Combining Pirelli’s P Zero Trofeo R tires with Brembo carbon-ceramic brake rotors is claimed to push deceleration forces up to 1.5 g. Engineers marked the tires and found that the braking forces were strong enough to cause the tire to slip more than 360 degrees during a single track session.

The team reportedly looked to race cars for potential solutions, trying out abrasive paint around the bead of the wheel.

“The Z/28′s engineers tried it, but it wasn’t strong enough to prevent the slippage, so other approaches were tried,” the company notes. “Finally, they tried media blasting, which involves shooting a gritty material through an air gun at the wheel’s surface, adding texture to the paint for the tire to grip.”

The media-blasted surface reportedly solved the slippage issue under braking and acceleration. The team partially blamed the Z/28′s 7.0-liter LS7 V8 engine’s 505 horsepower as a contributing factor to tire slip on the rear wheels.

The 2014 Camaro Z/28 is expected to arrive in showrooms later this spring.

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The company last month halted sales of certain newer Camry, Avalon, Corolla, Sienna, Tundra and Tacoma models equipped with heated seats. The issue was blamed on a supplier that switched fabrics in 2012, resulting in new seats that were not properly certified for flame resistance.

Internal tests and design reviews of the heater assemblies have allegedly found that the “chance of fire or flame induced by a malfunctioning seat heater is essentially zero.”

The petition further suggests that the affected fabric only represents a small portion of the overall soft material found in the seat assembly. The noncompliant heater assemblies are also not likely to come in contact with open flame, cigarettes or matches, as they are surrounded by other materials that meet federal regulations.

If the NHTSA agrees that the issue is “inconsequential,” the company will be able to avoid a recall and begin selling affected vehicles without first implementing a repair program.

The noncompliant seats are believed to be installed in at least 200,000 vehicles with model years ranging from 2012 to 2014.

Fittingly named 25th Anniversary Edition, the hand-built roadster tips the scale at approximately 3,300 pounds thanks to a chassis crafted entirely out of aluminum. Buyers can specify whether they want the body made out of carbon fiber or aluminum.

The Panoz Esperante Spyder comes with a 5.4-liter all-aluminum V8 engine that makes 430 horsepower when naturally aspirated and 575 ponies when fitted with a supercharger. Both engines send power to the rear wheels via a standard six-speed manual transmission or an optional six-speed automatic gearbox controlled by shift paddles mounted behind the steering wheel.

Drawing from the company’s Le Mans expertise, the range-topping Esperante Spyder GT packs an updated version of the 5.4-liter eight-cylinder engine that puts out over 800 ponies thanks to a host of modifications including a larger supercharger. Both a manual and an automatic gearbox are available.

With three Chattanooga plant workers named as plaintiffs, the lawsuit cites language within the Labor Management Relations Act that bars employers from providing union officials with “any money or thing of value.”

The law is designed to prevent companies from unfairly influencing union officials to the detriment of workers’ rights, however the National Right to Work Legal Defense Foundation claims VW violated the regulations by establishing an agreement with the UAW.

“The suit contends that the neutrality arrangement between VW and UAW union organizers contain numerous such prohibited provisions, including mandatory pro-union meetings, use of company property by outside UAW organizers, and clauses preventing VW and its managers from opposing unionization, all of which were implemented in the lead up to the vote that UAW lost 712-626,” the group said in a statement.

UAW president Bob King has called the lawsuit “baseless,” arguing that the union had already demonstrated majority support before it negotiated its election agreement with the company.

“Moreover, even if the UAW had not demonstrated this status, the UAW’s Election Agreement with Volkswagen Group of America would still be lawful, just like many other neutrality agreements the UAW and other unions have negotiated with employers throughout the United States,” King added.

The UAW claims the anti-union group has a history of “frivolous lawsuits” attempting to block unionization efforts, including failed lawsuits aimed at Dana and Freightliner.

As previously reported, Datsun’s next model stretches 168 inches long, 67 inches wide and 59 inches tall, dimensions that make it roughly the same size as a Toyota Yaris sedan. The teaser video confirms the car will feature an angular front fascia dominated by Datsun’s trademarked hexagonal grille and a sporty-looking bumper with fog lights and a large air vent.