eBay Find of the Day: 1996 DeTomaso Guarà is a rare treat

Filed under: Coupe, Performance, Auctions

The DeTomaso Guarà was the last project of company founder and namesake, Alejandro de Tomaso. First shown at the Geneva Motor Show in 1993, the Guarà could be had as a closed-roof coupe or open-top barchetta. A more practical canvas-roof Spider was eventually added as well, but only five were ever made. The Guarà was based on the 1991 Maserati Barchetta Stradale concept and was built from 1993 through 2004, when the struggling Italian automaker went into liquidation.

During its production run, 10 to 12 Barchettas and about 50 Coupés were built, along with the handful of Spiders. The early cars, including all of the Spiders, were powered by a BMW 4.0-liter V8 putting out a modest 272 horsepower. Later cars, and all, um, two of the cars that have somehow found their way into America are powered by a 320-hp version of the Ford 4.6-liter V8 from the Mustang Cobra. The Guarà was made of fiberglass, Kevlar and other composites on an aluminum backbone, making it fairly light. Performance was decent with a 0-60 dash of about five seconds flat and a top speed quoted between 168 and 171 miles per hour for this 2,500-pound mid-engined sportscar.

The car’s racecar-like pushrod suspension made it a bit of a handful to drive on city streets, but its handling limits were pretty high by all accounts. This particular car is in Woodland Hills, California, and is painted a perfect Modenese yellow. It has just 10,000 miles on the clock and is being offered at the princely sum of $100,000. That might seem like a lot of coin for a fairly anonymous exotic with a Mustang engine, but considering its rarity and its association with the name DeTomaso, it could be a fun addition to someone’s collection. Are you listening Jay?

[Source: eBay Motors]

eBay Find of the Day: 1996 DeTomaso Guarà is a rare treat originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 10 Mar 2010 10:53:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Car Buying, Government/Legal

In what might turn out to be one of the biggest games of “he said, she said,” in the history of the world, Maritz Research, an automotive market research company, is claiming that the government’s Cash for Clunkers program actually boosted auto sales by much more than previously thought. Maritz is crediting the program with 765,000 new vehicle sales, higher than the 677,000 claimed by the government, and much, much higher than the 125,000 sales that Edmunds.com famously quoted. In fact, it’s more than double the Department of Transportation’s own estimate of 346,000 sales.

Maritz surveyed 36,000 new car and truck buyers who bought their vehicles during the time Cash for Clunkers was in effect, between July and August of 2009. The company figures a full 542,000 sales came from people who hadn’t planned on buying a car otherwise, spurred by the government program. Maritz also includes 223,000 people who came to dealerships after hearing of the program, and even after they discovered that they didn’t qualify, bought anyway.

Perhaps even more interesting were the findings on how the program affected future sales. It was believed by many that Cash for Clunkers might have just sped up sales in the short term, advancing sales that would have naturally occurred in future months or years. “The results provide strong empirical evidence that CARS did not impede future sales,” said Maritz vice-president David Fish, “Vehicles were sold to people who don’t normally buy them.”

According to Maritz’s findings, Cash for Clunkers buyers tended to be long-term car owners. Maritz says that nearly 80 percent of trade-ins had more than 100,000 miles on them and that 50 percent were more than 10 years old. Better than 60 percent of buyers told the pollsters that they plan on keeping their new cars as long as possible, meaning that many of the people who took advantage of the program came from non-regular customer pools.

The Maritz report could be used to support additional incentive programs like Cash for Clunkers in the future, but there are already detractors. For its part, Edmunds.com is already saying that there is a big difference between the analysis of sales figures it performed in its own study and Maritz’s conducting of a survey that could contain flawed or leading questions. The issue is certainly not settled yet.

[Source: CNN Money | Image: Justin Sullivan/Getty]

Cash for Clunkers more than twice as effective as first thought? originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 10 Mar 2010 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Government/Legal

Is CARB backing down on its so-called “cool cars” regulation? On May 7, the California Air Resources Board (CARB) will have to turn in its final draft of the controversial regulations, which calls for automakers to build cars and trucks with windows that prevent 45% of the sun’s energy from entering a vehicle by 2014 and 60% by 2016. Vehicle manufacturers have argued that it will be expensive to meet the requirements, and other groups are complaining for their own reasons. Heck, there was initially concern that off-roaders might lose their beloved Jeep Wrangler altogether. Thank goodness they came to their senses.

