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Consumer Reports no longer recommends Honda Civic

Consumer Reports annual Car Reliability Survey is out, and yes, there are some big surprises. First and foremost? The venerable publication no longer recommends the Honda Civic. In fact, aside from the walking-dead CR-Z and limited-release Clarity fuel-cell car, the Civic is the only Honda to miss out on CR's prestigious nod. At the opposite end there's a surprise as well – Toyota and Lexus remain the most reliable brands on the market, but Buick cracked the top three. That's up from seventh last year, and the first time for an American brand to stand on the Consumer Reports podium. Mazda's entire lineup earned Recommended checks as well. Consumer Reports dinged the Civic for its "infuriating" touch-screen radio, lack of driver lumbar adjustability, the limited selection of cars on dealer lots fitted with Honda's popular Sensing system, and the company's decision to offer LaneWatch instead of a full-tilt blind-spot monitoring system. Its score? A lowly 58. The Civic isn't the only surprise drop from CR's Recommended ranks. The Audi A3, Ford F-150, Subaru WRX/STI, and Volkswagen Jetta, GTI, and Passat all lost the Consumer Reports' checkmark. On the flipside, a number of popular vehicles graduated to the Recommended ranks, including the BMW X5, Chevrolet Camaro, Corvette, and Cruze, Hyundai Santa Fe, Porsche Macan, and Tesla Model S. Perhaps the biggest surprise is the hilariously recall-prone Ford Escape getting a Recommended check – considering the popularity of Ford's small crossover, this is likely a coup for the brand, as it puts the Escape on a level playing field with the Recommended Toyota RAV4, Honda CR-V, and Nissan Rogue. While Ford is probably happy to see CR promote the Escape, the list wasn't as kind for every brand. For example, of the entire Fiat Chrysler Automobiles catalog, the ancient Chrysler 300 was the only car to score a check – there wasn't a single Dodge, Fiat, Jeep, Maserati, or Ram on the list. That hurts. FCA isn't alone at the low end, either. GMC, Jaguar Land Rover, Mini, and Mitsubishi don't have a vehicle on CR's list between them, while brands like Mercedes-Benz, Volvo, Nissan, Lincoln, Infiniti, and Cadillac only have a few models each. You can check out Consumer Reports entire reliability roundup, even without a subscription, here.

Porsche in Paul Walker fatal accident was traveling over 100 mph before crash

The Porsche Carrera GT involved in the November crash that killed Fast and Furious star Paul Walker and racer Roger Rodas was traveling at speeds above 100 miles per hour before Rodas lost control for "unknown reasons," according to a report from the Los Angeles County Coroner's Office that has been acquired by The Hollywood Reporter.
Once control was lost, the Porsche spun, hit a curb and then impacted a tree and a light post, then it spun 180 degrees and hit another tree before erupting in flames, the report said. Neither Walker nor Rodas were under the influence of any drugs or alcohol at the time of the incident, according to toxicology reports conducted by the coroner.
As for the future of the Fast and Furious franchise, a separate by The Hollywood Reporter claims director James Wan, writer Chris Morgan and Universal Studios will move forward with the seventh installment in the franchise, which was only partially completed when Walker was killed.

Gemballa reveals new Porsche 991-based GT convertible

Gemballa went through the ringer last year, but rebounded with products that signal a complete turnaround. The latest is the recently-released Porsche 911 Carrera S with a Gemballa GT aerodynamics and technology package. Aero-wise, it includes carbon fiber additions beginning with a front bumper wearing the classic Gemballa air intake design and a lower, angrier splitter. New side skirts run from wheel to wheel, the final piece being a rear bumper in three sculpted horizontal sections featuring a rear diffuser tucked between six rectangular exhaust tips.
No engine mods have been made, but the technology part of the tune - springs that are 30 millimeters shorter yet still able to work with the PASM system - is claimed to make the car faster. Bringing things to a halt is a new Brembo brake system hiding behind 21-inch GForged wheels that are lighter than Porsche's standard 20-inchers.
The Gemballa GT aero kit runs €19,860 ($26,070 U.S.), which includes paint and installation if you happen to be in Germany, and we're assuming that includes the suspension modification, brakes and sport exhaust. The GForged wheels are another €9,895 ($12,989 U.S.) depending on your choice of tire. Check out the press release below for more info, and the photo gallery above for all the angles.