Stigza Car Profile : Mitsubishi Starion

The Mitsubishi Starion is a three-door, turbocharged four-cylinder rear-wheel drive four-seat sports car that was in production from 1982 to 1990. It was also marketed in North America as the Conquest under the Chrysler, Dodge, and Plymouth names; both the Starion and Conquest came to an end in 1989. It is considered to be one of the originators of the modern Japanese turbocharged performance automobile genre.The "Starion" name is claimed by Mitsubishi to be a contraction of "Star of Orion" The Starion's appearance in 1982 occurred during a period in which a number of Japanese Grand Tourer (GT) sports cars were increasing in popularity. The Starion's turbocharged four-cylinder engine enabled it to be very competitive.During production, the Starion was produced in both a narrowbody and widebody (in later years). The narrow body model ran until late 1986 when the widebody first appeared with visible flared fenders and several performance upgrades Production ceased entirely by 1990, and its successor, the GTO was fitted with the mechanicals of the recently demonstrated Mitsubishi HSX Sports Coupe concept vehicle.Many of the performance features of the Starion were integrated into later vehicles and can be found in the Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution, in the Mitsubishi Galant VR-4, and the Mitsubishi Eclipse.

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All Time NASCAR Wins

ALL TIME NASCAR WINS

• Richard Petty 200



• David Pearson 105



• Bobby Allison 84



• Darrell Waltrip 84



• Cale Yarborough 83



• Jeff Gordon 83



• Dale Earnhardt 76



• Rusty Wallace 55



• Lee Petty 54



• Jimmie Johnson 53



• Ned Jarrett 50



• Junior Johnson 50



• Herb Thomas 48



• Buck Baker 46



• Bill Elliott 44



• Tim Flock 40



• Mark Martin 40



• Tony Stewart 39



• Bobby Isaac 37



• Fireball Roberts 33

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Auto Mower

Husqvarna manufactures the 'luxe lawnmowers. The Color Collection Of Automowers sets the bar for a standard that we didn't really know existed: high-end, robotic garden tools. (Think "Roomba with Blades.") At around $2,700, the Automower's price competes with those of lower-end riding mowers, but it can only trim less than an acre on a full charge. Still, it runs on either electric or solar power.

Ford Recalling 2.7 Million F-150's

National Highway Traffic Safety Administration have expanded an investigation into 2.7 million Ford F-150 pickups over complaints fuel tank straps have rusted and failed, putting vehicles at risk of a fire. In a notice posted today, NHTSA had upgraded its investigation into 2.7 million 1997-2001 F-150 pickups after reviewing about 300 complaints. NHTSA said there are two reports of fires. In one, leaking fuel ignited, but quickly burned out. In the other incident, leaking fuel ignited and the fire destroyed the vehicle. No injuries have been reported. NHTSA said its investigation is focused on the steel straps holding the fuel tank and attaching it to the truck frame, saying it "can corrode and break." If the straps break, the tank might tilt, drop and hit the road. When driving, contact with the road can "create a hole from which gasoline can spill," NHTSA opened a preliminary investigation in September after receiving 32 complaints into 1.4 million F-150s. The agency sought data from Ford for 1997-2006 F-150s to compare failure rates in different models. The agency said today it has now reviewed 175 complaints it has received, while Ford has separately received 164 complaints and warranty complaints. NHTSA said its investigation "yielded information that strongly suggests the subject defect as the cause of the reported problem." The agency cited that of the incidents reported, 243 involved the fuel tank dropping below the vehicle with some dragging on the ground. Of those, 95 involved fuel leakage, and nine included reports of sparks from the tank being dragged on the road. The February 2008 fire under investigation that destroyed a vehicle was a 1998 F-150 in New Hampshire with 153,000 miles and worth $6,200. In the fire, the gas tank fell off the vehicle, an investigator found. As part of the investigation, Ford turned over emails from 2002 detailing corrosion reports and photos from F-150s. NHTSA said it has received reports of corrosion-induced tank strap failures with other F-150 model years. NHTSA said if the fuel straps fail, in most cases the fuel tank is only connected to the vehicle by the fuel filler hose or supply lines.
Last month, Ford agreed to recall nearly 1.5 million F-150s in North America after more than 200 reports of sudden, unexpected air bag deployments. The air bag recall covers F-150s from 2004-06 after NHTSA said it had reports of at least 269 air bag deployments and 98 injuries from suspect F-150s. Injuries include chipped teeth, fractured arms and burns.

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Chevy Cruze Recall

General Motors is recalling 154,112 Chevrolet Cruze models to ensure proper installation of the intermediate steering shaft covers. Automatic transmission-equipped models will also be checked for proper installation of the transmission shift linkage. GM says it hasn't yet received any complaints about the issue and no accidents have been reported. GM has also issued a pair of smaller actions. The automaker is recalling 8,723 examples of the 2011 Chevrolet Express and GMC Savana vans for potential brake leaks. Also being recalled are 6,303 2011 Chevrolet Colorado and GMC Canyon models that are suspected to have a windshield wiper nut that wasn't tightened to specification during the build process. None of the vehicles in this batch of recalls are reportedly responsible for any accidents as a result of the defects.

