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Volkswagen Taigun poised for production

Update: We've added a video of the VW Taigun in action. Check it out below. Volkswagen has moved a step closer to joining the small-SUV ranks -- it will produce its compact Taigun, VW sources told Autoweek.

Tesla asks NHTSA to investigate fires

In response to concerns following a recent accident which appeared to result from road debris damaging the underside of a battery compartment of a Tesla Model S, causing a fire in the engine compartment, the company has announced that it has requested that the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration conduct a full investigation into the fire incidents. In a blog post, Tesla CEO Elon Musk wrote the following about the investigation: "While we think it is highly unlikely, if something is discovered that would result in a material improvement in occupant fire safety, we will immediately apply that change to new cars and offer it as a free retrofit to all existing cars. Given that the incidence of fires in the Model S is far lower than combustion cars and that there have been no resulting injuries, this did not at first seem like a good use of NHTSA's time compared to the hundreds of gasoline fire deaths per year that warrant their attention." Tesla has also released a software update to the cars which will maintain their standard ride height at highway speeds, preventing the air suspension from lowering the car an extra inch at highway speeds for greater aerodynamic efficiency.

Florida man claims ownership of long-lost Cunningham Corvette

A Florida man says the long-lost 1960 Chevrolet Corvette race car that made a brief public appearance in Carlisle, Pa., last week was owned and raced by his father in the 1970s, and claims the car belongs to him. The challenged ownership of the maroon-colored car--one of three raced in the 1960 24 Hours of Le Mans by Briggs Cunningham and valued by some collectors at more than $1 million--could be the reason organizers of the Corvettes at Carlisle show canceled a planned public display on Aug. 24 less than 30 minutes before the scheduled start time.