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Minicars perform poorly in crash tests, study says

Minicars made by Toyota, Honda and Daimler AG did poorly on frontal crash tests with mid-sized automobiles, prompting an influential safety organization to suggest consumers consider buying larger cars that have comparable fuel economy. The Toyota Yaris, Honda Fit and Smart ForTwo all collapsed upon impact into the space around the driver dummy, according to the study released today by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety. Drivers in all three vehicles faced high risk of head and leg injuries after test collisions at 40 miles an hour, even after airbags inflated, said the non-profit group funded by auto insurers.

BMW 6-series M-Sport Edition available in July

If you're in the market for a BMW 6-series -- including the low-slung Gran Coupe -- but don't have the extra coin to step into an M6 or the M6 Gran Coupe, then BMW has the answer for you with its newly minted M-Sport Edition Package. Available for all model and engine ranges of the 6-series, Gran Coupe and convertible, the M-Sport Edition Package comes with an M aerodynamics group, 19-inch M light-alloy wheels, LED adaptive headlights and fog lamps, high-gloss Shadow Line trim, black brake calipers and dark polished chrome exhaust pipes. Interior features would make you think you're in an M6, as it comes with an M leather steering wheel, door sill covers, footrests, napa leather sport seats and optional white leather seats with orange stitching.

How safe are new minicars?

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) recently tested a total of 11 minicars in its relatively new small-overlap crash test, and the Chevrolet Spark was the only one to earn an Acceptable rating. The small-overlap crash test was instituted in 2012 with the goal of better replicating real-life car crashes, most of which don't follow the pattern of traditional government crash tests. Instead of a car hitting a stationary object with 100 percent of its front making contact, the small-overlap test examines how a car behaves in a frontal impact at 40 mph where only a quarter of the car's front hits an object.