Articles by Kurt Ernst

Just two years after Toyota paid fines totaling US $48.8 million, including a then-record single fine of $16.4 million, the automaker has been hit with a new $17.4 million fine in the US over a delayed pedal entrapment recall on 2010 Lexus RX 350 and RX 450h models.The NHTSA contacted Toyota in May, after receiving several reports of pedal entrapment from owners of 2010 Lexus RX models. In June, Toyota responded to the NHTSA, admitting that 63 such incidents, some dating back to 2009, had been reported on the Lexus crossover.Toyota then followed up with the recall of some 150,000 RX models, including both gas and hybrid variants, but the NHTSA saw the response as coming too late after the initial reports. In turn, it’s fined Toyota $17.4 million over the incident, the highest amount ever charged to an automaker.As part of the settlement, Toyota avoids admitting it was at fault in the incident, but agrees to further restructuring of its quality assurance group. It will also undertake a review of all safety-related issues as a result of this latest fine.www.motorauthority.com 

We recently brought you news that General Motors had filed trademarks on the names “El Camino” and “Nomad” -- both iconic vehicles from the Chevrolet brand’s past.  That quickly led to speculation that General Motors was considering a revival for both products, with the Holden Commodore Ute imported as the El Camino and the Holden Commodore Sportwagon appearing as the Nomad. A spokesman for Holden stated that no decision on further exports (beyond the Holden Commodore sedan, which will hit U.S. showrooms in 2013 as the 2014 Chevy SS) had been made, but cited a new free trade agreement between Australia and the US as evidence that the option was potentially open. Now, a General Motors spokesman has explained to industry journal Automotive News that the trademark filings were nothing more than procedural, saying, “We trademark these names as needed to protect them as a matter of practice.” For now, anyway, US fans of the El Camino, a car-based compact pickup, and the Nomad, a two-door station wagon launched in 1955, will have to hope that GM rethinks its position on importing additional Holden models. Before that will happen, though, the Chevrolet SS needs to prove itself in the market. We’ll know the chances of that soon enough, as General Motors will debut the 2014 Chevrolet SS (alongside the new Holden Commodore) at Speed Week in Daytona Beach, Florida, in February 2013. MotorAuthority  

Billing it as “a global concept model combining a sporty and dynamic SUV profile with a spacious, functional interior,” Honda has teased a new, compact “Urban SUV Concept” that it will debut at the Detroit Auto Show in January 2013. Though Honda failed to release any details with its teaser image, we can see that the concept borrows heavily from the current CR-V’s school of design. Given the “global” and “urban” descriptors, we’d expect it to be quite a bit smaller than the current CR-V, which likely puts it in the same segment as the MINI Cooper Countryman. Honda was rumoured to be working on a crossover based on its popular Fit hatchback, which would likely put it in the subcompact category instead of the compact category. At the same time, though, three crossovers that differ only slightly in size don't make a sound business case, so we're not sure where this concept will be positioned (if Honda decides to build it). Honda plans to reveal the Urban SUV Concept at its Detroit Auto Show press conference, and those not in attendance can still follow along via a live streaming webcast. 'The Car Connection'  

Supercar builder Koenigsegg isn’t known for subtlety in either design or performance, so when word spreads that the Swedish automaker is building its most extreme car yet, we tend to listen closely. Dubbed the One:1 in reference to the car’s power-to-weight ratio (one horsepower for every kilogram), Cars UK says that only five examples of Koenigsegg’s latest masterpiece will be built. Targeted at customers in China, it’s unclear if the One:1 will even be offered in other markets. Similar in size to Koenigsegg’s Agera R, the One:1 is expected to be lighter than the production model, and Cars UK speculates that output will range between 932 and 1006kW. That could very well make the One:1 faster than a Bugatti Veyron Super Sport, which can sprint from 0-100km/h in a mere 2.5 seconds. Expect the Koenigsegg One:1 to be priced in Bugatti Veyron territory, too. Though the car has yet to be finalised, Christian von Koenigsegg is targeting a selling price of roughly $2 million. That makes it on par with the Bugatti Veyron Grand Sport, but significantly less than the Grand Sport Vitesse, likely its main performance rival. When you look at it that way, the $2 million Koenigsegg One:1 is a solid bargain, especially in light of its limited production numbers. If you have that sort of money. www.motorauthority.com  

