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Nutson's Mega-Tweet Sized Auto News Factoids W/O February 15-21, 2016


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By Larry Nutson
Senior Editor and Bureau Chief
Chicago Bureau
The Auto Channel

AUTO CENTRAL Chicago, February 14, 2016; Every Sunday Larry Nutson, Senior Editor and Chicago Car Guy along with fellow senior editors Steve Purdy and Thom Cannell from The Auto Channel Michigan Bureau, give you TACH's "take" on this past week's automotive news in easy to digest mega-tweet sized nuggets. If you wish to know more just click on the link that will take you to the full story as published here on The Auto Channel.

If you are a car and driving fan like we all are here at The Auto Channel, you can easily wish to "catch up" on these stories as well put them in context with the past 20 year's 1,970,443 automotive news, automotive stories, articles, reviews, archived news, video, audio, rants and raves. Just search The Auto Channel's Automotive News Archive.

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Automotive News February 15-21, 2016

*To Skip or not to skip, that is the question: The auto companies seem more and more done with fighting to make an impact at auto shows. Automotive News reports that now Mazda may skip the Paris show this fall. "Paris is a "huge" show, said Mazda Europe CEO Jeff Guyton, but it is difficult for Mazda to make an impact because it is dominated by France’s domestic automakers, Renault and PSA/Peugeot Citroen." Ford and Volvo already said they will not exhibit. A number of brands skipped the Detroit show this year.

* Are you a greenie?: A new study by Michael Sivak and Brandon Schoettle at the University of Michigan Transportation Research Institute examines how individuals can contribute to reductions of five man-made sources of greenhouse gas emissions, without substantial effort and time and little alteration to one’s lifestyle, if any. These sectors include: industry, commercial, residential, agriculture and transportation. They conclude that driving a vehicle that gets better gas mileage is by far the best way for an individual to combat climate change.

* Have gas will travel: Gas stations may be facing a fight for the fuel tank. A new startup operating in Fort Worth, Texas, and Silicon Valley wants to bring the fuel to you, courtesy of an app. It’s one of a few app-based fuel delivery companies looking to shake up the pump game. Booster Fuel will come to your business and fill up your car while you are at work.

* Fav Pick-ups: The 2016 Ford F-150 with 2.7-liter EcoBoost V6 engine has been named overall winner of PickupTrucks.com’s Texas Truck Showdown Max MPG fuel economy challenge. Ford F-150 beat out four competitors, including Chevrolet Silverado 1500 5.3-liter V8 and Ram 1500 3.0-liter EcoDiesel V6, due to its combination of great gas mileage, capability and strong driving performance.

*Mini-Me Tesla: A kid-size Tesla is will hit the streets in May. Actually, the sidewalks. Radio Flyer is selling a child-size version of Tesla's luxury high-performance Model S sedan. For $500 the toy version with its 6 mph top speed is complete with electric motor, sound system and working headlights. Options are a $15 vanity plate and a $50 car cover.

* Toyota Call Back: In the U.S. Toyota is recalling 1.1 million RAV4 compact SUVs from the 2006 thru 2012 and RAV4 EVs from 2012 thru 2014 because the seat belts might fail in a crash.

* Gone but not forgotten thankfully: Saab and Saturn are still in the news. GM is recalling about 200,000 Saturn and Saab models in North America to replace Takata driver's side air bag inflators. The recall covers Saab 9-3 vehicles from the 2003 through 2011 model years, Saab 9-5 vehicles from the 2010 through 2011 model years, and Saturn Astra vehicles from the 2008 and 2009 model years.

* Big brother and big sister are watching and recording: The Detroit Free Press reports that a future filled with self-driving and connected vehicles lays just around the bend -- but it's riddled with a minefield of legal, hacking and financial risks. That was the verdict as lawyers, cybersecurity experts and software engineers gathered for the Connected Car Symposium in Detroit. Perhaps the most harrowing problem in this zoomy future of autonomous, software-packed vehicles may be protecting them from hackers. A fast-growing density of software guides these vehicles and collects data on everything from where we drive to what we eat.

* Ford Hates Pot: Ford Fusion could be the new hot ticket in pot-holed cities. Ford hopes a new feature on its Fusion Sport midsize sedan will help ease the pain of potholes. The new Fusion on sale this summer will come standard with a system that looks ahead for craters and then prevents the wheel from dropping to the bottom. Ford said the pothole mitigation technology will be a first in the midsize sedan category.

* Pot getting expensive:In related news, pothole damage cost U.S. drivers about $3 billion annually, according to a new study from AAA. U.S. drivers reported they paid an average of $300 for pothole-related vehicle damage.

*No more holes in Bowling Green: More than just Corvettes. As reported by ClassicCars.com, the National Corvette Museum in Bowling Green, Kentucky, has 14 muscle cars, hot rods and street rods on display as part of its “American Muscle” exhibit. The exhibit runs through March 25. The exhibit hall was designed to showcase a variety of exhibits that appeal to new audiences.

* Ya Hoo!: It's NASCAR 2016 time. The Daytona 500 is happening this weekend. Chase Elliott, the 20-year old rookie and successor to Jeff Gordon in the No. 24 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet is on the pole. Elliott toured 2.5-mile Daytona International Speedway in 45.845 seconds (196.314 mph), edging Matt Kenseth (196.036 mph) by .065 seconds for the top starting spot in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series opener.