Automotive Reviews Archives - Page 72 of 120

Ten 2012 Ferrari FFs sell in 50 minutes . . . that's fast

It wasn't the fastest sellout in automotive history, but Ferrari's popularity is still acutely intact after 10 Ferrari FF models recently sold in 50 minutes. The caveat: the 2012 editions were part of the annual Fantasy Gift category in the Neiman Marcus holiday catalog. Despite a $395,000 price tag (about $100,000 more than the cost of the same car at a delearship), the allotment of Ferraris as catalog gifts were purchased quickly because there's more to the story. Since only 10 specialty Ferraris were made, each car's exterior is painted "Grigio Caldo" and will bear a numbered interior plaque. Each of the buyers of a Ferrari from he Neiman Marcus catalog was also given a Ferrari Winter Driving Experience in

Luxury cars

World debut of 2013 Camaro ZL1 Convertible at LA show

The 2013 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 Convertible, which like its sibling the ZL1 Coupe, has 580 horsepower and 6.2-liter V8, will make its world debut at the 2011 Los Angeles Auto Show. "The Camaro ZL1 convertible will be one of the most powerful and most capable, convertibles available at any price," said Al Oppenheiser, Camaro chief engineer. "This is a car that is guaranteed to put a smile on your face every time you drop the top – or hit the gas." The Camaro ZL1 convertible's power is complemented by advanced powertrain and chassis technologies designed to deliver exceptional performance on the road or track. In fact, it's the same balance of acceleration, handling and ride quality that enabled a Camaro

Specialty cars

Smallest production car ever made? It’s the real deal Peel

Forget the Smart ForTwo, Fiat 500 and Scion iQ. They’re only small cars. And the Mini? It’s really only small via its name. If you want a small car, how about the smallest car ever made — the Peel? Located on the Isle of Man, Peel primarily made fibreglass boats as well as fairings for motorcycles. But it was also the manufacturer of the Peel Manxcar, Peel P50 and Peel Trident microcars. The original Peel 50, for example, was 54 inches long (less than half the length of the new Scion iQ), 41 inches wide and weighed 130 pounds. And it was legal to drive on roads in Great Britain. The company halted manufacturing in1969, but the three-wheeled Peel P50 is

Electric and Hybrid

Honda Fit EV, 2013: Another new car joins green car parade

Key Takeaways Unveiled at the 2011 LA Auto Show: The production Fit EV followed its concept debut at the same show one year earlier, marking Honda’s entry into the mass-market battery electric vehicle segment. 90 mph top speed with 70-100 mile range: The concept demonstrated respectable performance limits and a driving range that would cover most daily commutes without needing a mid-day charge. Honda’s challenge to Toyota’s EV dominance: The Fit EV represented Honda’s direct response to Toyota’s leadership in alternative fuel vehicles, joining the FCX Clarity, Civic Natural Gas, and Insight in Honda’s green lineup. Familiar Fit platform with electric powertrain: By using the popular gas-powered Fit as its base, Honda aimed to deliver an EV that felt familiar

Specialty cars

Dodge Charger, Aston Martin battle: Best car in a movie

Top-10 convertibles. Top-10 Green Cars. Top-10 sedans, coupes and luxury cars. They're all worthwhile lists and fun to agree with or make fun of as worthless. But for a car list to be pertinent it has to include passion, and thus Edmunds.com, site InsideLine took on the task of creating the most important list of cars — in movies. Cars old and new are in most movies, sometimes witth subtle but important roles like the gangster cars in The Godfather trilogy. And cars are importnat in small films, too, like in the art house film of a few years ago, Frozen River. In reverse order, and subjectively chosen, a 1969 Dodge Charger wins out over a 1963 Aston Martin DB5

