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New Tesla, McLaren, and Ferrari models added to Takata recall list

UPDATE: A McLaren spokesperson confirmed to Autoblog that "a number" of McLaren models in the US, Japan, and South Korea will be recalled to fix non-dessicated airbag inflators. However, the recall only affects passenger airbags, as all driver's-side inflators use a different technology and are not affected. The timeline is still being determined. It's been more than two and a half years since the Takata airbag recall first made waves. Despite knowing which airbags were at fault and the exact cause of the failure, manufacturers like Audi, Ferrari, McLaren, and Tesla have been building and selling cars with defective airbags. Although it takes several years for the airbag to degrade to the point of failure, all of these new cars will eventually have to be recalled for replacements. It appears that time has come, as the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has now issued a recall on some of these new models. Models from Tesla and McLaren have been added to NHTSA's recall list for the first time. Tesla is recalling every 2012 - 2016 Model S while McLaren is bringing back every model it's made since relaunching its road-car business in 2012. Not even the P1 is free from failure. Other automakers have expanded their affected-vehicle list. All of Ferrari's 2016 - 2017 lineup now falls under the recall and joins a number of previously recalled models, while Audi is recalling the 2017 R8. Since the recall started, dozens of automakers have recalled millions of affected cars to replace potentially fatal and highly flawed airbags that can deploy bits of metal at occupants. Eleven deaths in the United States are directly related to the faulty airbags. Before the recall, Takata held a sizable share of the airbag market. When the failures began to occur, some automakers were left with no alternative suppliers. As it takes a few years for the airbags to fail, automakers without other options faced a choice: they could either build cars that would be recalled in the future or stop building cars altogether until a secondary supplier could be found. These recalls seem to be happening so frequently that owners may not know what to do or where to check to see if their car is potentially affected. NHTSA is keeping a comprehensive list of all affected models. Their website can help owners determine if they have a potentially problematic airbag installed and the steps to take to replace it.

Audi S1 officially shows itself as 228-hp hot hatch [w/video]

We got the first leaked pics of the new Audi S1 Sportback five-door hot hatch yesterday, and as expected, Audi has unloaded the full details today, including confirmation of its S1 three-door sibling ahead of its debut at next month's Geneva Motor Show. The two cars are essentially identical aside from their door counts, and together, they represent a new entry-level rung into Audi's S car range.
The subcompact S1 is propelled by Audi's ubiquitous 2.0 TFSI four-cylinder, tuned here to produce 228 horsepower and 279 pound-feet with a six-speed manual transmission and all-wheel drive. The potent combo accelerates the S1 to 62 miles per hour in 5.8 seconds (5.9 seconds for the Sportback) and on to a top speed of 155 mph. Fuel economy is rated at an average 33.6 miles per gallon (40.3 mpg UK) in the UK cycle. The S also gets a completely different four-link independent suspension to replace the less sophisticated torsion beam setup found in the standard A1.
Styling also gets a bump in aggressiveness that befit the S1's performance upgrades. In addition to a new body kit with a lower front air dam and 17-inch wheels, the S1 comes standard with Xenon headlights, LED taillights and two new available exterior colors ­- Vegas Yellow and Sepang Blue. The interior gets combination leather and cloth sport seats, piano black trim and a retractable 6.5-inch color infotainment display.

Recharge Wrap-up: BMW i8's Engine of the Year, biodiesel producer guilty

BMW has won International Engine of the Year for the hybrid system in the i8. The i8 PHEV uses a 1.5-liter, three-cylinder gasoline engine with a hybrid drive unit including a 96-kilowatt electric motor. BMW beat Ford's 1.0-liter EcoBoost engine by a small margin to win the award for best overall engine. It also took the award for the 1.4-liter to 1.8-liter category, as well as best new engine. Tesla beat BMW to win the green engine category for the electric powertrain of the Tesla Model S. Read more at Green Car Congress, or see all of the results from the International Engine of the Year Awards. The head of Audi powertain development is quitting as the automaker steps up electrification. Stefan Knirsch has worked at Audi since late 2013, and previously worked at Porsche as the head of quality management and engine development. Germany's Auto Motor und Sport magazine had reported that Knirsch was leaving Audi, which Audi confirmed without giving a departure date or saying if he would be working elsewhere. Audi has been feeling pressure from its competitor Mercedes-Benz, and has been working on improving its EV offerings and autonomous vehicle technology. Read more from Reuters. The owner of a biodiesel company has pleaded guilty to fraud. Philip Joseph Rivkin, aka Felipe Poitan Arriaga, took part in a scheme to defraud the EPA, falsely claiming to be producing millions of gallons of biodiesel. This allowed his company, Green Diesel, to receive renewable fuel credits and sell them to oil companies and brokers. "These crimes are a serious threat to an important program that helps combat climate change," says Cynthia Giles of the EPA. "Companies and individual managers should get the message that there are serious consequences for breaking the rules and undermining the integrity of this program." Rivkin faces over 10 years in prison and $51 million in restitution. Read more in the press release below. Biodiesel Fuel Company Owner Pleads Guilty to Fraud and Clean Air Act Crimes Connected to Renewable Fuels Scheme Philip J. Rivkin faces more than 10 years imprisonment and $51 million in restitution WASHINGTON – Philip Joseph Rivkin, a.k.a. Felipe Poitan Arriaga, 50, today pleaded guilty to a Clean Air Act false statement and mail fraud as part of his role in a scheme to defraud EPA by falsely representing that he was producing millions of gallons of biodiesel fuel.