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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.

Recharge Wrap-up: New and old Audis get greener, as does US electricity

Audi has made environmental improvements to the its TT while boosting performance. The new TT sees an 11-percent reduction in emissions, and up to 14 percent more power. Audi says that each TT will save around 5.5 metric tons of greenhouse gas emissions over its lifecycle. Additionally, the TT's manufacturing process has been cleaned up a bit, reducing emissions by about nine percent. Read more in the press release, below, or see Audi's lifecycle assessment here. Speaking of greening up Audis, Al Swackhammer of Washington converted his 1960 Audi DKW 1000S to run on electric power. Swackhammer first fell in love with the Audi Ur-Quattro, became an enthusiast of Audi and Volkswagen cars, and has owned nothing else ever since. With his DKW, he combined his passion for the classic car with his responsibility to the environment. "I am pleased that I did this project," says the happy owner, "and I enjoy driving it very dearly." Meet the man and his beloved electric Audi DKW in the video below. Toyota has chosen a sustainable design firm, Corgan, as the lead architect for its new North American headquarters. The new campus will be built in Plano, TX, and will be the workplace of about 4,000 Toyota employees. Corgan, who has already done 47 LEED certified projects, is already designing a temporary office for the site while it finishes the project. Toyota expects to begin working from the site in late 2016 or early 2017. Learn more in the press release below. In July, all new electrical generating capacity in the US came from renewable sources. The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission's Office of Energy Projects' newest "Energy Infrastructure Update" report says new electric generation put into service last month came from wind (379 megawatts), solar (21 megawatts) and hydro (5 megawatts). So far this year, 53 percent of new energy generation capacity has come from various renewable sources, and none from coal or nuclear. Currently, renewable energy accounts for 16.3 percent of the US electric generation capacity, providing about 14 percent of actual electricity. Read more in the press release from the Sun Day Campaign below. Positive life cycle assessment for the new Audi TT Compact sports car scores high for dynamic performance and efficiency Emissions reduced by 11 percent compared with predecessor Customer benefits from the very first mile Ingolstadt, August 18, 2014 – Dynamic performance and efficiency: The new Audi TT* impressively combines both qualities.

Toyota creates GT86 concept inspired by Initial D

Everyone has a favorite movie or TV car of their youths. The love of these cars can ignite a lifelong passion for automobiles. Some lust for the sharp, stainless steel DeLorean DMC-12 from Back to the Future or the decked-out Aston Martin DB5 from Goldfinger. For anime and manga fans, it's the panda-colored Toyota AE86 Sprinter Trueno from the Initial D manga and anime series. Toyota, recognizing the significance of the that car, meticulously reimagined it for a modern audience, basing it on the UK market GT86. The GT86, sold in the United States as the Scion FR-S and soon to be rebadged as the Toyota 86, is considered by some to be the spiritual successor to the rear-wheel-drive AE86 Corolla from the 1980s. Both are reasonably affordable, lightweight cars with a propensity for oversteer. The original AE86 from Initial D was a highly modified but realistic drift machine. The amazing feats of that tofu delivery car as it raced everything from Mazda RX-7s to a Honda S2000 turned the little Toyota into a cult icon. That AE86 itself was inspired by the personal vehicle of Japanese racing driver Keiichi Tsuchiya. Tsuchiya served as both an inspiration and supervisor for Initial D. Many of the modifications on the Initial D car, like the TRD carbon-fiber hood and Fujitsubo exhaust, car were exactly the same as Tsuchiya's real-life vehicle. Toyota is no stranger to crafting modern incarnations of classic vehicles. Last year the company created a Back to the Future Tacoma. Toyota's Initial D concept car uses the same parts wherever possible. Like the original, it has a carbon-fiber hood, Fujitsubo exhaust, and black Watanabe F8 wheels. The suspension, lights, and body have all been modified. Even small details like the engine cover and door handles were modified to recall the fictional car. The end result is a fantastic creation that pays great homage to the original. Toyota went as far as hiring UK manga artist Sonia Leong to design a series of backdrops that place the car in the same action shots as the original series. While this one-off vehicle is just a concept, most of the parts are available to purchase for fans who may be inspired to create their own version. Toyota's concept will be on display at various motoring shows across the UK this summer. Related video: Featured Gallery Toyota Initial D GT86 TV/Movies Scion Toyota Coupe toyota gt86 toyota 86