This is the Morning Shift, our one-stop daily roundup of all the auto news that's actually important — all in one place at 9:00 AM. Or, you could spend all day waiting for other sites to parcel it out to you one story at a time. Isn't your time more important?
1st Gear: We're running out of Toyota Recall jokes
Toyota's announced a voluntary recall of approximately 400,000 Lexus and Toyota vehicles due to the possible misalignment of a crankshaft pulley on the V6 engine they put in almost everything they build. Vehicles include the 2004 Avalon, 2004-2005 Camry/Highlander/Sienna/Solara, 2006 Highlander HV, 2004-2004 Lexus ES350/RX330, and 2006 Lexus RX400h. If the condition isn't fixed the power steering pump may become detached causing a "sudden increase in steering effort." There have been no incidents reported, but if you were driving towards a tank full of gasoline and couldn't steer away there could be... fiery death!
2nd Gear: Volvo wants to flash you on the cheap
The problem with the R-Design Volvos is the R isn't faster than the regular Volvos. The company is hoping to fix that with a $1,295 kit from Polestar for the T5 engines that boosts power by 23 horsepower. That's a start, we guess.
3rd Gear: 2014 Corvette won't do the splits
Sorry corvette fans, the oft-false-rumored C7 Corvette will probably not feature a split-window, although it will still probably feature a 7-speed transmission, a 6.2-liter V8, and an interior that doesn't look like it was designed in 1993. Also, it'll probably have a rocket launcher in the trunk. But you didn't hear that from us...
4th Gear: Will Americans actually care about F1?
Time wonders if Americans will watch Formula 1 even if there are two races in the United States given the lack of American drivers. Their conclusion? I don't know, I'll let you know if I find one in this article.
5th Gear: Kate Winslet's ass did not inspire the XJ
Actress Kate Winslet once claimed Ian Callum's new Jaguars were inspired by her curvaceous body. Not so says Callum, who claims the notion was made up by a journalist who asked him to name his "final actress." His response was Winslet. The man has taste. He says he's fine with the rumor, but says he's against the sexualization of cars. We're against sexualizing Jaguars as well. We'd hate that. Totally.
6th Gear: More photos of the 2013 Hyundai Genesis
The differences between the official and "supposedly fake" photos of the rhinoplastied 2013 Hyundai Genesis are so slight we can no longer tell the difference. Here are some official photos. If you don't believe us, just ask Jeff Bridges. You can see them both here.
Reverse:
⏎ 2008-2009 Pontiac G8s recalled over airbag issues. [Consumer Reports]
⏎ Car sales in Indian tank, but SUV sales are up. They learn so fast. [The Truth About Cars]
⏎ New York getting residential parking permits? [New York Post]
⏎ Remember how much the X-type kind of sucked? Looks like they're going to try again. [AutoCar]
⏎ Toyota withdraws forecast until they figure out just how bad their luck has been. [New York Times]
⏎ Slicing Apple's Automotive Influence. [Edmunds Inside Line]
Today in Automotive History:
On this day in 1960, Robert McNamara becomes the president of the Ford Motor Company. He would hold the job for less than a month, heading to Washington in December to join President John F. Kennedy's cabinet. McNamara served as the secretary of defense under Presidents Kennedy and Johnson until he resigned in 1968. That year, he became the president of the World Bank, a job he held until 1981. [History]
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