2013 Rolls Royce Ghost. Carrara White With Seashell. on 2040-cars

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Rolls-Royce announces one Ghost of a recall

Recalls come in all sizes, some numbering in the hundreds and some in the millions. Given the small volume that Rolls-Royce sells, we wouldn't expect a recall of any of its vehicles to be all that large in scope. But this one is as small as it gets. In the latest campaign announced by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the BMW Group (owner of Rolls) is calling in one – yes, just one – example of the Rolls-Royce Ghost. It's a 2015 model manufactured on Jan. 23, 2014, and includes some potentially problematic airbags. According to the statement below, the thorax airbags in both the front seats may not be up to code, and therefor do not protect the occupants as they're supposed to. As a result, the automaker is prompting the local dealer to replace the relevant modules on both the driver's and passenger's side. Given that it's just one vehicle, and that the 'effort' already began a couple of weeks ago, we wouldn't expect this one to drag on for very long. RECALL Subject : Side Impact Crash Worthiness/FMVSS 214 Report Receipt Date: OCT 23, 2015 NHTSA Campaign Number: 15V695000 Component(s): AIR BAGS Potential Number of Units Affected: 1 Manufacturer: BMW of North America, LLC SUMMARY: BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling one model year 2015 Rolls-Royce Ghost manufactured on January 23, 2014. The affected vehicle has thorax air bags fitted to both front seats that may fail to meet the side impact performance requirements for the front seat occupants. As such, this vehicle may fail to comply with Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 214, "Side Impact Protection." CONSEQUENCE: In the event of a vehicle crash necessitating air bag deployment, this may increase the risk of injury to the front seat passengers. REMEDY: A Rolls-Royce dealer will replace the driver-side and passenger-side thorax air bag modules, free of charge. The recall began October 22, 2015. Owners may contact Rolls-Royce at 1-877-877-3735. NOTES: Owners may also contact the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (TTY 1-800-424-9153), or go to www.safercar.gov. Related Video: Featured Gallery 2015 Rolls-Royce Ghost Series II: First Drive View 43 Photos News Source: National Highway Traffic Safety AdministrationImage Credit: Copyright 2015 AOL Recalls Rolls-Royce Luxury Sedan rolls-royce ghost

Rolls-Royce Dawn teased, will debut on September 8

The Rolls-Royce Dawn is coming, and we now have a handful of teaser shots, showing what we already know will be a four-passenger convertible based on the Ghost/Wraith. We have one more detail to confirm, too: the Dawn will officially greet the world on Tuesday, September 8, ahead of a public showing at the Frankfurt Motor Show. We can't yet show you the whole car, but there's still quite a bit we can tell you. The Dawn has a lot of Wraith elements, but is different in a number of ways (and not just because it's a convertible). Excluding the doors, every body panel on the Dawn is new. The front looks like a Ghost, but the chin is pulled forward slightly. With the top up, the convertible kind of looks like a big, fancy hot rod. It's an exceptionally pretty car, especially in dark blue. The interior uses a four-seat configuration, with ample space in the rear for passengers. The Dawn's cabin uses the same layout as the Wraith, and it's seriously luxurious. There is plenty more information we still can't share with you, like engine details, but it won't be long before we can spill all the beans. Stay tuned for the official details and images on Tuesday, September 8.

Recharge Wrap-up: Smart metals, OTA updates, Rolls-Royce LNG ship

"Smart" metals could help engines reduce emissions and invigorate US business. Metallurgist and University of Wisconsin – Milwaukee professor Pradeep Rohatgi combines known metal alloys with materials like ceramics, nanoparticles, and recycled waste to produce strong, lightweight composites with self-lubricating properties that help internal combustion engines run more efficiently. Rohatgi hopes his startup, Intelligent Composites, and its products can help US foundries compete with production outsourced overseas. See the video above, and read more at Phys.org. Almost 203 million cars will be capable of over-the-air (OTA) updates by 2022, according to ABI research. While Tesla has the OTA firmware updates nailed down, other automakers will focus on software update capability. This will take the place of dealer-installed updates and - like Chrysler did after the Jeep hacking incident - updates sent to owners via USB drives. OTA updates will enhance vehicle security and reduce recall rates. Read more at Green Car Congress. European bus manufacturers have agreed upon a standardized charging interface for their electric buses. Irizar, Solaris, VDL and Volvo will use pantograph charging for "opportunity charging" and CCS plugs as the base for overnight charging and network communication. The manufacturers hope other bus makers and charging providers to join them in cooperation over standardized charging. Read more at Green Car Congress. The second Audi Autonomous Driving Cup will take place from March 22 to 24, 2016 at the automaker's Museum Mobile in Ingolstadt, Germany. The competition involves eight university teams implementing basic Audi software in 1:8 scale electric Audi Q5 models, and putting them through the paces of simulated real-world driving situations. The teams develop software architecture to use the suite of sensor to have the cars drive, park, maneuver in traffic and perform emergency braking autonomously. Teams also perform a freestyle event where they put the car through an additional task of their choosing. The winning team gets ˆ10,000, with smaller prizes for second and third place. The competition also gives the students the opportunity to showcase their skills in front of a potential employer. Read more at Green Car Congress. Rolls-Royce will provide the Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) propulsion for an NSK cargo ship carrying fish food. The ship will deliver 2,700 metric tons of fish food to fish farms along the Norwegian coast.