Author Archives: Chris Paukert

Paris Motor Show’s Pavilion 8 offers curves, angles and rare perspective

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Pavilion 8 is a sumptuous feast of curves and angles mixed in with wonderfully bizarre engineering and aesthetic decisions.

It's often all too easy for us auto scribes to buzz in and buzz out of the auto shows we are covering without ever really finding our center of gravity - we're too busy attending press conferences, cranking out copy or perhaps just too jet-lagged to really take in what a tremendous privilege it is to see these new automobiles before everyone else - let alone properly appreciate what it is to be in some of the world's greatest cities. Every once in a while, a reality check is in order, and the Paris Motor Show's Pavilion 8 has just provided it for me.

Pavilion 8, in the nether reaches of the show's massive footprint, houses a special exhibition called Cars and Fashion curated by Mondial de l'Automobile and INA, France's National Audiovisual Institute. It's a wondrous collection of mostly French automotive history paired with a backdrop of period fashions, and it's not only the most memorable display I've encountered on the auto show circuit this year, it's the best thing I've seen in all of Paris during my short stay.

From obvious first-ballot French Automotive Hall of Fame-type picks like the Citroen DS 19 and Renault 4 to many seminal cars and rolling curiosities from all over the world ranging from the age of the Ford Model T to present day, Pavilion 8 is a sumptuous feast of curves and angles mixed in with wonderfully bizarre engineering and aesthetic decisions - many on the same vehicles, and many of them French.

Continue reading Paris Motor Show's Pavilion 8 offers curves, angles and rare perspective

Paris Motor Show's Pavilion 8 offers curves, angles and rare perspective originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 03 Oct 2014 17:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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BMW M235i in circuit scrap with legendary E46 M3 CSL

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BMW M235i paired with BMW M3 CSL

Earlier this month, we brought you news that BMW's one-year wonder, the 2011 1 Series M Coupe, is actually trading for more money today than it did when new. That sort of short-term appreciation is a major rarity with modern production cars, but apparently it's not the only BMW enthusiast coupe to enjoy far-above-average residual values. The not-for-North America 2004 M3 CSL, itself a single-year offering, apparently also fits that description, as we've just learned from Auto Express.

The M3 CSL ruled overseas BMW showrooms a decade ago, with just 1,400 examples built. Based on the well-regarded E46 M3, the rare two-door was relieved of extraneous bits for improved track work and driver fidelity, coming in at around 240 fewer pounds than a garden-variety M3. With carbon-fiber-reinforced plastic bodywork, thinner glass and a lot less sound insulation, the CSL was one of the more raucous cars of its day. Like the 1M Coupe, it was also one of the more connected cars of the era, with a retuned suspension, quicker steering, and a bit more power than its brethren.

As Auto Express points out, a good used one commands about the same money as a brand-new 2014 M235i - the closest thing BMW makes to a 1M Coupe today - which makes this video track battle an interesting new-versus-used showdown. According to AE, a well-sorted used M3 CSL will run UK consumers anywhere between £30,000 and £35,000 - roughly $50,000 to $59,000 US. That's a massive premium over the $10k-17k British buyers can expect to shell out for a comparable standard M3, similar to the story that plays out for the 1M versus lesser 1 Series variants.

While not an M3 (there's a new one of those nearly here, too), today's M235i continues to carry the torch for Bavarian driving enjoyment, with a 3.0-liter straight-six funneling its 320 horsepower and 330 pound-feet of torque to the rear wheels. That means it's got less power (but more torque) than the CSL, but it's also got a fair bit more weight to tote around.

So, which one is quicker 'round AE's test track? You'll have to watch the video below to find out.

Continue reading BMW M235i in circuit scrap with legendary E46 M3 CSL

BMW M235i in circuit scrap with legendary E46 M3 CSL originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 25 Apr 2014 19:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Security camera captures National Corvette Museum sinkhole as it forms [UPDATE]

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National Corvette Museum - security camera footage of sinkhole

If you've been with us all day, you know that the National Corvette Museum in Bowling Green, KY was struck by a sinkhole early this morning. The sinkhole, which formed under the museum's well-known Skydome, swallowed up eight cars on display and caused untold dollars in damage. We've shown you the early photos, we've shown you streaming webcam footage and still photos of workers moving other Corvette display cars out of harms way, and now we have security camera footage showing the actual moment when the cavity appeared.

In the dimly lit video below, we see the floor buckle slightly under a row of Corvettes, chiefly under orange and blue examples, with some dust kicking up as a result. The floor appears to hold for a few moments before giving way, swallowing up a pair of cars and revealing the 40-foot sinkhole. Interestingly, subsequently released images of the sinkhole show a wider area of flooring having collapsed than what's on view in this official video, so it appears to end prematurely. Either way, take a look at the literal fallout in our video below, and we'll keep you informed as this story continues to develop.

UPDATE: The National Corvette Museum has just released a few more videos, some taken from a remote-control helicopter, showing the cars that crashed into the sinkhole. Check them out, along with the earlier security cam footage, below.

