Auto Mobiles

Say you're a banjo-pickin' young stud a-hankerin' for a nice new Cadillac Cimarron, but just can't come up with that fat inflationary Cadillac price tag? No problem! The General has an Olds-badged J Body just for you! Send an email to Murilee Martin, the author of this post, at murilee@jalopnik.com .

Filed under: Auctions, Racing

Bidding is over and this gem is gone, but it's a worthy look at history nonetheless. Czech company Avia, now a truck builder known as Ashok Leyland, built two-stroke, two-cylinder cars in the fifties that were converted to racers. Czech driver Miroslav Jurca got hold of one in 1956 and turned it into this: the 750 Mk III. The aluminum and magnesium alloy skin sits over a steel tube chassis, within which lurks a 750cc, four-stroke BMW engine.

A surprising amount of tech also lives under that revised bodywork, including a fully-independent front suspension with unequal-length A-arms, coil springs, telescopic hydraulic shocks and torsion bars; an independent rear suspension with coil springs and hydraulic-telescopic shocks; a transaxle gearbox and lightweight alloy-magnesium rack and pinion steering. You can have a detailed look at this interesting car it in the photo gallery below.



[Source: eBay Motors]

eBay Find of the Day: Czech out the 1956 Avia 750 MKIII streamliner originally appeared on Autoblog on Sat, 17 Jul 2010 20:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Filed under: Coupe, Performance, Etc., Europe, Ferrari, Luxury

Ferraris have been known to have the fire inside, and sometimes the coupes like to give their owners a baptism by fire. Literally. The gent in the photo was cruising through Paris in his new 458 Italia when he noticed that the rear fender was on fire. While he bolted from the driver's seat and left the car burning in the middle of the street, a passerby happened to have a fire extinguisher and put the flames to rest before the 458 got an even blacker paint job.

We presume that was a different passerby than the one with the camera, who just took lots of photos of the car-b-que. Click the link for more of them, and watch out for flaming stallions in Paris.



[Source: Autogespot (translated)]

Ferrari 458 Italia fans the flames in the City of Lights originally appeared on Autoblog on Sat, 17 Jul 2010 18:33:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Filed under: Concept Cars, Auctions, Ford

The RM auction is always one of our favorite events during the Monterey classic car week, and this year's looks to be one of the best yet. In fact, there are so many vehicles up for grabs that RM has scheduled an additional auction day featuring just Fords. Some historically-important vehicles will cross the block, including a 1903 Ford Model A and a 1962 Lincoln Continental used by John F. Kennedy.

Ford Motor Company itself will auction off some vehicles itself, including eighteen concept cars built from 2000 to 2004. Among the notable vehicles on the list are the 2001 Lightning Rod Concept, the 2001 Forty Nine Concept, the 2003 Supercharged Thunderbird Concept and the 2004 Lincoln Mark X Concept. Our favorite? The Mustang GT-R Concept that made its debut at the 2004 New York Auto Show. Ford will donate the proceeds of the sale to the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation and The Children's Center.

You can read more about the Ford-only auction day in the press release after the jump, or head over to RM's website to see a full list of vehicles up for sale.






[Source: RM Auctions]

Continue reading Concept cars highlight Ford-only day of RM's Monterey auction

Concept cars highlight Ford-only day of RM's Monterey auction originally appeared on Autoblog on Sat, 17 Jul 2010 17:05:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Fifteen minutes might be enough time to quickly mouse-click through basic specs and prices and comparison-shop a few models; but it's not long enough to test-drive a vehicle that's likely going to be part of your daily life for years.

Filed under: Car Buying, SUV, Technology, Subaru

Ford's SYNC does 3G WiFi, and with the help of Autonet so do GM, Chrysler, Avis, some school buses and now Subaru. The Japanese automaker has put WiFi on the options list of the 2011 Subaru Outback for the pretty standard price of $499 as a dealer-installed option. That'll get you an encrypted connection good within 150 feet of the car, and it can be used while the car is in motion. The subscription is $29 per month after that, and Subaru is gracious enough to pick up the first three months for you. Follow the jump for the full press release.



[Source: Subaru]

Continue reading 2011 Subaru Outback adds in-car Wi-Fi

2011 Subaru Outback adds in-car Wi-Fi originally appeared on Autoblog on Sat, 17 Jul 2010 15:38:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Filed under: Car Buying, SUV, Technology, Subaru

Ford's SYNC does 3G WiFi, and with the help of Autonet so do GM, Chrysler, Avis, some school buses and now Subaru. The Japanese automaker has put WiFi on the options list of the 2011 Subaru Outback for the pretty standard price of $499 as a dealer-installed option. That'll get you an encrypted connection good within 150 feet of the car, and it can be used while the car is in motion. The subscription is $29 per month after that, and Subaru is gracious enough to pick up the first three months for you. Follow the jump for the full press release.



[Source: Subaru]

Continue reading 2011 Subaru Outback adds in-car Wi-Fi

2011 Subaru Outback adds in-car Wi-Fi originally appeared on Autoblog on Sat, 17 Jul 2010 15:38:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Filed under: Hatchback, Chrysler

The end of production of the Chrysler PT Cruiser prompted a reader at the Cheers and Gears forum to try his hand at rendering what could have been a next-generation edition of the retro hatchback. It's often been said that following up a retro design is particularly difficult, though admittedly, BMW has managed to do so with the Mini.

The artist, Andrew Currie, has taken his cue from Mini by retaining the original PT's basic shape, with the biggest changes applied to the nose. A larger grille with four round, exposed headlamps still retains the flavor of the outgoing model. If the design were applied to a more modern platform with an up-to-date powertrain and better handling, it's certainly possible it could have been successful. The problem is that such designs tend to be fashion statements, and you know what they say about "One day you're in ..." In part, Mini's success has come by expanding the concept to different body styles including the Clubman, Countryman and the upcoming coupe and roadster. It's not clear that a single PT variant could do the job.

What do you think, could a new PT Cruiser with modern running gear still succeed? Let us know in our poll after the jump.

[Source: Sector 329 Graphics/Andrew Currie via Cheers and Gears]

Continue reading Next-gen PT Cruiser imagined despite car's demise

Next-gen PT Cruiser imagined despite car's demise originally appeared on Autoblog on Sat, 17 Jul 2010 14:09:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Filed under: Aftermarket, SEMA Show, Coupe, Performance, Chevrolet

CGS is a lock to bring something unique to the annual SEMA show, and after the ReFlex and FlatBack Mustang of the last two years, the tuner has left the Ford family for GM. This year, a 2011 Chevy Camaro will step into the modification chamber, getting a body kit that includes a ZR1-style hood. Under the window you might get a glimpse of the Whipple twin-screw blower that helps boost output to 500 horsepower. 22-inch wheels wrapped in Pirelli rubber bands help complete the look. Follow the jump to read the press release, and check out the high-res image below.



[Source: CGS Motorsports]

Continue reading SEMA Preview: CGS prepping custom 2011 Chevy Camaro

SEMA Preview: CGS prepping custom 2011 Chevy Camaro originally appeared on Autoblog on Sat, 17 Jul 2010 12:39:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Jacques Villeneuve is working with former GP2 team Durango to form a Formula One team.