https://thehill.com/chang .. the-record-for

Hyundai's decision to greenlight a strange, small pickup seemed like an unorthodox one several months ago when the 2022 Hyundai Santa Cruz was unveiled. After the positive reviews started piling up (including our own), however, it became clear that the Korean automaker had made the right decision. And now it's evident that the general public agrees, as Santa Cruz pickups are quickly finding homes shortly after landing on dealer lots.

Automotive analyst iSeeCars keeps track of how long cars sit on dealer lots before they get sold. For months, the Chevy Corvette has been at the top of the heap or very close to it. Now though, it's been dethroned—at least temporarily—by the Santa Cruz. The compact pickups spend an average of only eight days on the showroom floor before somebody decides to snatch them up.



The iSeeCars list is interesting because it not only tends to highlight conventional hot sellers like compact SUVs, but enthusiast vehicles as well. The top 20 ranking includes, for instance, the Subaru WRX, the aforementioned C8 Corvette, and the Ford Bronco. All of these vehicles get sold well ahead of the average time a car spends on a lot, which is 26 days. If you're curious, the Bronco spends 10.6 days on lots. So yes, the Santa Cruz is technically hotter than the Bronco. There is, of course, a very broad context to that statement, though.

The Santa Cruz has been subject to dealer markups just like many others. We actually received an email from a reader showing a $10,000 markup on an SEL Premium trim, which is pretty unbelievable considering the starting price of such a Santa Cruz is $36,905. If they weren't aware before, dealerships are definitely in the loop now about the high demand for enthusiast vehicles like the Santa Cruz.

The Santa Cruz was formally unveiled several months ago as a vehicle in the same vein as the Ford Maverick. It's a compact, unibody pickup truck with a relatively low price tag designed for people with "active lifestyles." As such, it has several features that enable that attitude. It can tow 5,000 pounds, its short bed is more versatile than you might think, and thanks to a crew cab it can still be used as a daily driver. Lastly, an integrated lockable tonneau cover also makes the bed usable as a trunk.



It's still an unorthodox car despite having this level of versatility though, and the fact that it's selling so quickly will definitely be good news for a few Hyundai product planners. The Santa Cruz is based on the Tucson—not its own bespoke platform—sure, but it was definitely still a risk to bring it to market. In any case, it's a solid little pickup with a bucketload of interesting features.

We'll see if the rapid sales keep up.

 https://www.thedrive.com/ .. -new-car-in-us

It's a pretty dope ride and with Hyundai's track record and the fact that everything else on the market is pretty much the same, I can see why it's selling.

He’s talking $3000 maybe 4000

I’m thinking $2500 maybe 3000

The BUGATTI Lifestyle collection, known for its highly exclusive and expertly crafted pieces, has just gained an incredible new member.

The very first BUGATTI Pool Table, designed and engineered in collaboration with Spanish company IXO® - one of the world-leading manufacturers of carbon fiber objects - is ready for delivery.

The first of just 30 highly limited edition examples, adorned with exquisite carbon fiber, titanium, aluminum and leather is a match for the level of quality found in BUGATTIÂ’s hyper sports cars.

 https://v.redd.it/zzy952g9jul71

Car theft is rampant these days and one popular target for thieves is dealerships. While some criminals break into car dealers at night, boosting as many vehicles as they can before the police show up, others like the guy who took a new C8 Corvette just steal cars from the dealerships right in front of the employees in broad daylight.

Watch some thieves almost k*ll a dealership employee for a car here.
Posted to Reddit, the video weÂ’ve embedded shows an unnamed dealership where what looks like a salesman is standing next to a red C8 Corvette parked right outside the glass doors on a cement pad. You can hear the V8 rumbling as the sales guy stands next to the American sports car, likely trying to talk to the guy inside (but the video quality isnÂ’t good enough for us to tell for sure).

Someone inside the dealership says, “He’s gonna drive the car” as the Chevy pulls forward slightly while the salesman tries grabbing the door handle. The guy behind the wheel stops for a moment and it’s obvious the dealer employee is talking excitedly at that point, probably because he realizes the guy is flirting with stealing the Corvette.

