2021 Aston Martin Vantage on 2040-cars

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GM says second recalled ignition switch was made in China

The defective ignition switch that led General Motors to recall an additional 3.4 million large sedans earlier this month was manufactured in China, according to a report filed with safety regulators obtained by Reuters. The switches can be knocked out of the run position, much like those affecting the Chevrolet Cobalt and other GM small cars, turning off the engine and safety systems like the airbags. Unlike GM's previous ignition switch recall, though, this latest issue will see dealers simply modify the key rather than replace the ignition switch outright, despite the fact that the switches were "slightly" below torque specifications. If what GM is claiming about this switch's origin is true, it'd mark the second high-profile recall of a part manufactured in China, following Aston Martin's (relatively) huge recall due to faulty accelerator arms in over 75 percent of the cars it had built since 2007. For what it's worth, from our perspective, the link between the Aston plastics and this GM switch seems just a bit too tenuous for us to put a lot of stock in GM's problems stemming from the location of its parts supplier, especially when the related investigation into its corporate culture has resulted in so many other culpable actors. Featured Gallery 2008 Buick Lucerne CXL Special Edition News Source: Reuters Recalls Aston Martin GM Safety supplier gm ignition switch recall gm safety ignition switch

The Aston Martin Vulcan AMR Pro is a Le Mans-derived supercar

The Aston Martin Vulcan is a car filled with superlatives. It's one of the fastest and rarest cars in the world, with just 24 of the 820-horsepower track-only supercar in existence. The car packs a 7.0-liter naturally aspirated V12, a 6-speed sequential transmission, and some of the most visually striking bodywork of any modern performance car. Aston Martin is now offering an AMR Pro performance pack with tech derived from the automaker's Le Mans-winning racecars. The main difference between the original car and the Vulcan AMR Pro model is aero. The car gets a whole host of upgrades that help channel air over, under, and around the car better than before. The car's other big change is a shorter gear ratio. The goal was to make the Vulcan AMR Pro more planted and more responsive in an effort to reduce lap times. The front wheel arches get louvred carbon-fiber panels to extract air and reduce lift. Dive planes have been added to the nose, complimented by a large splitter. Both will help front-end lift and improve steering response. More efficient use of carbon fiber means the engine cover weighs about 11 pounds less than before. Out back, the Vulcan AMR Pro gets a new dual-plane rear wing. It's far bigger and more elaborate than the standard car's wing, featuring a 20mm Gurney flap. The slotted endplates feature 15mm Gurney flaps. It simply looks the business. Aston Martin says all of the additional aero bits increase downforce from 2,323 lb-ft to 2,950 lb-ft. That's a huge increase on any car, much less one that was already packed with aerodynamic tricks. By comparison, the Aston Martin Racing Vantage GTE that was the class winner at Le Mans only has 2,290 lb-ft of downforce. The Aston Martin Vulcan was a car designed without limits, restraints, or regulations. It's a track-only car, but it's not built for any racing series. It's simply meant to go around a track very, very fast. With the AMR Pro pack, those 24 owners should be happier than ever. Related Video:

Favorite vehicles of 2017

The Autoblog staff has driven a lot of vehicles in 2017. This video showcases our favorite vehicles from this year, along with some thoughts on why they made the list. Wanna read more head over to https://www.autoblog.com/photos/best-drivers-cars-2017/ Aston Martin Audi Ford Jeep Lexus Porsche Autoblog Minute Videos Original Video porsche macan lexus lc 500 macan wrangler r8 Arts and Entertainment