are model year 2015 Escape CUVs, built at the Louisville Assembly Plant in Kentucky, between April 1, 2014 and June 12, 2015. As is usually the case, the overwhelming majority of vehicles – 374,381 – are registered in the United States, while the 52,180 are in Canada and 5,135 are in Mexico. The Blue Oval is not aware of any injuries or accidents due to this defect. Individual consumers, meanwhile, will need to report into dealers to have the body control module's software updated. Scroll down for the brief press release from Ford. Related Video: FORD ISSUES SAFETY COMPLIANCE RECALL IN NORTH AMERICA DEARBORN, Mich., July 2, 2015 – Ford Motor Company is issuing a safety compliance recall for approximately 433,000 vehicles in North America, including certain 2015 Focus, C-MAX and Escape vehicles, for an issue with the body control module. In these vehicles, it could be possible for the engine to continue to run after turning the ignition key to the "off" position and removing the key, or after pressing the Engine Start/Stop button. This is a compliance issue with FMVSS 114 regarding theft protection and rollaway prevention. Ford is not aware of any accidents or injuries associated with this issue. Affected vehicles include certain 2015 Focus vehicles built at Michigan Assembly Plant from June 17, 2014, through June 12, 2015; certain 2015 C-MAX vehicles built at Michigan Assembly Plant from April 22, 2014, through June 12, 2015; and certain 2015 Escape vehicles built at Louisville Assembly Plant from April 1, 2014, through June 12, 2015. There are 432,096 vehicles in North America, including 374,781 in the United States and federalized territories, 52,180 in Canada and 5,135 in Mexico. Dealers will update the body control module software at no cost to the customer.

Lower gas prices mean there are excellent deals on green cars right now

The phenomenon was big enough to make news in 2006, then in 2008, in 2011, in 2012, in 2013, and again last year: a big move in gas prices means a big move in alternative-fuel-vehicle sales. True Car's TrueSavings report, which averages transaction prices across the country to figure out what people are paying compared to MSRP, shows that electric cars and hybrids are ripe for excellent savings right now. The Ford Focus Electric presents the greatest disparity, with the average transaction price of $25,168 representing a 16.1-percent saving off its $29,995 MSRP. The Kia Optima Hybrid and Toyota Prius also snagged spots in the top five, with the Kia offering a 10.7-percent discount and the Toyota a 10.1-percent discount. One hybrid managed to show up among the top five lease offers, too: the Lincoln MKZ Hybrid is just $315 a month for 36 months after $3,875 down in some markets. Alt-energy vehicles got bumped out of the top five finance deals, however. That was dominated by light trucks and, oddly, two subcompacts. The press release below has more details. TrueCar finds hybrids, EVs top list of best savings in January Gasoline price plunge = savings for consumers on alternative fuel vehicles SANTA MONICA, Calif., Jan. 15, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- Ford's Focus Electric hatchback, which sells at an average of 16 percent off MSRP, tops January's list of best savings on new vehicles, according to TrueCar, Inc. (NASDAQ: TRUE), the negotiation-free car buying and selling platform. The "TrueSavings" monthly report analyzes current transaction prices and identifies opportunities for consumer savings. "Fuel savings are not top of mind to many consumers right now, and that makes this a great time to buy a hybrid or electric vehicle," said John Krafcik, president of TrueCar. "With gasoline prices now averaging just $2.10 per gallon, and vehicle preferences tied so closely to short-term gasoline prices, automakers are heavily discounting their most fuel-efficient cars to clear inventories." Toyota's Prius, the world's best-selling alternative fuel vehicle for more than a decade, also makes January's list of best savings. Customers who purchase a Prius Two model this month can save 10 percent off the hybrid car's $25,025 MSRP. "Gasoline prices and vehicle type preferences are strongly related, and this relationship is cyclical in nature," said Krafcik.