Ferrari Sergio by Pininfarina Revealed

Ferrari Sergio by Pininfarina Revealed
Honda Expands Takata Airbag Recall to 3M More Vehicles
Audi Q7 Diesel Plug-In Hybrid Coming to US
Mazda, Xbox Launch 2016 MX-5 Design Contest
Ford, Mazda Expand Takata Airbag Recall
Ford F-150 Hybrid, Diesel Under Consideration

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Ferrari has finally revealed the production version of the Sergio concept car, but don't expect to see one anytime soon.

That's because only six of these exclusive Pininfarina-designed models will be built, to celebrate Ferrari's 60th year collaborating with the design house. The car originally debuted at the 2013 Geneva Motor Show as a concept, and the positive reaction it got pushed it through to production, although the production model is toned down quite a bit from the concept.

The six examples of the Sergio will be based on the 458 Spider, although power comes from the upgraded 597-hp 4.5-litre V8 engine found in the 458 Speciale, which hustles the Sergio from 0 to 62 mph in just three seconds. Other changes include black leather upholstery with red stitching, a carbon fiber dashboard, Alcantara seat inserts, a stiffer bodyshell and 200 pounds of weight loss.

Pricing wasn't announced for the car, but each of the six exclusive models have already been sold, likely for about £2.5 million each.

GALLERY: Ferrari Sergio

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Honda Expands Takata Airbag Recall to 3M More Vehicles

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Honda is once again expanding its recall for faulty airbags, this time leaving no stone unturned.

The Japanese automaker is calling back every car fitted with a driver-side airbag made by Takata, adding about 3 million vehicles to the list which is already 7 million vehicles deep. This recall affects cars from across the entire country. Initially, only cars in high humidity States were called back, but the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) is demanding that cars from across the country be brought back in after one of the airbags ruptured in a non-humid state.

SEE ALSO: Honda Expanding Airbag Recall

The problem is with the airbag inflators, which can rupture, causing metal shards to shoot out at the passengers at high speeds. Honda and a slew of other automakers have also recalled cars for the passenger side airbags, but these recalls remain strictly regional. This new recall is also being treated as research into the condition of airbag inflators from non-humid areas.

So far, Takata has said that only high-humidity areas are affected by the problems, balking at NHTSA's assertion that the airbags should be brought back in country wide.

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Audi Q7 Diesel Plug-In Hybrid Coming to US

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Audi is adopting all sorts of electrified powertrains across its fleet.

Not just focusing on fully electric vehicles, Audi plans to install a plug-in hybrid diesel setup in the upcoming Q7 SUV, marking the first vehicle in the Volkswagen group's portfolio to use the technology. The new Q7 will debut next year, initially with just gasoline and diesel powerplants. The plug-in hybrid system mated to a diesel engine will become available later in the year, and will be sold in both the U.S. and Europe.

The setup will combine a 3.0-liter V6 diesel engine with a plug-in hybrid system and is likely to show up in the A8 as well as the Q7. Audi believes strongly that plug-in hybrids are the best and most viable option for alternative powertrains because they are not limited in range like all-electric vehicles.

The 2016 Audi Q7 is expected to debut at the 2015 Detroit Auto Show.

[Source: Automotive News]

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Mazda, Xbox Launch 2016 MX-5 Design Contest

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For the second straight year, Mazda has teamed up with Xbox to get gamers involved.

The Japanese automaker is promoting the launch of its new 2016 MX-5 Miata sports car and giving Forza Horizon 2 players on Xbox 360 and Xbox One the chance to enter the Mazda MX-5 Livery Design Contest. The contest, which is now live and will run through January 4, 2015 is asking players to design the livery on a 1994 Mazda MX-5 that is currently available in the game.

A pair of finalists will win a trip in March to South by Southwest 2015 for the final design showdown with the winner walking away with a 55-inch curved TV, audio music system, Xbox One Kinect console and one MadCatz Racing Wheel.

To celebrate the winning design, the car will be available to all Forza Horizon 2 players on the Xbox 360 and Xbox One for free. Entering the contest will require you to have a copy of Forza Horizon 2 and participants will have to save their design with the name "MX5contest" and upload it to the Forza Horizon 2 storefront during the contest period.

"In addition to shining the spotlight on the 2016 Mazda MX-5 through the partnership, we also wanted to give Forza fans a way to engage and pick up some cool prizes and see their work featured in the game," said Russell Wager, vice president of marketing, MNAO. "Fans of the Mazda MX-5 are some of the most passionate enthusiasts out there and we look forward to seeing the creativity that comes from this contest."

GALLERY: 2016 Mazda MX-5 Miata Live Photos

GALLERY: 2016 Mazda MX-5 Miata

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Ford, Mazda Expand Takata Airbag Recall

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Ford and Mazda are the latest automakers to expand their Takata airbag recalls.

Following in the footsteps of Honda and Chrysler, both Ford and Mazda are also widening their Takata airbag recall to cover additional states that also experience high humidity. For Ford, that means an additional 13,000 vehicles are now affected by the airbag recall, including certain 2004-2005 Ford Rangers and 2005-2006 Ford GTs. The total number of Ford vehicles that have been recalled is now approximately 98,000, covering Florida, Puerto Rico, U.S. Virgin Islands, Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, Texas, Guam, Saipan and American Samoa.

Mazda's expansion now affects over 86,000 vehicles sold in the U.S. between 2003-2008, specifically the 2003-2007 Mazda6, 2006-2008 MazdaSpeed6, 2004-2008 RX-8, 2004-2005 MPV and 2004 B-Series truck. The Japanese automaker's campaign now covers vehicles sold or registered in Florida, Puerto Rico, Hawaii, Saipan, Guam, American Samoa, US Virgin Islands, Georgia, Alabama, Louisiana, Mississippi and Texas.

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Ford F-150 Hybrid, Diesel Under Consideration

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The Ford F-150 family might gain some new powertrain variants in the near future.

Despite fuel costs dropping nationwide, the American automaker is currently developing a hybrid powertrain for its popular F-150 pickup truck and even a diesel powerplant isn't entirely out of the question. The hybrid version of the F-150 is priority at the moment, but Ford admits that if the demand is there, it won't hesitate to add a diesel to the lineup.

Unfortunately according to Ford global product development chief Raj Nair, the hybrid system is still in its early stages of development so there's little details to share at the moment. It's worth noting that even though gas prices are falling, automakers will still have to meet stricter emissions requirements in the coming years, which makes development of hybrid powertrains for pickups all the more important.

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