UPDATE: We've also been in contact with a spokesperson for the NCM, and have learned that all of the cars in the Skydome that were not swallowed by the sinkhole have been evacuated, with two exceptions. Authorities are presently trying to figure out how to safely extract them. We have new pictures of the damage and the remaining cars in our gallery below.

Continue reading Security camera captures National Corvette Museum sinkhole as it forms [UPDATE]

Security camera captures National Corvette Museum sinkhole as it forms [UPDATE] originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 12 Feb 2014 16:33:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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400% markups reported as Cuba opens new/used car sales for first time since 1959

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One could hardly blame Cuban consumers for suffering from a bout of 'sticker shock' when new car shopping this week - after all, they haven't had the opportunity since 1959. But it isn't just a half-century of inflation that buyers are having to wrap their heads around this week, it's massive markups.

Reuters is reporting that with the Cuban state opening up the sale of new vehicles without special dispensation, price markups of 400 percent and more are turning away would-be shoppers in droves. In a country where average monthly wages total just $20, you can imagine the shock and incredulity that is accompanying word of a state-run Peugeot dealer asking $262,000 for a 508 - a D-segment model that typically lines up against cars like the Ford Mondeo.

And it's not just new cars that are suffering from the markups - Reuters interviewed Cuban artist Cesar Perez, who was looking at an unspecified 2005 Renault. The used car lot's price was $25,000, where similar models trade for just $3,000 outside of the island nation. "These prices show a lack of respect for all Cubans. What is here are wrecks. I now have no hope of getting a car for my family," he said.

The price gouging is being viewed by at least one analyst, John Kirk, a Canadian academic expert on Latin America, as a "luxury tax imposed by the government on the nouveau riches of Cuba." No matter what it is, with such heady prices, Cuba's venerable culture of keeping old automobiles alive by whatever means are available seems unlikely to change any time soon.

400% markups reported as Cuba opens new/used car sales for first time since 1959 originally appeared on Autoblog on Sat, 04 Jan 2014 13:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Stolen first production Volvo P1800 recovered

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Volvo P1800 - chassis number two - front three-quarter view

Late last month, we told you about a 1961 Volvo P1800 that had been stolen in Sweden. The thought of losing a classic coupe to an unscrupulous thief is troubling enough, but this wasn't just any P1800 - it was the very first production example minted, and the restored red-over-white two-door was owned by the vice president of the Swedish P1800 Club to boot. Chassis Number Two was pilfered from a Stockholm lockup on either August 21 or 22, and the theft triggered an international hunt of sorts.

Fortunately, that hunt has come to a (mostly) happy ending. According to Larmtjänst AB, a non-profit organization dedicated to fighting vehicle crime in Sweden, the car was spotted by someone who had read about the missing classic. The P1800 was recovered in Hägerstensvägen, a municipality of Stockholm, after being found abandoned on the road covered with a tarp. The owner is reportedly very relieved that his Volvo is mostly intact, marred only by a broken ignition and a dirty interior.

Stolen first production Volvo P1800 recovered originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 04 Sep 2013 16:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Acura rejoins with Seinfeld, sponsors Comedians In Cars Getting Coffee [w/videos]

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Jerry Seinfeld Acura Super Bowl ad with NSX - screencap

We enjoyed the opening season of Seinfeld's offbeat Comedians In Cars Getting Coffee web series, a video serial where Jerry Seinfeld picked up his friends in some of his classic cars and... chatted. It was a simple premise that offered some genuinely enjoyable moments, even if the 'cars' connection was often a bit incidental. In any case, Acura must have felt the same way, as it has just inked a deal to be the sole sponsor for the series' next season.

Acura, you may recall, already enjoys a relationship with the comedian - Seinfeld starred in the company's 2012 Super Bowl ad alongside the NSX supercar concept. So perhaps it's no surprise that it has signed on to sponsor 24 episodes of the series, due to roll out this year and next. Naturally, with any title sponsorship these days, you can expect to see some integration of the sponsor - in this case, Acura says such measures will involve its new 2014 MDX crossover, integrating "short, contextually relevant ads at the beginning and end of the episode."

Will you watch? For a refresher on Comedians In Cars Getting Coffee, check out a couple of our favorite first season episodes with Michael Richards and Alec Baldwin by scrolling below.

Continue reading Acura rejoins with Seinfeld, sponsors Comedians In Cars Getting Coffee [w/videos]

Acura rejoins with Seinfeld, sponsors Comedians In Cars Getting Coffee [w/videos] originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 05 Jun 2013 16:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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1966 Volga GAZ-21 pops into Jay Leno’s Garage

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Jay Leno in Russian Volga - video screencap

One of the many reasons we love Jay Leno's Garage is the depth of the comedian's collection and his appreciation for the unappreciated. Most men of his financial and social standing with even a passing interest in automobiles would occupy their driveways with six- and seven-figure high performance and luxury cars - they wouldn't even know what something like this 1966 Volga GAZ-21 is, let alone offer it a spot in their garage mahal.

