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

Share this post:

Related posts:

• Bush Announces New 31.6 mpg Average Fuel Economy Standard by 2015
• 2008 Hennessey Dodge Challenger Turbo: Smooth
• Detroit 2008: Lexus LF-A Roadster Surprisingly Makes an Appearance
• 2005 Maserati MC12 on eBay $1.2 Million (Photos)
• SIA Flashback – Mr. Morrison’s Mellow Machine

Related posts:

• Ford Europe Delivers on their Promise with the Kuga Crossover
• 2010 Vauxhall Insignia VXR Sports Tourer
• Porsche 911 GT2 Bi-Turbo: Designed by Wimmer RS
• More on the Audi R8
• Cars.comparison Pits Camry vs. Fusion vs. Optima

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

Related posts:

• Burnouts From Down Under
• The 2009 Mazda6 will be produced at AutoAlliance International in Flat ...
• As the President has previously said, all stakeholders must come together ...
• FD Vegas: From Zero to Hero and Vice Versa

Related posts:

• The Leadsled Spectacular
• GM Raising Prices, Slightly
• New York City mayor Michael Bloomberg has announced plans to have all taxis ...
• It's Graverobber Project Car Hell Tirade Friday! [Project Car Hell]
• Second, the plugs'appearance is one of the best indicators of engine ...

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

Related posts:

• Fuel mileage makes buying a new car not all it's cracked up to be
• Small Car, Big Title: 2009 MINI John Cooper Works Performance Cabrio

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

Related posts:

• As the President has previously said, all stakeholders must come together ...
• SIA Flashback – Mr. Morrison’s Mellow Machine
• You’re not a man unless you drive one of these
• VIDEO: Mercedes-Benz myCOMAND concept brings internet safely into cars
• Audi A3, BMW 135i and Volvo C30 in Action

Related posts:

• Tin Cup Full Length Download
• Toolbox Murders Dvd Downloads
• Beethoven's Big Break Dvd Downloads
• Download Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, The Dvd
• Cutting Edge: Going for the Gold, The Full Length Download

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

Related posts:

• There is no mention as to want has brought on these price increases, but ...
• As the President has previously said, all stakeholders must come together ...
• SIA Flashback – Mr. Morrison’s Mellow Machine

Related posts:

• Kia is Working on a Performance Vehicle to Go Against the WRX
• IRVINE, Calif., May 19, 2008 – Kia Motors America (KMA), the Official Automotive ...
• Spy Photos of the Upcoming Kia Mesa SUV...Want a Bland SUV with Bad MPG?
• Honda Still Top Value
• Compact Power Inc. gets PHEV development contract from USABC