Official: Alessi Fiberglass brings the AR-1 supercar to market… 33 years later

Alessi AR-1

Automakers aren’t the only ones who produce concept cars. So do design studios, contract manufacturers, racing teams and even component suppliers. Case in point: Alessi Fiberglass. Back in 1979, the company displayed a supercar concept called the AR-1 at the New York Auto Show. The idea, it would seem, was to show off what they could do with fiberglass. Nobody ever expected they’d build it. And they didn’t. At least, not until now.

33 years later, Alessi has resurrected the AR-1, modernized it, and brought it to market. In place of the original show car’s Buick V6 is a mid-mounted, supercharged a 6.2-liter Corvette V8 making up to 600 horsepower. Not enough? Alessi also offers a twin-turbo version with 750 horsepower on tap.

The AR-1’s steel frame is covered with, of course, fiberglass bodywork. Pricing has not been revealed, and Alessi says it will build no more than 50 examples. In addition to the attached photo gallery, you can take a closer look in the video clip posted after the jump.

Continue reading Alessi Fiberglass brings the AR-1 supercar to market… 33 years later

Alessi Fiberglass brings the AR-1 supercar to market… 33 years later

    



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    The Chevrolet Impala mascot over the years

    Chevrolet Impala badge

    The 2014 Chevrolet Impala just made its debut at the New York Auto Show, and stuck there on its vaguely-Hofmeister-esque C-Pillar is a new version of the classic Impala mascot. The gracefully leaping African antelope is a little smoother and more rounded, but still the well-established icon it’s been since its 1958 introduction. It may seem a small detail, but changing a long-established bit of iconography is tricky. Designers must carefully balance any tweaking against recognizeability and consumer goodwill.

    “We kept the stylized interpretation of the animal, and made the impala more muscular. We also added defined edges, to give the impala a sleek form and make it look like it was running fast” says Joan Kallio, lead creative designer for Chevrolet global badging, and the latest version of this chrome animal glyph is surely smoothed and stylized compared to the squiggly 1958 original. If the car is as successfully refined as its logo, the new Impala will do fine. Check out the press release after the jump.

    Continue reading The Chevrolet Impala mascot over the years

    The Chevrolet Impala mascot over the years

        



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      Report: Chevy C6 Corvette to get Night Race Blue and new wheels for final model year

      2013 Chevrolet Corvette Night Race Blue - in profile

      2013 Chevrolet Corvette wheel patterns2013 is scheduled to be the final year of production for the sixth-generation Chevrolet Corvette, otherwise known as the C6. Having replaced the fifth-generation C5 Corvette in late 2005 as a 2006 model, that will mark a seven-year run on the market, which is impressively long in anyone’s book, but fairly typical in Corvette history.

      Keeping the C6 fresh all those years had as much to do with special models like the ZR1 and Grand Sport as it has with constantly tweaking smaller things like the options, accessories and colors that have been offered.

      For its final model year, the 2013 C6 will reportedly get a last new color called Night Race Blue. The Corvette is already offered in two blue hues: one called Supersonic Blue Metallic (an option that costs an extra $300 on the standard Vette) and a lighter blue introduced for the 2012 model year called Carlisle Blue Metallic. The latter debuted at last year’s SEMA Show to celebrate the Corvettes at Carlisle event in Pennsylvania that claims to attract more privately owned Vettes in one place at one time than anywhere else in the world.

      CorvetteBlogger also reports that Chevrolet will be deleting Competition Gray wheels from the options sheet and replacing them with the Black Painted Aluminum wheels you see above.

      Chevy C6 Corvette to get Night Race Blue and new wheels for final model year

          



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        Report: Chevy to yank all 11 Indycar engines after testing failure, controversy ensues

        James Hinchcliffe's GoDaddy.com-liveried 2012 IndyCar

        The Associated Press reports General Motors has pulled all 11 Chevrolet IndyCar engines from testing after racer James Hinchcliffe blew one during testing at Sonoma. GM evidently was concerned enough about the 10 other engines having similar problems that it decided to swap them all and face the resulting sanctions.

