Author Archives: Jeremy Korzeniewski

Lexus kills off slow-selling HS 250h

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Lexus HS 250h - red - front three-quarter view

Are you one of the few people looking to put a brand-new Lexus HS 250h in your driveway? Better act fast. Inside Line reports that Toyota’s luxury division has killed off its slow-selling HS model:

“Production of the HS 250h ceased in January, 2012. Lexus continues to monitor sales for each product and we make adjustments to make sure that we meet market demand, and the discontinuation of HS was part of that adjustment. The ES 300h is not replacing HS in our lineup. It’s merely part of the hybridization of many of our existing vehicles in the Toyota and Lexus lineups.”

We can’t say we’re surprised. Reports first surfaced in November of 2011 indicating that the HS 250h’s days were numbered. After selling 10,663 units in 2010, which was already well shy of projections, HS sales dropped a whopping 73 percent to just 2,864 in 2011.

It’s interesting that Lexus says the ES Hybrid is not a replacement for the HS, but we’d be a bit surprised if another standalone hybrid model made it into Lexus showrooms to replace the canceled HS – it seems to us that the current CT 200h hatchback and ES 300h ought to satisfy the needs of Lexus hybrid shoppers.

Lexus kills off slow-selling HS 250h originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 17 May 2012 12:55:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Carroll Shelby, 1923-2012

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Carroll Shelby driving a Cobra

It’s darn near impossible to overemphasize the impact that Carroll Shelby has had on the automotive world as we know it today. Born in 1923, Shelby took part in his very first race, a quarter-mile drag, in 1952. Later that year, he’d go on to win his first road race in an MG-TC. By 1956, Shelby had garnered enough race wins to earn the title “Driver of the Year” from Sports Illustrated. He would win that award again in 1957.

Carroll Shelby was nothing if not a keen businessman. In early 1957, Shelby opened his first car dealership in Dallas, Texas. Bolstered by his success behind the wheel – Carroll won the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1959, driving an Aston Martin – Shelby went on to build the iconic Cobra using a chassis built by AC Cars in England and powered by a Ford V8 engine. Officially homologated in 1962, the Cobra Roadster won its first race in January of 1963.

Driven by legendary drivers like Phil Hill, A.J. Foyt and Dan Gurney, the Shelby Cobra and its aerodynamic Daytona Coupe sibling won the Sports Car Club of America’s A-production title and the United States Road Racing Championship in ’63. The following year brought with it the big-block 427 Cobra, and the machine went on to deal serious blows to Ferrari, the dominant sports car manufacturer of the time.

Shelby began his long-running relationship with the Ford factory in 1965, as the Shelby GT350 hit both the street and the race track. That year, Shelby secured the FIA World Championship of GT cars. In 1966, a Shelby-backed Ford team finished in first, second and third place at Le Mans; this was the first time an American team claimed victory in the historic race, but it would not be the last – Shelby’s team would go on to win Le Mans again in 1967. The Ford GT40 ended up in first place four straight years from 1966-1969.

The Shelby GT350 claimed the Trans Am racing title in 1967, and in that year, the very last 427 Shelby Cobra was built. In 1970, Ford ended its partnership with Shelby, and the man would remain mostly quiet in the automotive industry until the 1980s, when Lee Iacocca approached Carroll about building high-performance versions of Dodge products. The Omni and Charger would Go Like Hell for several years, embarrassing V8-powered Mustangs and Camaros along the way.

Carroll Shelby received a heart transplant in 1990 and would go on to reintroduce Cobra 427 S/C continuation cars and 4000-series cars throughout the 1990s. Shelby was also involved heavily with both the Dodge Viper and Ford GT programs. No wonder why Carroll Shelby was inducted into the International Motor Sports Hall of Fame in 1992.

Today, the name Shelby may be most often tied to the latest and greatest GT500 models from Ford, but it’s clear that the man has impacted the performance world for decades. While he may no longer be alive, there can be little doubt that Carroll Shelby’s influence will be felt by enthusiasts for as long as cars move us from one place to another.

We’ve collected a couple of videos that we thought were a fitting tribute to Shelby’s unending legacy. Join us in watching them by scrolling down below.

