Toyota will pay NHTSA fine, adds to recalls

Toyota has stayed at the top of the news in the last few days. The Japanese automaker agreed to pay the record $16.4 million fine the U.S. Transportation Department levied against it, even as it scrambled to fix the Lexus GX 460 that Consumer Reports said was unsafe to drive.

Subaru’s WRC Impreza rally car (2008): first pictures

By Nick Gibbs First Official Pictures 21 May 2008 09:37 Subaru has surprised the rally world by announcing it will launch its new WRC Impreza at next week’s Acropolis Rally in Greece, two events earlier than expected. The Prodrive-developed five-door WRC car, which is based on Subaru’s hatchback Impreza, uses the same 2.0-litre turbo engine that powered the old rally car, but does away with the traditional yellow lettering in favour of Subaru’s silver and white corporate logo. Hardcore fans panic not: the blue paintwork and iconic gold wheels stay.

U.S. examining Mini Cooper steering

The National Highway Transportation Safety Administration is investigating Mini Coopers for unexpected loss of power steering. NHTSA has launched an investigation of 2004-model Coopers after receiving 54 consumer complaints and a confidential number of field reports, the administration stated on its Web site. The reports state that it is hard to control the vehicle when the power steering fails.