Luxury cars

Andy Rooney: A 'love affair' with Lexus and the used car industry

In his iconic career with CBS, Andy Rooney gave opinions about politicians and personalities and even used cars, including the history and affection for his one-time Lexus sport utility vehicle. In the commentary, Rooney traced his former Lexus SUV's life after he sold it. It transitioned from wholesaler to wholesaler to used car lots to car auctions to the suburban family who bought the car. As was his style, Rooney expressed his opinion, noting that the only company who didn't speak with him was the company "that probably made the most on the car." Even in his three-minute commentarty, Rooney was a master at explaining the entire used car industry. He had a passion for his Lexus and found out

Electric and Hybrid

Tesla debuting three new retail stores to unveil Model S

Tesla Motors, which next year will introduce Tesla Model S, the newest offering from the California-based, high-end electric sports car manufacturer, is opening three more retail stores in North America. Tesla Bellevue Square at the plush shopping center in Bellevue, Washington, opens today (November 5, 2011). It will be followed by Tesla store opening in Chicago's Oakbrook Center (Nov. 12) and a store at Fashion Island in Newport Beach, California (Nov. 19). The Bellevue Square store will feature a display of a Model S Beta prototype and drivetrain components. All of the new stores, like the current Tesla sales areas, are designed to demonstrate the technology involved in the new Model S and the benefits of driving electric. Specifically, the

Specialty cars

Bugatti plans plug-in electric Galibier for 2012

The rumor has been around for a while, but Bugatti has confirmed it will soon a offer a plug-in hybrid. Wolfgang Durheimer, the Bugatti CEO said the luxury automaker will debut, likely in 2012, a 1.4 million super car based on the 16 C Galibier concept that debuted in 2009. The four-seat sports sedan will feature 16-cyclinder engine, with the plug-in hybrid option possessing a 25-mile radius in electric-only driving. Durheimer didn't report if Bugatti hybrid engine will be downsized, but he commmented Bugatti hopes to sell around 1,500 units during car's yet-to-be determined tenure. James RaiaA sports, travel and business journalist for more than 45 years, James has written the new car review column The Weekly Driver since 2004.

Luxury cars

Arnold Schwarzenegger's Ferrari 360 an eBay no-sale but still for sale at Sacramento Maserati dealership

Former Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger's 10-year Ferrari 360 didn't sell during its recent auction on eBay, but the pristine high-powered machine is still for sale. According to Andrew Lyon of Sacramento Maserati, the 2002 vehicle formerly owned by the former Governor of California attracted some international attention, but there were no potential buyers on eBay from the United States. The listing for the car on eBay ended Nov. 1. Schwarzenegger had listed the Ferrari 360 Spider, via the dealership and eBay Motors for $92,450. The convertiable Ferrari features a 3.6-liter, eight-cylinder, 400-horsepower and has silver exterior and black interior. The vehicle has been driven less than 13,000 miles. In 2002, the list price for the car new was $161,475. Lyon said

Celebrity Cars

Charlie Sheen ponies up rare 1966 Ford Mustang for charity

Charlie Sheen has a new television role and apparently a renewed appreciation for charity. His restored 1966 Ford Mustang is being auctioned by the celebrity charitable outfit charitybuzz.com to raise fund for C5LA. The auction will continue through Nov. 17 Sheen restored the Mustang to complete Nascar specifications in 2006 and added his signature on the dashboard. This one-of-a-kind vehicle would cost approximately $300,000 to duplicate. Net proceeds benefit C5LA, a five-year youth leadership development program that begins with eighth graders and is designed to inspire high-potential, at-risk youth from under-resources environments in Los Angeles to obtain higher education and personal success. Charlie Sheen's 1966 Mustang Facts & Figures: Facts • Currently approved for street use in California; • Only

Sport Utility Vehicles

Honda CR-V, 2012: New edition images leaked on Japan site

Like several other manufacturers, Honda was planning to debut the new edition e of its most successful vehicles, the CR-V sport utility vehicle, at the Los Angeles Auto Show in November. Instead, the 2012 edition was unveiled accidentally or accidentally on purse in automaker's Japanese-language website. Images of the 2012 CR-V crossover are not-too-different from the photos of concept of the car unveiled in September. If the images are correct, the new CR-V features a more prominent grille and more pointed windows and more steeply angled rear lines. The CR-V will also reportedly features a new platform with more interior space but a slightly lighter vehicle. The CR-V will include a new 2.5-liter inline-four-cylinder with 201 horsepower. The 2012 edition

