2002 Mini Cooper S Hatchback 2-door 1.6l on 2040-cars

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10 automakers sued over keyless ignitions

Keyless ignition has rapidly proliferated throughout the auto industry to become a fairly normal feature on new cars. It's supposed to offer the convenience of keeping the fob in your pocket and just pressing a button to drive away. However, ten major automakers are now being sued in US District Court over claims that the system is dangerous, Reuters reports. The suit alleges that people are forgetting to shut off the engine, and the lack of an idle timer is the cause for 13 deaths by carbon monoxide poisoning and multiple injuries. The suit currently includes 28 plaintiffs, according to Reuters, but the lawyers are asking for class-action status to potentially add many more. The case goes after a major swath of the industry, including BMW, Daimler, FCA, Ford, General Motors, Honda, Hyundai, Nissan, Toyota, and Volkswagen, plus their related brands like Acura, Infiniti, Mini, and Lexus. In all, over five million vehicles are affected. The assertion here is that people walk away from their vehicle without shutting it off because they believe the engine shuts off automatically. If parked in a garage, carbon monoxide can build up, leading to poisoning. The lawyers claim automakers know this is a problem and also cite 27 complaints to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration about the issue, according to Reuters. The plaintiffs are asking for an automatic shut-off and damages from the companies. These concerns have come up before, though. Toyota previously faced a lawsuit over a carbon monoxide death after a woman accidentally left her Lexus running. Also earlier this year, GM recalled 64,186 examples of the 2011-2013 Chevrolet Volt because owners weren't shutting them off. The problem resulted in two injuries, and the company released a software update to limit the idling time.

Major Alexa deal will bring Amazon services into more cars

Amazon and its personal assistance service Alexa are partnering with HERE Technologies to create a new connected mobility service powerhouse. Alexa will integrate with HERE's navigation and location services to offer what the two companies are calling a "true voice-first-navigation experience." Alexa will come pre-integrated with HERE navigation on-demand, which the automakers can then enable, which should help cut down on development time. One of the biggest features from this partnership is how directions could be offered and delivered using HERE's Open Location Platform (OLP). Currently, the OLP uses data from several car manufacturers to provide insights into real-time location and traffic. But on Alexa, this could be used to provide directional context. For example, Alexa could say, "Turn right after [such-and-such a building]" rather than just, "Turn right." Amazon has been testing the automotive waters throughout the past decade. Its home-based Alexa-enabled devices are already offered with connections to several manufacturers. To various degrees of integration, it can already pair with Ford, Genesis, Toyota, Lexus, Hyundai and BMW vehicles. At the end of 2018, Amazon took things a step further when it introduced the Echo Auto, a Bluetooth-connected Alexa assistant device that can be physically kept in a car. Currently only available by invitation (its production and distribution have been delayed), the $25 device is essentially a voice service that works together with smartphones and connects to a car's speakers. Users can command it to do a variety of things, including playing music, setting navigation, opening the garage door, finding local stores, making calls, setting reminders, and thousands of other "skills." According to The Verge, nearly 1 million people have already ordered the device. Some (well, probably few) may know HERE Technologies from its maps on Windows Phones. We all know how that turned out, though. Today, HERE has expanded into a multi-function suite that is available in multiple mediums, including many automotive applications. HERE Automotive's connected vehicle services include real-time traffic, parking, weather, fuel prices, hazard warnings, traffic sign integration, and even EV charging stations. These all incorporate and extend the use of HERE's location and tracking programming. HERE is already partnered with BMW, Audi, Daimler, Intel, Mobileye, NVIDIA, and has investments from Bosch, Continental and Pioneer.

2023 Mini John Cooper Works 1 to 6 Edition priced at $46,295

In May, Mini showed the Mini John Cooper Works 1 to 6 Edition. It memorializes Mini racing and the "pure essence of motorsport" as a JCW with a six-speed manual transmission, hence the 1 to 6 name. Copying the formula for the Clubman Final Edition, the 1 to 6 is almost only special badges, colors and materials; there's little more to this than a retail Mini JCW with a stick shift and three more horsepower. For that, Mini has added a nominal premium of $2,500. However, product planners have made the John Cooper Works in Iconic trim the canvas for this art, so the base price starts at $43,795 before any additional treats. This brings the price before options to $46,295.  The good news after that is that there aren't many other options to add. The Iconic trim throws heaps of equipment at the car, the special edition layout locks in colors and fabrics. The hatchback comes in Midnight Black body paint ornamented with a black roof. Piano Black accents are found on the grille surround, side scuttles and waistline finisher. The 18-inch Circuit Spoke rims come in Jet Black. The gray bonnet stripe is composed of shift pattern line drawings, the same shift pattern showing up on the tailgate in black. Red, white and silver 1 to 6 badges appear on the side scuttles and C-pillars. The black and gray interior shows off an anthracite-colored headliner, illuminated red bezel for the instrument cluster, red ambient lighting, badged floor mats and, of course, the stick shift with special stitching. "One of 999" appears in places like the sunroof, steering wheel and instrument panel. If Mini will allow add-ons, the configurator on the retail site shows the only tweaks left are convenience features like adaptive cruise control for $500 and utilities like roof rails for $250. The 999 examples for global buyers are being served up on a first-come-first-serve basis. Preorders are open now, a $500 deposit holds a place in line. Deposits are expected to start in Q3 this year. Related video: This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. 28 Women Stuff Into a Mini, Set Guinness World Record! | Autoblog