eBay Find of the Day: 2000 Ford SVT Cobra R still in the wrapper

In the world of Hot Wheels collecting, there are two types of people: those who open and those who don’t. We tend to fall into the third, more populous category of those who demolition derby.

Clearly, we could never have demonstrated the kind of self-restraint it takes to purchase a brand-new 2000 Ford SVT Mustang Cobra R and leave it in its original factory wrapping. Fortunately, there are people out there like the seller of this particular machine. According to the eBay Motors listing, there are a mere 11 miles on the odometer, and the plastic you see on the hood and fenders is the same garb that the meanMustang wore off the production line.

Even the front splitter and brake cooling ducts are in their original bubble wrap in the trunk, and the interior is swaddled in plenty of FoMoCo plastic. That means that this pony is as close to a factory-new Cobra R that you could possibly buy today.

Ford famously minted a mere 300 examples of the Cobra R in 2000. The cars were bare bones, street-legal racers, and while the 5.4-liter V8 under the hood was supposed to churn out 385 ponies, owners typically found the engine to return those numbers at the wheels, not the crank. When launched, Motor Trend found the car capable of 0-60 mph runs in the 4.4 second range and a skid pad effort of over 1.0 g.

So, what’s it worth? Hard to say, but the auction has a Buy it Now price of $70,000, though the seller is also entertaining offers.

Source:Autoblog

Chrysler wants ‘S’ branding to appeal to youth market

The average age of those who buy new Chryslers? Sixty-two. That’s not good for a brand that’s looking to expand into new markets and thereby increase sales. Invariably, such a strategy means younger buyers will need to be lured into the showroom.

In order to entice younger buyers, Chrysler reportedly plans toenhance its so-called ‘S’ sub-brand, starting with the refreshed200 sedan (the old Sebring) and the more heavily revised 300, that Chrysler says will appeal to those who want something a little more “edgy.”

Exterior chrome will be blacked-out, interior wood will be replaced with carbon fiber and traditionally staid interior colors will now be offered in brighter red hues. There won’t necessarily be any modifications to the car’s driving characteristics, as this is intended to be a styling exercise only.

Source:Autoblog

This is not your typical review of the 2011 Chevrolet Volt

 

Gene Weingarten is not an automotive journalist. He is, however, a two-time Pulitzer Prize-winning writer forThe Washington Post. And yet, despite limited automotive knowledge by his own admission, he’s written an excellent review of the 2011 Chevrolet Volt. Weingarten admits he was predisposed to hate the Volt (and American cars in general), but his time behind the wheel didn’t jibe with those expectations. And it wasn’t even because the car apparently made him more attractive to members of the opposite sex (though we doubt that hurt its chances any). Trust us on this: Go and read all five pages of Weingarten’s review of the Chevy Volt, then come back and tell us what you think.

Source:Autoblog