        Under IndyCar’s current rules, Hinchcliffe, driver of the GoDaddy.com will be penalized for the failure despite the fact that it had nothing to do with the driver. IndyCar prohibits engine changes until the units have reached a minimum of 1,200 miles, a figure that is set to jump to 1,850 miles after this weekend. IndyCar CEO Randy Bernard, meanwhile, maintains that the rule is meant to reduce costs for teams. He also pointed out that both Honda and Lotus have received similar penalties this season. But that hasn’t stopped some from grumbling about the rules.

        Until this point, Chevrolet has done exceedingly well this season, nabbing the first two poles and taking a victory at the season-opening race. The company currently holds the lead in the manufacturer’s title with 18 points – six points ahead of Honda.

        Hinchcliffe, meanwhile, says he’s excited about the challenge that the engine swap presents. He, along with a smattering of other racers, will now start at the back of the pack, and Indycar’s rulemakers have themselves a new controversy to contend with.

        Chevy to yank all 11 Indycar engines after testing failure, controversy ensues

            



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          GM wipes out with recall of 50,000 Chevy Traverse, GMC Acadia and Buick Enclave crossovers

          2011 GMC Acadia Denali front three-quarter

          General Motors has announced a recall of certain 2011 and 2012 Buick Enclave, Chevrolet Traverse and GMC Acadia models for wipers that may fail under heavy snow. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, snow or ice buildup may restrict the wiper movement, which may in turn lead to the wiper arm loosening from the vehicle. The ensuing reduced visibility could increase the risk of an accident. The recall only covers models currently registered in heavy snow states – about 50,000 units – including Alaska, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware and Idaho, among others. The full list may be found in the recall report after the jump.

          GM is expected to begin notifying owners on Monday, April 16, and dealers will address the issue free of charge. In what sounds like one of the simpler and quicker recall fixes we can remember, dealer technicians will tighten the wiper arm nuts to prevent the wiper arms from becoming inoperable. Click past the jump for the full recall notice.

          Continue reading GM wipes out with recall of 50,000 Chevy Traverse, GMC Acadia and Buick Enclave crossovers

          GM wipes out with recall of 50,000 Chevy Traverse, GMC Acadia and Buick Enclave crossovers

              



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            Official: GM announces end of Chevy Avalanche with Black Diamond edition

             2013 Chevrolet Avalanche Black Diamond Edition

             2013 Chevrolet Avalanche Black Diamond EditionGeneral Motors is pulling the plug on the Chevrolet Avalanche. 2013 will mark the ugly duckling’s last year in production, though the model will go out with one last special edition. The 2013 Black Diamond Avalanche will arrive with body-color trim work, special badging, and most importantly, lower prices. LT trim now boasts a standard rear-view camera, while LS guise adds in rear park assist, power adjustable pedals, fog lights and remote start as standard gear. GM has cut the base vehicle’s MSRP by $2,500, which means buyers can take one home for $35,980, excluding the $995 destination fee.

            GM says the lower price is a way of saying “thank you” to the truck’s fans, though we suspect it may have more to do with getting the awkward machine off dealer lots. Last month, GM moved just 2,083 Avalanche units, and while that’s nearly 26 percent more than March 2011, the number represents a fraction of the 36,491 Silverado models that rolled out the door. It’s also less than half the number of Tahoe units sold. Even the wee Colorado drove away with more sales. Last year, GM sold a total of 20,088 Avalanche units, down 2.1 percent compared to 2010 despite an overall industry recovery.

            Will anyone miss the Avalanche? There are those who still miss the diesel Chevette, so anything’s possible.

            Continue reading GM announces end of Chevy Avalanche with Black Diamond edition

            GM announces end of Chevy Avalanche with Black Diamond edition

                



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              Thou Shalt Not Clone: Fraudster convicted over fake 1965 Chevelle Z16

              Bobby Patton's Chevelle Z16 Clone

              No matter how hard you try, you can’t out run the Internet. Just ask Bobby Patton. The man thought he could pull a quick one by representing a 1965 Chevrolet Chevelle as an incredibly rare, incredibly valuable Z16.

              For those of us who aren’t soaked in obscure General Motors model history, Z16 models featured brakes lifted from full-size sedans of the day, a unique rear axle, a stiffer boxed frame borrowed from a convertible and a uniquely trimmed L37 396 V8. Other details like special trim work, badges, VINs and various engine and axle stampings help identify the hopped up Malibu models from their kin.