...the car will get a featured role in the upcoming The Fast And The Furious 6,  tentatively set for release in May of 2013.Motor Trend reports that Subaru has delivered five BRZ coupes to the film’s production company, which can’t make customers awaiting delivery of the rarer-than-honest-politicians coupe very happy. It’s one thing to see your car on screen, but it’s something else when it means waiting longer for delivery.As with previous Fast and the Furious installments, expect the BRZ to appear wearing a full aero kit, complete with splitters, diffusers, side skirts and an almost comically-large rear wing. There’s no doubt that the horsepower will be upped, too, and we’d expect to see both forced induction and nitrous injection if the car has a starring role.If Subaru has delivered five BRZs, we suspect it may be featured in the film, and even Motor Trend seems to suggest it will be driven by one of the main actors, including Vin Diesel, Paul Walker or Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson.It’ll likely be crashed, too, so we’ll offer up this free advice ahead of the film’s release: if you’re awaiting delivery of your own BRZ coupe and the thought of seeing one destroyed on screen makes you nauseous, you may want to wait for the film’s release to video.www.motorauthority.com 

Calling the new Jaguar F-Type convertible a milestone for the storied automaker is no exaggeration, as it’s the first no-compromise sports car from the brand in decades. It’s clear that Jaguar invested a significant amount of time and effort into its creation, and now that the car is nearing production we have to wonder what’s next from Jaguar. Autocar believes it has the answer, based on statements from Jaguar head Adrian Hallmark. First, Hallmark clarified the company’s position on the F-Type, saying, “Without the F-Type, our heritage would not be complete. The F-Type is the core of our range, and from now on it is our orientation point.” Saying that an SUV/crossover and a compact sedan are the most likely new products from Jaguar, Hallmark emphasised that “Whatever we do will be driven by the three pillars of our brand: innovation, design and performance leadership. Those three can be applied to different degrees in cars, but they must always be present.” Perhaps even before a Jaguar crossover or sub-XF sedan can be launched, expectations are that Jaguar will introduce a coupe version of the F-Type, to better counter rival products like the Porsche 911 and the Aston Martin V8 Vantage. When an F-Type coupe will hit the market is anyone’s guess, but popular opinion has it following a year after the convertible’s launch. Whatever product is next in line, one thing is clear: based on Hallmark’s statements, it will be exceptional in design and in the driving experience. We’ve been impressed with Jaguar’s progress in recent years, so we’re not surprised to witness the brand’s ongoing success. www.motorauthority.com  

MINI’s latest effort, the Paceman Coupe, is set to be revealed in production form at this month’s Paris Auto Show. The automaker also featured the upcoming Countryman-based coupe in an online article on the London food scene, inadvertently releasing this particular cat from its bag earlier than intended.Motoringfile, a site dedicated to all things MINI, was the first to (unofficially) post the photos, which it believed were fair game after having been shown on MINI Space, an official MINI site. “Not so fast,” said MINI, requesting that Motoringfile remove the images until it was ready to release them. In turn, MINI Space pulled the article down as well.Since there are no secrets on the internet, the images are now in general distribution, prompting Motoringfile to post them up again. Expect to be flooded with more images as we get closer to the opening of the Paris Auto Show, as the Paceman represents a fairly significant departure from the ordinary for MINI.More than a few people have pointed out the design similarities between the Paceman and Range Rover’s uber-popular Evoque, and it’s easy to see the styling influences on MINI’s latest. The gently falling roof, coupled with a rising beltline and blacked-out A, B and C-pillars, convey a sense of motion on both vehicles, and both are offered in front or all-wheel-drive.We say that’s where the similarities end, especially when it comes to personalities, We (obviously) haven’t driven the Paceman yet, but we expect it will be a much different animal than the Range Rover Evoque.Motor Authority 

