Filed under: Classics , Coupe , Performance , Ford , Celebrities , Reviews 1967 "Eleanor" Ford Mustang Shelby GT500 - Click above for high-res image gallery H. B. Halicki was a used car salesman who wanted to make a movie. With a little money, one big idea, and a 1971 Mustang Mach 1, he made Gone in 60 Seconds . And in that particular way that movies, especially '70s movies, can be, it wasn't all that good, but it was awesome. Fast forward to Michael Bay's remake in 2000, and the Mach 1 was replaced by a 1967 Shelby GT500. When we got a call offering us the actual car from that movie for the weekend, we felt obliged to say yes... and then drive it like we stole it. The verdict: Eleanor is the hottest piece of car we've spent a weekend with in quite some time. Gallery: Review: 1967 Classic Recreations Eleanor Mustang Photos copyright (C)2009 Jonathon Ramsey / Weblogs, Inc.

Filed under: Crossover , Chevrolet , Reviews 2010 Chevrolet Equinox - Click above for high-res image gallery It's fitting that General Motors has a vehicle named after a change of seasons. The first Equinox came from the "old" GM during the autumn of its long slide. Since then, the General has emerged from a government-funded chrysalis, and the Equinox has followed suit with a redesign. Hopefully, the freshening signifies a springtime in GM's fortunes; a future desperately in need of a green infusion of the cash variety. Its products need to not only compete - but exceed - what's available from the competition. That figures to be a tall order, because the opposition is in rare form. Just across town, Ford isn't sitting around - the Escape gets tweaks and updates seemingly every year. The Honda CR-V and Toyota RAV4 also crowd the top of the family CUV class, with the Mazda CX-7 and Hyundai Santa Fe playing supporting roles. Into this company of A-students wades the Equinox, fresh from reform school. Have the model's rough edges and troublesome behavior been smoothed out enough by remedial study?

Filed under: Car Buying , Europe , Ford , Earnings/Financials 2010 Ford Fiesta (Euro-Spec) - Click above for high-res gallery New products, improved quality and a surge in public perception have helped Ford buttress its sales numbers here in the U.S. , but the Dearborn-based automaker also has a good story to tell across the Pond. According to The Detroit News , Ford managed to grab 10.1% of Europe's overall market share in September - the first time since September of 2001 that the Blue Oval has touched double digits. Ford sold 155,000 vehicles in September in Europe's 19 biggest markets, up 12.3% versus September 2008. Ford has now beaten year-over-year sales totals for four straight months. One vehicle that has gone a long way towards getting the Blue Oval over the 10% milestone is the new Fiesta , as the popular B-Segment vehicle achieved its highest September sales in 15 years. While Ford's overall market share benefited from the quality of its product lineup, the increased volume during the month of September also came in part courtesy of Cash for Clunkers-like scrap programs in several European nations. Many of those programs have recently ended or are being phased out, though, which worries Ford for the short term. Ford of Europe VP Ingvar Sviggum told th e DetNews that the health of the market still pretty shaky, adding "It is clear that there is still a need for government intervention in Europe to help bolster the market until demand reaches a more sustainable level." [Source: The Detroit News ] REPORT: Ford's Euro sales crest 10% for the first time in 8 years originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 12 Oct 2009 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds .

Filed under: Motorsports , Coupe , Scion , Celebrities Autoblog goes drifting with Tanner Foust - Click above for high-res image gallery "It feels like I'm down on power!" yells Tanner Foust in the general direction of the gathered throngs containing both his crew and assorted media. Tanner and myself are currently five-point bolted into his new stock car-engined Formula D Scion tC. We've just exited an aborted lap around the Toyota Speedway at Irwindale because something - so says Foust - is amiss with the car. Rockstar Energy Drink Drift captain Stephan Papadakis comes charging towards the Scion and begins earnestly, if not frantically, checking the car's vitals through the steering wheel's digital readout. Steph floors the motor a few times, checks the numbers and exasperatedly tells Foust that everything looks fine. "Oh," says Tanner, patting me on my beer belly. "Must be him." Very funny, jerk. Gallery: Autoblog Goes Drifting with Tanner Foust Photos copyright (C)2009 Drew Phillips / Weblogs, Inc. Continue reading Autoblog goes drifting with Tanner Foust in NASCAR-powered Scion tC! Autoblog goes drifting with Tanner Foust in NASCAR-powered Scion tC! originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 12 Oct 2009 14:56:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds .

