Porsche is recalling specific vehicles from the 2011 and 2012 Boxster, Cayman and 911 model ranges due to an issue with the seatbelt anchor.

The automaker claims that undersized mounting holes for the anchors could cause the seatbelt to become not ”routed optimally around the occupant.” Over time, the anchor could loosen, resulting in an increased injury risk in a crash.

Among the models targeted by NHTSA for recall include the 2011 911 Speedster, the 911 GTS RS 4.0, the 2012 Boxster (including the Boxster S and Spyder) and  Cayman (including the Cayman S and Cayman R), the 911 Carrera (including  the Carrera S, GTS, 4, 4S, and 4 GTS); 911 Targa 4/4S and the 911 Turbo and Turbo S manufactured from May 31, 2011 through June 10, 2011.

Porsche dealers will inspect the affected vehicles and made any necessary alterations free of charge.

Hit the jump for the official press release

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Subaru of American announced today, that its highly-anticipated 2012 Impreza will start at just $17,495. At that price, customers will get the base model 4-door 2.0-liter with a five speed manual transmission.

Impressively, the car’s starting price remains the same as last year’s model. The base model equipped with a CVT transmission will carry a $1,000 premium. The five door model with a five speed with cost $17,995 or $18,995 for the CVT model.

The Impreza will also be offered in 2.0i Premium, Sport Premium and Limited models. The 4-door 2.0i Premium will cost $18,795, with the five door Premium starting at $19,295. The 2.0i Limited 4-door will cost $21,595 and $22,095 for the 5-door. Lastly, the Impreza 2.0i Sport Premium will start at $20,295 and is only offered in the 5-door body style.

The 2012 Impreza has a few changes from last year including the all-new148-hp 2.0-liter Boxer engine, that achieves 27 mpg city and 36 mpg highway. The 2012 Impreza will hit dealerships in November 2011.

Kia has officially confirmed that it will be debuting a rear-wheel drive four-door sports sedan at next month’s Frankfurt Auto Show. The concept  has sleek and muscular proportions, and will likely slide in between the Hyundai Genesis and Equus in terms of size.

“I believe the car is a strong statement from Kia: We are ready to fast forward to an all-new chapter,” says Peter Schreyer, Kia Motors Chief Officer.

Looking through the photos at the sheer size and shape of the vehicle, it becomes clear that Kia is interested in running this car against the big boys like the Audi A7 and Mercedes-Benz CLS. ”No matter from which perspective you look at it – this concept car is roaring with energy and ready for take-off,” says Schreyer. ”I believe the car is a strong statement from Kia: we are ready to fast forward to an all new chapter.”

Gallery: Kia Sports Sedan

The countdown to the first day of school is on. Just as important as it is to get everything ready for the big day, it’s also a good idea to go over a few school bus safety tips.

After all, it’s been a long summer and you may have to do a little homework to ensure you and your kids are prepared for the big yellow bus. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has put together a handy cheat sheet of tips to help students, parents, and motorists be safe around buses.

For Kids:

• Be early. Arrive at your bus stop at least five minutes before it comes to pick you up.

• When the bus picks you up, give it some room. Stand at least six feet away from the curb, and line up away from the street.
• Don’t be in a rush to climb onboard. You should wait until the bus comes to a complete stop, the door opens, and the driver says that it’s okay before stepping onto the bus.
• If you have to cross the street in front of the bus, you should walk on the sidewalk or along the side of the road until you are about 10 feet ahead of the bus before crossing. When you cross, make sure that you can see the bus driver and the bus driver can see you.
• To avoid falls, use the handrails when entering and exiting the bus. Make sure clothing or backpacks don’t get caught in the handrails or doors when you’re leaving the bus.
• Never walk behind the bus.
• If you drop something near the bus, tell the bus driver before picking it up – the bus driver might not be able to see you.

For Drivers:

• Watch out for children walking or bicycling when backing out of a driveway or leaving a garage. A good habit to get into is to walk around your car or out to the sidewalk to check for any children in your path before you get into it.
• Drive slowly and watch for children walking in the street. Keep an eye out for kids playing or waiting around bus stops.
• Even though children are taught about looking both ways, they could dart into the street without looking, so be extra vigilant and aware when driving.
• Every state or province has its own set of laws when it comes to school buses. Yellow flashing lights mean the bus is going to stop or drop off children. Red flashing lights and an extended stop arm signal let you know that the bus is stopped, and that children are getting on or off. Make sure you know what you have to do as a driver around these signals.

[Source: Consumer Reports]

Singapore billionaire Peter Lim has made a “significant investment” in British sports car maker McLaren, the company said. With his contribution, Lim has joined McLaren Automotive’s board with immediat effect. Forbes ranked him the eighth richest person in Singapore, with an estimated fortune of 1.8 billion.

