1997 Toyota Supra Twin Turbo Hatchback on 2040-cars

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Toyota, Honda, Mazda and Nissan recall 3.4 million vehicles for faulty airbags

Most vehicle recalls that take place these days are a result of some problem that happens during the manufacturing process by the automaker, but as we see here, parts suppliers can also factor in to problematic safety issues. Automotive News is reporting that a total of 3.4 million vehicles produced by Japanese automakers between 2000 and 2004 are being recalled globally due to faulty airbags produced by an outside supplier, Takata Corp.
According to the report, vehicles from Toyota, Honda, Nissan and Mazda are being recalled because of passenger front airbags that do not inflate properly. Globally, Toyota is said to be recalling around 1.73 million cars including 510,000 in the US composed of Toyota Corolla, Matrix, Sequoia and Tundra as well as the Lexus SC430 for the 2001 through 2003 model years; this is the second time this year the 2003 Corolla and Matrix have been recalled for an airbag problem. Honda is recalling 1.14 million models, Nissan another 480,000 and Mazda 45,463. The article says that Takata supplied faulty airbags to non-Japanese automakers, but it did not specify which ones.
Honda and Toyota have released information on their own websites about the recall, while Nissan and Mazda have not yet commented. Read official press releases from Honda and Toyota, below, and look for updates as we have word from the others.

Weekly Recap: Things you might not know about the 2015 Dodge Charger and Challenger Hellcats

If you're an enthusiast, and you don't know that Dodge spawned another Hellcat this week, you really must have been living in cave. The 2015 Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat is probably the biggest news for enthusiasts since the reveal of, well the 2015 Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat.
But, there are some things you might not know or might have missed about the new Charger and Challenger Hellcats. For starters, reports that the Hellcat production would be limited to a low volume are not true.
"We have not capped the Hellcat on either the Challenger or the Charger," Dodge CEO Tim Kuniskis said.

2015 Toyota Sienna goes overboard to promote a SpongeBob movie

Good marketing is a huge portion of making a film successful, and Toyota and Nickelodeon are going overboard to promote the upcoming SpongeBob Movie: Sponge Out of Water with this custom 2015 Sienna inspired by the cartoon character at the Los Angeles Auto Show. The exterior is decorated to look just like SpongeBob, but his maniacally smiling face on the hood and windshield might be pure, uncut nightmare fuel for a segment of the child population. The ring on the roof actually blows bubbles too, and the look gets finished off with matching blue and yellow wheels. If you get past SpongeBob's crazed expression and take a peek inside, you find even more cartoon cues. Each of the seats is upholstered to evoke the shows stars, and all of the trim has nautical inspiration as filtered through the series' animation style. The floor is a sandy beige, blue wood trim runs over the dashboard and sides and the roof has airbrushed clouds. Of course, it's hard not to miss a ship's wheel that replaces the usual steering wheel. While it's certainly bizarre, kids might dig the bright colors, while their parents check out the Sienna. The van's also going on a cross-country promotional tour to advertise the movie ahead of its February 6 release. Scroll down for all of the info about this cartoon car. Nickelodeon and Toyota Partner to Create 2015 Toyota Sienna Inspired by the SpongeBob Movie: Sponge Out of Water Three-Dimensional SpongeBob Concept Car to Take Families on an All-Wheel Drive Adventure Promotional Tour Leading Up to Feature Film's Feb. 6, 2015 Premiere November 18, 2014 NEW YORK – Nov. 18, 2014 – Nickelodeon and Toyota have partnered to transform everyone's porous pal into a new 3-D concept car based on Paramount Pictures and Nickelodeon Movies' upcoming film, The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge Out of Water. The SpongeBob Movie 2015 Toyota Sienna features a custom three-dimensional SpongeBob SquarePants exterior, complete with the character's Superhero Incredibubble mask that blows real bubbles at the top of the car. The interior features seating inspired by each of SpongeBob's Bikini Bottom pals, along with a wood-grain dashboard, a custom Captain's steering wheel, a blue-sky head liner and a sand-inspired floor. The one-of-a-kind vehicle will be unveiled on Nov. 18 at the LA Auto Show and will then roll out on a cross-country promotional tour leading up to The SpongeBob Movie's Feb. 6, 2015 premiere.