Filed under: Plants/Manufacturing , GM General Motors has announced its planned production for next year: 2.8 million vehicles. That's a 45% increase over its production this year - 1.9 million cars and trucks - and according to some analysts, it's completely unwarranted. GM says it arrived at that number based on "real simple math." Analysts quoted in the Detroit Free Press today appear believe that GM was guided more by hope and a quest for market share. Just about everyone agrees that next year's new car market will grow compared to this year, with estimates generally ranging from a 10% to 15% increase in sales. GM slashed its production this year so much that by September, its inventory hit unprecedented lows. To be ready for what it believes will be a 15% bounceback in overall North American car sales, a boost in its own sales (which were down almost 40% this yea)r, and to have enough inventory on hand, it figures it needs to bump production by 45%. Every analyst appears to agree that GM will need to make more cars. But 2.8 million? Even as one analyst said, "There is no question that their production is going to be up next year and it's going to be significant - it really is," they were all in agreement that 2.8 million vehicles will leave a lot of cars either sitting on lots or being ridiculously discounted. The announcement has brought out sentiments that we are seeing shades of the old GM with a 'make them and move them by any means necessary' mentality.

Filed under: Sedan , Lexus , Design/Style , Luxury 2010 Lexus LS 460 Sport- click above image for hi-res image gallery The subtle evolution that has defined the life of Lexus' LS may not be the stuff of action movies or even car magazine covers, but it's hard to argue with the success that Toyota's premium division has enjoyed with its flagship luxury sedan. For 2010, Lexus has once again gone over its LS 460 with the finest-toothed of styling combs, but this time, they've added something that might be of interest to enthusiasts - a performance package. The Sport Package includes the usual visual frippery (a unique grille, revised front and rear spoilers and more assertive rocker panels), but it also includes firmer tuning for the air suspension, package-specific anti-roll bars and shocks, and 19-inch split-spoke alloys masking... wait for it... Brembo anchors. Naturally, the package is only available on the rear-drive model - those requiring the grip-at-each-radial traction of all-wheel drive will have to content themselves with deciding whether they have enough rear legroom with the standard-wheelbase model or whether they want to plump for the added lebensraum of the LS 460 L. Inside, the LS 460 Sport Package gets different front seats, unique perforated black/saddle leather surfaces, a different leather-wrapped wheel, and paddle shifters for the octocog automatic. Of course, if you just want to look more athletic but don't need the performance bits, Lexus will happily sell you most of the same exterior dress-ups in an appearance package. If you're squinting a bit and are noticing some additional changes to the LS 460's visuals, that's because all models get new head- and tail-lamps, as well as a reworked front fascia. Other substantive changes for 2010 include new audio, connectivity and telematics features, as well as small things like a new ECO driving indicator in the gauge cluster to encourage thrifty motoring.

Filed under: Motorsports , Etc. RENT YOUR WAY TO GLORY Welcome to the second installment of our Introduction to Karting series. Hopefully the first piece piqued your interest with tales of tiny machines pulling 3 g in the corners then hitting 60 in under three seconds on their way up to over 140 MPH. (Well over, as it turns out; one commenter indicated he hit an indicated 156 this season.) That kind of performance is unequaled outside of top-level formula motorsport, yet is available to anyone with some disposable income and a passion for going quick. However, karting isn't for everyone so suitably endowed. The physical demands placed on a kart racer are hard to comprehend until you're in a fast turn, holding your breath because you can't inhale, feeling like your head is going to fly off and land somewhere in the pits. Chances are it won't, but whether or not you can withstand that while maintaining a good racing line and keeping an eye on a swarm of opponents is an important thing to find out before breaking out the charge card. The best way is, of course, to try it, and given the big up-front cost to buy a kart, a rental is the way to go. To get our first real experience we signed up for an afternoon's racing school. We walked the track, worked with multiple instructors, got a lot of advice, had an impromptu race, and stuck it out for way more seat time than was probably advisable for a newbie.