              Patton missed the memo on those details, apparently, opting instead to slap some 396 badges on the fender and call it a day. While that may have been enough to fool a local car show judge, it became an issue when he listed the coupe on an auction site for $100,000. Jeff Helms, the owner of a site dedicated to nothing but Z16 models, quickly pointed out that the Chevelle boasted a fake VIN copied from a photo on his website. Patton then attempted to defend himself, saying he bought the car that way.

              Patton closed the auction after four days, but not before the Ohio State Patrol got wind of the suspicious ‘65. Officers contacted the previous owner, who proved the car had been sold with 327 emblems. It didn’t take long for Patton to face charges of Tampering with Records, Possessing Criminal Tools, Telecommunications Fraud and Attempted Simulation. He pleaded guilty to the first charge and received two years of probation. Head over to Hemmings for the full tale, and remember, the Internet is watching.

              Thou Shalt Not Clone: Fraudster convicted over fake 1965 Chevelle Z16

                  



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                Study: IIHS says most LATCH systems are too difficult to use [w/video]

                IIHS says most LATCH systems are too difficult to use

                If you’ve ever tried installing an infant car seat in say, a Jaguar XKR, you understand that just because a car has LATCH anchors doesn’t mean your car seat is going to fit. Those anchors are supposed to make child restraint installation a breeze, but according to a new study by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety and the University of Michigan Transportation Research Institute, many automakers aren’t following the spirit of the law requiring them.

                The study looked at the 98 top-selling vehicles from 2010-2011 and found just 21 that met its criteria for having “easy-to-use” LATCH hardware. Making the list were the Audi A4; Cadillac Escalade; Chevrolet Equinox, Silverado, Suburban and Tahoe; Chrysler Town & Country; Dodge Caliber, Grand Caravan and Ram; Ford Escape and F-150; GMC Sierra; Honda Pilot; Kia Sedona; Land Rover Range Rover Sport; Mercedes-Benz C-Class and E-Class; Mitsubishi Eclipse and Lancer; and Toyota Tacoma.

                The researchers used a test fixture that adhered to guidelines developed by the Society of Automotive Engineers to develop three criteria for evaluation. The first was having anchors that were easy to see and not buried beneath rear seat cushions. The second was having the LATCH attachment points unobstructed by seatbelts, foam or other parts of the seat. The third was that adults could correctly install the seats using less than 40 pounds of force.

                While the study found that the majority of models didn’t nail all three criteria, the list of vehicles that didn’t meet any of them was much shorter: Buick Enclave; Chevrolet Impala; Dodge Avenger; Ford Flex and Taurus; Hyundai Sonata; and Toyota Sienna.

                Scroll down to see a video about LATCH and read the full release from IIHS.

                Continue reading IIHS says most LATCH systems are too difficult to use [w/video]

                IIHS says most LATCH systems are too difficult to use [w/video]

                    



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                  Video: When Axles Attack: Watch a Camaro drag car’s rear axle snap

                  Camaro Drag Race Video

                  On the surface, drag racing seems so simple. Apply right foot liberally, keep the vehicle pointed down track and wait for a quarter mile to pass. Unfortunately, the real world is rarely so black and white. Pesky details like applied horsepower, traction and the fallibility of materials results in all manner of challenges. Just ask the driver of the ‘68 Chevrolet Camaro in the video after the jump. Shortly after launch, the high-horsepower machine sheds its left axle. With a massive racing slick under full thrust, the resulting carnage is, well, impressive.

                  The video is a pleasant rarity in the drag racing universe. Not only are we afforded a look at the ensuing drama from inside the cockpit, but a solid look at just how quickly a situation can turn hairy from outside as well. Check it out for yourself.

                  Continue reading When Axles Attack: Watch a Camaro drag car’s rear axle snap

                  When Axles Attack: Watch a Camaro drag car’s rear axle snap

                      



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                    Breaking: Battery explodes at GM Tech Center research lab, one or more injured *UPDATE

                    GM Warren Tech Center explosion aftermath

                    Early reports are filtering in this morning of an explosion at a General Motors Technical Center battery research lab in Warren, Michigan. According to The Detroit News, a battery exploded injuring one or two people.

