European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - April 18, 1994, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Monday april 18, 1994 automotive the stars and stripes Page 9 Ford motor co. Started production this month of what it Calls the Engin of the future the 2.5-liter, v-6duratec. Ford officials said the developed the ,60-degree, lightweight engine to Power the company s All new global cars in 59 countries the european Monde Ford contour and Mercury mystique. A total of $688 million was spent to modernize the 40-year-Oldcleveland engine Plant no. 2, where the engines started moving off the Linela Sweek. About 415,000 engines will reproduced yearly providing More than 700 jobs at the  Hagenlocker executive vice president of the automaker s North american unit said the v-6 Duratez will be exported to two countries about 20,000 to Mexico for contour and mystique production at Ford a Cuautitla Plant and about 20,000 to Belgium for the Monde at the Gen Plant. Contour and mystique production will begin m july at Kansas City Plant and go on Sale september n Nissan motor corp. . An Nissan Canada inc. Announced last week that they Are conducting voluntary recall on 1992 and Early 1993 Maxima sedans to update the airbag equipment. The recall involves about 65,000u.s. And 6,500 Canadian vehicles Nissan said it will replace one of Theair bag sensors in the supplemental restraint system with an update version which is less sensitive to accidental underbody impacts. Nissan said the air bag system was working properly but the firm decided to recall the cars in order to improve customer Confidence. \ Toyota opened an Auto parts store in Warsaw last week its largest in Central Europe which can provide records for up to 2.5 million spare parts for new and old Toyota models Poland. The store representing an investment Worth $6 million a opened by the japanese ambassador to Poland Nagao hypo. He expressed his conviction that other japanese car makers will follow Toyota s Lead. Put of 7 million personal cars in Poland about 40,000 Are Toyota. The store will be Able to deliver spare parts to 35 Toyota dealer across the country. ". " " " traffic accidents killed More than15,000 people in China during the first three months of 1994, putting the nation on the Road to breaking last year s record number of fatalities unofficial newspaper said wednesday. Statistics released by the ministry of Public Security underline China s growing safety problems As car production increases and inadequate roads and poor driving skills increase risks for Drivers and their  accidents from january through March killed 15,029 people 8.6percent higher than the first Quarter of last year the police ministry told Testate run Legal daily. Another 33,624 people were injured during that period an increase of 11.6percent Over the same period last year the police announcement said warning that the numbers could grow during the Busy tourist season. The touring season is coming up onus and we Hope that All units especially those organizing lower and Middle school trips will ensure the safety of their vehicle and route it said. From wire reports a switch for air bags kids in safety seats prompt concerns of possible hazards Detroit concern for child safety is prompting a fresh look at Pas Senger Side air bags due to become mandatory in 1997. A Trade group representing . Auto makers has suggested that a dashboard on off switch be installed for use when a child is Riding in a rear facing safety seat transportation Secretary Federico Pena warned in october about the potential danger of a rapidly inflating airbag to a child in a safety seat. We Don t want air bags to get a bad name said Vann Wilber of the Ameri can automobile manufacturers association which proposed the on off switch. Our manufacturers Are very anxious Roget this  the National Highway traffic safety administration plans to begin reviewing the request next month said Barry Fel Rice the Agency s associate administrator for Rule making. Whatever we need to do we need to do it quickly he said last Veek. No children in safety seats have Bee reported injured by an air bag but Laboratory tests have indicated the potential danger. Federal Law requires that All cars hav Standard Driver and passenger Side air bags by 1997, followed in 1998 by All Light trucks. The Trade group s proposal would affect Only passenger Side bags. The president of a research group funded by the insurance Industry expressed concern that a Driver could re move a child seat then forget to reset the air bag to deploy. Invariably if Given the Opportunity people will do the wrong thing said Brian o Neill head of the insurance Institute for Highway safety. Porsche sports sleek Winner for 95 by Marshall Schuon new York times the 1995 porsche 911 Carrera rep resents the most sweeping body of changes Ever carried out on a car that More than any other has defined the sports car and it concept for the past 30years. Porsche company literature right off i should say that i have never been a fan of porsche. And i know that is heresy. The German company has been the essence of sport for to these Many years. ,. But i have never liked the car s looks. And More than that i have found it Tobe an irascible overpriced and idiosyncratic version of the Volkswagen albeit one that is fast and that also goes around Corners a lot better than a Ford station Wagon. A ,.  