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Brand new cars are being sold with defective Takata airbags

If you just bought a 2016 Audi TT, 2017 Audi R8, 2016–17 Mitsubishi i-MiEV, or 2016 Volkswagen CC, we have some unsettling news for you. A report provided to a US Senate committee that oversees the US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and reported on by Automotive News claims these vehicles were sold with defective Takata airbags. And it gets worse. Toyota and FCA are called out in the report for continuing to build vehicles that will need to be recalled down the line for the same issue. That's not all. The report also states that of the airbags that have been replaced already in the Takata recall campaign, 2.1 million will need to eventually be replaced again. They don't have the drying agent that prevents the degradation of the ammonium nitrate, which can lead to explosions that can destroy the airbag housing and propel metal fragments at occupants. So these airbags are out there already. We're not done yet. There's also a stockpile of about 580,000 airbags waiting to be installed in cars coming in to have their defective airbags replaced. These 580k airbags also don't have the drying agent. They'll need to be replaced down the road, too. A new vehicle with a defective Takata airbag should be safe to drive, but that margin of safety decreases with time. If all this has you spinning around in a frustrated, agitated mess, there's a silver lining that is better than it sounds. So take a breath, run your fingers through your hair, and read on. Our best evidence right now demonstrates that defective Takata airbags – those without the drying agent that prevents humidity from degrading the ammonium nitrate propellant – aren't dangerous yet. It takes a long period of time combined with high humidity for them to reach the point where they can rupture their housing and cause serious injury. It's a matter of years, not days. So a new vehicle with a defective Takata airbag should be safe to drive, but that margin of safety decreases with time – and six years seems to be about as early as the degradation happens in the worst possible scenario. All this is small comfort for the millions of people who just realized their brand-new car has a time bomb installed in the wheel or dashboard, or the owners who waited patiently to have their airbags replaced only to discover that the new airbag is probably defective in the same way (although newer and safer!) as the old one.

Autoblog Podcast #392

Episode #392 of the Autoblog Podcast is here, and this week, Dan Roth, Steven Ewing, and Chris Paukert talk about recent confessions by Autoblog Editors, the unconfirmed rumors that the 2015 Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat will show up at the Woodward Dream Cruise, and the release of the North American Car and Truck of the Year long list. We start with what's in the garage and finish up with some of your questions, and for those of you who hung with us live on our UStream channel, thanks for taking the time. Check out the new rundown below with times for topics, and you can follow along down below with our Q&A. Thanks for listening! Autoblog Podcast #392: The video meant to be presented here is no longer available. Sorry for the inconvenience. Topics: Autoblog editors come clean Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat to debut at Woodward Dream Cruise NACTOY long list released In The Autoblog Garage: 2015 Jaguar F-Type Coupe 2015 Subaru Legacy Limited 2015 Audi S8 2015 Alfa Romeo 4C Hosts: Dan Roth, Steven Ewing, Chris Paukert Runtime: 01:48:05 Rundown: Intro and Garage - 00:00 Editor Confessions - 34:48 Hellcat Charger Unveil - 59:56 NACTOY Long List - 01:09:51 Q&A - 01:25:43 Get the podcast: [UStream] Listen live on Mondays at 10 PM Eastern at UStream [iTunes] Subscribe to the Autoblog Podcast in iTunes [RSS] Add the Autoblog Podcast feed to your RSS aggregator [MP3] Download the MP3 directly Feedback: Email: Podcast at Autoblog dot com Review the show in iTunes

2019 Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat Redeye is the Demon spawn

The Demon has passed from us, but the Demon's spawn are here, so please allow them to introduce themselves. A new demi-Demon trim level has been anointed as the 2019 Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat Redeye. Plus there's an updated Challenger SRT Hellcat and new Challenger R/T Scat Pack Widebody. Like with the Charger introduced this morning, they have inherited some of the best parts from the Demon. The Hellcat Redeye is possessed by the Demon's howling supercharged 6.2-liter Hemi, making 797 horsepower and 707 pound-feet of torque. Dodge proclaims it the "most powerful production V8" and "quickest production muscle car," with a 0-60 time of 3.4 seconds and quarter-mile time of 10.8 seconds at 131 mph. Top speed: 203 mph. Dodge can claim these superlatives, of course, because the 840-horsepower Demon's limited production run has ended. The Hellcat Redeye's Hemi is paired with an eight-speed automatic. Dodge says the powerplant gets 25 major component upgrades, including a larger supercharger (2.7 liters, up from 2.4) with higher boost pressure (14.5 psi, up from 11.6), strengthened connecting rods, pistons and valve train, high-capacity fuel injection system and improved lubrication. It gets a second fuel pump and a higher redline of 6,500 rpm. Theoretically, if you were someplace where you could operate at full throttle without letting up, Dodge says the Hemi would drain the fuel tank in under 11 minutes. Yet the car gets a 22 mpg highway rating from the EPA. View 30 Photos It also has the Torque Reserve system that starts building boost before launching, as well as the air conditioned intercooler to provide extra cool intake air. Both of these were features in the Demon. Furthermore, if the standard 2.62:1 final ratio isn't quick enough for you, Dodge offers a 3.09:1 rear axle. The Challenger SRT Hellcat Redeye also comes with the Demon and Hellcat Widebody's fat fender flares. It's an unsurprising inclusion, since you'll want as much tire as possible for all that power. Now, a mere clear-eyed Challenger SRT Hellcat gets a 10-horse boost for 2019 to 717 horsepower, and a smidge more torque at 656 pound feet. A six-speed manual transmission is standard, and an eight-speed automatic is an option. Both Hellcat models get the new dual-snorkel hood we've seen in spy shots. It's meant to evoke 1970s Dodge muscle cars. Dodge says the airflow from the hood alone reduces engine temperature by 4 degrees Fahrenheit.