People inside the dealership start asking where the guy thinks heÂ’s going, but we all know the answer to that question. As the C8 keeps rolling forward someone calls out that the police need to be called. Only seconds later, the guy punches it and the Corvette speeds away. The dealership employees seem astounded, the man outside putting his hands up like he doesnÂ’t know what to do.

This is the sad reality weÂ’re living in today where test drives turn into robberies. ThereÂ’s a lot of discussion about whatÂ’s fueling this trend, from judges going light on car theft (and other crimes) to the chip shortage making thieves bolder. Whatever is causing this, dealerships need to adapt and take more precautions or theyÂ’ll suffer more losses like this one.

"Guy Swipes C8 Corvette From Dealership In Broad Daylight"  https://www.motorious.com .. -corvette/amp/

Just swooped this car up for my everyday drive

Audi has unveiled the dramatically-styled Grandsphere concept, which showcases the brand's future design direction.

The Grandsphere concept is an electric sedan that also features a vision for future autonomous driving technology.

A lounge-like interior features a retractable steering column and a massive infotainment setup that is projected onto a flat dashboard.

The future of Audi's design and engineering is previewed by this elegant Grandsphere concept sedan. The second in a trio of concepts to debut in short order, the Grandsphere shares styling elements with the sportier Skysphere coupe, but integrates a more spacious, four-door layout and a host of interesting tech. A third concept called Urbansphere will debut next year.

Two electric motors generate 711 horsepower combined and up to 686 pound-feet of torque, allowing the Grandsphere to reach 62 mph in a claimed 4.0 seconds, according to Audi. The company also claims a driving range as long as 466 miles on the WLTP cycle and fast-charging via a 270-kW onboard charger, borrowed from the e-tron GT that's on sale today.


While the exterior design is certainly dramatic and attractive, the interior is where the concept showcases its most futuristic elements. Facing the driver and front passenger is a large, flat dashboard that's devoid of buttons and lacks the traditional touchscreen display. Instead, the car's infotainment is projected onto the dashboard, and a camera tracks the driver's eyes and flicks through menus and selections based on eye movement. Each of the car's four doors features physical buttons for the climate-control system, but those can also be adjusted based on hand gestures.

Autonomous driving is the Grandsphere concept's biggest flex, though, and in autonomous mode, there's no steering wheel in sight. For instances when autonomous driving is not available—such as when exiting a highway into city traffic—a steering wheel and gauge cluster deploy from behind the flat dashboard so the driver can take control.

The luxury quotient is high as well, with several high-end touches painting the Grandsphere concept as an upscale executive cruiser. The center console between the two front seats can be electrically deployed forward toward the dashboard to provide more storage space ,and it also includes a cold water dispenser. Other posh touches include an air filtration and aroma diffuser system, wool upholstery, and hornbeam wood trim. To make it feel even more like a rolling living room, Audi even made room for a little potted plant between the two front seats.

At this point in time, the Grandsphere is merely a concept, but Audi claims to be working on a production version and is targeting a launch sometime in the middle of this decade. That seems like a short time frame to bring Level 4 autonomy to the motoring public but some form of self-driving tech is sure to be included when the production version of the Grandsphere launches.

 https://www.caranddriver. .. cept-revealed/

Mercedes-AMG is finally showing off its first plug-in hybrid, and it's a doozy. The new GT63 S E Performance takes Formula 1 technology and brings it to the street, melding AMG's existing twin-turbo V8 with an electric motor and an advanced battery pack, all stuffed into the existing GT 4-Door Coupe body. The result is AMG's most powerful production vehicle ever, and a sign of what's to come from the brand.

