Vibrant Performance 10334 304 Stainless Steel 3-1 Merge Collector on 2040-parts.com

Honda Accord hybrid brake, acceleration claim under U.S. review

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is investigating a claim into whether some Honda hybrid vehicles are prone to unintended acceleration. The federal auto safety regulator said today it had agreed to look into a complaint stemming from a fatal July 2005 crash. The driver of a 2005 Honda Accord Hybrid said she was driving over rumble strips on the side of a freeway when she tried to apply the brakes.

2013 Skoda Octavia Estate revealed

Ahead of a debut at the 2013 Geneva Motor Show, Skoda has revealed the estate version of the new Octavia with a pair of photos. The 2013 Skoda Octavia Estate takes the already capacious Octavia hatch to a new level, with a boot that will swallow 610 litres of stuff with the seats up and an impressive 1,740 litres with the seats down, a significant chunk more than the competition can offer. The extra capacity comes courtesy of extra length compared to the Octavia hatch, with the estate growing by 110mm in the wheelbase – with an extra 73mm for rear passengers’ legroom – and 90mm longer overall.

Who's Where: Micheal Castiglione joins Ken Okuyama Design

Micheal Castiglione, principal exterior designer on the 2006 Dodge Challenger concept car created at the Chrysler Group's now defunct Pacifica Studio on the west coast, has now joined Ken Okuyama Design. As Chief Designer, Castiglione will be tasked with designing products as well as cars once the company establishes itself in an as yet undisclosed location. "We're really busy with a number of projects that Ken's got going," Castiglione told CDN.