Continue reading Carroll Shelby, 1923-2012

Carroll Shelby, 1923-2012 originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 11 May 2012 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Carroll Shelby passes away at age 89

Posted on by Jeremy Korzeniewski

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Carroll Shelby

Carroll Shelby has passed away at the age of 89. The legendary tuner and proprietor of the famous marque that bears his name had been in the hospital for several weeks, suffering from pneumonia. Shelby addressed his fans fourteen days before his death, saying that he was resting comfortably and being taken care of by his children.

Anyone familiar in the least with automotive history is well aware of Shelby’s vast vehicular exploits, so we’ll just touch on them here. Carroll was a successful race car driver in the 1950s before creating his own racing team to take on the likes of Ferrari, using Ford-powered sportscar called the Cobra. Suffice it to say, Shelby and his Cobra were extremely successful. Later, Shelby’s name would become synonymous with the fastest and most powerful Ford Mustang models ever created.

Shelby is survived by his three children Patrick, Michael and Sharon, his sister Anne Shelby Ellison of Fort Worth and his wife Cleo. An official press release can be found below.

Continue reading Carroll Shelby passes away at age 89

Carroll Shelby passes away at age 89 originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 11 May 2012 15:48:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Chevrolet training video extols the virtues of the 1981 Blazer

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1981 Chevy Blazer versus Ford Bronco

The more things change, the more they stay the same. That age-old adage is once again proven by the video you’ll see below. In a classic battle of Chevy versus Ford, the 1981 Blazer SUV is pitted against the Ford Bronco in a dealer training video designed to give sales staff all the information they needed to sway customers toward the Bowtie and away from the Blue Oval.

The checklist sounds familiar. Horsepower and torque, fuel economy, standard features versus optional equipment, payload and cargo space – each of these categories are compared. Seems the issues that matter most to car-buying consumers haven’t changed much in 30 years. Scroll down and watch the video to take a stroll down memory lane.

Continue reading Chevrolet training video extols the virtues of the 1981 Blazer

Chevrolet training video extols the virtues of the 1981 Blazer originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 22 Apr 2012 20:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Acura prices 2013 ILX from $25,900*

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2013 Acura ILX - front three-quarter view

In the market for an entry-level sedan from a premium automaker? Your choices are few and far between, it seems. There’s the Lexus CT 200h and Audi A3, but those are both hatchbacks. That leaves the Buick Verano, which, by all accounts, is a credible entry into the segment. If that’s not quite your style, Acura hopes to tempt you with its new 2013 ILX, and it has announced that the base model will start at $25,900 (*plus $895 destination fee for all models).

For that starting price, buyers will get standard features like Bluetooth connectivity, keyless access with push-button start, Pandora internet radio interface and a moonroof. If you want a leather interior, 17-inch alloy wheels, upgraded audio and Acura’s excellent multi-view backup camera system, your ILX will start at $29,200 with the base 150-horsepower 2.0-liter engine and five-speed automatic transmission.

Acura has two more engine offerings for the ILX, including a 1.5-liter hybrid model that achieves estimated fuel economy ratings of 39 city and 38 highway for $28,900. On the other end of the spectrum is a 2.4-liter model, which pumps out 201 horsepower and is available only with a six-speed manual gearbox. A fully loaded ILX with the Technology package, which includes navigation and an internal hard drive for music storage, will cost $31,400 with the 2.0 or $34,400 with the hybrid drivetrain. Sadly, it’s not possible to order the 2.4-liter engine with the top-level Technology kit.

See the complete pricing breakdown in Acura’s official press release by scrolling below, and stay tuned for our complete first drive review of the ILX early next week.

Continue reading Acura prices 2013 ILX from $25,900*

Acura prices 2013 ILX from $25,900* originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 20 Apr 2012 17:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Edmunds: Honda and Acura best brands for retaining value

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Honda CR-V badge

Honda and Acura have had their fair share of issues over the last few years – from earthquakes, tsunamis and floods to important new models not being all that well received – but that hasn’t stopped them from claiming top honors in Edmunds’ 2012 Best Retained Value Awards.

According to Edmunds, on average, Honda vehicles are expected to retain 47.9 percent of their value after five years; Acura is just behind with 44.6 percent, taking the win in the luxury segment. In the mainstream category, Toyota and Mazda each got honorable mentions while Lexus and Cadillac to secondary honors in the luxury stakes.

Interestingly, despite not scoring the win in the mainstream class or even managing an honorable mention, Ford had the most individual wins in Edmunds’ categories with five, beating Honda’s four class victories. The vehicle expected to retain the most value after five years out of all classes is the Toyota Tacoma.