Filed under: Safety , Technology Now that Toyota's massive 3.8 million-vehicle recall for floor mats with a mind of their own has got unintended acceleration on our brains, perhaps it would be a good time to take a look at ways to solve the potential problem once and for all. In contrast to Toyota's initial low-tech tie-wrap approach , The New York Times reports that some automakers have created so-called "smart gas pedals." So, um, what's a smart gas pedal? Apparently, on all BMWs since 2005, a computer can tell when both the gas and brake pedals are being applied when the vehicle is moving. In that situation, the computer disables the gas pedal and gives the brakes priority. Presumably, the BMW system is smart enough to figure out intentional left-foot braking, as we don't recall experiencing any problem in such usage scenarios. Considering Audi and other automakers' unfortunate history with unsubstantiated unintended acceleration claims, similar technology reportedly exists at that automaker along with parent company Volkswagen. Interestingly, the NYT reports that General Motors, Ford, Honda, Acura, Toyota, Lexus and Hyundai don't employ such systems, though Toyota is said to be considering the technology after its recent travails. According to Chrysler spokesperson Lisa Barrow, most vehicles from the Pentastar "have a feature that recognizes the use of both pedals at the same and brings the engine speed to idle." [Source: The New York Times | Image: George Heyer/Getty] REPORT: So-called "smart" gas pedals could counteract floor mat issues originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 09 Oct 2009 14:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Read

Filed under: Coupe , Performance , Alfa Romeo , Luxury Alfa Romeo 8C Competizione - Click above for high-res image gallery Imagine you're a male (Autoblog surveys say most of you are, so this shouldn't be hard). You've been invited to the Playboy Mansion for their annual Halloween party. You arrive, grab a flute of bubbly, get introduced to the crusty remains of Hugh Heffner and after a few minutes lay eyes on the most beautiful specimen of redheaded femininity the world has ever seen. You fight your knees from buckling, walk over and give it the ol' college try. Miraculously, you hit it off. She's entertaining, interesting and a joy to see and be seen with. One thing leads to another and you make your way upstairs into one of Heff's exotically appointed love dens. You're ready to embark on one of the most pleasurable experiences of your life when... there's no spark. No connection.

Filed under: SUV , Land Rover , Tata , Rumormill 2009 Land Rover LR2 HSE - Click above for high-res image gallery The Land Rover LR2 looks nice enough and it has some offroad chops, but during our time with the British SUV we weren't exactly thrilled with its on-road capabilities. We're not so sure an extra row of seating would have helped the baby Rover's disposition, but if a news item from Autocar is to be believed, we may not know of a long time. The U.K. publication is reporting that Land Rover has postponed plans to produce a seven-seat Freelander/LR2 in order to concentrate on a new business plan that ups annual sales to 200,000 units. The seven-seat LR2 had been rumored since the smallest Land Rover hit the streets, and Autocar says the more passenger friendly LR2 was set to go to production by next year. The new plan will reportedly be to shift the remaining attention to the production of the two-door LRX, which is expected to enter production in 2011 . The LRX is expected to provide some of the volume Land Rover owner Tata Motors is looking for, while giving the British luxury off-road automaker a smaller, lighter, more efficient offering for the motoring masses. Gallery: Review: 2009 Land Rover LR2 HSE [Source: Autocar ] Land Rover reportedly puts plans for seven-seat LR2 on ice originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 05 Oct 2009 14:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Read