Developing a world-class supercar like the Lexus LFA from a clean sheet of paper is no easy task, and turning that supercar (or supercar prototype) into a competitive endurance racer is an order of magnitude more difficult.Taking that race car to compete with long-dominant German automakers, in their own backyard, almost borders on insanity. Japan’s Gazoo Racing has been working with Toyota's luxury brand since 2008 to develop an SP8 class endurance racer based on the Lexus LFA, capable of winning the gruelling Nürburgring 24 hour race.The last time a non-German car took home a win was 2002, when a Dodge Viper GTS-R took the overall win for the second year in a row. While early LFA endurance racers were less-than-competitive and plagued with mechanical difficulties, Gazoo Racing managed an SP8 class victory and a 15th place overall finish in 2012.That’s even more remarkable when you consider that the team finished 41st overall in 2011, just one year earlier. To mark five years of blood, sweat and tears at the Nürburgring, Gazoo Racing has posted a video of highlights from 2008 through 2012.  While we’re sure there are moments the team would like to forget, the trophies from the 2012 race clearly show that hard work and dedication produce results.Motor Authority 

The mini Mini is designed to shuttle track and field projectiles (like javelins, hammers, shot and discuses) back to competing athletes, saving valuable time during events. With a load capacity of eight kilograms, each car can carry a single hammer, discus or shot, or two javelins back to a competing Olympian.  Sprayed in True Blue paint with the London 2012 Games logo and a white roof, each mini Mini is a 1/4 scale replica of a Mini Cooper hatchback. A removable sunroof panel allows access to the equipment storage area, although we’d imagine that hauling javelins requires the use of an optional roof rack.  Each of the model cars is powered by a 10 horsepower electric motor with 35 minutes of usage time per battery pack. Grass tires, heavy duty shocks and vented disc brakes ensure that Mini's latest electric offering is capable of fielding whatever chores are thrown at it. Literally.  The RC Minis have likely been seeing heavy use throughout the games, with each covering an estimated 6km per four-hour shift. Over the nine days of the Olympic Games, each will rack up some 54km of hard use. There are no plans to put the mini Mini into production, although we’re fairly certain that Mini aficionados have already made generous offers to purchase the three built for the London 2012 Olympic Games.  

Legal obligations aside, let us throw out a moral question: if you saw someone motionless in the street, critically injured following a hit and run accident, would you phone for police and render aid, or would you snap a pic of the dying victim and Tweet about it? A nineteen-year-old driver in Edinburgh, Scotland, opted to do the latter when he saw a body in the road outside Edinburgh’s Ocean Terminal. The injured man, who had been sleeping in the road prior to being struck by a car, was later pronounced dead at the Edinburg Royal Infirmary. According to The Daily Record, the driver in question, 19-year-old Ikram Choudhury, came upon the scene at roughly 1:55 in the morning. Stopping his car, Choudhury snapped a picture of the victim on his smartphone, then tweeted, “Eeeehm wtf? Some guy just casually lying outside Ocean Terminal.” Choudhury then returned to his car and drove home, never checking on the victim and never dialing 999, the U.K. equivalent of our 000. Police arrived on scene at 2:10 a.m. and immediately called for an ambulance, but the victim later succumbed to his injuries. Choudhury’s picture of the victim remained on his Twitter feed for some eight hours, until police asked him to take it down. In Choudhury’s defense, he didn’t witness the hit and run accident and likely assumed the man was just another homeless guy, sleeping off a drunk in a rather inappropriate place. Still, common sense would have dictated a call to 999 to report a body in the road. Police have cleared Choudhury in the actual hit and run, but the teen driver may still face charges for failing to render aid. Let this be a reminder to all of us that life is more than an opportunity for social media recognition. The real world, with real people, real drama and, occasionally, real danger, lies beyond our computers, tablets and smartphones. Motor Authority