2006 Chevrolet Cobalt Ls on 2040-cars

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New Forza Horizon 2 pack features Chevy Monte Carlo SS, Audi RS6 Avant [w/video]

The latest car pack for Forza Horizon 2 is hitting Xbox Live today, giving Xbox One owners a shot at six new vehicles that date back to 1970. Leading the charge in the hearts and minds of the Autoblog staff is, of course, the 1988 Chevrolet Monte Carlo SS, one of the most 80s-tastic performance coupes of its time. Chevy's 80s-era NASCAR representative is joined by another General Motors performance two-door, in the form of the 1970 Buick GSX. Complete with a 455-cubic-inch V8, the GSX could best be thought of as the grandpappy to the iconic GNX of the late 1980s. Crossing the pond, we have a trio of offerings from the United Kingdom, with the 2002 Lotus Esprit V8, the redesigned, aluminum-intensive 2014 Land Rover Range Rover Supercharged and finally, the 2015 McLaren 650S. The mid-engined offerings should be a riot on the winding roads of Forza Horizon 2's European locales, while the Range Rover should make cross-country efforts an absolute breeze. Finally, virtual wagon lovers will be able to enjoy the 2015 Audi RS6 Avant and its combination of Quattro all-wheel drive and a twin-turbocharged V8. As per usual, this latest car pack will be available to gamers for $5 while season pass owners will score the sextet of vehicles for free. Scroll down for a video of the new offerings in action, as well as the official press release from Turn 10 Studios. "Forza Horizon 2" NAPA® Chassis Car Pack Now Available The roads and countryside of "Forza Horizon 2" beg for you to leave your mark on them. The NAPA® Chassis Car Pack for "Forza Horizon 2" on Xbox One has arrived, bringing five amazing new cars to blaze trails, break records, or just enjoy a casual cruise in. First off, the new McLaren 650S Coupe's uncanny acceleration and preposterous top speed will satisfy the elitist in you. If you want get away from it all, there's no better way than in the Supercharged Land Rover. Need muscle? Take the classic form of the Buick GSX or the later model Monte Carlo SS for a spin. We all need more wagon in our lives and the Audi RS6 is ready to run around town or serve up surprises at the track. The NAPA® Chassis Car Pack for "Forza Horizon 2" on Xbox One is available today for $5 in the Xbox Live store. Starting today, also available this month for free for all Xbox One players is the 2002 Lotus Esprit V8.

Fingers point to dragged-out NHTSA investigation after second death by ARC airbag inflator

Safety advocates have increased criticism of the federal government's National Highway Traffic Safety Administration after an exploding airbag inflator that's been under investigation for more than six years killed a second person.  On Wednesday, NHTSA posted recall documents filed by General Motors that revealed the second death, the driver of a 2015 Chevrolet Traverse SUV with an inflator made by Tennessee company ARC blew apart, spewing shrapnel. No details were given about where and when the death occurred. NHTSA has said that ARC Automotive of Knoxville has manufactured about 8 million inflators used nationwide in vehicles made by General Motors, Fiat Chrysler (now Stellantis), Kia and Hyundai. “NHTSA should have been all over this along time ago,” said Rosemary Shahan, president of California-based Consumers for Auto Reliability and Safety. “There's just no denying that itÂ’s a (safety) defect.” NHTSA, the agency charged with with keeping America's automobiles and roads safe, began investigating ARC inflators in July of 2015 after two people were injured by flying shrapnel. The investigation became more urgent in 2016, when a Canadian woman driving an older Hyundai Elantra was killed by metal airbag fragments. Public records show only a little progress on the probe. In April, the agency posted a memo in saying it was reviewing volumes of information it received from ARC. Safety advocates such as Shahan say that the dragged-out investigation is an example of the deadly consequences that can result from an understaffed and underfunded agency. The second death should not have happened, Shahan said, and vehicles with faulty ARC inflators should have been recalled faster. The agency, Shahan said, is “grossly underfunded," but it still should have sought recalls of the ARC inflators. She said historically NHTSA has taken little action during Republican administrations but has ramped up safety efforts when Democrats control the White House. Messages were left Wednesday by the Associated Press seeking comment from NHTSA and ARC. At this time, relatively few vehicles are effected. The GM recall covers only 550 Chevy Traverse SUVs from the 2013 through 2017 model years, as well as Buick Enclave SUVs from 2008 through 2017. The automaker said in a statement that the faulty front driver's airbag inflators were either installed at the factory or in replacement airbag modules.

GM recalls select Chevy Cruze, Sonic and Buick Verano models over airbag issue

General Motors is recalling certain 2012 Buick Verano, Chevrolet Cruze and Sonic models due to a defect in the driver's airbag system. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the airbag has a shorting bar which may contact two internal terminals. If that happens during a crash, the supplemental restraint may not deploy, increasing the risk of driver injury. The recall includes a total of 2,949 units.
GM will contact owners and replace the steering wheel airbag coil at no cost. At this point, it's unclear when the recall will begin, though owners may contact the automaker at 1-800-521-7300 for more information. You may also take a closer look at the full NHTSA notice below.