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Hawaii is first state to sue Takata

Hawaii became the first state to sue Takata Corp. alleging the company knowingly sold potentially defective airbags in a suit filed May 13. The state also claims Takata covered up data showing the airbags were a danger and then delayed recalling them. Hawaii also named Honda Motor Co., which owns part of Takata, and Honda's US affiliates, American Honda Motor Co., and Honda of America Manufacturing Inc., in the complaint. The state claims Takata switched to lower-cost ammonium nitrate for its airbag inflators, despite internal testing that the propellant was "unpredictable and prone to explode." Hawaii, which brought the suit through its Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs Office of Consumer Protection, is seeking the maximum civil penalty of $10,000 per violation. It also wants Takata to make restitution to owners, run an educational campaign to spur owners to get their cars fixed, and repay profits made from the faulty airbags. Faulty Takata airbags have killed 13 people and are estimated to have injured more than a 100 more. NHTSA says 28.8 million vehicles with the airbags have been recalled, and potentially 40 million more may need to be recalled. Related Video: Image Credit: Getty Images Government/Legal Honda Safety lawsuit Hawaii

Honda Insight finally, officially dead

Earlier this week, we told you that the Honda Insight was scheduled to get the axe - something that had been rumored for a long time. Now, Honda has officially confirmed that the Insight is being put out of our its misery. That's right, America's most affordable mass-produced hybrid will officially die after the 2014 model year, with production scheduled to end this summer. Honda says that, moving forward, it will focus its efforts on expanding its newer two-motor hybrid system found in the Accord. Of course, this news doesn't exactly give us much hope for the CR-Z hatchback's longevity, either. Scroll down for the official release.

McLaren F1 team sets deadline for engine decision amid Renault speculation

BUDAPEST - McLaren says the next five weeks will be the key to deciding which engine it will use next season, with speculation mounting that the former world champions could ditch Honda and switch to Renault. Chief operating officer Jonathan Neale told Reuters at the Hungarian Grand Prix that "everybody is talking to everybody," but time was running out. "We've got to land those decisions in the next four or five weeks," he said, speaking from a design perspective and because drivers like McLaren's Fernando Alonso were waiting to see what engines teams had before committing to new deals. "I think there is a solution out there for everybody and I hope it's one that will be able to retain Fernando in this team." McLaren scored their first double-points finish of the season in Budapest on Sunday with double world champion Alonso finishing sixth, a day after his 36th birthday, and Belgian Stoffel Vandoorne 10th. The nine points lifted McLaren off the bottom of the standings just before the August break and factory shutdown, a result that Neale compared to scoring a goal before halftime. Alonso's future is a key concern, with the Spaniard out of contract and saying McLaren needs to provide a competitive car to keep him. Honda's power unit has been beset with problems since the partnership started in 2015, the engine neither reliable nor competitive. Hungary, the slowest permanent circuit on the calendar, reduced those shortcomings, but the next two races in Belgium and Italy are two of the fastest, where engine horsepower is of critical importance. McLaren is Honda's sole team in Formula One. A proposed partnership with Sauber terminated last week with the Swiss team choosing to stay with Ferrari. A split from McLaren could force the Japanese manufacturer out of the sport, but Neale hinted at an alternative. "You'll have seen the media speculation that there's discussions with Toro Rosso," he said. Toro Rosso use Renault engines, but a switch to Honda — which could bring welcome funding to a team whose Red Bull parent has considered a sale in the past — would free the French units for McLaren. The Renault engine has won a race this season with Red Bull and could satisfy Alonso, who won both his titles with the French manufacturer. The other alternatives to Honda are Mercedes and Ferrari, but Neale recognized that putting a Ferrari engine in a McLaren, the Italian team's historic arch-rivals, was highly unlikely.