                    According to the report, Warren’s fire department received a call at around 9AM this morning, only to find two injured and “a small fire” stemming from the explosion. A General Motors spokesman apparently put the number of injured parties at one, so there is still some confusion about the number of people affected by the incident at this point.

                    A HAZMAT team was dispatched to the Tech Center and the building has been evacuated, with all employees accounted for. Detroit NBC affiliate WXYZ is on the scene with a live feed that you can watch here. The extent of the injuries and damage, along with what caused the explosion, are not immediately clear, but we will have more details as they become available, so stay tuned.

                    *UPDATE: Video added after the jump.
                    ** UPDATE: In a statement added after the jump, GM now says the explosion was caused by “extreme testing of a prototype battery” that is “unrelated to the Chevrolet Volt or any other production vehicle.”

                    Continue reading Battery explodes at GM Tech Center research lab, one or more injured *UPDATE

                    Battery explodes at GM Tech Center research lab, one or more injured *UPDATE

                        



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                      Video: Bob Lutz wins push-up contest on The Colbert Report

                      Bob Lutz takes on Stephen Colbert in a push-up contest

                      Former General Motors Vice Chairman Bob Lutz went bicep-to-bicep with “America’s ballsiest pundit,” Stephen Colbert, last night – and came out ahead. Ostensibly, Lutz was on Colbert to talk about his new book, Car Guys Vs. Bean Counters, but as one might expect, the discussion veered into Mitt Romney vs. President Obama territory pretty quickly.

                      The actual car industry part of the discussion, though, revealed more potential good news for the Chevrolet Volt, the car that Lutz is obviously trying to make his legacy and called “a huge success.” Sure, Colbert talked about what his friends over at Fox News have been saying, but Lutz responded by predicting that sales would be “about 3,000 a month from here on out.” This would not only set a new record (Volt sales for March 2012 were 2,289, the highest so far) but would also put GM’s plug-in car into the 36,000-a-year range. That’s commendable, but still not where GM CEO Dan Akerson said last December things would be this year. Of course, Akerson’s 60,000 number could have included the Opel Ampera and its Vauxhall twin. In any case, things are looking up for the Volt, and that’s something Lutz is more than happy to tell Colbert or anyone else. Watch the video – including an impromptu push-up contest between the two – right now by scrolling below.

                      Continue reading Bob Lutz wins push-up contest on The Colbert Report

                      Bob Lutz wins push-up contest on The Colbert Report

                          



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                        First Drive: 2013 Ford Taurus SHO

                        The Most Fun You Can Have In A Full-Size, All-Weather American

                        2013 Ford Taurus SHO

                        The American full-size segment isn’t an overly welcoming place for those of us who worship at the altar of skinny-pedal antics. While European automakers are happy to deliver their customers a raft of monolithic luxury barges with Saturn V levels of thrust, We The People have been largely left with coma-inducing hardware like the Cadillac DTS, Chevrolet Impala and Lincoln MKS. Meanwhile, bruisers like the Mercedes-Benz E550 4Matic, BMW 550i xDrive and Audi A6 all boast all-wheel drive capability with sports-car besting performance cocooned in the threads of a tailored three-piece suit. These days, if you want serious big-car, bad-weather go with a domestic badge on the hood, you have just a few options, including the 2013 Taurus SHO.

                        So far, Ford says it hasn’t had any trouble convincing buyers to abandon traditional big-boned performance vehicles for the SHO resurrection. Around 10 percent of all Taurus sales leave the showroom with a SHO badge on the fender, and half of the performance sedan’s sales have been conquest buyers sniped from brands like BMW and Audi. For 2013, this D-class athlete boasts a slew of mid-cycle changes to keep the model fresh. If, like us, you have a hard time imagining a buyer skipping the 5 Series for a Taurus, a few new exterior tweaks, a more aggressive brake system, a reworked version of MyFord Touch and a new track performance package are all designed to help change your mind.