that said i should croon that i am smitten with the current version of the911, the cramped and much loved Bubble that has been Bobbing along on the Auto motive fringes for the past three decades. And i should say too that the 95 ver Sion is the Best porsche to come along in years faster More Able friendlier for Driver and occupants and about $5,000 cheaper than last year s  problem with finding one to buy is that each of porsche s 209 american dealers has been Given Only one car and As the hottest thing around that local 911 is going to be used As a drawing card. Which is to say that it will sit there glowing on the dealer s floor and you Are simply going to have to wait. But it s Worth  is also Worth its $59,900 to $71,350 Price Range providing you were thinking about hanging out in that Nice neighbor Hood to Start  new 911 comes in Coupe and Cabriolet body styles and its design break Sno new ground being what the company Calls an evolution rather than a revolution. It still looks much like the car that  sensation when it was introduced at the Frankfurt Auto show in september 1963, although virtually everybody panel has been changed. For 95, the Hood and front fenders have a sharper slope and the car is wider with wildly flaring hips. New Ellipsoid headlights Are integrated into the front fenders and Glass is flush to mini Mize Interior noise and help with aerodynamics. The Cabriolet also has a Rounder cloth roof which incidentally takes a worker 14 hours to stitch  test car painted taxicab yellow is a Coupe with the Standard six Speed Man Ual transmission. And like All new 911s, it has five spoke aluminium Alloy wheel whose Large openings let you see the Gigantic disk brakes and the holes that Are drilled through them for lightness and to help with Cooling. As in the past the 95model wears huge and competent tires which Are remarkable for their Low pro  and reflectors go All the Way across the Back where the 3.6-liter in the porsche 911 Carrera gleams with what the company Calls sweeping changes. Gine resides. Above the lid that covers it there is a Small spoiler that directs air into the engine compartment. And the there is the additional and flamboyant Carrera spoiler that is one of the car styling cues As Well As being a thoroughly functional part of its  rest the Black spoiler is flush with the trunk but electrically operated levers move it up and out when the 911 reaches 48 Mph adding Cooling air to the engine and helping to push the rear end Down against the Road. The spoiler also can be raised with a Button in the Center console and you can trundle it up when you want to Wash the car or if you Sim ply want to impress the  pads serve As a bumper in Back and there Are similar Small Black pads upfront to protect the parking lights but there is nothing else on the smooth for Ward end of the car which Means that you probably want to be careful where you put your  Grille under said proboscis admits air to Cool the engine Oil the air conditioner s compressor and the brakes and new shark Gill vents ahead of the front wheels allow the air to escape simultaneously aiding  wipers now Are mounted together at the Center of the Windshield allowing their paths to overlap and finally giving porsche Drivers a Clear View in bad weather. Driving of course has always Bee what porsche was about but the exercise is More pleasant in the new car not on Yin the Way it handles but in ergonomics. Plainly Diosan All of the controls Are no marked i said the car used to be idiosyncratic and most of them have been put where they should be one thing that is still Odd is the Loca Tion of the ignition key on the left Side of the steering wheel but porsche spokesmen say that it is intentional and that it served race Drivers Well in the Days of the lemans  when racers streaked across the track on foot jumped into their cars and roared off the key s location saved a split second by allowing the ignition to be worked with the left hand while the righthand threw the transmission into gear. Odd too in a car this expensive is the Lack of a Remote entry system and the fact that seat adjustments Are of the Man Ual variety. But the scats themselves Are quite comfortable and supportive important in a car that has the truly spectacular cornering Power of the 911. The tester s six Speed manual trans Mission was Silky in its shifts reflecting new and closely spaced ratios that Are Tai lored to 1995 s reworked Power Plant. A tip tonic automatic also is available and it too has be altered to match the increased oomph of porsche s Flat an horizontally opposed six Cylinder engine. Hydraulic valve lifters have Bee added to quiet the air cooled 3.6-liter Mill and to eliminate the need for adjust ment. Power now is 270 horses up from 1994 s 247, and that makes the 3,100-Pound car a real screamer. Zcro-to-60 acceleration takes a mere5.4 seconds and top Speed is 168 Mph