Hyundai, BMW in plant talks with Mexican officials

BMW and Hyundai may be joining the rush for the border that has already seen Nissan, Honda and Mazda begin factory construction in Mexico, while Ford and General Motors have both made significant investments in their Mexican facilities. BMW's interest in Mexico has been apparent for some time, and while we'd heard grumblings about Hyundai's move into Latin America some time ago, the last we heard about it was in 2009.

This new move, reported by Bloomberg, doesn't get specific on which models will be produced south of the Rio Grande, and as neither automakers' spokespeople responded to the business site's request for statements, all we really have to go on are the statements of Mexico's Economy Minister, Ildefonso Guajardo: "I cannot talk for them, but I think that starting 2014 we'll have new announcements. At least for one." Which manufacturer that will be remains anyone's guess, although judging by all the recent scuttlebutt that's been going around, the smart money seems to be on BMW. We'll stay with this one.

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Audi pushing DOT to allow its sequential LED turn signals [w/videos]

Still in the process of trying to get its trick LED Matrix Beam headlights legalized in the US, Audi is now trying to get its front and rear sequential LED turn signals approved by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Just like its auto-dimming headlights, the sequentially illuminating turn signals don't meet NHTSA's Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard 108.

The problem, according to Automotive News, is that the individual lighting elements are too small to meet current US safety regulations. The rule states that each lamp should be 22 square centimeters (8.6 square inches) and the whole lighted combined area must be 50 square centimeters (19.6 square inches). In the individual sequence, Audi's lights are much smaller than that. As for the Ford Mustang, which has had sequential turn signals since 2010, this system is legal since the first lens is large enough to meet the required size, so the other two lights really aren't even necessary.

It sounds like it could be some time before we see these turn signals on Audis in the US, which is a shame because in addition to their styling bebefuts, we think they're more effective at signaling the vehicle's intended direction of travel, and they do a better job of grabbing the eye. Scroll down to watch a pair of videos showing the headlights in action on the redesigned A8/S8 as well as the recently updated R8.

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Autoblog Podcast #351

Dave Sullivan from AutoPacific, Chrysler IPO, Jeep Cherokee delays, diesel vs. dybrid, selling cars to Gen Y, Mike Kojima on the MotoIQ supercharged Scion FR-S

Episode #351 of the Autoblog podcast is here, and this week, Dan Roth is joined by two guests; Dave Sullivan from AutoPacific to talk about the Chrysler IPO, more Jeep Cherokee delays, diesels versus hybrids and selling cars to Generation Y, all informed by Dave's perspective as an analyst. Dan also spoke with Mike Kojima from MotoIQ about their supercharged Scion FR-S project car. We start with what's in the garage and finish up with some of your questions, and for those of you who hung with us live on our UStream channel, thanks for taking the time. You can follow along after the jump with our Q&A. Thanks for listening!

Autoblog Podcast #351:

Topics:

In the Autoblog Garage: Hosts: Dan Roth
Guests: David Sullivan, Mike Kojima

Runtime: 02:07:23 Get the podcast:
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Feedback:
Email: Podcast at Autoblog dot com

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Submit your questions for Autoblog Podcast #351 LIVE!

We're set to record Autoblog Podcast #351 tonight, and we'll be joined by AutoPacific analyst David Sullivan. You can check out the topics below, drop us your questions and comments via our Q&A module and don't forget to subscribe to the Autoblog Podcast in iTunes if you haven't already done so. To take it all in live, tune in to our UStream (audio only) channel at 10:00 PM Eastern tonight.

Discussion Topics for Autoblog Podcast Episode #351

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Voices Heard Media

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Land Rover driver caught on video mowing down NYC motorcyclists [UPDATE]

Video has emerged of an altercation between the driver of a Land Rover Range Rover Sport and a large group of motorcyclists. The incident, which occurred yesterday afternoon in New York City, looks to have been started when the Land Rover driver bumped one of the motorcyclists (it's difficult to tell from the video whose fault this was). The incident momentarily brought traffic to a standstill, but escalated anew when the SUV driver ran down a number of riders while attempting to leave the scene.