                        Continue reading 2013 Ford Taurus SHO

                        2013 Ford Taurus SHO

                            



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                          Report: Saleen still keen to resurrect S5S supercar

                          Saleen S5S Raptor concept - yellow - front three-quarter view

                          There are many names you could associate with Mustang tuning, but few are as iconic as Steve Saleen. The American tuner extraordinaire made a name for himself tweaking the Ford muscle coupe under the Saleen brand until he left his own company to start SMS Supercars. But now that the two have been reunited, word has it that Saleen is moving ahead with plans to produce a new mid-engine exotic to follow in the footsteps of the famed S7.

                          Saleen, as you may recall, branched out of tuning pony cars with the S7 in 2000. The car packed a 7.0-liter V8 that was later twin-turbocharged up to 750 horsepower to make it good for a 0-60 run in under three seconds and a top speed of nearly 250 mph. The car endures as an American performance icon, but while an S5S Raptor concept (pictured above) was showcased four years ago at the New York Auto Show, the schism between the two Saleen companies kept it from ever seeing the light of day.

                          With that ugliness now behind us, however, Autoweek reports that Steve Saleen is intent on picking up where the S7 and S5S left off. Getting to that point is expected to take Saleen a while, but in the meantime, he’s working at integrating the two operations. The SMS facility in California will continue building the cars – White Label for mild upgrades, Yellow Label for supercharged models and Black Label for the works – while his Saleen facility in Michigan will distribute the parts. Look for a tuned Chevrolet Camaro to come rumbling around the corner in the near future.

                          Saleen still keen to resurrect S5S supercar

                              



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                            Report: GM’s Ewanick mulls turning Chevy ad campaign into sitcom

                            Chevrolet

                            If you haven’t noticed, NBC’s The Office has really jumped the shark since Steve Carrell left the show at the end of last season. Or maybe the beginning of the end was Pam and Jim’s wedding during the sixth season. Regardless, the point is that the show is no longer very funny or edgy, nor does it ever make the audience uncomfortable in the way the brilliant original BBC version did. Rather, as the main characters in the American version of the show have become caricatures, The Office has grown predictable and formulaic.

                            And this is why Chevrolet can launch an ad campaign like its “Under The Blue Arch” series. Despite the brief, 30-second running times of the ads, the characters are instantly recognizable and the “plots” are easy to follow. Although the scenes set in a Chevy dealership play with the tropes created by the Emmy Award-winning series, they do so to little comic effect. Because comedy isn’t the point – these are ads, after all, full of ham-handed product information and designed to sell cars.

                            If anyone should understand that it’s Joel Ewanick, General Motors’ Chief Marketing Officer. Yet he told Automotive News at the New York Auto Show that GM has “talked about turning this into an actual show because we’ve got so much material.”

                            Well, that Chevy product line isn’t nearly the joke it once was, but if you say so…

                            Let’s just chalk this one up to Ewanick being a bit starstruck. “Under The Blue Arch” was created by Randall Einhorn, one of the directors of The Office, and it “stars” Wayne Wilderson, who appeared on the NBC show in 2006.

                            Click past the jump, where you can watch a few of the ads.

                            Continue reading GM’s Ewanick mulls turning Chevy ad campaign into sitcom

                            GM’s Ewanick mulls turning Chevy ad campaign into sitcom

                                



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                              First Viper to be auctioned off for pediatric cancer charity

                              2013 SRT Viper

                              Cancer sucks. And pediatric cancer sucks the worst. Without hesitation, we would trade all the exotic cars in the world for a cure.

                              But you know what doesn’t suck? The new Viper. So it’s pretty cool that Chrysler will auction off the first one to benefit the Austin Hatcher Foundation For Pediatric Cancer. The organization, based in Chattanooga, TN, is an official charity of the American Le Mans Series, which is presumably why it was picked. At the Viper reveal at New York, Chrysler also announced it would resume racing in the series.

                              So the first 2013 SRT Viper will cross the stage at Barrett-Jackson Orange County, which goes down June 22-24. It’ll be interesting to see what it brings in, considering the first 2013 Chevrolet Corvette 427 convertible’s $600,000 hammer price earlier this year at Barrett-Jackson Scottsdale.

                              And if you aren’t deep-pocketed enough to get in on the Viper hunt, helping out the Hatcher Foundation doesn’t require bidding – you can make a donation at the organization’s website.

                              Click past the jump for the full press release.

