Autoblog

Hyundai's all-new Genesis sedan made yet another smashing impression as it pulled-off perfect 5-star ratings in recent U.S. government testing conducted by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. The Korean luxury vehicle was sent into a fixed barrier at 35 mph with two crash dummies strapped inside. Once the dust settled, instruments revealed both front seat passengers would have had less than a 10 percent chance of injury -- results earning 5-star ratings. Front and rear seat side impact testing revealed a low probability of injury as well, also earning the car 5-star ratings. In NHTSA rollover testing, the Genesis exhibited less than a 10 percent chance of rollover, again placing it among the top performers in that category. The admirable crash test scores earned by Hyundai's first venture into the luxury segment are sure to give the competition even more sleepless nights, especially considering all that luxury and safety starts at just $33,000.

[Source: Hyundai, Safercar.gov]

Heated seats can be just what the doctor ordered in the middle of winter, but if you're trying to pass on your car-loving gene pool, you may be better off freezing. Scientists studying male fertility have discovered that the proliferation of heated seats raises the temperature of your junk by a full degree Fahrenheit verses sitting in the car without artificially warmed seats. That's enough to cut your chances of reproducing, and it makes us strategically point a fan at close range just thinking about it. Even without electronically warmed seat bottoms, guys that sit in the car for long periods of time raise the temperature of their man parts by a couple degrees above optimal sperm-making levels. Hmmm, just typing "above optimal sperm-making levels" makes us a bit queasy. The cure? Turn off the heated seats, wear boxers, and don't sit in the car for too long at once. OK... lets talk about something else.

[Source: Drive]

Pirelli has announced a further innovation in the ongoing quest to remove the driving from driving. Sensors have been stashed in tires already for the hasty implementation of TPMS, but Pirelli has taken it a step further, putting a sensor package on the tire carcass itself. One implementation of the "Cyber Tire" is the "Lean," which harnesses power from the vibrations of the vehicle and beams information including tire pressure, temperature, and load to the vehicle's computer.

Cyber Tire Lean is setting things rolling for the eventual trotting out of full-blown Cyber Tire, which will be built into the tire. The high tech rubber will be more sophisticated and capable of communicating directly with stability control and anti-lock brakes to improve the effectiveness of dynamic safety systems. Cyber Tire will also carry a three-axis accelerometer that will facilitate real-time calculations of friction coefficients, contact force, and load. Pirelli is most proud of the edge the Cyber Tire will give the nanny systems to catch and correct idiotic driving faster than ever before.

[Source: The Auto Channel via Gumball144]

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety took some GMC Acadias and smashed them up to see how the big crossovers hold up against immovable objects, and unlike recent tests conducted for the Chevy Equinox and Pontiac Torrent, the news is positive. An AWD Acadia SLE acted as a stand-in for all of the Lambda models - Buick Enclave, Chevrolet Traverse, Saturn Outlook, and all Acadia trims included. It didn't matter whether the IIHS attacked the front, side, or rear – the CUV earned a "good" rating in all directions. With the standard fitment of Stabilitrak, the IIHS also bestowed a Top Safety Pick crown on GM's big haulers. The Lambas now have both a five-star rating from the NHTSA and a Top Safety Pick designator about which to brag.

[Source: Inside Line]

Click above for high-res gallery of the smart fortwo

Of all the possible reasons that a vehicle could be recalled, a poor paint job doesn't at first seem all that newsworthy. After all, cars could theoretically be recalled for exploding gas tanks, runaway engines or any number of horror-inducing problems. Bad paint? No harm, no foul -- just take it back and have it repainted properly. Unless, of course, that paint problem could lead to the loss of your windshield or roof while driving. This is exactly the worry that the NHTSA has with 43 smart ForTwo's, all sold in 2008. It seems that some adhesive was laid over the problematic paint, and if the paint lets go... so does the glue. While it's never happened to us personally, we tend to agree with the NHTSA's assessment that the sudden loss of either the glass in front of you or the ceiling protecting your dome could potentially lead to a crash. Anybody who's concerned can contact their dealer, assuming that they haven't already been notified of the problem.


[Source: Next Autos]

According to Team BMW Sauber, it has "concluded their investigations into the KERS incident at Jerez." Incident? You mean that time when one of your mechanics was literally thrown to the ground after doing nothing more than touching your car? Right, that one. If you are truly interested in reading all of the techno-babble regarding why the experimental KERS hybrid system reached out and touched someone, click past the break for the details. Here are the highlights: It was an accident. The KERS control unit malfunctioned. Nobody was seriously hurt and nobody was ever in any real danger (Dr Evil: Riiight...). Christian Klein, the driver, was insulated from any shocks due to his race suit and gloves.

