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2015 Acura NSX burns to the ground at the 'Ring [w/video]

Assuming all goes to plan, automakers test their vehicles to the breaking point in the months and years leading up to that vehicle's actual release into the public. Which is good, because it's much better for a car to break in glorious fashion in the hands of the company that produces it than in the driveway of an owner who just spent their hard-earned cash to get it. Such was the case with this production-guise Acura NSX prototype that we saw running around the Nurburgring just the other day. We can't be 100-percent certain, but the burned-out carcass is wearing the same number plate as the car that was spotted earlier, so it's likely the very same NSX. We have no idea what was the cause of the blaze that turned this Acura into the car-b-q you see pictured above, but our spy shooters on the ground in Germany say it was not involved in any collision, having caught on fire all on its own with engineers behind the wheel. The good news is that nobody was hurt, though the car is quite clearly a complete loss. We're sure there's another ready to to test in the burned car's place... just as soon as the engineers at Honda figure out exactly what went wrong. Have a look at the smoldering aftermath up above, and feel free to scroll down below to see a video of the car in much better circumstances.

Former NHTSA chief may lead automaker-backed Takata investigation

An automaker-led effort may see the former head of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration take on the probe into the Takata airbag inflator disaster. A coalition of at least ten automakers is in talks with former NHTSA administrator David Kelly, with unnamed sources familiar with the discussions telling The Wall Street Journal he is "among those we are considering to coordinate" the investigation.The Detroit News, meanwhile, is reporting he could be hired "in the coming days." Takata, the Japanese seatbelt and airbag manufacturer, has been the center of a defect scandal since last year. Takata is under fire for air bag inflators that can explode, shooting out metal and plastic pieces. At least five deaths and dozens of injuries have been linked to the problem worldwide. Earlier this year, Honda Motor Co., the automaker with the biggest exposure to the defective Takata air bags, was fined $70 million in the U.S. for not reporting to regulators some 1,729 complaints that its vehicles caused deaths and injuries, and for not reporting warranty claims. It was the largest civil penalty levied against an automaker. Should he take the role, Kelly would be at the fore of an investigation being assembled by an alliance of ten automakers, which includes the Detroit Three and Honda. Toyota first suggested a joint investigation back in December, The Journal reports. Kelly's goals, meanwhile, will be many. The Detroit News reports that questions abound regarding not only the recalled airbag inflators and the conditions that cause them to fail, but the whether the replacement units will have similar problems in the future. The automaker committee is far from the only one analyzing the airbag issue. Takata has assembled its own panel, led by former Secretary of Transportation Samuel Skinner, while NHTSA's deputy administrator, David Friedman, has brought in an outside engineering firm to investigate the inflators, The Detroit News reports. Separately, on Friday Takata Corp., the Japanese seatbelt and air-bag maker at the center of a defect scandal, is expecting more red ink for the fiscal year through March. It is projecting a 31 billion yen ($264 million) loss, worse than the previous forecast for a 25 billion yen ($214 million) loss, despite higher sales expected for the fiscal year. Ten automakers have recalled about 12 million vehicles in the U.S. and about 19 million globally for problems with the air bags.

2016 Honda Civic pricing leaks, starts at $18,680 [UPDATE]

UPDATE: Alright, we made a mistake. Turns out this "leak" was actually just a mockup done by a CivicX forum member, and we totally went along with it. Sorry, folks. You'll have to wait a little longer for your hot Civic pricing news. The tenth-generation Honda Civic ranks among the most anticipated new models on the way this year, especially after seeing the concept for the design at the New York Auto Show. Now, we might be getting an idea of what the compact actually offers from two leaked spec sheets. According to info posted on 10th Civic Forum, the 2016 Civic Sedan LX starts at $18,680, which is just $190 more than the same trim for the 2015 model. For that, buyers reportedly get standard features like LED running lights, LED taillights and a five-inch touchscreen infotainment system. The SE (Sport) trim upgrades the suspension for $19,995. The EX includes full LED headlights for $21,200, and the EX-L adds leather upholstery for $22,885. A separate sheet purportedly details the coupe, which comes standard with the sport suspension. The base price is the same as the sedan. The EX starts at $20,145, and the EX-L is $22,870. Oddly, both of these sheets only mention the CVT, rather than the previously announced six-speed manual, but they do detail two engines. There's a 2.0-liter four-cylinder with 165 horsepower and 145 pound-feet that can reportedly get to 60 miles per hour in 7.9 seconds. Fuel economy is listed here as 40 mpg highway, 34 mpg city, and 35.5 mpg combined. There's also the 1.5-liter turbocharged four-cylinder, and this document suggests that it has 167 hp and 191 lb-ft and can get to 60 in 7.6 seconds. Mileage is shown as 41 mpg highway, 35 mpg city, and 37.5 mpg combined. Both mills are pretty good upgrades over the 143 hp and 129 lb-ft from the current 1.8-liter four-cylinder in the Civic. As leaked documents, we can't be entirely sure how valid any of these numbers are, so take them with a grain of salt for now. In any case, the 10th-gen Civic is supposed to hit dealers this fall, and you can read the full specs in the gallery below.