Want more? Click here for the full rundown from Edmunds.

Edmunds: Honda and Acura best brands for retaining value originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 19 Apr 2012 16:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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

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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 originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 06 Apr 2012 17:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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2013 Ford Shelby GT500 priced from $54,200*, configurator goes live

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2013 Ford Shelby GT500 coupe

Those interested in getting their 650-horsepower kicks in the form of a 2013 Ford Shelby GT500 can now at least partly satiate their longing with an online configurator. And, as you can see above, you are free to deck your favorite ‘Stang in any number of classic racing colors… or even in Superman-spec red and blue.

Outlandish color choices aside, there are plenty of interesting options for the fastest factory Mustang ever created, including the expected Sync infotainment technologies, a voice-activated navigation system and a three-subwoofer Shaker Pro audio system. Those looking for some added sportiness inside the cabin can opt for a color-coordinated pair (black and blue in the case of our config) of front Recaro seats for an extra $1,595. Sounds like money well-spent.

For those wishing to check every option available for the car, including a Shelby-branded car cover, the most-expensive 2013 Shelby GT500 hardtop will waltz off the factory floor with a $66,485 window sticker. On the other side of the equation, even a base $54,200 (*plus $795 for destination) car will come equipped with the supercharged 5.8-liter V8 capable of hurtling the GT500 to a terminal velocity of a bit over 200 miles per hour. Performance bargain, anyone?

Feel free to build your own 2013 Ford Shelby GT500 here, and share your favorite config in the Comments. Ready, set… go!

2013 Ford Shelby GT500 priced from $54,200*, configurator goes live originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 15 Mar 2012 14:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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PSA: Bruce Wayne’s average Batmobile costs $214,700

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Batmobile explosion

Where does he get those wonderful toys? We’re speaking, in case you didn’t catch the movie quote, of Batman. Specifically, his most famous car, otherwise known as the Batmobile. There have been well over a hundred Batmobiles since the first, a 1936 Cord, was used in 1941.

Seventy-one years later, Bruce Wayne’s number-one ride has gotten considerably more expensive to procure. According to the sleuths at Centives, between 1940 and 1970, Batman spent a miserly (and inflation adjusted) $32,000 for the average Batmobile. After that date? A whopping $358,000. Holy Toledo, Batman!

While some Batmobiles are completely custom designed for the Caped Crusader, others are based on more pedestrian production cars… like the Lamborghini Reventón or Mercedes-Benz CLK GTR. Indeed, over the years Batman has, among others, made use of various Chevrolet Corvette models, a Ford Mustang or two, a number of Jaguar XKE models and even a British TVR.

After it’s all tallied up and recorded for posterity, Centives guesstimates that the average Batmobile set Batman back roughly $214,700. Remember, there’s been over a hundred Batmobiles in comic book land. We guess it takes a multi-billionaire playboy like Bruce Wayne to afford the crime-fighting lifestyle of an alter-ego like Batman.

PSA: Bruce Wayne’s average Batmobile costs $214,700 originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 14 Mar 2012 15:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Studebaker Motor Company resuscitated, looking for investors

Posted on by Jeremy Korzeniewski

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Studebaker emblem

The annals of automotive history are filled with nameplates that weren’t quite able to survive the boom and bust nature of the business, especially here in the United States. One of the most successful orphaned automakers was Studebaker, remembered fondly for such design gems as the bullet-nosed post-World War II Starlight and trend-setting fiberglass-bodied Avanti.

Sadly, Studebaker officially ceased producing automobiles in 1966, though a small portion of its legacy lives today in the form of the ex-Kaiser AM General. But if a Colorado-based business has its way, the Studebaker name will once again appear on vehicles sold in America. Somehow, we’re far from convinced any of its conceptual designs will ever see the light of day.

Looking over the proposed revival, we see a range of so-called Studebaker cars, trucks, motorcycles and scooters. Half the motorcycles are actually Hyosung models from Korea with Studebaker scripting on the fuel tanks, and the other half are nothing but poor renderings. As for the cars, well… there isn’t a single shred of Studebaker DNA in any of them. In any case, the company is reportedly looking for “qualified investor/partners”. We wish them the best of luck… they’re gonna need it.

Studebaker Motor Company resuscitated, looking for investors originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 03 Feb 2012 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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