BMW Sauber has apparently fixed the problem and feels confident that it will be ready to continue testing in the Autumn. Recently, the BMW team voted in favor of running the KERS hybrid system for next year's race season, so it'll have to be ready to go sooner rather than later.

[Source: BMW]

There have got to be cheaper ways to go for a swim, but one driver apparently couldn't find one. The 33-year-old Dutch man from the town of Woerden in the Netherlands went by his local Audi dealership to check out a brand spankin' new R8 supercar... and then proceeded to drive it into the nearest river. The driver was reportedly speeding – 80 mph according to police, but closer to 125 if you ask some of the bystanders – in a 50 zone when he hit a bump, lost control and skidded into a dyke. Although local law enforcement authorities are reportedly investigating the incident, nobody was hurt. The same cannot be said, sadly, for the car, which is reportedly in a repair shop where the dealer's insurance company will surely declare it a write-off.

After Intersection magazine gave another Audi product the treatment by lowering it into a swimming pool in England – the same one that Jeremy Clarkson drove a Rolls-Royce into, by the looks of things – we can't help but wonder and worry if this isn't a developing trend. In the meantime, we'll do our part to remind the motoring public that although the R8 is an incredibly capable car, it is not a submersible Lotus. Thanks to everyone who sent in the tip.

[Source: AutoJunk.nl]

Click above for high-res gallery of each crash test

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety has released complete crash test scores today for eight SUVs including the 2009 Ford Escape, 2008 Mitsubishi Outlander, 2008 Nissan Rogue, 2009 VW Tiguan, 2008 Chevy Equinox/Pontiac Torrent, 2008 Jeep Wrangler 2-door, the Jeep Patriot and the Suzuki Grand Vitara. When we say complete crash tests, we mean the IIHS performed front, side and rear crash tests on all eight SUVs.

Each vehicle was given an overall rating of good, acceptable, marginal or poor, and the Escape, Outlander, Rogue and Tiguan earned good ratings in all three tests and, since they each come with electronic stability control as standard equipment, were also named Top Safety Picks by the IIHS. The rest of the group received either acceptable or marginal ratings in some tests, though the worst performing was the Jeep Wrangler 2-door. While the Jeep did earn a good rating in the frontal crash test, its side crash test was rated as poor, the lowest rating possible.

Automakers with SUVs that earned Top Safety Pick awards will now be touting their achievements from the rooftops. Ford has already started, noting in a press release that the Escape tops Toyota and Honda in combined safety and fuel efficiency ratings. Other automakers, meanwhile, are trying to explain away why their vehicles didn't perform as well in the IIHS tests. General Motors issued a press release noting that the Equinox and Torrent earned 5-stars in the NHTSA tests and that the IIHS side crash test is a "single and very sever test."

Follow the jump for the press release from the IIHS that explains their testing procedures and goes further into why each vehicle earned the ratings it did.


[Source: IIHS]

All owners of 2008 Honda Elements are being asked to stop driving their cars until they have had them inspected at their local Honda dealer. According to a recall issued by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the front bushing bracket of the left trailing arm of the rear suspension may have been improperly welded. If it fails, it could separate from the trailing arm causing the suspension to release part of the wheel hub, thus leading to a loss of control or crash. Although only 241 Elements are potentially affected (there are specific VIN number ranges during certain production dates), Honda is notifying all owners immediately and will inspect and replace defective parts at no charge. Rather than taking a risk, err on the side of safety and call your Honda dealer if you've got the keys to a 2008 Element in your pocket.

UPDATE: According to Honda spokesman Chris Martin all the affected owners were already notified before this story was published. Approximately half of the affected vehicles were unsold and sitting on dealer lots. Those have already been repaired. If you haven't already heard from Honda than you should be fine.

[Source: NHTSA via Carscoop]

Safer vehicles and increased law enforcement has resulted in the lowest driving fatality rate ever last year. There were 41,059 traffic deaths in 2007, down 1,600 from 2006. Fatalities are now at 1.37 per 100 million miles traveled, which is the lowest number since the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration started keeping track. The proliferation of safety technology, like side curtain air bags, stability control, and traction control, are apparently helping to make our roads safer, and good old-fashioned seat belts are being used more than ever. The "Click it or Ticket" campaign isn't the only way law enforcement has helped to lower fatalities either, as increased drunken driving patrols have lead to a 3.7% decline in deaths. Still, 13,000 people died last year as a result of drunken driving, which is 13,000 too many.

News on the safety front isn't as good for motorcycle drivers, though. A record 5,154 bikers lost their lives on U.S. roads in 2007, which is over 200 more than in 2006. Part of the reason for that increase is that there are more motorcycle drivers on the road, with 6 million motorcycles registered last year, up 2.2 million in the past decade.

[Source: Kicking Tires via CNN]