The twin-turbo, 4.0-liter V8 puts out the same 630 horsepower and 664 pound-feet of torque as in the existing GT63 S, though it now features an integrated 48-volt starter-generator system. Positioned at the rear axle is a single electric motor putting out 201 hp and 236 lb-ft that has its own two-speed gearbox; as it works directly on the rear axle it provides quicker responses and acceleration. There's an electronically controlled limited-slip differential for better grip and power delivery in corners, and electric power can be sent to the front wheels as required. AMG also overhauled the standard air suspension setup and the GT's stability control system.

The lightweight 6.1-kWh lithium-ion battery pack lies just above the EV motor, and development of the battery was influenced by the one used in Mercedes' F1 car -- the AMG team in Affalterbach, Germany, worked closely with the F1 engine shop in the UK on the system's engineering. The 400-volt battery weighs just 196 pounds and has double the power density of traditional batteries, thanks to a world-first direct-cooling system that always keeps the battery at the optimal operating temperature.

All that adds up to a whopping total output of 831 hp and 1,033 lb-ft, with Mercedes saying the GT63 PHEV will hit 60 mph in 2.9 seconds, 125 mph in under 10 seconds, and reach a top speed of 196 mph. Where the GT63 S E Performance is lacking is electric range. AMG says it will only do about seven miles on electricity alone, but that's on purpose. The powertrain was designed for "fast power delivery" instead of a long range, so performance is the real goal here. It will hit 80 mph on electric power, and there's an AMG-specific sound that's played outside the car at speeds up to 18 mph, fading out when the car reaches 31 mph. The charge port is located on the rear bumper, and while AMG doesn't give any charging specs it will use a 3.7-kW on-board AC charger.

There are seven drive modes in total, with the new Electric mode joining Comfort, Sport, Sport Plus, Race, Slippery (for wet conditions) and the configurable Individual mode. In the EV mode all-wheel drive is still always available thanks to the electric motor's mechanical connection to the drivetrain, and when the battery has been depleted the car automatically switches to Comfort mode. In Comfort the car deploys electric driving when it's most beneficial, like at low speeds in the city. Delve into the Sport and Race modes and the V8 wakes up, with the electric motor providing a performance boost. The car typically starts up silently in electric mode, but a special sound "typical of AMG" is played through the interior's speakers to let the driver know the car is ready.

The GT63 S E Performance has four levels of regenerative braking that are controlled by a button on the steering wheel, with the lowest level of regen basically unnoticeable to the driver, while the highest level offers one-pedal driving like with a full EV. When the car is in the Race drive mode, the regen system is automatically set to Level 1, which offers the "most reproducible vehicle behavior" on-track. The E Performance also comes standard with massive carbon-ceramic brakes, with 17-inch discs and six-piston calipers up front, and 15-inch discs and single-piston calipers at the rear.

We already saw the updated six-cylinder GT 4-Door models earlier this year, and the V8 PHEV sticks close to that same formula. The front air intakes are larger and have new vanes, there's a bunch of new paint offerings including four matte finishes, and Mercedes added more exterior appearance packages. Hybrid-specific details are limited to fluted exhaust tips and red badges. The E Performance also has a bunch of unique info pages in the MBUX infotainment system, a new steering wheel design and more color and trim options for the interior.

Mercedes isn't saying anything about how much the GT63 S E Performance will cost, but with the normal GT63 S already starting at $162,950, don't be surprised if the PHEV crests the $200,000 mark. Full US specs will be announced closer to the E Performance's on-sale date for the 2023 model year.

Not mine. Saw it leaving The Galleria.

teamed up with my buddy to do a review of my g82 m4.

this was a super fu*king fun day on the air strip.

take a look at it fellas and enjoy

Platinum per oz $1,059
Palladium per oz $2,638
Rhodium per oz went from $5k to almost $25k

Purchased this project car from an older guy a couple weeks ago. Back panel where the convertible top folds into is completely rusted out. The passenger floor panel was also rusted out. Other than that, the overall body was in okay shape.

I sent it to a shop to start doing the body and some engine/transmission work.

I plan on putting in the original 390 engine for now and save up for some type of swap. LS, coyote etc.

Any old school folks have any suggestions on what to do with it?