While several different groups have significant concerns about the proposal, it looks like CARB might finally be listening to one group in particular - law enforcement. It seems that California’s sheriffs, police chiefs and crime victim groups are calling for the plan to be amended… and CARB is actually listening.

According to The Detroit News, The California Police Chiefs Association, California State Sheriffs Association, Crime Victims United of California and other groups are concerned that the required window glazing needed to meet the new regulations will seriously degrade cell phone signals, as well as those from ankle monitoring bracelets. We wouldn’t want to lose track of felons now, would we? The other big concern is that 911 calls might not get through if the window treatment prohibits a strong signal.

That seems to be sending CARB back to the drawing board, with suggestions coming that the plan will be revised before the May 7 deadline. As a refresher, the idea behind the “cool cars” regulation is to save gas and reduce emissions. Cooler cars reduce their air con use, and with California’s overflowing freeways, that could mean a significant drop. In fact, CARB is predicting that the regulations will save 700,000 metric tons of carbon dioxide by 2020 - the equivalent of parking 140,000 cars a year.

[Source: The Detroit News]

Report: California to amend ‘Cool Cars’ legislation over… criminal activity? originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 09 Mar 2010 18:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Sedan, Performance, Lexus, Reviews, Luxury

With Lexus having carefully cultivated a reputation for isolating drivers from all of the undignified sensations normally associated with driving, it might seem surprising to find a Sport model in the LS lineup. Sure, Lexus offers the M3-chasing IS F, as well as the outrageous LFA supercar, but an LS460 Sport? Come on… even sport-synonymous BMW doesn’t offer an M version of its full-size 7 Series luxobarge.

BMW does offer, however, an Alpina B7, as well as a BMW M5. There’s also the Cadillac CTS-V, Audi S6 and S8, and a whole undercard of Mercedes-Benz AMG cars out there that prove there is a market for sports-tuned large sedans like this 2010 Lexus LS460 Sport. You certainly can’t begrudge Lexus for trying to steal a slice of that more stiffly-sprung, high-test pie - but is it just promoters’ hype or can this LS Sport really float like a butterfly and sting like a bee?

We had a brief encounter with the 2010 Lexus LS460 Sport a couple of months ago down in San Diego and came away impressed. While we didn’t immediately drop the Germans or lone American from our top contenders list, we were at least willing to add the LS to our “worth-watching” column. And so we decided to take a closer look. Could Lexus successfully move its F-Sport tuning up a weight class, and would the LS460 Sport actually contend with other heavyweights in the segment? We gave it seven days to prove its mettle.

Photos by Frank Filipponio / Copyright (C)2009 Weblogs, Inc.

Continue reading Review: 2010 Lexus LS460 Sport could’a been a contenda

Review: 2010 Lexus LS460 Sport could’a been a contenda originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 05 Mar 2010 11:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Classics, Bugatti, Event Alert, Luxury

As if classic car fans in California weren’t spoiled enough with the annual festivities in Monterey, world-class concours in Palm Springs, La Jolla, Dana Point, Palos Verdes, and Pasadena, and first-rate museums like The Petersen and Nethercutt Collection, another incredible collection is being opened to the public this spring. Set to open April 15 in Oxnard, California, the Mullin Automotive Museum is the anchored by the vehicles of Pebble Beach-winner and Monterey Historics racer Peter Mullin, and promises to be another must-see attraction.

According to the press release you’ll find after the jump, “the Mullin Automotive Museum will pay homage to the art deco and machine age design eras (1918-1941) that produced exquisite art and magnificent automobiles.” The centerpiece will be a huge collection of unrestored Bugattis, but expect to find other iconic brands like Delahaye, Delage, Talbot-Lago, Voisin and Hispano-Suiza, with an emphasis on French cars with coachwork by masters like Chapron, Figoni et Falaschi, Gangloff, Vanvooren, Labourdette, Letourneur et Marchand and Saoutchik among others.

