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100th Pikes Peak Hill Climb brings bad weather, heartbreak

Hill climb? Please. While Europeans spent the weekend driving up a nobleman's driveway at the Goodwood Festival of Speed, we in 'Murica got down and dirty with the 100th running up Pikes Peak. In a reversal of stereotypes, it is we who have understated. The "hill" climb ascends one of the tallest peaks in the Rockies, to a finish line that's 14,115 feet above sea level. To get there, it takes 156 turns over 12.42 miles, some of which just look like paved sky, because they have have no guardrails between the asphalt's edge and sheer dropoffs. In reality, the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb is even older than 100 years. The first event took place in 1916, but in 1917-19 and 1942-45, the so-called Race to the Clouds was put on hiatus due to a couple of world wars. This year's event was marked by damp weather that dashed the hopes of several teams' efforts to break new records. David Donner's Porsche 911 Turbo S Lightweight Package, for example, was widely expected to reclaim the production car record this year. Donner is a three-time PPIHC champ, and set the 2014 production car record in a 991-generation Turbo S.  A Bentley Continental GT piloted by Rhys Millen beat it in 2019, so Porsche was keen on taking it back. Donner broke the production qualifying time earlier in the week, but even the seasoned pro couldn't put his skills to tarmac due to moisture-laden surfaces and low-visibility from thick fog on race day. The result was 10:34.053, over 15 seconds slower than Millen's 10:18.488, still good enough to land the class's top spot and second overall. Acura arrived in Colorado to conduct its much-touted motorsports debut of the 2023 Integra. While the entry-level sports sedan, equipped with a stock engine but modified with a slew of HPD goodies, came in ninth in the production class, Acura didn't go home emptyhanded. A 2022 NSX Type S driven by Nick Robinson took the category's third spot. Taking second was Daijiro Yoshihara with a Tesla Model S. In recent years, electric cars have become a force to be reckoned with, especially since they are immune to high altitudes that negatively impact internal combustion cars. Poor conditions sent newcomer Levi Shirley's Ultra 4 buggy off course. Fortunately, it was near the lower sections, where there's still a significant amount of runoff past the pavement's end. Amazingly, Shirley landed wheels down in the video above, and simply continued driving through the pea soup haze.

Design Handbook explains the difference between design and styling

It's easy to confuse the terms 'design' and 'style,' but Jim Hall attempts to explain the difference between the two in his latest Design Handbook video column for Autoline. Before relating the terms to cars, Hall first uses other, non-automotive-related examples to prove his point, such as a well-designed glass versus a well-styled glass. Both do their job well as a result of good designs, he claims, but one stands out more because it also was styled.
When he relates his lesson to cars, he uses the 2013 Honda Accord and the new Chevrolet Impala as examples, but you'll have to watch the video below to find out which car he thinks is merely designed and which one has been styled.
We've also included a gallery of the Honda and a gallery of the Chevrolet so you can decide for yourself which one of these vehicles has been designed, and which one has been styled.

Honda and NHTSA report 11th death linked to Takata airbags

Honda and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration confirmed the 11th death due to a faulty Takata airbag today. A 50-year-old California woman died from injuries sustained after the recalled airbag inflator in her 2001 Honda Civic ruptured in a crash, Automotive News reports. The Civic in question was one of 313,000 Honda/ Acura vehicles built between 2001 and 2003 with a bad Takata airbag inflator. According to AN, Honda issued an initial airbag recall in 2008, eventually sending more than 20 notices to owners of affected vehicles. NHTSA issued a dire warning in June, suggesting owners stop driving cars with recalled inflators due to the "grave danger" they posed. In the case of the 2001-2003 Hondas and Acuras, NHTSA warned of as much as a 50 percent chance an airbag inflator would rupture if it wasn't replaced in a previous recall. Between now and 2019, NHTSA plans on recalling 70 million faulty Takata inflators. But as of October 7, only about 36 percent, or 11.4 million of the officially recalled inflators, have been pulled off the road. With 11 deaths and over 100 injuries linked to faulty Takata airbags, we implore owners of recalled vehicles (regardless of the make) to heed manufacturer recalls. Yes, it's annoying to stop by the dealership, but manufacturers issue recalls for your safety. Best to pay attention to them. Related Video: News Source: Automotive News - sub. req.Image Credit: Newsome Melton / Reuters Government/Legal Recalls Honda Safety Economy Cars Sedan airbag Takata airbag recall