                              Continue reading First Viper to be auctioned off for pediatric cancer charity

                              First Viper to be auctioned off for pediatric cancer charity

                                  



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                                New York: 1966 Chevrolet Impala SS 427 Convertible reminds us of days long gone

                                1966 Chevrolet Impala SS 427 Convertible

                                Chevrolet has over a hundred years of heritage from which it can call upon when the right marketing angle presents itself. Like, for instance, when it launches a brand-new Impala for the 2014 model year, as it has just done at the 2012 New York Auto Show. As such, the automaker has brought a mint 1966 Chevrolet Impala SS 427 Convertible to display alongside its new family sedan.

                                We’ll get this right out of the way: the 1966 ‘Vert has nothing in common with the 2014 sedan, other than its nameplate.

                                Regardless, it’s always fun to ogle over a classic muscle car, and this ‘66 Impala is, perhaps, the very best of its full-size breed. The 427-cubic-inch V8 was factory rated at 390 horsepower and 470 pound-feet of torque – plenty more than necessary to turn those 7.5-inch-wide bias-ply tires into plumes of smoke, and the four-speed manual and 3.55:1 gears mean it’s properly equipped for 1960s-style stoplight showdowns.

                                Check out this classic Impala SS in our high-res image gallery, and before we all get too sentimental for the old times, remember two points: First, as awesome as this machine undoubtedly is, it could never be sold today due to safety and emissions reasons. Second, most of the millions of Impalas sold over the years were much more pedestrian models than this stunning blue SS.

                                Caveats aside, we want this car rumbling away in our virtual garage. Badly.

                                1966 Chevrolet Impala SS 427 Convertible reminds us of days long gone

                                    



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                                  Report: No all-wheel drive option in sight for 2014 Chevrolet Impala

                                  2014 Chevrolet Impala - 2012 New York Auto Show reveal

                                  While the 2014 Chevrolet Impala may have many charming qualities and boast a plethora of engine options, one feature it reportedly won’t be offering is all-wheel drive. According to GMInsideNews.com, Chevrolet reps have said all-wheel drive is not part of the short-term or long-term plan for the new large sedan.

                                  While the Impala will share a platform with the Cadillac XTS and Buick LaCrosse – both of which do offer AWD – apparently General Motors wants to keep the Impala front-drive-only to help differentiate it from the Buick and Cadillac. While it remains to be seen whether the lack of all-wheel drive will hurt the Impala’s chances of competing with the Ford Taurus and Dodge Charger, which both offer it, Chevy’s people have reportedly called all-wheel drive a “very slim piece of the full-size sedan market.”

                                  No all-wheel drive option in sight for 2014 Chevrolet Impala

                                      



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                                    Study: These are the 10 new cars with the highest percentage of male ownership

                                    b392f ferrari 458 italia opt Study: These are the 10 new cars with the highest percentage of <i>male</i> ownership

                                    Last week we brought you Inside Line’s list of the 10 cars most likely to be owned by a women. The Volvo S40 came out on top among the ladies. But what’s most likely to be owned by a guy? Minivans? Fuel-efficient hatchbacks? Hybrids?

                                    No.

                                    At the top of Inside Line’s list is the very masculine, testosterone-oozing Ferrari 458 Italia. It should be no surprise that 95.3% of 458 owners are men. We sure would like to meet the other 4.7%.

                                    Ahem. Anyway, in second place is the BMW 1 Series M Coupe, then the Audi R8, the Mercedes SLS AMG and then, at No. 5, the Ferrari California. So far, we’ve pretty much recited every male motorhead’s ultimate wish list. Seriously, what self-respecting man doesn’t put himself to sleep every night running through the gears of any of those cars?

                                    At No. 6, is the perennial Porsche 911, then the Nissan GT-R at No. 7 with 87.9% male ownership. No. 8 is the obligatory GMC Sierra pickup closely followed by the Ford F-Series at No. 9. Rounding out the list at No. 10 is the consummate mid-life crisis Chevy Corvette with 86.9% male ownership.

                                    So where does that leave the Ford F-650? Are there really that many women buying that monster?

