Ford is recalling three different vehicle models

Three recalls by Ford for a total number of 131,000 vehicles

129,000 Lincoln MKX SUV's and Ford Edge's model years 2009-2010 are being recalled in states that use road salt for problems with rust that can occur with reinforcement brackets where the fuel tank is mounted to the vehicle. The check engine or fuel leak light may come and there could be the presence of fuel order. If the tank was to leak there could be a potential fire danger. According to Ford they are not aware of any accidents or injuries reported.

Next Ford is recalling 1,900 Mustang's model year 2016 in North American for damaged restraint parts that could have experienced some damage during shipping from the supplier prior to being installed in the cars. The damaged parts may not conform to safety requirements for seat belt assembly or child restraint anchor systems. Ford is not aware of any reported accidents or injuries.

And lastly Ford is recalling 72 Ford E-Series cutaway and chassis cab vehicles model year 2016 for trailer brake controller issue. When the driver presses the brake pedal the brakes do not engage, however when towing a trailer the driver can manually engage the trailer brakes. Ford is not aware of any accidents or injuries.

2105 C7 Corvette Z06 sells for One Million Dollars at Auction

The very first 2015 C7 Corvette Z06 recently sold at a Barrett-Jackson auction for one million dollars. The sticker price for the Corvette is somewhere around $85,000. The million dollar Corvette features supercharged 6.2 liter V-8 engine with 635 hp and 645 lb-ft of torque.

It was all for a good cause, the proceeds from the sale benefit cancer research at Michigan's Karmanos Cancer Institute. 

Pontiac's 1964 Concept Car the Banshee, Competition for the Chevrolet Corvette?

In 1964 Pontiac unveiled their newest concept car the Banshee during the Banshee's development it was called XP-833 project. John DeLorean the head of Pontiac at the time called the Banshee the "Mustang Fighter", it was rumored that he intended to bring the Banshee into production. However, the bosses at General Motors felt the Banshee would be too much of a threat to the Chevrolet Corvette and if DeLorean had his way the Banshee would out perform the Corvette. The Banshee weighed 500 pounds less than the Corvette with the same horsepower and the Banshee was able to reach 60 mph in second gear.

There were several different versions of the Banshee constructed, but only two were drivable prototypes were built. The car was a small and seated two with a long hood and a short rear deck. One of the drivable prototypes built was a silver hard top with a straight six cylinder and the other was a white convertible with a V-8. 

Unfortunately for John DeLorean in 1964 he was instructed by GM execs to stop and further development of the Banshee. Interestingly the exterior styling of the Banshee can be seen 1968 in Chevrolet's the third generation Corvette.

1978 Indy 500 Pace Car

I bet most of you remember the Corvette pace car for the 1978 Indy 500, but what you may not know is that because magazine ads in 1978 were still mostly photographed in black and white the pace car was painted a specific way so it would look good in the black and white ads.

Fiat's New Model the Toro

Later this year Fiat plans to unveiled its new model of truck the Toro which in Italian means "bull".  In a statement Fiat said, " it will debut a new segment, that of the Sport Utility Pickup or SUP". "Combining the strength and characteristics of a truck with all the comfort features and drivabiltiy fo an SUV".

The Toro will be available for sale in select Latin American nations and may be offered in Europe sometime next year. Some of the unique feature to the Toro are barn doors instead of the traditional truck tailgate which if you remember was last seen on the not so successful Lincoln Blackwood.

Adding a touch of style to a typically utilitarian look of a truck the Toro will have sleek tail lamps that fit into the quarter panels and the back will feature one of the largest Fiat emblems ever seen displayed on any Fiat production vehicle.

Most of the specs of Fiat's Toro have not been released so there really is not much technical information available. There is some speculation that the Toro will have the underpinnings of Jeep Renegade which if that's true then buyers will get to choose either a four cylinder gasoline-burning 1.8 liter engine with 138hp or the 1.8 liter Multi-jet four cylinder turbo-diesel 170hp. Buyers will just to have wait and see what is really going to put into the Toro. 

Kia Recalling Sorento Crossovers for a Transmission Issue

Kia is recalling over 419,000 Sorento Crossovers in the U.S. and Canada for an issue with the transmissions.

Kia's own regulatory team began investigating in August after receiving a letter from an attorney alleging the clients son was able to shift the parents 2011 Sorento out park without pressing the brakes or putting the key in the ignition. A document filed with the NHTSA stated that the "vehicle began to roll in a parking lot."  "The father stepped in front of the car and the son got out and joined him. Son was between Sorento and stopped vehicle and allegedly suffered a fracture leg."

In a statement from Kia "The crossover can roll unexpectedly if the gearshift lever is pressed with too much force, causing the brake-shift interlock to chip or crack. That, in turn, can cause the transmission to shift out of park, even if the brakes are not pressed".

There have been 3 injuries, 14 customer complaints and 54 warranty claims. Beginning in November Kia will be issuing recall notices, the brake-shift interlock will be replaced by Kia with new parts at no cost to the customer.

The recall is for Kia Sorento Crossover's model years 2001 through 2013. 

BMW Four Cylinder Engine Building

Interesting bit of information.  In the 1960's to honor their four cylinder engine heritage BMW had an Austrian architecture professor design their world headquarters building to look like a four cylinder engine. BMW's four cylinder building is located next to Olympic Park in Munich Germany.