Electric and Hybrid

Hybrid market expands in 2012, Toyota Prius v to BMW

Citing impressive statistics, the Auto Channel on MSN.com has a comprehensive listing of 2012 hybrids, from the industry standard Toyota Prius to its new sibling, the Prius v, as well as debuting high-end offerings from Porsche and Mercedes-Benz. MSN.com states as many as 50 hybrids could be on the market by 2015 and that ghe overall hybrid market share has nearly doubled in 2011 to about two percent. Here, for example. is what MSN.com said about the 2012 Hyundai Sonata Hybrid and Toyota Prius v: Hyundai Sonata: "This impressive hybrid entry is fast gaining converts, and it's not hard to see why: The Sonata is a fully equipped, smartly designed midsized fuel sipper, comparable to but cheaper than hybrid versions

Luxury cars

Mercedes-Benz CLS63 AMG, 2012: Fast, luxurious, expensive

Despite a lazy economy, you can still buy posh Mercedes-Benz models that accelerate like locomotives at full steam. And one glance at the revised 2012 Mercedes CLS63 AMG should tell you this is one very fast, luxurious car. It looks expensive and is expensive at $94,900 — without desirable options. With the destination charge, they pushed the price of my new test CLS63 AMG to $112,585. This four-door sedan has coupe-like styling, pioneered by Mercedes in 2006 with the original CLS and has been copied by other automakers. Some may feel the revised styling of the 2012 CLS63 AMG is overly aggressive, compared to the 2011 model’s "softer" styling. But, what the heck, this thing is designed for aggressive driving.

Specialty cars

2012 Toyota Camry gets duties as Daytona 500 pace car

The 2012 Camry Pace Car, a specially equipped 2012 Toyota Camry SE that will start the field for the 54th Daytona 500 next February 26, will be on display Nov. 1-4 at the 2011 SEMA Show Toyota exhibit. It will be the first time a non-GM, Ford or Chrysler nameplate has paced the Daytona 500. The Camry Pace Car is based a 2012 Camry SE, which features a 268 horsepower V6. It is specially equipped with Goodyear Eagle F1 Asymetric tires mounted on BBS RS 8.5 x 19 wheels, a StopTech Big Brake Kit, TRD custom stainless steel exhaust and Tein adjustable suspension. Safety equipment includes a roll cage, four-point Simpson racing seat belts, Whelen LFL Liberty LED lightbar, and

Specialty cars

Ferrari fantasy: How about owning a F430 for a $1 donation?

The owner of a new charity website called TheFreeFerrari.com is likely offering the best fantasy car prize ever — a Ferrari F430. It could be won by someone who donates as little as $1. Brian McLane, whose brother was diagnosed with Stage IV Hodgkin's lymphoma, initiated the site, the proceeds of which will go The Cancer Patient Relief Foundation (https://www.TCPRF.org). With as little as a $1 donations, entrants' chances grow exponentially via the link they receive just by donating via e-mail, Facebook, Twitter or other social media sites. When their friends click, the donors receive additional entries for every entry their friends get. More sharing means more chances to win, and more money raised for charity. “For as little as

Automotive News, Electric and Hybrid

Toyota Prius v, Mitsubishi i among five best 2012 'green' cars

The 2012 Ford Focus Electric, 2012 Honda Civic Natural Gas, 2012 Mitsubishi i, 2012 Toyota Prius v and 2012 Volkswagen Passat TDI are the finalists for The Green Car of the Year award presented by the Green Car Journal yearly at the Los Angeles Auto Show. For the seventh consecutive year, the Green Car of the Year will honor environmental leadership in the automotive field, with the winner being announced during a press conference Nov. 17 at the Los Angeles Convention Center. These five finalists are also honored as Green Car Journal’s Top 5 Green Cars for 2012 for rising to the top of a field replete with increasingly more environmentally conscious and exciting models. What is notable about this

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