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What is Electronic Stability Control (ESC)

Electronic stability control (ESC) is a safety feature that detects and prevents (or recovers from) skids. ESC can help keep the driver from losing control of the car in a panic swerve or when driving on slippery roads.
A government study showed that ESC reduced single-vehicle crashes by 34% for cars and 59% for SUVs. The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety estimates that ESC reduces the risk of fatal single-vehicle wrecks by 56% and fatal multiple-vehicle crashes by 32%. Because of its proven effectiveness, the US Government has mandated that all new cars must be equipped with ESC by the 2012 model year.
How (ESC) Works : ESC uses sensors in the car (wheel speed sensors, steering wheel position sensors, yaw sensors, etc.) to determine which direction the driver wants the car to go, and compares that to which way the car is actually going. If the system senses that a skid is imminent or has already started -- in other words, that the car is not going in the direction the driver is telling it to go -- it can apply the brakes on individual wheels to bring the car back under control. Because the system can brake individual wheels, whereas the driver can only brake all four wheels at once, ESC can recover from skids that a human driver can't.

Different manufacturers use different names for their electronic stability control systems.
Electronic Stability Program (ESP)
Vehicle Stability Assist (VSA)
Vehicle Stability Control (VSC)
Vehicle Dynamic Control (VDC)
Dynamic Stability Control (DSC)
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2011 NASCAR Points

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  NASCAR TOP TEN POINTS
  Carl Edwards 295
  Jimmie Johnson 290
  Dale Earnhardt Jr. 276
  Kevin Harvick 268
  Kurt Busch 267
  Kyle Busch 257
  Ryan Newman 253
  Matt Kenseth 252
  Juan Montoya 246
  Clint Bowyer 245
  

Toyota Recalling 51,000 Tundra Pick Ups

Toyota is recalling approximately 51,000 of its 2011 model year Tundra pickup trucks because of a potential problem with the rear drive shaft. The fault lies with a component, the slip yoke, that was improperly cast during the foundry process and may break. There are no reports of accidents or injuries associated with this recall. Toyota does, however, know of one incident of a drive shaft slip yoke failure in a customer vehicle. In May, vehicle owners will receive a letter detailing the recall. Toyota dealers will inspect vehicles free of charge to identify a specific "production lot" number located on the rear drive shaft. Based upon the lot number, the rear drive shaft may need to be replaced. The inspection and possible replacement will be done free of charge.

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GMC Sierra All-Terrain HD Concept

January The GMC Sierra All-Terrain HD concept makes its debut at the 2011 Detroit auto show. GMC took a Sierra HD crew cab. Ripped out the existing long bed and install a five-foot, eight-inch short bed from a half-ton Sierra. Add in three inches more of ground clearance, for a total of 11.8 at the skid plates. Install remote-reservoir Fox Racing off-road shocks, allowing for huge wheel travel front and rear. Combine with front and rear jounce shocks for better rebound control. Add 20-inch wheels shod with 35-inch tires that combine with the suspension changes to widen the track by 4.2 inches. The best part is a 6.6-liter Duramax turbo-diesel with 397 hp and, 765 lb-ft of torque.

Nissan Pathfinder and Infinity QX4 Recall

Nissan has recalled nearly 200,000 Nissan Pathfinders and Infinity QX4s over concerns that accumulated road salt and water could cause a loss of steering. The affected vehicles are model years 1996-2004 Pathfinders and 1997-2003 QX4s owned by drivers in 20 states where road salt is used during icy and snowy winters. According to the recall, salt and water can collect in the strut housing and cause corrosion leading to difficult steering or loss of steering. Customers will be notified in mid-May, reports Reuters. Recalled vehicles will be inspected and, if needed, repaired at dealerships for no charge.

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Toyota Highlander & RAV4 Recall

Toyota Motors announced a recall of approximately 214,000 of its 2007 and 2008 model year RAV4 and 94,000 of its 2008 model year Highlander and Highlander Hybrid vehicles due to faulty roll-over sensors in their side air bag systems. Toyota says those vehicles, sold only in the U.S., use two sensors to detect roll angle. If one sensor fails, an air bag warning light will appear and the vehicle's roll-over detection system will be disabled. The air bags will deploy in a collision involving side impacts, but not in a roll-over situation. If both sensors fail simultaneously after an initial air bag system check, the vehicle's seat belt pretensioner and air bags could inadvertently activate. The Japanese car maker says it will begin notifying customers affected by the recall next month and owners will be instructed to take their vehicles to a dealership where mechanics will replace the sensors for free.

Batcycle

The Batcycle produced by Kustomotive, designed by Tom Daniel, and built by Dan and Korky Korkes using a Yamaha 1966 Catalina 250. It was leased to 20th Century Fox starting on April 18, 1966 for $50 a week with an additional $350 up front. The Batcycle was first used in the 1966 film Batman and continued to appear in the rest of the TV series. Hubie Kerns and Victor Paul did most of the stunt work with the motorcycle throughout the series. The total amount paid to Kustomotive was $2,500. When the series was canceled, Kustomotive used the Batcycle in car shows, paying royalties to Greenway, 20th Century Fox, and National Periodical Publications. Kustomotive built four replicas of the Batcycle for tours.

TOP 15 NASCAR points

2011 OFFICIAL DRIVERS POINTS NASCAR SPRINT CUP SERIES TOP 15

CARL EDWARDS 295
JIMMIE JOHNSON 290
DALE EARNHARDT JR. 276
KEVIN HARVICK 268
KURT BUSCH 267
KYLE BUSCH 257
RYAN NEWMAN 253
MATT KENSETH 252
JUAN MONTOYA 246
CLINT BOWYER 245
PAUL MENARD 242
TONY STEWART 240
JEFF GORDON 234
MARK MARTIN 226
A J ALLMENDINGER 226