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0 U.S. safety bill could triple cost of automotive black boxes to $5,000



by Zach Bowman

When word first came down that Congress was looking to mandate that all new vehicles to be sold with Event Data Recorders, we knew that the added tech was going to be pricey. According to Automotive News, if legislators have their way, the new automotive black boxes will need to be both fire resistant and waterproof. Add in a significant amount of recording time before and after an accident, and suddenly the price tag per unit could soar up to a lofty $4,000 to $5,000. Currently, the EDRs track about five seconds worth of information just before an accident, though some legislators are pushing for up to 75 seconds of recording pre-crash. Between the fire insulation and added recording time, analysts believe the devices will swell to shoebox size, also creating a new packaging issue for automakers.

And who's going to be shelling out the cash for the indestructible, mammoth recorders? The short answer is the automakers, though you can bet they won't just be soaking up the cost out of the goodness of their hearts. Odds are that $4,000-per-box price tag will be passed right along to consumers if such devices become law, so don't be surprised to see sticker prices climb if the boxes become mandatory in 2015.
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0 McLaren gives Button and Hamilton extra bling for good luck



by Noah Joseph

We've seen F1 teams pulling all kinds of shtick in an effort to edge out the competition. But embedding diamonds into the helmets and steering wheels? Well, it seemed to work in 2008 for Lewis Hamilton, and he, for one, is hoping it'll work again this year at the upcoming Monaco Grand Prix.

McLaren has partnered with Steinmetz Diamonds to carry off the bedazzling, creating commemorative wreath emblems for both its world champions. The results were unveiled on Wednesday at Steinmetz's villa in Monte Carlo, and both Hamilton and Button will be using them during this weekend's race. Only in Monaco, kids. Details in the press release after the jump.
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