Say it Ain’t So: Aston Martin and Rolls-Royce Among Clunkers Casualities?

Clunker?

The official Cash for Clunkers website has released a list of cars that were traded in on the program, and some the vehicles on the list are downright shocking.

Most are not… there are at least 60,000 Ford Explorers on the list, most of them from the early to mid-90s, though a couple of 2008 models were turned in.

But check out these cars that were on the list, and keep in mind that the law requires the engines of these vehicles to be permanently disabled. Try not to weep:

• 1997 Aston Martin DB7 Volante (I found one for sale here for just $69,500. )
• 2006 Audi A4 Cabriolet Quattro (OK, so it’s not a supercar, but still…)
• 1992 BMW 850i (For sale here for $24K.)
• 1987 Buick GNX (Only 547 were ever built.)
• 2007-2008 Chrysler 300 AWD (There were 3 of these.)
• 1987 Excalibur Autos Phaeton (No joke, but still hard to believe.)
• 2000 Jaguar XK8 convertible (I would’ve gladly paid that guy 5 grand for his car rather than see it killed just to get $4,500 off a Hyundai.)
• 1985 Maserati Quattroporte (You just don’t junk a Maserati.)
• 2005 Mazda RX8 (Still worth about $15K)
• 1997 Rolls-Royce Continental R (Ever heard the words “Rolls-Royce” and “clunker” in the same sentence?)
• 2008 Scion xD (Wait a minute. This thing is rated at 29 mpg, for one thing. Secondly, it’s still worth about $16K. How’d this one slip through?)

You can see the full list here, but I’m warning you, it’s got everything. Corvette and Camaro fans may want to stay away.

Would you have taken any of these cars off owners’ hands before they were sent to the crusher?

-tgriffith

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Your Video About Saving Gas Could Win $5,000

The ultimate gas-saving strategy

A group called the Alliance to Save Energy has paired up with NASCAR and the Indy Racing League to sponsor a clever contest. They invite anyone to submit a two-minute video that illustrates one or more of the Drive Smarter Challenge campaign’s gas- and money-saving tips. They’ve got dozens of these, ranging from turning off the air conditioning to curbing your road rage.

Gas prices are creeping up again. But you know lots of reasons to save energy. If you need some prodding, here is a list of six. Now get smart and create a clever video about how to do it.

The first 80 people who submit valid entries (mention that you saw this story on CarGurus) will receive a $25 ExxonMobil Gift Card and a Car Care Council Car Care Guide. Entrants will also be eligible for some really cool prizes. Contest judges will select the finalists, and the public will vote for the winners.

• Grand Prize: $5,000
• Second Prize: Choose between one VIP NASCAR Race Package (two tickets and two garage/pit passes to a NASCAR race event) OR one VIP Indy Racing League Package (two tickets and two garage/pit lane passes to an Indy race event, plus a ride in a specially modified Indy car driven by a pro driver)
• Third Prize: Whichever second-prize package hasn’t been chosen
• Fourth Prize: A set of 4 Michelin Energy Saver All Season Tires (or comparable tires for the winner’s vehicle), a one-year AAA membership, and two Silver Spoke League of American Bicyclists memberships.

Send a copy of your video submission to blogideas@cargurus.com so we can feature the best contest entries!

—jgoods

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Do These Kids Have the Alternative Fuel Problem Solved?

Lucas Laborde and his homemade EV, based off a Bradley GT II kit car. Photo from www.gas2.org

The folks over at gas2.org recently did a nice piece on six teenagers who have built their very own alternative-fuel vehicles. The vehicles run on electricity, solar power, soybeans… you get the idea.

Not long ago I would have hailed these achievements as incredible feats sure to embarrass the world’s automakers.

Now I realize that’s just silly.

Sure, the kids referenced in the story are ambitious young people I applaud for their passion, talent, and forward thinking. But converting your old pickup into an EV really isn’t anything new.

I did a little research on the topic and found this Web site dedicated to posting pictures of EVs that people have built over the years. There’s even a page here that answers some commonly asked questions about converting a car into an EV.

So creating an electric car that can go 40 miles on a charge isn’t that big of a deal. Creating one with an extended range, a quick recharge, reliable batteries, and a reasonable price is another story. Some MIT students have come close, succeeding on all but the low price side of the equation.

Makes me have a little more appreciation for the technology behind the Nissan Leaf and the Chevy Volt, assuming they make it to market as promised.

