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Even Ferrari swept up in latest Takata recall expansion

The scope of Takata's deadly airbag problems continues to widen. Eight manufacturers announced recalls Friday that affect more than 12 million vehicles, according to documents filed with federal regulators. The automakers include Honda, which is recalling 4.5 million units, Fiat Chrysler with 4.3 million, Toyota with 1.65 million, and Subaru, which is recalling almost 400,000. Some of these cars include the Saab 9-2x and Pontiac Vibe that Toyota and Subaru made for General Motors. Mazda will recall 730,000 vehicles and Nissan has 400,000 affected units. The smallest numbers were posted by Mitsubishi, with 38,000 Lancers manufactured from 2006 to 2007, and as a noteworthy high-end manufacturer, Ferrari is calling back 2,800 vehicles. These are all US-market cars. Beyond America, the Japanese Transport Ministry has announced seven million additional vehicles will be recalled, which means 19.6 million vehicles across the globe are affected by recalls announced. The defects have been traced to an insufficiently manufactured airbag inflator, which lacks a drying agent that would prevent the inflators from deteriorating over time. Thirteen deaths have been linked to the faulty airbags, which have become unstable and are prone to exploding and showering vehicle occupants with lethal amounts of metal shrapnel. A private equity firm, KKR & Co., has been named in a possible buyout of the struggling Takata. Related Video: News Source: ReutersImage Credit: Shutterstock Government/Legal Recalls Ferrari Honda Mazda Automakers Mitsubishi Nissan Pontiac Subaru Toyota Saab Safety

New Nissan Pulsar marks brand's return to the European C-segment [w/videos]

Following a small teaser, Nissan has unveiled its newest entry into the hotly contested European C-segment. Making new use of the Pulsar nameplate, it will attempt to take the fight to market stalwarts, like the Ford Focus, Volkswagen Golf and Vauxhall Astra.
The new five-door will be built on Nissan's modular CMF2 architecture, which also underpins the Euro-spec Qashqai and X-Trail (known in the US as the Rogue). It's a larger vehicle than one of its main challengers, the Golf, riding on a 106.3-inch wheelbase, which is 2.4 inches longer than the VW. It's also longer overall, at 172.6 inches.
The new Pulsar is a moderately powered little five-door, boasting an engine lineup familiar to anyone that knows the Qashqai. A 1.2-liter, turbocharged gas engine offers up 113 horsepower, while those that need a bit more oomph can wait for the late-availability, 187-hp, 1.6-liter turbo that American drivers will know from the Juke crossover. Diesel fans will be able to opt for a 1.5-liter mill that delivers 192 pound-feet of torque and 108 hp. No surprise here, but continuously variable transmissions are the order of the day.

Nissan IDX production model to get sharper, less retro styling

The Nissan IDx seems like the type of concept that auto enthusiasts wish they could be driving. With a compact size, style inspired by the classic Datsun 510 and a rear-wheel-drive powertrain, it certainly ticks many of the boxes that people want. Unfortunately, the car seems to be miles away from actually getting a green light for production, but rumors about the retro coupe's future keep cropping up.
The last we heard about the IDx, the biggest complication with the coupe was that it was a tough project to make profitable. Nissan didn't have a cheap enough rear-wheel drive platform to make the affordable coupe work. The latest rumors point to a potential solution to this problem. According to Motoring from Australia speaking to an insider close to Nissan, the new plan is to tweak the styling to be less retro and adapt the car to work on the platform for the forthcoming, next-generation Z car.
The new look reportedly cribs from the Nissan Sport Sedan Concept from the 2014 Detroit Motor Show, including its floating roof design and sharper edges around the fenders. In terms of power, the source tells Motoring, the IDx could use a naturally aspirated 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine with around 180 horsepower on tap. That might not sound like too much, but remember the Z car itself is rumored to get smaller and lighter when it's new generation hits the stage. If the weight is low enough, potentially using it for the IDx might just work.