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2019 Hyundai Veloster N revealed with 275 horsepower

Hyundai has finally revealed the first N model to come to the U.S., the Veloster N, and it's basically the i30 N's funkier cousin. Under the hood is the very same turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder cranking out 275 horsepower and 260 pound-feet of torque. That power goes to a 6-speed manual transmission that features an automatic rev-matching system for downshifts, and on to the front wheels by way of an electronic limited-slip differential. Backing up the power is a suspension that is adjustable for damping via the various drive modes on the car, which also adjust throttle response, rev-matching characteristics, steering, differential settings and the exhaust note. The Veloster N also has standard 225-mm wide high-performance summer tires on 18-inch wheels, which can be swapped for 19-inch wheels with 235-mm wide high-performance summer tires. There are two sets of brakes available, too. The standard front rotors are 13 inches and the rears are 11.8 inches, and the optional set are 13.6 inches in the front and 12.4 inches in the rear. Of course all of these performance upgrades need more visual flair, which the Veloster N proudly displays. Up front it has a more aggressive front fascia with red accents around the grille. There are vents behind the grilles that direct air toward the brakes for additional cooling. More aggressive side skirts and a faux rear diffuser with split dual-exhaust tips complete the look of the lower body, while a big wing caps it off. That big wing also has a triangular high-mount brake light just like the i30 N. The exterior can be coated in one of four colors, white, black, red, or the trademark light blue of N. The interior gets some updates, too in the way of cloth sports seats, an N steering wheel with buttons in that same blue color, and shift indicator lights appear on the instrument panel. Production of the Veloster N begins this September, and they will be available at dealers in the fourth quarter of this year. If you can't wait, though, the car will be available for download and virtual driving in Forza Motorsport 7 on January 16. Related Video: Featured Gallery 2019 Hyundai Veloster N: Detroit 2018 View 16 Photos Related Gallery 2019 Hyundai Veloster N View 25 Photos Image Credit: Live photos copyright 2018 Drew Phillips / Autoblog.com Detroit Auto Show Hyundai Hatchback Performance 2018 detroit auto show hyundai veloster n

Recharge Wrap-up: Batty battery covers, Mercedes at Silvretta, new Hyundai Sonata Hybrid available in 2015

Apparently, Chevrolet Volt battery covers make suitable homes for bats. As part of an Eagle Scout project, Matthew Netherland created 30 bat houses out of scrapped Volt battery covers donated by Chevy. 22 of the bat houses will be set up near hydroelectric dams in Michigan. Each bat house will accommodate 100 bats, and divert the scrapped materials from the landfill. The battery covers also make great nesting boxes for wood ducks, which General Motors has previously set up at its Milford, Michigan Proving Ground. Last weekend was the Silvretta E-Auto Rally, which saw emissions-free vehicles cross the Montafon Mountains in Austria, including cars from Mercedes-Benz. These cars included the B-Class Electric Drive, B-Class F-Cell, SLS AMG Electric Drive and even the Smart Fortwo Electric Drive. Also on hand for the Silvretta Classic Rally was a V8-powered C111, a 1978 Mercedes-Benz 450 SLC and 300 SL Roadster. Read more in the press release, below. BMW has finalized pricing for the i8 in the US at $135,700 (plus $925 in destination charges). In addition to the base price tag, which we've known for a while, BMW Blog has the complete pricing guide with options and packages. Most of the i8 orders were the Pure Impulse World package, which includes various aesthetic upgrades. It also provides membership to the BMW i Pure Impulse Program, which allows you to "to enjoy innovative ideas and trends in a variety of areas, including home styling, culture, gourmet gastronomy, design and many more." Head over to BMW Blog for more information. The new generation of the Hyundai Sonata Hybrid will arrive later than the rest of the model lineup, confirms Car and Driver. While the gas-powered Sonatas get updated now for the 2015 model year, the Hybrid remains unchanged until late this year or early 2015, when it will arrive as a 2016 model. Hyundai is offering a 2015 Sonata Eco edition, but with 28 miles per gallon in the city and 38 mpg highway (32 combined), it's not quite as appealing as the current Sonata Hybrid's 36/40/38 figures. Read more here. In June, average US fuel economy was 25.5 miles per gallon, making it the fifth straight month above 25 mpg, according to University of Michigan. The average window sticker ratings from vehicles sold in June dropped slightly from 25.6 mpg in May. The year started at 24.9 mpg in January, and hasn't dropped below 25 mpg since.

Are old airbags killers?

Takata airbags may not be the only ones with some very serious problems. A new report from TheDetroitBureau.com claims that the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has opened its second investigation into bad airbag inflators, and this time, they aren't from Takata. The focus of this latest case is on the airbag inflators in some 500,000 older Chrysler Town and Country minivans and Kia Optima sedans, all of which come from ARC Automotive. While the Takata case looks at problems stemming from the engineering and production process, the ARC investigation focuses on the age of the inflators. As TDB explains, airbag inflators are essentially what the military refers to as shaped charges, sort of like Claymores (for fans of the Call of Duty series). In combat, they blow up in a specific direction, protecting those behind the explosion, although in the case of airbags, the explosion "[creates] a precise rush of hot gases" that inflate the bags. NHTSA's worry is that with the increased average age of today's vehicles, years and years of being bounced, jolted, and shaken about and exposed to often-radical temperature changes have altered the nature of the explosives in these vehicles, causing too big of an explosion. "It may be a reasonable assumption that as these things age they deteriorate." – Analyst George Peterson "It may be a reasonable assumption that as these things age they deteriorate," analyst George Peterson told TheDetroitBureau.com. NHTSA boss Mark Rosekind backed up aging angle. "Cars are lasting on the road a lot longer than ever before," Rosekind told TDB, adding that seals could start breaking down. "Is aging now an issue? That's part of the investigation going on." NHTSA has only identified two "incidents" so far, although according to Center for Auto Safety Director Clarence Ditlow, there's genuine concern that there could be additional unidentified cases. "Could we have missed more? That could be the case," Ditlow told TDB, citing the misidentified deaths in the Takata investigation. Ditlow was quick to point out that, even in older vehicles, airbags are much more likely to protect than harm. "No one is saying you should disable your airbags," the safety advocate told TDB. "You're far more likely to be helped than hurt by one if they go off." At least one automaker, meanwhile, has already been advised of the investigation by NHTSA and is checking its airbags.