So will the kids of today ultimately solve the problem of alternative-fuel vehicles? They’re smart enough - just check out this guy, who at 18 has already converted two cars into EVs.

It’s kids like him who will solve the problem… just not while they’re kids. Let them experiment with EV technology, let them graduate from college, and wait for them to be hired by General Motors or Nissan. Once these brilliant kids are working for a company with the means to fund the research, I have no doubt they’ll be the ones who eventually break our oil habit.

We’ll just have to wait a little while longer.

I wouldn’t buy an electric vehicle that I couldn’t take on a cross-country road trip. Would you?

-tgriffith

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How General Motors Is Already Screwing Up

GMC Acadia: Coming next year as a Denali

One of the great things about being an auto blogger is that I get to pick apart what companies are doing wrong without having the responsibility to come up with a way to make it right.

That said, I have had my share of great ideas and am pretty sure I’d do a reasonably good job of running a car company, mostly because I seem to have something GM lacks: common sense.

Here’s my proof: I read an article today saying that GM is planning a Denali version of the Acadia.

At first that might not seem so odd, since there was also a Denali Envoy. But dig a little deeper and find out that the Buick Enclave is based on the same platform as the Acadia and serves as the more luxurious sibling.

So an Acadia in Denali dress will be a fancier Acadia… just like the Enclave is a fancier Acadia.

Umm… so much for consolidation, I guess.

In other wacked-out GM news, the company announced a concept that would serve to compete with “boxy” entries like the Honda Element and Scion xB. While it’s only a concept, GM officials have indicated they feel the need for a “premium” offering in the segment.

But there isn’t a need for a premium boxy vehicle. They are called “econoboxes” for a reason. Making a premium econobox would be like offering a premium version of Chiclets - utterly pointless and equally as ridiculous.

Is GM going back to old habits, or have you seen evidence of a real turnaround?

-tgriffith

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How Are the Green Bay Packers Like General Motors?

Sen. Alexander plugs in his Prius

It’s not every day that one of our blog posts gets the attention of a U.S. Senator.

A post yesterday mentioned Sen. Lamar Alexander’s Auto Stock for Every Taxpayer Act, a plan to distribute GM and Chrysler stock free to American taxpayers. That post resulted in an invite to a conference call with the Senator this morning to discuss his plan (the full 16-minute phone call is below).

At the beginning of the call, Sen. Alexander got my attention by likening his plan to the Green Bay Packers, an NFL team owned by its fans. Under the Senator’s plan, the 120 million Americans who filed tax returns for 2008 would become owners of GM and Chrysler. Or as he put it:

120 million Americans who have a vested interested in their success.

While this proposed act is mostly a gimmicky political stunt, it’s a nice thought.

When I first heard about this plan, I was all for it, though admittedly only for the slight possibility that I might get some monetary gain. I have to assume the majority of Americans would be like me, since most of us were against saving GM and Chrysler in the first place. Give us free stock, and we’ll sell it as soon as we can to generate some free cash.

Of course a mass sell-off of stock might cause the value of the companies to plummet and could lead right back into bankruptcy court, only this time as a natural consequence of the free market rather than being forced into it by the government.

As a right-wing Republican, letting the free market decide GM and Chrysler’s fate is Sen. Alexander’s ultimate intent.

Getting back to the Senator’s football reference, here’s the difference between the Packers and GM/Chrysler: Packers stockholders are passionate and dang-near rabid supporters of their team. I’m not convinced American stockholders of GM and Chrysler would feel the same.

If you had free stock in GM and Chrysler, would you hang onto it or sell it as soon as it was worth money?

-tgriffith

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No More Cars Allowed at the “Crossroads of the World”

Times Square before the traffic ban

New York City has banned traffic on Broadway in the famous Times Square area.

Broadway though Times Square has always been a notoriously traffic-clogged avenue, making life as a pedestrian in the area downright dangerous. Now, rather than a source of drivers’ rage, Times Square is a pedestrian’s playground.

New York’s Transportation Commissioner Janette Sadik-Khan says,

It’s good for traffic, it’s good for business and we think it’ll be a great deal of fun.

I agree. In fact, in the name of great fun, I think we should consider banning traffic in other areas, such as:

The Las Vegas Strip

It already takes just as long to drive as it takes to walk, so why not divert traffic and allow tourists full reign to bring the party to the street?

Waikiki Beach

Oh sure, tourists in rented Mustang convertibles might not like being banned from cruising Kalakaua Avenue, but making it safer for drunk tourists to stumble from hotel bars across the street to the beach is good for everyone!