According to Britain's Daily Mail Online, the driver of the Land Rover told police he feared for his safety after being engulfed by the pack of slow-moving bikers. With his wife and young daughter in the vehicle, the driver attempted to flee, and his panicked escape attempt took out some of the bikers in the process. After catching up to him, the bikers tried to open the driver's door before he fled again. In a subsequent encounter, the Land Rover driver became snarled in traffic, providing a moment for one angry motorcyclist to smash the driver's window with his helmet. The video footage then ends.

According to the report, the NYPD says that the only reported injuries were to the driver of the Range Rover, despite the YouTube caption of the video claiming there was one fatality.

The helmet-mounted video can be viewed below. Be warned, the video is rather disturbing and might not be suitable for everyone. Take a look below to watch the footage, then have your say in Comments.

UPDATE: Subsequent reports indicate police say that a number of bikers beat up the Land Rover driver, causing black eyes, lacerations and injuries to his face and body. He was treated and released from Columbia University Medical Center. Police continue to investigate the incident.

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Semi-autonomous Nissan Leaf certified for road use in Japan [w/video]

Nissan LEAF with Advanced Driver Assist Gets Japan License for Road Test

-First time a vehicle featuring Advanced Driver Assist System will be tested on Japanese roads
-Real-world testing critical as Nissan pushes ahead with development of revolutionary Autonomous Drive to meet 2020 vision

YOKOHAMA, Japan – Nissan President and CEO Carlos Ghosn today took delivery of Japan's first license plate for a car equipped with highly advanced driver assist systems. It clears the way for a Nissan LEAF equipped with the technology to be tested on the public roads in Japan for the first time. The research program will accelerate the development of technologies fundamental to Autonomous Drive. The systems are designed to allow the driver to manually take over control at any time.

The license plate includes the number 2020, which reflects Nissan's goal to be ready with multiple, commercially viable Autonomous Drive vehicles by the year 2020.

"This is an ordinary license plate for an extraordinary vehicle," said Nissan president and CEO Carlos Ghosn. "A month ago we revealed to the world our 2020 Autonomous Drive target. Road testing of the underlying technologies is critical to maintaining our leadership position and we are grateful to the Government of Japan for its support."

The Nissan LEAF to be tested is capable of a number of functions, including:
-Lane keeping
-Automatic Exit
-Automatic lane change
-Automatic overtaking slower or stopped vehicles
-Automatic deceleration behind congestion on freeways
-Automatic stopping at red lights

Nissan is developing Autonomous Drive as it works to achieve virtually zero fatalities in accidents involving its vehicles. The goal stands alongside zero emissions as a key pillar of Nissan's research and development. Autonomous Drive is an extension of the Nissan Safety Shield, which monitors a 360-degree view around vehicles for risks, gives warnings to the driver, and automatically intervenes if necessary. Work is already underway to build a dedicated Autonomous Drive proving ground in Nissan's facility in Oppama, Japan.

Nissan Executive Vice President for Research and Development, Mitsuhiko Yamashita, said: "The realization of the Autonomous Drive system is one of our greatest goals, because Zero Fatalities stands alongside Zero Emissions as major objective of Nissan's R&D. Through public road testing, we will further develop the safety, efficiency and reliability of our technology."

About Nissan Motor Co.
Nissan Motor Co., Ltd., Japan's second-largest automotive company, is headquartered in Yokohama, Japan, and is part of the Renault-Nissan Alliance. Operating with approximately 236,000 employees globally, Nissan sold more than 4.9 million vehicles and generated revenue of 9.6 trillion yen (USD 116.16 billion) in fiscal 2012. Nissan delivers a comprehensive range of over 60 models under the Nissan and Infiniti brands. In 2010, Nissan introduced the Nissan LEAF, and continues to lead in zero-emission mobility. The LEAF, the first mass-market, pure-electric vehicle launched globally, is now the best-selling EV in history.

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