Major car rental companies agree not to rent or sell recalled vehicles

Bowing to pressure from consumers and advocacy groups, major car rental companies have agreed to end the practice of renting cars that have been recalled for safety problems.

Legislators introduced a bill to the Senate yesterday that would keep recalled rental cars off the road. The bill has the backing of all four major rental companies Enterprise, which owns National and Alamo, Hertz/Advantage, Avis/Budget and Dollar/Thrifty, according to a statement released by Sen. Barbara Boxer. Those companies comprise 93 percent of the rental car market, and Hertz was the only one of the four major car rental companies to initially pledge not to rent cars under recall.

The bill will be named after Raechel and Jacqueline Houck (above, right), two young California sisters who died in 2004 in a rented Chrysler PT Cruiser that had been previously recalled for problems with the steering column. The steering fluid was prone to leaking, leaving drivers unable to control their vehicles. Enterprise Rental hadn't fixed the problem before renting the car to the Houck sisters.

"I remain very hopeful and optimistic" that the legislation will pass, Cally Houck, Raechel and Jacqueline's mother tells Autoblog. Houck has been pushing for the new legislation for the past few years. "But it's not done yet ... I remain a bit cynical, based on my history lobbying for this issue. But we do have a consensus of all the industry's major players."
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McLaren P1 is the nearly real supercar of our drive-to-race dreams

Destined to be one of the splashier events of the 2012 Paris Motor Show, the unveiling of McLaren's newest supercar, and successor to the intimidating F1 legend, went off beautifully today. Despite being a design exercise, the P1 concept here in Paris clearly paves the path forward for McLaren, with the company's stated goal being to produce a car that is superlative both on the road and on the track.

While the stunningly orange-and-black P1 concept is not the final product, recently exposed schematic drawings from McLaren reveal that this design is probably very close to what the company is planning to put on the road in a few years. In fact, our own man-on-the-ground, Matt Davis, reported yesterday that the P1 is "97-percent final."

A close inspection of our gallery images of the P1 reveal, using human beings for scale, that the P1 is a delicately sized sports car. We're told that the new Mac will have the smallest frontal area of any car in the segment, while still delivering something like 1,300 pounds of downforce at 125 miles per hour.

Additionally, but none too surprising, the P1 will make use of all of McLaren's hardest won racing technology. The midengined car is built around a carbon fiber monocoque that also incorporates a safety cage within the roof structure a concept that McLaren calls "Monocage." This structure also works to deliver heaps of fresh air to the engine via a roof snorkel, which is pretty rad. All of the car's body panels are made from carbon fiber, as well, to keep the P1 as light as possible.

It almost goes without saying, but we're just aching to get our hands on a test-ready version of the P1, sometime around when the car goes on sale at the end of 2013. Stay tuned.

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Hamilton in, Schumacher out at Mercedes F1 in $100M deal

In 1995, a 10-year-old Lewis Hamilton walked up to McLaren team principal Ron Dennis and declared "I want to race for you one day." That fateful moment began a relationship between Hamilton, Dennis, and McLaren which culminated in the 2008 Formula One Championship. A relationship that, at least professionally, has come to an end.

Word from the UK's Telegraph is that Hamilton has left McLaren for the Mercedes-Benz factory team in a three-year deal that could be worth as much as $100 million. The departure of the 27-year-old driver from McLaren marks one of the biggest driver transfers in motorsport in recent memory. Though the German F1 team has won only a single race since returning to the sport in 2010, Hamilton and Mercedes both appear to be betting heavily on the turbocharged 1.6-liter V6 engine specifications for 2014.

The move has major ramifications for both teams. At McLaren, team principal Martin Whitmarsh said they had "no plan B" for their lead driver, however, it has already announced Mexican driver Sergio Perez as Hamilton's replacement in 2013.

The more controversial fallout is that Hamilton now replaces Michael Schumacher for next season. The seven-time World Champion first retired from Ferrari at the end of the 2006 season, returning to the sport in 2010 with Mercedes, where he has struggled. In reaction to the announcement, Schumi said that he would concentrate on the remaining races this season, and that he wished Hamilton well.

Hamilton's recent history with McLaren has been highlighted by salary disputes and comments on team tactics. Telegraph writer Tom Cary openly ponders the influence of XIX Entertainment The London-based firm represents Hamilton, and stands to make more money from the new contract. As for Schumacher, there is no word on his plans after the current Formula 1 season.
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Peugeot's Onyx hybrid supercar may be the belle of the Parisian ball [w/video]

Though the French automaker is clearly on the top of its game with all of its offerings for the 2012 Paris Motor Show, Peugeot's Onyx concept is its definitive highlight.

A masterpiece in matte black paint, Onyx's most striking features are the two huge swathes of polished copper that adorn both sides. Each side is made from a single piece of copper and, other than extensive polishing, the material is unprotected from the elements. The goal here, says Peugeot, is that the copper panels will change and evolve over time with oxidation.

The lightweight concept car all of the body panels are made from carbon fiber and the car weighs just 1,100 kilograms (2,425 pounds) is propelled by an aggressive hybrid powertrain. At the heart of the propulsion is a 3.7-liter V8 that's good for a whopping 600 horsepower, and it's modulated via a six-speed sequential gearbox. The conventional engine is augmented with lithium-ion battery-powered electric system that adds another 80 horses to the mix.