The museum will also feature art and furniture from that era and an entire floor devoted to “Club Bugatti.” Besides being home to 100 of the most gorgeous flowing designs of all time, the Mullin will also house some less beautiful but equally significant vehicles including 30 unrestored cars and a whole roster of Grand Prix and Le Mans cars. So if you’re in the area, be sure to stop by. Until then, follow the jump for the full press release.

[Source: Mullin Automotive Museum | Photo: Michael Furman Photography]

Continue reading Art Deco Mullin Automotive Museum set to open April 15

Art Deco Mullin Automotive Museum set to open April 15 originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 05 Mar 2010 07:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Performance, Geneva Motor Show, Hatchback, Renault

It’s amazing what a little paint and a few stickers can do for a small car. To illustrate that point, take a gander at the special Gordini edition Renault Clio and Twingo in the gallery below. Granted, the improvements reach much deeper than just those stickers, but the matte blue paint, white accents and white decals give these little runabouts a purposeful look and signal to the world that they are the top-of-the-performance-heap Gordini editions.

For those who need a refresher, Gordini is the name of a legendary Renault racing engineer. Amédée Gordini brought Renault some rally racing glory in the mid-’60s with the iconic R8 Gordini. Renault recently revived the name, reestablishing it as the top rung trim level on its already racy Renault Sport (R.S.) editions. Mechanically similar to their R.S. counterparts, they are mainly distinguished by retro styling touches (like the classic French racing blue paint scheme with white stripes) and an extra dose of exclusivity. Plus, they just look badass.

The first product in the new range, the Twingo Gordini R.S. had already debuted last November, but here at the Geneva Motor Show, the company unveiled their Gordini edition Clio as well. We have galleries of both cars for you below, the Mini-sized Twingo and the slightly larger Clio. Both cars have the performance upgrades found on R.S. models, with larger wheels, Brembo brakes, Conti SportContact3 tires, diffusers, heat extractors and that great livery. Check out the little “G” confetti in the stripes - classic.

Photos by Drew Phillips / Copyright (C)2010 Weblogs, Inc.

Geneva 2010: Renault Clio and Twingo get the Gordini treatment originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 04 Mar 2010 13:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Government/Legal, Recalls, Safety, Toyota

An independent advisory panel has been formed to help Toyota get a handle on its quality issues. With all of the current headlines relating to Toyota recalls and defects, the independent North American Quality Advisory Panel has been convened to study and give the automaker advice on quality and safety issues affecting its North American operations. Besides working closely with the North American leadership team, the panel has been promised direct access to the head honcho, Toyota Motor Corporation President Akio Toyoda. Heading the group will be former U.S. Secretary of Transportation, Rodney E. Slater, who worked under President Bill Clinton to pass safety legislation for the automotive and aviation industries.

Among the many things this group of experts will be looking at will be the electronic throttle control system (ECTS-i) found throughout the Toyota and Lexus lineup. The group has pledged transparency and says they will make their findings public, although it seems they will be relying mainly on an analysis of Toyota’s own investigations and those of another independent consulting group, Exponent, of Palo Alto, California. But Toyota has given the panel “an unlimited budget to pursue its mandate” and “will be able to commission any additional outside reviews it deems necessary,” according to the press release you’ll find after the jump.

[Source: Toyota Motor North America]

Continue reading Former U.S. Sec. of Transportation to lead Toyota Quality Advisory Panel

Former U.S. Sec. of Transportation to lead Toyota Quality Advisory Panel originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 04 Mar 2010 09:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Etc., Porsche, Misc. Auto Shows, Ferrari

Now that they’ve found a new home for Super Car Sunday at the Westfield Promenade in Woodland Hills, CA, the guys and gals behind the show have made a few changes - all for the better. The show is more official now, with local Ferrari dealer The Auto Gallery actually covering rent for the event, which is held in the mall parking lot every Sunday from 7-10 am. There are also signs all around that list the rules so there is no confusion when someone gets kicked out for bad behavior. Another big change is that they are now honoring a different marque on the last Sunday of each month.

