Koenigsegg is hoping to set a new Nurburgring street-legal track record with its One:1 supercar.

Introduced earlier this year in Geneva, the One:1 boasts one horsepower per kilogram. Its twin-turbocharged 5.0-liter V8 produces 1,341 ponies and 1,011 lb-ft of torque, but company founder Christian von Koenigsegg suggests the car’s light weight, refined chassis and aerodynamics will likely be more important in raising the bar around the famed racing circuit.

“The massive engine power is nice to have, but far less important than mechanical grip around most tracks,” he said in an interview with Top Gear.

The One:1′s Le Mans-style top-mounted spoiler is hydraulically actuated to switch between low-drag, high-downforce and braking mode, while a Venturi flap deforms beneath the nose to draw more air under the body at high speeds. Downforce is estimated to be more than a half ton, enabling lateral cornering forces to reach 2.0 g.

The company has already launched a preparation initiative at the ‘Ring, gathering data and fine-tuning the setup. The first formal attempt at the record will wait until early next year.

“When spring comes with warmer weather we will continue to test our cars at the Nordschleife to eventually be able to go for a hot lap and truly see what our cars are capable of,” Koenigsegg added.

Volkswagen is reportedly preparing to introduce a new crossover concept next month at the Detroit auto show.
The model is said to be a five-seat crossover based on the seven-seater that is due to arrive on the market in 2016, unnamed sources told Reuters. It is expected to follow on the heels of the larger build, likely arriving in 2016 or 2017.

The German automaker earlier today announced year-to-date sales, showing an overall increase of two percent globally but a steep slide of nearly 11 percent in the US market.

Many automakers are scrambling to release new SUVs and crossovers to accommodate strong demand in the segment. Some analysts point to low gasoline prices as a contributing factor. VW, however, maintains just two options for crossover and SUV customers: the Touareg and the Tiguan.

The company has not yet confirmed any additional details surrounding the new models that will arrive within two years.

Lexus is reportedly considering a production convertible potentially based on the LF-C2 concept, despite official denials of such plans.
Unveiled just last month in Los Angeles, the LF-C2 was initially expected to serve as the drop-top variant of the RC coupe. The company presented the concept as merely a preview of the brand’s future design language, rather than a production model.

Later reports suggested Lexus axed production ambitions amid pressure from dealers. The sales force is said to have been displeased with the low-volume potential from the LF-C2, impatient for Toyota’s luxury division to instead produce a new three-row SUV.

Despite the objections, the company is said to be considering several different open-air options that could serve as replacements for the IS convertible, unnamed sources have told Automotive News. Executives reportedly view the move as necessary in the brand’s quest to woo younger buyers.

Potential production models allegedly include a convertible RC and a drop-top version of the LF-LC. The latter model would likely achieve even lower sales volume, but would better serve as a halo car.

Image by Brian Williams.

Honda has announced plans to again expand its Takata airbag recall, bringing the company’s overall tally up to 5.4 million vehicles.
The move follows the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s recommendation to issue nationwide recalls for driver-side airbags. The agency has agreed with automakers that data does not yet show a problem with passenger-side airbags outside of high-humidity zones, however.

“Honda hopes that the expansion of this action nationwide will both address customer concerns and further assist in the ongoing industry investigation of abnormal airbag deployments in the vehicles from all affected manufacturers,” the company said in a statement.

The latest campaign affects certain 2001-2007 Accords, 2001-2005 Civics, 2002-2006 CR-Vs, 2003-2011 Elements, 2003-2004 Odysseys, 2003-2007 Pilots, and the 2006 Ridgeline. It also includes several Acura models, including the 2002-2006 MDX, the 2002-2003 TL and the 2002 CL.

Both Honda and Toyota have called for all major automakers to centralize their investigative efforts as the companies continue to struggle to identify the full extent of the problem.

While Texas may make headlines for its exclusive claim to 85-mph highways, some other western States are starting to generate useful statistics about the safety effects of raising speed limits.
Utah, which has allowed 80-mph travel on some stretches of interstate highway since 2008, has been studying the effects of the increase for several years and has found that its drivers are involved in fewer accidents and are more likely to comply with posted speed limits than they were prior to the limit hikes.

According to Missoulian.com, studies conducted in 2012 showed 11-20% decreases in speed-related crashes along sampled sections of Interstate 15 in Utah. A 2009 study found that the number of drivers exceeding the posted limit decreased by 20% when the limit was raised. 36% of Interstates in Utah currently are currently signed 80 mph.

Wyoming and Idaho recently joined Utah in raising speed limits on some rural interstates to 80 mph. As the limits were raised earlier this year, neither state has sufficient data to make any conclusions about possible safety impacts, however Boise Weekly reports that the Idaho State Police have handed out more citations during the period from July (when the limit was raised) to November of this year than they did in 2013.

Lawmakers in Montana are looking to join their neighbors in raising limits, and bills expected to be introduced by state legislators next year could make that a reality.

Photo courtesy of the Utah Department of Transportation.