Today, Jaguar announced that it is recalling more than 7,900 MY2009 XF sedans in the United States for a defect in the rear safety belt assembly. Although Jaguar says there have been no accidents or injuries reported due to the problem, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration noted that in the event of a crash, a seat occupant may not be properly restrained thus increasing the risk of personal injury. Jaguar’s dealers will inspect the rear safety belt assembly and make the necessary repairs. Concerned owners may contact jaguar at 1-800-452-4827

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he announcement actually came from Monterey but was quickly overshadowed, somewhat ironically, by the unveiling of the open-top Veyron 16.4 Grand Sport and the subsequent auction of its first example for $3.2 million. The unveiling of the new-tint Hermes Veyrons took place at the Quail motorsport gathering on Monterey Peninsula, where Bugatti revealed the four new color schemes available: “indigo blue and vermilion”, “indigo blue and lime green”, ” black and garance red” and “Prussian blue and blue jean”. We’re not entirely sure what all these colors are, exactly, and given that Bugatti put them in quotation marks, we’re not sure they’re sure, either. They undoubtedly would have shown us pictures of all four, but given that these 1.5 million euro hyper-exotics are made to order and available only from the end of the year, we doubt examples of each color option have been made yet. Of course they all come decked out with the H-pattern grille, eight-spoke wheels, lavish calfskin interior and exclusive package of specially-made Hermes luggage.

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we know, the upcoming Chevy Volt is likely to be assembled in the Detroit-Hamtramck assembly plant where the Buick Lucerne and Cadillac DTS are currently built. As you may expect, those two models might not last too much longer, so the Volt is very important to the Detroit factory. The engine for the Volt, though, is expected to be built in a new facility which will be located near the existing Flint Engine South and Flint Truck plants, also in Michigan. Fortunately for the city, some three-hundred jobs will be saved. That engine will be a 1.4-liter four cylinder and should also make an appearance under the hood of the next Chevy compact, the Cruze, in turbocharged form. The total sum which GM will invest is $359 million and the plant will cover some 530,000 square-feet.

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It’s the end of an era. Piaggio has officially built its last PX, and it’s a bittersweet farewell as we have mixed emotions about the model’s departure. On one hand, the PX has always been a fuel-sipper and a very high quality piece of machinery. On the other hand, the reason for its demise is that the Italian wasp’s two-stroke engine just wasn’t clean enough to continue to be sold in Europe or America. While it is possible to make the ring-dingers meet emissions regulations, it is not really cost effective to do so considering the efforts necessary to make it happen. As you may know, two-stroke engines burn oil by design and emit much more toxic pollutants and carbon into the atmosphere. There are still two-stroke engines being made, but they may not be for longer. In the U.S., Genuine Scooters still offers the Stella, which is very similar in design to the classic PX and still uses the stroker engine, albeit equipped with a catalytic converter. How much longer? Certainly not another thirty years.

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Hurst has teamed up with a number of companies to create a collectible limited edition version of the Dodge Challenger SRT8 that will make its debut at the Las Vegas SEMA show in late November. Available in four trim levels through participating Dodge dealerships from early 2009, the Hurst-prepped Challenger SRT8 will pack more than 500 ponies under its hood while other improvements will include a set of polished five-spoke HURST alloy wheels and a classic pistol-grip Hurst shifter.

“The new HURST/HEMI Challenger is more than just another muscle car. It epitomizes the performance industries tradition of taking the best Detroit has to offer and adding 21st century performance parts to make your ride faster and cooler than the other guys,” said Nate Shelton, Chairman of HURST.

“HURST has a long history of doing just that with guys like Don Garlits, Warren Johnson, Dick Landy and even celebrity racers Steve McQueen and Jim Garner. The new HURST/HEMI Challenger is the first of many HURST Performance Vehicles to come. We are ready to make some more history,” Shelton added.

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Rex Accelero, a California tuning company, has unveiled a widebody kit for the SLK 55 that gives the vehicle a broader and more aggressive stance. The front and back fenders are 2.5 and 2.75 inches wider respectively allowing the car to house much wider wheels which gives the vehicle better grip and weight distribution when compared to the standard SLK. The kit will also offer a carbon fiber lip and rear diffuser in order to maintain the minimum weight but keeping its strength. The kit takes weight off the front of the standard SLK bringing it close to the desirable 50/50 weight distribution between the front and rear. Seperate extras that are available to match the kit include a hood and rear spoiler. The company eventually plans to offer a complete mechanical upgrade at a later date to go along with the body kit. Pre-orders for the body kit begin next week on September 1st. Prices aren’t available yet.

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Chrysler’s new hybrid SUV’s, the Dodge Durango and the Aspen, are now entering production and are coming off the assembly lines at its Delaware plant. These are the first two hybrid models that Chrysler has made and the word is that they are supposed to offer a 25% improvement in EPA mileage figures in comparison to their standard SUV models. Each new hybrid features a 5.7 HEMI V8 that cranks out 385-hp. A bonus is that even with the improvement in fuel efficiency plenty of power remains with each SUV capable of towing 6,000 lbs. The hybrid system that’s being used with these models brings together an automatic transmission with a hybrid electric drive system. Prices for the 2009 Dodge Durango HEMI Hybrid is $45,340 and the 2009 Chrysler Aspen HEMI Hybrid (pictured above) is $45,570.

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It may look like as if it were stripped down for spare parts in some bad neighborhood, but the Portofino Concept that will be show at the Caravan Salon due to be held in Dusseldorf from August 29 to September 7 is actually inspired from the open-topped beach cars that were built onto small Fiat models by Italian coachbuilders in the 1960s. Based on the Fiorino, the Portofino Concept has not only lost its roof but also its doors that have been somewhat replaced by nautical ropes. To compensate for the structural loss, Fiat’s designers added a rollbar-like central ring.

Inside, the Portofino design follows a nautical theme with the interior flooring made out of wood. Other changes include the repainted dashboard and the new seats that have been upholstered with natural fibres treated using a special waterproofing process.

Although Fiat supports that the Portofino is just a study, the Italian automaker also said that a covered version will be available at a later stage for protection against sun and rain. In other words, don’t be surprised if Fiat decides in the near future to offer a production model based on this concept.

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The Dodge Viper could soon be history -at least for the Chrysler Group, as according to an official announcement that was made this morning, the third largest American automaker said that it is ‘preparing to explore strategic options for the Dodge Viper business’. Here is what Chrysler LLC’s CEO Bob Nardelli said about the potential sale of the Viper to a third party: Read the full article

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A fully chromed –ok, it’s not real chrome just chrome paint- Lamborghini Murcielago LP640 pimped by the German tuning firm Hamann has been put up for sale by the London based luxury car dealer ‘Mayfair Prestige’. Even though we think it’s a terrible idea to begin with, the folks at the British used car lot actually believe that they can fetch a whopping £340,000 (about $625,200 / €426,500 with the current exchange rates), for the shiny Lambo. As they say, love is blind and with that much chrome, someone is bound to be blinded. See photos after the jump Read the full article

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