For February the marquee marque was Ferrari. Drawing owners from as much as 100 miles away, the Ferrari corral featured well over 100 examples of Enzo’s handiwork. While just about every other make and model was represented in the main part of the lot, the Ferrari selection was rather eclectic as well. Anyone who might have thought that Ferraris only came in red were treated to quite a surprise as there were samples of Maranello’s finest in white, silver, gray, blue, yellow and even flat black, among others. One of the gray cars was the very same 512 BB we featured parked in its award-winning garage with the bridge driveway that might have to come down.

There’s a huge gallery below with photos of just a small sampling of the Prancing Horses that made it out to the show, with a Dino, Daytona, Drago-bodied GT and a couple others representing the old guard and two-and-a-half Enzos (above), an F40, 16Ms, Californias, Scuderias, F430s, Challenge Stradales, 599s, and a spiffy two-tone 612 kickin’ it new school. In between there were enough 308, 328, 348, 355, 360, 456, 550/575 and Testarossa/512 models to keep the carparazzi busy for hours.

It wasn’t all Ferraris though. A rare red Porsche Carrera GT, Rust Rocket rat rod, Grand Sport Corvette replica and Ultima showed the diversity, while a few cars caught our eyes for all the wrong reasons. All in all a very cool show and a great turnout for Ferrari fans. Hopefully we’ll be able to make this a regular Sunday stop from now on.

*UPDATE: Video from our friends at SpeedAndMotion.com pasted after the jump.

Photos copyright (C)2010 Frank Filipponio/Weblogs, Inc.

Continue reading Super Car Sunday features Ferrari as honored marque *UPDATE

Super Car Sunday features Ferrari as honored marque *UPDATE originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 03 Mar 2010 21:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Motorsports, New York Auto Show, Geneva Motor Show, Etc., Event Alert

Auto show season keeps marching on in March with wall-to-wall coverage coming your way from the 2010 Geneva Motor Show, which is just winding down. Motorsports enthusiasts can look forward to the start of the 2010 Formula One season with all the action kicking off in Bahrain, followed two weeks later by the Australian Grand Prix. American open-wheel fans have IndyCar action in Brazil and St. Petersburg in March, while NASCAR visits Atlanta, Martinsville and Bristol. For fans of the unorthodox, the LeMons bunch will make a stop at Sears Point.

Classic car season is ramping up too, with the Amelia Island Concours topping the list. There are also plenty of smaller shows like the Cavalcade of Cars, 30th Annual MDA Car Show, Corvette/Chevy Expo, and several auctions as well. RM Auctions visits Amelia and Ft. Lauderdale, Gooding and Co. also stop at the Amelia Concours, while Silver sets up tent in Portland, OR. If none of those events appeal to you, check out our Google Calendar after the jump for even more listings, all with detailed info and links. And please don’t forget to use the comments section to add or modify listings.

Continue reading Event Alert: March 2010 Calendar of Automotive Events

Event Alert: March 2010 Calendar of Automotive Events originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 03 Mar 2010 20:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Geneva Motor Show, Etc., Crossover, Toyota

We showed you a few leaked media pics of the facelifted 2011 Toyota RAV4 a couple of weeks ago, and now we have some live shots to go with them. Besides the FT-86 Concept, redesigned Auris and Prius plug-in hybrid we’re expecting at this week’s Geneva Motor Show, the Euro-spec RAV4 is a pretty big deal. Looking much like the extended-wheelbase JDM Toyota Vanguard, this is likely the new nose we’ll see on the 2011 Toyota RAV4 here in the States as well.

The redesigned front fascia benefits from a new grille, more angular headlamps, foglight surrounds and a sporty front lip. We still haven’t received the press release or full details, but early reports indicate that the 2.0-liter gasoline-powered four-cylinder will be tweaked to increase fuel efficiency and decrease CO2 emissions. This particular show car features Toyota’s D-CAT clean diesel that we doubt will make it to these shores. There is even talk of a hybrid in the mix. We’ll have more details as they become available but for now, check out the image gallery below.

Photos by Drew Phillips / Copyright (C)2010 Weblogs, Inc.

Geneva 2010: Euro-spec 2011 Toyota RAV4 previews new U.S. look originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 03 Mar 2010 16:39:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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