The interior of the Onyx is nearly as impressive as the body and powertrain, with a single, neutral-colored, floor-to-ceiling material that looks a lot like wall-to-wall carpeting, but in a cool French way. Seats are barely discernable from the non-seat portion of the interior, and the whole thing looks about as wild and impractical as you'd want from your typical billion-dollar steampunk concept supercar. Nicely done.

To see and hear the Onyx in motion, scroll down for a video.
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Ferrari's Enzo successor laid bare with carbon fiber chassis display

Ferrari is quick to point out that while output across its lineup has jumped roughly 100 horsepower in the last four years, fuel consumption and emissions are down nearly 30 percent. Such gains in efficiency are made through a holistic approach, including engine tuning, aerodynamics, tires, and so on.

A a good part of any gain in efficiency can be made through the use of exotic materials and lightweight structural components. With the F70 Enzo successor still in development, the folks from Maranelo chose Paris to display a carbon-fiber architecture, apparently for the limited-run roadcar. Developed with help from Ferrari's Formula One Chief Designer, Rory Byrne, the carbon fiber structure looks to support a mid-engined layout and provides spaces for upward-swinging doors (see: Enzo butterfly doors).

Ferrari says that it sought for alternatives to conventional carbon fiber manufacturing techniques. Instead, methods and materials were shared by Scuderia Ferrari, using four different types of carbon fiber all hand-laminated.

According to Ferrari, the chassis of the limited-run vehicle is 20 percent lighter than the Enzo, even with the added weight necessitated by hybrid components (though it isn't clear if the completed car will also be 20 percent lighter). All we know is, few automakers can get us excited about a substructure like Ferrari.
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Espera Sbarro Eight Concept is the best student project car in history

Here's a showstopper. Tucked away in a corner of the Fourth Pavilion here at the 2012 Paris Motor Show was this carbon fiber hot rod from the Espera Sbarro Montbliard School of Design. Known simply as the Eight, cribbed from the Maserati-sourced V8 engine, this machine was reportedly designed and built in just eight weeks. We also hear that it's powered by the impure thoughts of heathens, or maybe just gasoline.

The Sbarro Eight Concept was built to help showcase some of the latest technology available to automakers, including a driver-facing tablet computer that occupies the spot normally housing the dash. Applications such as navigation, internet, and Read & Go for books, Liveradio and Deezer for tunes and Cinday for movies keep the driver connected while on the go. But hopefully not while actually, you know, driving.

The Eight also features a Parrot Asteroid Smart car radio powered by Android that features a 6.2-inch screen and can connect to the online Asteroid Market, cellular phones via Bluetooth, or display videos through auxilliary inputs. An onboard wireless charger and a mobile stereo system round out the tech package.

Though we truly love its distinctive style, this pony has the go to back up its considerable show. The aforementioned V8 engine spins out 360 horsepower to the rear wheels. We've got to hand it to the auto design students that penned the Eight this is one concept that quite literally stopped us in our tracks. See our full photo gallery above.
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McLaren Reveals P1 Supercar In Paris

McLarens P1 supercar image: McLaren

Its now official: the McLaren P1 will be the successor to the McLaren F1 as the companys attempt to build the worlds finest supercar. Using the Paris Auto Show as its stage (which, incidentally, was McLarens first-ever appearance at an international auto show), McLaren revealed the P1 to a crowd of journalists and honored guests.

McLarens P1 supercar image: McLaren

In the words, of McLarens Executive Chairman, Ron Dennis, The McLaren P1 will be the result of 50 years of racing and road car heritage. Twenty years ago we raised the supercar performance bar with the McLaren F1 and out goal with the McLaren P1 is to redefine it once again.

McLarens P1 supercar image: McLaren

McLaren would only talk in generalities about the car, so specific horsepower figures remain unknown. For the time being, McLarens Program Director, Paul Mackenzie, would only admit that the design goal was to produce more than 600PS (about 592 horsepower) per ton, which should indeed produce the race-car-like performance that McLaren is after.

McLarens P1 supercar image: McLaren

Like the F1, the P1 will be mid-engined and built around a carbon fiber monocoque and roof structure that McLaren calls the MonoCage. Body panels will also be crafted of carbon fiber, and many will also serve to provide downforce or cooling ducts. As the P1s Chief Design Engineer Dan Parry-Williams explains, Everything is there for a reason true form improves function. Every duct, every surface, does a job, either in aero or in cooling.

McLarens P1 supercar image: McLaren

To improve grip and high-speed stability, the P1 will employ active aerodynamics, creating as much as 1,320 pounds of downforce, even below its maximum top speed. Its hard to miss the oversize rear wing, which we presume will automatically deploy above a certain speed threshold (though we suspect its manually deployable, too).

McLarens P1 supercar image: McLaren

Further details on specifications and performance will be released early next year, around the time that McLaren opens up its order books. Deliveries are set to begin by the end of next year, as 2013 marks the legendary constructors 50th anniversary.

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