Recaro Automotive And Fanatec Go Belly Up In This Week's News Roundup

I have broken my fair share of windshields. I’ve cracked them in the process of removing them from cars, I’ve cracked them tripping and falling, and I’ve even cracked them from inside by moving a seat forward with too much gusto. But I’ve never walked up the face of a five-foot pane of glass believing it would hold my weight. Though what else would you expect from a Tik Tokker who drives a cyber-camo-wrapped Cybertruck with giant American flags on the back? They want attention, and are willing to break a $1,900 windshield to get it. - Bradley Brownell Read More

Legendary German car seat manufacturer Recaro Automotive has filed for bankruptcy, been deemed insolvent, and was approved for self-administration by its local district court, Autocar reports. The automotive seat manufacturing arm of Recaro (the airplane seats, child safety seats, and gaming seats businesses remain unaffected) has been around since 1906. The company changed hands in 2020, now controlled by investment firm Raven Acquisitions, and has taken just four years to completely eat itself from the inside. - Bradley Brownell Read More

It seems like July may be bankruptcy season in Germany following filings for insolvency by BBS, Recaro, and now Fanatec. The global sim racing giant has been racking up some serious debts in recent years, to the tune of 95 million Euro. The company was pushed into a restructuring with strategic investment bridge financing from a firm called Corsair. The CEO and majority shareholder attempted to forego the restructuring, though didn’t have a viable backup plan, and was pushed out. According to a release from Endor AG, Corsair halted payments because “the ongoing disruptions made a reorganization under [German law] impossible.” - Bradley Brownell Read More

Ford heard the cries of its compact unibody truck buyers. The refreshed Maverick pickup now comes with the option of pairing Ford’s beefy 2.5-liter hybrid engine with all-wheel drive Maverick. Our problems are over! - Erin Marquis Read More

So far this year, Tesla cars equipped with Autopilot and Full-Self Drive software have been caught hitting parked police cars, clipping trains and veering off the road. Now, a report has revealed that the crashes are the result of a “fundamental flaw” in the way the software works. - Owen Bellwood Read More

Tesla filed a lawsuit in federal court last week against startup EV charger adapter manufacturer EVject for false advertising, trademark dilution and unlawful trade practice. The electric automaker claims the adapter poses a “high safety risk,” and the product’s advertising centered around “working seamlessly” with DC fast charging has harmed Tesla’s brand. - Ryan Erik King Read More

Ex-Porsche lawyer Katarina Jovanovic has been convicted of manslaughter and sentenced to more than seven years in prison after they dropped their newborn baby from a window. The executive claimed to not know they were pregnant and feared that having the baby could derail their career. - Owen Bellwood Read More

A Tesla Model Y owner might be out thousands of dollars after an incident that could have easily been avoiding. As documented on Twitter, the owner used Tesla’s Summon feature to remotely back their Model Y into a parking space, but the car didn’t detect low section of garage, resulting in the Tesla breaking its own back window. - Lawrence Hodge Read More

Modern cars are laden down with all sorts of connected features. Remote start via cell phone, data connections for built-in apps, cars are increasingly reliant on mobile networks for full functionality — mobile networks that can, and eventually will, shut down. When those systems go dark, what happens to the cars? - Amber DaSilva Read More

Even if an automaker survives bankruptcy proceedings, the restructured entity may no longer support the vehicles it previously produced. Owners of the Fisker Ocean could find themselves in this predicament, but they are banding together to defend their interests and fix the troubled electric crossover’s problems. - Ryan Erik King Read More