                                    These are the 10 new cars with the highest percentage of male ownership

                                        



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                                      Official: 2013 Chevrolet Spark to start at $12,995*

                                      2013 Chevrolet Spark - front three-quarter view

                                      General Motors is taking a big gamble in a little way with its 2013 Chevrolet Spark. The Detroit automaker is betting that high fuel prices and an increased awareness of one’s ecological footprint will mean more consumers are willing to entertain a new car with an even smaller err… footprint. The Spark will join other minicars like the Fiat 500, Scion iQ and Smart ForTwo, none of which have met with significant sales volume. On the other hand, its big brother, the Sonic has performed well in the early going. In addition, the Spark offers more physical volume than its peers – as well as a set of rear doors – so practicality appears to be solidly in favor of Camp Chevy.

                                      The five-door Spark will test America’s appetites for small car life with a starting price of just $12,995 (*including delivery) when it arrives in Chevrolet showrooms later this year. Available in a trio of trims, the lineup will start with the well-equipped LS model that includes a whopping 10 airbags, air conditioning, power windows, OnStar and 15-inch alloys.

                                      Stepping up to the 1LT trim will cost $14,495, but it adds an audio system with seven-inch color touchscreen, USB connectivity and satellite radio. Additional features include keyless entry, power mirrors, cruise control, Bluetooth (”for select phones”) and mundane items like visor mirrors and floor mats. The range-topping 2LT ($15,795) will be distinguished by a unique set of 15-inch wheels, sportier body-color fascias, fog lamps and additional exterior brightwork. Inside, heated, leatherette-covered seats and a leather-wrapped wheel spruce up the cabin.

                                      Regardless of which trim spec is selected, buyers will find a 1.2-liter Ecotec four-cylinder underhood, and a five-speed manual is standard equipment, though a four-speed automatic can be substituted for $925.

                                      GM announced back in October that it will also bring a Spark EV to “select markets” in the U.S. sometime in 2013, though it has yet to announce pricing or an on-sale date for the pure electric runabout.

                                      Continue reading 2013 Chevrolet Spark to start at $12,995*

                                      2013 Chevrolet Spark to start at $12,995*

                                          



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                                        New York: Delorean Electric surprises in New York, will cost $95,000 in 2013

                                        8aaff new york 2012 delorean electric 18 opt New York: Delorean Electric surprises in New York, will cost $95,000 in 2013

                                        First announced last October, the reborn, all-electric Delorean has made a surprise appearance at the New York Auto Show this year. It’s a surprise because not even Delorean Motor Company president Stephen Wynne knew he was going to be here until a few weeks ago, when show organizers called with an invite.

                                        With a prime spot near the EV ride along track – the DMCev is sadly not involved – Wynne said he’s been getting good attention, even though said track is in the basement. We asked Wynne what’s been going on with the car since last fall’s announcement and the short answer is that this is one EV concept that’s going into production.

                                        The target date for fans to buy the DMCev is early 2013, but a lot has to happen between now and then. Right now, all the company has is the converted DMC-12 to show off the technology. To create this, the designers had to add 200 pounds of stuff, and the production version is going to be either the same weight as the gas version, or a few pounds less, in order to improve both performance and range. The car is powered by a 32-kWh lithium iron phosphate battery pack and has a 125 mile per hour top speed with a range of 100 miles. Published specs claim a 0-60 time of 4.9 seconds, but Wynne said the target is now under six seconds. Price for all this fun? $95,000.

                                        DMC will assemble the car in Houston, TX with a lot of help from Louisiana’s Epic EV, the company working on the Torq and Amp vehicles (not the Amp conversions). These two companies are testing different motor/inverter combinations for the electric Delorean, and Wynne said they are looking for a “proven product” from a company that has at least “several hundred” units on the road. The current prototype also uses a DC motor, but the production will use AC for better range, performance and regenerative braking ability. The old-school dashboard is also due for an upgrade

                                        Those are the details we could glean in New York. Can you believe we made it through this entire post without a Back To The Future reference? The DMCev can’t do it, though, with a license plate that reads “Gas? Where we’re going we don’t need gas” and a battery that carries the “Flux Power” nickname. For more, you can watch a video of Translogic going for a ride in the DMCev down below, where you’ll also find a related press release.

                                        Continue reading Delorean Electric surprises in New York, will cost $95,000 in 2013

                                        Delorean Electric surprises in New York, will cost $95,000 in 2013

                                            



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