“Peter Lim’s track record in Asia as a highly respected business leader adds further quality to our board in this highly competitive business environment at an exciting time for the company,” Ron Dennis, executive chairman of McLaren Automotive and McLaren Group, said in a statement.

Part of the reason Lim invested in the company is because demand for its new MP4-12C sports car, is strong in the Asia Pacific region, with orders that will take eighteen months of production to fill.

Interestingly, Lim put in a bid of $525.5 million to buy the Liverpool Football Club, but later withdrew the offer after the club changed ownership.

[Source: Reuters]

The young jetsetter needs to travel in style. That’s why Porsche Design Driver’s Selection just added a new rolling suitcase called the Kids’ Trolley to its lineup.

Sporting red piping with a blue exterior and Porsche 911 Turbo print, kids will love how this rolling suitcase’s wheels light up when it’s being pulled. The lights are powered by movement, so there’s no need for batteries – a feature that parents will love. It’s also adorned with a reflective Porsche logo, nameplate, printed checkered flag and a red interior lining. This rolling suitcase comes with a handy feature parents will love – a snack box with a separate compartment for fruit and uncooked food. Other handy features include a pen holder, Velcro compartments, pockets and a snap hook for keys inside the main compartment.

You can roll away a Kids’ Trolley for $190 at the Porsche Design Driver’s Selection online store.

Cadillac promised the unveiling of an all new concept car in Monterey during the Pebble Beach festivities and the American luxury brand certainly delivered.

Ahead of the debut Caddy had confirmed the ConverJ concept would see production as the ELR, leading the throng of assembled journalists to assume that car was the highlight of the night. Far from disappointing, Cadillac then unveiled the new Ciel concept, a four-seater convertible it says is inspired by the California coast. For full details on the Ciel, see here, and watch video from the private unveiling after the jump.

GALLERY: Cadillac Ciel Concept

Watch the video after the jump:

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For the next generation of Ford’s in-dash displays, the company is actually putting some thought into them—and focus groups are using a high-tech virtual simulator to determine what works in relaying information to drivers and passengers alike.

The driving simulator is carefully designed to match the interior of a Ford Focus Electric, with two 4.2-inch color LCD screens on both sides of the speedometer. Once the occupant gets in (and 30 drivers have already), the simulator takes him on a diverse 11-mile drive—across winding hills, city streets, country roads, stretches of flat nothingness, and Grandma’s house.

“These screens are an integral part of Focus Electric and we thought the best way to make sure they would do their job is to have people come in and try them out for themselves,” said Paul Aldighieri, an engineer with Ford. “The only true way to get a feel for what the screens are telling the driver is by actually getting behind the wheel.”

The simulator gauges how drivers react to all of the information that pertains to the Focus Electric: battery charge, remaining range, and whether you could be driving even more efficiently. It’s a lot of information to display, especially while someone’s driving and doing the 100 other things one normally does while driving (applying makeup, eating cheeseburgers, flipping off tailgaters, sexting) so engineers have to determine what’s effective and what’s not. Butterflies to display eco-friendliness, for example, are more welcoming than circuitboard graphics.

The system is integrated into MyFord Touch, which offers information about range, destinations and charge points. It’s all controlled through five buttons on the steering wheel, which will also bring up the ability to customize information to individual drivers (which Ford calls “MyView”). When the Ford Focus Electric finally comes out, it’ll be key for consumers to know that, well, circuits are too nerdy for environmentalists!

Sweden’s regulators started the collection process against Saab Automobile after the struggling automaker failed to meet a Tuesday deadline to pay two suppliers.

”We’ve just begun by looking at what kind of bank accounts they have and what kind of collateral there might be” in the process that started Wednesday, Tommy Barkman, a case worker at the state agency, explained in a telephone interview with Automotive News.

Saab was to pay Kongsberg Automotive, a Norwegian manufacturer of car-seat parts. The Swedish automaker was also supposed to pay Infotive AB, a Gothenburg, Sweden-based consulting firm, a combined sum of $633,000 to avoid proceedings. The majority of that amount is owed to Kongsberg, Hans Ryberg, a division chief at the enforcement agency, said on Tuesday. Another $792,200 is owed to more suppliers in a weeks time. Over one-hundred debt claims have been filed against Saab with the collection agency.

Production came to a stand still in late March when the automaker could not afford to continue production, and the Trollhattan factory in Sweden has not been operational since early June. Usually the collection agency takes one to three months to complete the collection process, but this can be avoided in Saab pays off the debts owed.

[Source: Automotive News]

Unveiled at Pebble Beach, Toyota CEO Akio Toyoda calls the new GS “the first generation of a new Lexus.” Most obvious is an all-new design, while Lexus has also upped its game in terms of interior quality, while promising a more engaging driving experience.

GALLERY: 2013 Lexus GS350

Watch the video after the jump and get all the details on the new GS350 here:

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