Yet here is Leno, pouring over this ex-KGB staff car in detail and trying on his best labored Russian accent, genuinely fascinated by this small sedan. With a three-on-the-tree, primitive leaf-spring suspension and 95 horsepower from its 2.5-liter four-cylinder, this unrestored sedan - still riding on made-in-USSR tires - doesn't sound terribly exciting on paper, but Jay does a good job of outlining its features and putting it into historical context. He even tells a brief-but-amusing yarn about driving the car through Russian immigrant neighborhoods in the Los Angeles area. Learn more about this Cold War curiosity by scrolling below to watch the video.

Continue reading 1966 Volga GAZ-21 pops into Jay Leno's Garage

1966 Volga GAZ-21 pops into Jay Leno's Garage originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 02 May 2013 16:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Over $20,000 in ‘irreplaceable’ trophies stolen from Goodwood

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Goodwood Estate map

A band of thieves is being blamed for a brazen nighttime theft of 33 historic trophies from the Goodwood estate, where the Festival of Speed and Revival are held. According to the Telegraph, at least four burglars drove up to the Earl Of March's 12,000-acre estate on Monday night in a Range Rover, whereupon they broke a window at the Kennels Clubhouse (above, upper left) and smashed four cabinets to gain access to the trophy collection.

The trophies are valued at £15,000 - over $22,700 US - but are essentially priceless because they cannot be duplicated and some have significant historic and sentimental value. One of the stolen pieces includes the Mobil Oil Trophy, awarded in 1931 to the Earl's grandfather for a race at Brooklands.

An estate spokesperson fears the trophies may be sold for scrap, as they figure to be very difficult to sell. A reward has been set up for the return of the trophies and local police are asking for help from anyone who may know anything about the burglary.

Over $20,000 in 'irreplaceable' trophies stolen from Goodwood originally appeared on Autoblog on Sat, 06 Apr 2013 13:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Vampire Weekend singer responds to burning Saab controversy [w/video]

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Vampire Weekend burns classic Saab 900 Turbo Convertible for

Last week, we tipped you off about Vampire Weekend and their new music video for the song Diane Young, a short film that consists entirely of setting fire to two perfectly nice-looking Saab 900 automobiles. The indie rock band's video - viewable by scrolling down - predictably triggered the internet ire of classic car enthusiasts - Saabophiles in particular - and word of the unrest eventually got back to the band itself.

According to music site Spinner (nb: owned by Autoblog parent AOL), the group was "stunned" at the backlash - enough that lead singer Ezra Koenig felt compelled to respond himself. According to Koenig, the band was under the impression that their record company was "looking to purchase the cheapest, oldest cars possible; they weren't trying to buy a beautiful perfect condition car." By way of apology, Koenig even goes so far as to note that bandmate Rostam Batmanglij is a keen fan of Saab.

Other reports have claimed that the cars may have been purchased under false pretenses, sold by owners who "wanted to see them go to a nice new home," but Koenig takes issue with that characterization, countering that he understood that the cars had substantial electrical problems.

Interestingly, more vitriol appears to have been spilled over the fiery deaths of these two Saabs than was drummed up by Jay Z and Kanye West in their music video for Otis, which saw the superstar rappers take a blowtorch to an exponentially costlier Maybach. Either way, Koenig and Co. appear to have at least some regret that they elected to base their video on the song's opening line, "You torched a Saab like a pile of leaves."

Continue reading Vampire Weekend singer responds to burning Saab controversy [w/video]

Vampire Weekend singer responds to burning Saab controversy [w/video] originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 29 Mar 2013 17:44:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Vampire Weekend burns for Saab

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Vampire Weekend torches Saab 900 Convertible for music video - screencap

Or is it the other way around?

Could Vampire Weekend be trying to tell me something? A just-launched music video for the indie rock band's new single Diane Young features what looks like a pretty mint black Saab 900 Turbo Convertible being torched in slow-motion. In fact, with the exception of a brief, flickering cameo by a 900 three-door of a similar vintage, that's all that there is to the nearly three-minute long video. It's both sad and oddly beautiful.

Coincidentally, I have a similar-looking turbocharged black Saab convertible sitting in my garage, and I've been reluctantly pondering its sale this very week. Admittedly, mine is a later model (2001 9-3 Viggen), but tri-spokes and more tapered rump aside, it looks eerily identical. And while mine isn't mired in flames (I love it too much to torch it), through no fault of its own, it's been sitting motionless far too regularly. Thankfully, I see a better future for it than the droptop seen above.

So, what's the deal? Did VW lead vocalist Ezra Koenig have a Saab love affair that went bad, leading to this conflagration of music video? Is he unhappy about the fate of the perennially troubled Swedish automaker? Or did he and the band just figure that the video below was an attention-grabbing/artsy and inexpensive way to put promote their forthcoming album, Modern Vampires of the City? The world might never know...

Continue reading Vampire Weekend burns for Saab

Vampire Weekend burns for Saab originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 21 Mar 2013 16:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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