1971 Ford Fairlane Torino on 2040-cars

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Feds looking into Ford Explorer exhaust leak complaints

There may be a burgeoning problem with exhaust leaks in the 2011-2014 model year Ford Explorer. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is examining multiple complaints of a gasoline smell in the cabin of these SUVs. However, the exact cause of this problem is still unknown.
"The agency is reviewing all available data and will take appropriate action as warranted," said a NHTSA spokesperson in an email to Automotive News. Owners seem to generally complain on the regulator's website of the smell entering the cabin through the air vents. At this time, the government organization has not yet opened an official investigation into the problem, though. When it does begin inspecting vehicles, NHTSA posts a detailed breakdown of its public data online.
Similar problems have been reported about the Explorer in the past, though. In 2013, Ford issued a recall for the 2013 model year of the SUV due to a fuel leak that could cause drivers to smell a gasoline odor and repaired them again later for another possible leak. In response to Autoblog's questions, Ford responded via email: "We are not aware of a NHTSA investigation. We are currently reviewing the case and in the event that any action is required, we will address it promptly."

Here's where you can see the Ford GT race in 2016

The vast majority of us will never get to drive the new Ford GT. Racing fans can, however, look forward to watching it race on tracks around the world. And with parallel entries in both the IMSA United SportsCar Championship and the FIA World Endurance Championship, Dearborn's new supercar will have a very busy schedule. So no matter where you live across the United States or around the world, chances are it'll be racing at a track near you. Chip Ganassi Racing will be campaigning the Ford GT here in America starting off in Florida at Daytona, then at Sebring. From there the circus crosses to the opposite coast to hit Long Beach and Laguna Seca in Florida, then heads north to Watkins Glen in upstate New York, Mosport in Canada, Lime Rock in Connecticut, and Road America in Wisconsin. Then it's down south again to VIR in Virginia, the Circuit of the Americas in Texas, and Road Atlanta in Georgia. Meanwhile overseas, Ganassi will be teaming up with Multimatic to field the new in the WEC that kicks off at Silvestone. Then it's off to Spa before the headline event at Le Mans. The Nurburgring is next, followed by Mexico and Austin, before heading over to Asia for races in Japan, Shanghai, and Bahrain. Drum up your level of excitement with the video below, featuring the big man Chip Ganassi himself and footage of the competition-spec Ford GT lapping Mosport. Related Video:

Nuclear-powered concept cars from the Atomic Age

In the 1950s and early 60s, the dawn of nuclear power was supposed to lead to a limitless consumer culture, a world of flying cars and autonomous kitchens all powered by clean energy. In Europe, it offered the then-limping continent a cheap, inexhaustible supply of power after years of rationing and infrastructure damage brought on by two World Wars.
The development of nuclear-powered submarines and ships during the 1940s and 50s led car designers to begin conceptualizing atomic vehicles. Fueled by a consistent reaction, these cars would theoretically produce no harmful byproducts and rarely need to refuel. Combining these vehicles with the new interstate system presented amazing potential for American mobility.
But the fantasy soon faded. There were just too many problems with the realities of nuclear power. For starters, the powerplant would be too small to attain a reaction unless the car contained weapons-grade atomic materials. Doing so would mean every fender-bender could result in a minor nuclear holocaust. Additionally, many of the designers assumed a lightweight shielding material or even forcefields would eventually be invented (they still haven't) to protect passengers from harmful radiation. Analyses of the atomic car concept at the time determined that a 50-ton lead barrier would be necessary to prevent exposure.