We told you yesterday that Ford will be unveiling its new Park Assist technology on the Lincoln MKS and upcoming MKT, but the folks at FoMoCo have now released a video showing their new Park Assist in action, hosted by Ford's chassis chief engineer, Ali Jammoul.

+ YouTube (via Jalopnik)

While the peril of parallel parking may not make sense to a Honda Fit or Kia Spectra owner, it's not always easy to back up that seven-passenger crossover into the little street-side space. Lexus introduced a camera-assisted self-park system for the large LS sedan, and now more and more automakers are adding more cameras and mirrors to their products. Ford is no different, and they've come up with their own self-park system set to debut on the Lincoln MKS and MKT next summer.

Unlike the Lexus' cameras, Ford's system uses ultrasonic sensors placed around the vehicle. The sensors measure the distance between cars to determine if there is enough space and then the system operates the steering wheel accordingly, while giving instructions to the driver about operating the gas and brake, and moving from drive to reverse. Ford says that they believe this system will trump the Lexus system in terms of reliability.

Click through the post for Ford's press release and stay tuned for the Lincoln MKT's live reveal on January 12th.

BMW of North America has issued a recall for 28,450 Mini Cooper S cars made in model years 2007 and 2008. Why? The tailpipes. Yep, the center exhaust on the Cooper S stick out too far past the rear bumper and may prove to be a threat to innocent pedestrians. If the tailpipe is hot and someone walks by, they could unknowingly burn themselves.

The whole thing seems a bit silly, but Cooper S owners will need to take their cars into their local Mini dealer to have the tailpipes replaced. The recall is set to begin in January of next year.

+ Kicking Tires: Recall Alert: 2007-08 Mini Cooper S

The Ford Motor Company announced today that they will be implementing a new technology called MyKey to allow parents to have better control over their kids' driving habits. The first examples of this will appear on the 2010 Focus Coupe and should quickly spread to other models.

MyKey uses Ford's existing technology to determine which key is being put in the ignition and then knows which driving mode to enable when the car is started. This system allows parents to limit the vehicle's top speed to 80 miles per hour and limit the stereo's volume up to 44 percent of its maximum ability. Also, MyKey does not allow the traction control system to be deactivated, and delivers a low-fuel warning at 75 miles to empty, rather than the standard 50. Cautious parents may also opt to have a speed alert chime come on at 45, 55, or, 65 miles per hour, and the system will repeatedly chime when seatbelts are not being used.

Parents of teen drivers like the idea of MyKey, and initial polling shows that 75 percent like the speed-limiting feature, 72 percent like the seatbelt reminder, and 63 percent like the audio limit feature. On the contrary, teen drivers were also polled, and 67 percent said that they disagree with the MyKey system. However, if having MyKey would, in turn, lead to more driving privileges, only 36 percent of teens would object to the system.

(Click through the post for Ford's complete press release.)

http://www.carzi.com/2008/09/02/bugatti-veyron-crash-uk-photos/

Just one month after Hyundai's new Genesis luxury sedan went on sale, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (HNTSA) has awarded the premium Genesis with five-star crash test ratings in both front- and side-impact tests.

John Krafcik of Hyundai says, "Genesis was engineered with a lightweight but strong body shell, featuring ultra-high-tensile steel, laser welding, and advanced adhesive bonding. Add eight airbags and electronic active head restraints, and you can easily see the focus we placed on designing Genesis for occupant safety. These five-star results are just one indication of the dedication Hyundai engineers place on safety."

The Genesis officially went on sale on July, selling 1200 units in its first month. Hyundai hopes to sell a total of 50,000 Genesis vehicles each year once the new Genesis Coupe joins the lineup in 2009, and if the coupe can also muster up five-star ratings, we can easily see both it and the sedan garnering attention from a wide range of consumers.

+ Automotive News

There’s just no getting around the fact that cars are damaged, sometimes irrevocably, everyday in the U.S. New data suggests that, in the first part of 2008, more than 1.3 million vehicles were tagged as being damaged in accidents or as the result of severe weather. When such damage occurs, a vehicle’s official title is required to be “branded” with such designations as Salvaged, Lemon, Flood, etc, to protect used car buyers from unwittingly purchasing a substandard product. 

Shockingly then, automotive information specialist Experian Automotive claims that over 15 percent of 2008’s damaged vehicles – some 185,00 in total – have been re-titled in other states with the offending brands removed from their paperwork. This type of “title-washing” can blind buyers to vehicles that they would otherwise pass up (or at least expect a healthy bargain on), and can lead to a far higher level of unsafe cars on the road.

It’s certainly no secret that the purchase of a pre-owned vehicle can be fraught with pitfalls and unsavory experiences, but with today’s levels of access to vehicle records offering customers more information than ever before, some dangers can be mitigated with just a bit of due diligence.  Check out Experian’s press release below for more information.

http://tinyurl.com/5d2brg

http://www.sciencenews.org/view/generic/id/34026/title/Cars_Are_Learning_to_Driv...