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NHTSA unveils new safety ratings; BMW and Hyundai first to get five stars

The 2011 BMW 5-series and the Hyundai Sonata were the first two cars to achieve five-star ratings under NHTSA's revised safety ratings announced on Tuesday. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration will rate a total of 24 cars, 20 SUVs, nine pickups and two vans for the 2011 model year. The federal agency has significantly modified its rating process and will now grade side-pole testing and crash-prevention technologies such as lane-departure warning and electronic stability control.

McLaren 12C Spider teased

McLaren has started to tease the 12C Spider – the convertible 12C – ahead of full details in the next few days. We’ve know that a convertible version of the McLaren MP4-12C – the 12C Spider – has been on the way for some time, but now it’s almost here. We thought McLaren would just come out and introduce the 12C Spider, but they can’t resist teasing, although we wonder if  McLaren might be trying to take some of the gloss off the UK debut of the Ferrari 458 Spider at Goodwood this weekend by revealing the 12C Spider before the end of the Goodwood weekend?.

Shelby raffles off last 50th-anniversary Cobra

Shelby is celebrating its 50th anniversary in style, first at the Detroit auto show with a few black-and-gold Shelby Mustangs, and now at the Barrett-Jackson auction in Arizona with the last example of the 50th-anniversary Shelby Cobra. The car won't be sold to the highest bidder though; it will be raffled. Tickets cost $25 apiece or five for $100.