
Filed under: Motorsports, Coupe, Performance, Etc., Specialty, Racing He didn't get the trophy, but he did get the girl pace car. San Francisco 49ers head coach Jim Harbaugh - who quarterbacked the Indianapolis Colts from 1994 to 1997 - will lead the 33-car Indianapolis 500 field around The Brickyard in a 2014 Corvette Stingray pace car. Harbaugh's other connection to the race is that he's a principal in Panther Racing, which has two cars running on Sunday that are powered by Chevrolet engines: JR Hildebrand is starting tenth, teammate Townsend Bell is 22nd. There's a press release below with the kind of juicy quotes you'd expect from all involved.Continue reading Jim Harbaugh picked to drive Indy 500 Corvette Stingray pace carJim Harbaugh picked to drive Indy 500 Corvette Stingray pace car originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 23 May 2013 13:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink | Email this | Comments

Filed under: Coupe, Performance, Videos, Chevrolet, Design/Style It's been a while since Chevrolet offered its Corvette with green paint - well over a decade, in fact. We've known for a while that the new C7 Stingray would be available in Lime Rock Green, but haven't seen it up until now in anything but the antiseptic studio shots offered up on the Corvette's configurator. Well, we can now cross it off the list - at least online - as the first production example has been caught on video at the Lone Star Classic Corvette show by the folks at NCM Insurance. According to CorvetteBlogger, the last production model to feature such verdant paint dates to 2001, when Chevy offered its sports car in Dark Bowling Green Metallic. But when we think of Vettes in this color spectrum, we tend to think of the Polo Green C4, a deep shade this paint reminds us of. This particular Stingray is fitted with the Z51 performance package, along with the 3LT Brownstone interior. As we think Z51-equipped cars tend to look better in darker shades (which better integrate/disguise the package's additional ductwork), this Lime Rock Green looks pretty good to our eyes. We haven't seen new green sports cars in some time - perhaps cars like this C7 and the British Racing Green Metallic 2014 Jaguar F-Type will kickstart a revival. What do you think, does the C7 look good in green? Check out the video below and then have your say in Comments.Continue reading Chevy Corvette Stingray shows off in Lime Rock GreenChevy Corvette Stingray shows off in Lime Rock Green originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 20 May 2013 13:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink | Email this | Comments

Filed under: Government/Legal, Earnings/Financials, Tesla, ElectricTime For Buyers To Have Some Skin In The EV Game Politicians know that $8- or $9-a-gallon gas like in Europe would end their careers. The back-and-forth between those writing the fuel economy rules and auto manufacturers is designed to see how far the CO2 regulations can be pushed without inconveniencing the general public. Rather than taxing fuel like they do in Europe to encourage buyers to opt for the most fuel-efficient vehicles, in America it's up to the manufacturers to develop a fleet that averages some magic number, in this case 54.5 mpg by 2025. That's because most politicians know that $8- or $9-a-gallon gas like in Europe would end their careers. Matt DeLorenzo is the former editor-in-chief of Road & Track and has covered the auto industry for 35 years, including stints at Automotive News and AutoWeek. He has authored books including VW's New Beetle, Chrysler's Modern Concept Cars, and Corvette Dynasty. Continue reading CO2 credits: The ultimate rebate?CO2 credits: The ultimate rebate? originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 19 May 2013 15:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink | Email this | Comments

Filed under: Car Buying, Sedan, Earnings/Financials, Fisker, Luxury Buying into a new, fledgling automaker is always a big risk - the early-adopter upside has the potential to be great, but the downside can look like the mother of all hangovers. Unsurprisingly, that's the unpleasant financial reality facing Fisker Karma owners as they look to unload their extended-range electric sedans while the company's future bleakens. We've been keeping tabs on used Karma prices on eBay Motors and other websites for some time now, and there's been a steady stream of the voluptuous sedans on offer since not long after they first became available. Early on, we initially chalked that up to speculators, but moved on to imagining disgruntled owners as more and more mechanical and electrical problems were brought to light. Now, however, there's a bumper crop of Fisker models on the used market, with NBC News and Business Insider reporting that pre-owned examples are trading for under half their six-digit MSRPs just one year ago. Around 2,500 Karmas were made, and eBay Motors is playing host to 26 of them alone as this piece is being written. Scan over to AOL Autos' listings, and there are 126 entries. For its part, the embattled startup has yet to declare bankruptcy, but it has laid off most of its employees and hired experts in the field suggesting they will soon. What's more, officials are looking to to recover as much of the $192 million in federal loans the company received, and despite some potential suitors sniffing around, no buyer for the company has emerged. No surprise, then, that Karma owners are looking to unload their models, likely fearing not only for their vehicles' resale values, but also the continued availability of parts and service. Question: If Karma prices continue to crater apace, how soon until shadetree mechanics follow the lead of Bob Lutz's VL Automotive Destino, which bins the Fisker's complex plug-in hybrid powertrain in favor of the supercharged LS9 V8 from the Chevrolet Corvette ZR1?Fisker Karma prices tanking on used market originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 17 May 2013 08:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink | Email this | Comments

Filed under: Etc. Strategic Vision has released its annual Total Quality awards, and some of the winners may come as a surprise. To quote Alexander Edwards, President of Strategic Vision, "For the first time in over a decade our comprehensive and complete study of Quality resulted in more domestic winners than imports." That's not to say import brands performed poorly. Volkswagen was voted the best overall corporation in Total Quality for the eighth-straight year, and Audi tied with Lexus for the best individual brand. Breaking things down on a model-by-model basis, here are some notable victories: Dodge Dart, Best Small Car Ford Fusion / Chevrolet Volt, Best Midsize Car Volkswagen CC, Best Large Car Hyundai Genesis / Audi A4, Best Near-Luxury Car Lexus LS, Best Luxury Car Chevrolet Corvette, Best Premium Coupe Chrysler Town & Country, Best Minivan Volkswagen Tiguan / Toyota FJ Cruiser, Best Entry Utility Chevrolet Traverse, Best Midsize Crossover Utility Dodge Durango, Best Midsize Traditional Utility Chevrolet Avalanche, Best Full-size Pickup Ford F-250 / F-350, Best Heavy Duty Pickup Scroll down below for the full list of winners, both import and domestic, in each and every category.Continue reading Domestics win majority of annual Total Quality awardsDomestics win majority of annual Total Quality awards originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 15 May 2013 09:13:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink | Email this | Comments

Set along the shores of Italy’s picturesque Lake Como, the annual Concorso d’Eleganza Villa d’Este (this year from May 24 through 26) serves as a beauty contest for the world’s rarest and most stylish automobiles. This year’s event includes a high-end car sale by RM Auctions, a retrospective of 90 years of BMW motorcycles, and an “American Dream” presentation in celebration of Corvette’s 60th anniversary. The BMW motorcycle tribute will feature more than 30 historic and unique motorcycles, including milestone...

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