Beverly Hills and Hollywood

I just want to see the reaction of SoCal socialites no longer allowed to drive their Range Rovers to Rodeo Drive. Making them take the bus would be great entertainment. I wonder if they’d still bring their Chihuahuas?

Where else should traffic be banned in order to become more pedestrian friendly?

-tgriffith

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The Most Satisfying New Cars

What makes a car satisfying? According to AutoPacific’s recently published 2009 Vehicle Satisfaction Awards, a car is deemed satisfying if the owner would recommend it to a friend. Makes sense to me! They surveyed 25,000 new-car buyers and asked them that question. The results are below. If your car’s missing and you want to recommend it to your fellow CarGurus, let us hear it!

Most satisfying cars

Most satisfying trucks

There you have it! There are a couple of winners that make me wonder if someone, somewhere got paid off. The Dodge Nitro? Seriously? I rented one once and was tempted to drive it into a river and claim it was stolen, just so the next person would be spared driving it.

What car(s) do you drive? Would you recommend it to your friends?

-tgriffith

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Jay Leno’s Advice to Car Collectors

Jay Leno writes a column for Popular Mechanics that you may have read, especially if you have an interest in classic or collectible cars. In addition to his comedic talents, Jay is of course one of the great car enthusiasts, and his thoughts are always worth reading. For the May issue, he talked about what makes cars collectible and which ones might be valuable in the future.

The gist is:

• Buy cars you like; don’t buy them as an investment.
• Buy cars that are simple, like the original Miata; technically innovative, like the first Prius; or styling breakthroughs, like the first-generation Taurus.
• Buy styling goofs, like the Aztek, or popular “nerd cars” like the AMC Pacer and Gremlin.
• Buy cars that will generate nostalgia: the Cadillac CTS-V with standard 6-speed, or the Hummer (“the ’59 Cadillac of 2025”).
• Avoid all newer Ferraris, which will cost you an arm and a leg to repair.

1988 Buick Reatta

Now we’ll add our two cents. First, don’t just jump in, but get smart about the car collecting field and investigate current values. It’s easy to get burned.

There are lots of online and print resources you can rely on—e.g., blogs like Duffy’s Collectible Cars, print mags like Hemmings Motor News, Automobile Quarterly, and Collectible Automobile, and sites with pricing info like NADA’s Classic Car Pricing, which gives data on collectibles, special interest cars, exotic and muscle cars, etc. Listed are cars from Alfas and Allards to Zimmers.

1990 Mazda Miata

Implicit in Jay’s advice is another admonition: Buy newer cars and wait for the value to accrue. Unless you’ve got lots of cash, leave the early Cobras and the Packards to the pros. The collectible market is like any other: Right now, it’s mostly in decline, except for the really high-end cars, but that doesn’t mean it’s a bad time to buy. Here’s one collector’s list of collectibles over the past 25 years.

Trust your instincts and your research!

Have you ever bought a “collectible car,” either because you loved it or because you thought it would appreciate? Tell us about it.

—jgoods

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Will Toyota Cut Prius’ Price or Let Honda Insight Be Cheapest Hybrid?

2010 Honda Insight

Looks like Honda is changing the dynamics of the hybrid wars.

The new Honda Insight, priced in the States at just over $19K, comes in well below the Toyota Prius’ starting price of nearly $23K.

Rumors are beginning to circulate that Toyota will cut the price on the current Prius to match the Insight’s, but there has been no confirmation of that from the bigwigs at Toyota.

Is a lower price on the way for Prius?

A price reduction sure makes sense to me, as the Prius’ reign as king of the hybrids is being challenged by the Insight and the new Ford Fusion hybrid. The other option Toyota has is to stuff all the technology it can into the Prius and hope buyers see the value and fork over more money for it.

That’s a tactic we know will happen, as the third-generation Prius is expected to offer, among other things, a solar panel on the roof that will power fans to keep the car cool when parked in the sun. I’m guessing that’ll be a popular feature among celebs in Los Angeles! (You can check out the third-generation Prius here.)

It’s also possible that Toyota will offer the Prius in two versions: one that is essentially the current model with a lower price that matches the Insight’s, and one with technology and safety upgrades priced at a premium.

One thing is for sure: Selling hybrids is going to become more difficult as competition stiffens and more diesels enter the market.

What do you think: Buy a hybrid or skip the hype?

-tgriffith

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Who Makes the World’s Fastest Street-Legal Sedan?

I’m all for fast cars, but seriously, this is getting insane. How fast do we need to go on the streets?

German tuning specialists Brabus and G-Power are in a back-and-forth duel for the bragging rights of holding the title of World’s Fastest Street-Legal Sedan.

G-Power did it first, with the tricked-out 225-mph Hurricane M5, which is a BMW M5 with a V10 and 730 ponies.

Then Brabus came with their jab in the form of the Rocket, a Mercedes CLS with a bored-out, twin-turbo V12 that was clocked at 2 mph faster than the Hurricane.

Naturally, the folks at G-Power couldn’t let that stand, so they went back to work and built the Hurricane M5 RS, lifting the power output to 750 horses and gaining 1.3 mph over the Rocket to reclaim the World’s Fastest Street-Legal Sedan title.

Now Brabus is back to work as you’re reading this to try and eke out a half mile an hour so the title is again theirs.

Anyone else think this has crossed into insanity? A sedan that can go 230 miles per hour serves no point other than flattering the ego of those who built it. Yes, there are people who will say that pushing the envelope like this can discover new technology for future use in production vehicles.

All Brabus and G-Power are looking for, though, is speed, and every car on the road right now is capable of going fast enough for the needs of ground transportation. Maybe there are some racing applications here, but then these cars shouldn’t be created under the guise of being “street legal.”

You wanna go 230 miles per hour? Get on an airplane.

Do you think Brabus and G-Power should keep duking it out to create faster sedans?

-tgriffith

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Found on eBay: the opportunity of a lifetime!

I love eBay motors.

While I’ve never bought a car through eBay, I scroll the offerings on a regular basis. I do it to check prices and see what’s out there, but in the back of my mind I’m always hoping to stumble across something truly amazing.

Boy was I treated this week when I found an Alfa Romeo 8C Competizione. (After digging a little deeper, it appears there were actually THREE Competiziones up for auction at once.) Talk about a stunning car! Only 84 came to the U.S., and I would’ve thought they’d all be snatched up by the time they were put on the boat in Italy. 

Yet here we have one of the most beautiful and exclusive new cars in the world, up for sale on the auction site available to all of humanity. Of course there’s still the sticky little issue of the Buy it Now price: $329,995. On the positive side, that price includes floor mats, so you won’t have to stop by the auto parts store on your way home.

On the other side of the exclusivity scale, I had a friend who found a minivan on eBay with a price that couldn’t be matched locally. He snatched it up and had it shipped, only to discover later that it had been flooded in a hurricane. Awesome.

eBay Motors is really just like any other car lot, except it’s worldwide and has everything from Alfa Romeos to Z28s. Like any car lot, you need to be careful with what you buy. I never felt too bad for my friend because it’s idiotic to buy a car without researching it, especially when the price seems too good to be true.

Had he bought a car like the Competizione, though, I’d probably still be friends with him, whether it was water-damaged or not.

Would you consider buying a car on eBay?

-tgriffith

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You’re not a man unless you drive one of these

For as much flack as girly cars catch, at least they’re functional and reliable. Owning them makes sense, because they serve a purpose and are usually quite practical.

Manly cars, though, can be placed in one of two categories: fast or powerful. If a car fits in both, it gives up all practicality and serves only to fuel our flow of testosterone.

Here are some of the “manliest” cars in existence right now:

This one’s for the guys who feel like they need an extra boost of manliness, an extra touch of toughness. Sure, if you own a construction business, you might need one. Odds are, though, men buy these trucks because they feel big and strong in them.

Don’t confuse this with any version of the H2 and especially not with the H3, which borders on girly. The H1 though, as wasteful and as pointless as it is, still creates a sense of masculinity, and I’ve yet to meet a guy who will admit to not wanting one.

Men are simple creatures. If it’s sexy and fast, we’re interested. The Viper is especially desirable because it’s sexy, fast AND hard to get.

Sometimes a guy wants to show he likes speed, power and class. The only reason to buy an M5 is because it goes faster than the neighbor’s 535i.

A throwback to the 60’s here… nothing says “I think I’m cool” than a white T-shirt, blue jeans, sunglasses and a ’69 Goat.

It has 1,001 horsepower. If men didn’t exist, neither would this car.

When a guy thinks about buying a car, he knows that he SHOULD buckle down and buy the Kia minivan. But given the choice, he’ll spring for the H1 every time. Come on, guys, you know I’m right.

What do you think is the ultimate manly car?

-tgriffith

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