We go behind the scenes with Motion Products at the 2012 Cavallino Classics 
Motion Products, Inc. provides restoration services and more on behalf of their customers which include very serious collectors and discerning individuals with luxury, classic and exotic cars. They provide other services for their clients such as careful transportation of cars to vintage races and Concours events where the cars may be on display or actually entered in competition for Best of Show or Best in Class. Quite often, the cars they have worked on win high honors. In …

A hybrid beast for the trackOn the opening day of the North American International Auto Show in Detroit, Porsche introduced the 918 RSR, a hybrid race car that could easily appear on any Le Mans-style starting grid.
Utilizing the same drive train as the 911 GT3 R Hybrid, the 918 RSR packs 563HP 6.2L V8 which will bump the rev limiter at an unsightly 10,000RPM. In addition to the V8, the 918 RSR has two 75 kilowatt electric motors, one positioned at each of the front wheels. Combined, this gasoline/hybrid power …

Auto maker says it showcases key elements of its kinetic design philosophyFord unveiled the future direction of their compact SUV’s with the introduction of the Vertrek Concept. It was shown for the first time today at the 2011 North American International Auto Show in Detroit.
Based on their global C-segment platform, Ford hopes the Vertrek will help the auto maker capitalize even more on the growth of the compact SUV market.
“Customer demands are converging globally toward a compact sport utility vehicle that is stylish and great fun to drive while at …

VW expects 43 mpg with optional 2.0L clean dieselVolkswagen has ripped the sheet off their all-new 2012 Passat, a car the German marque expects to make huge gains in the U.S. market for them.
With American drivers in mind, the new Passat is larger than its predecessor. In addition to features the car maker hopes will appeal to buyers, the base price of the car will start somewhere around $20,000. Those features include automatic climate control and a gadget mavens must-have of Bluetooth connectivity.
And I’m happy to report that one of …

And has news to announce in DetroitProbably one of the most significant pieces of news in this release was Porsche’s announcement that December was the seventh straight month in which it recorded double or triple digit monthly sales increases over the previous year. Incredible consistency considering what was happening in the auto market in general. Demand for the brand remained strong, with models such as the Cayenne and Panamera leading the way.
In December, the company sold 179 more Panameras for the month when compared to 2009. An increase of 34 percent.
Sales were …

New car may be in the worksNot much to go on but Peugeot has announced the start of their endurance campaign begins in February. According to a very brief press release, “Peugeot Sport will reveal details of its 2011 programme and take the wraps off its new endurance racing challenger.” Sounds pretty certain there will be a new car.
The announce date is February 3rd in Paris. Stay tuned racing fans!

The only factory-painted Grabber Blue Laguna Seca Mustang will be auctioned for charityAnyone who follows the Barrett-Jackson auctions knows there’s at least one car that hits the block for charity. In the upcoming Scottsdale attraction, Barrett-Jackson will be auctioning this Grabber Blue Ford Mustang Boss 302 Laguna Seca for the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF).
What you may not know is that Ford and Barrett-Jackson have raised $2.5 million for charity over the last four years.
Joining Ford on stage for the auction will be Parnelli Jones, who won the 1970 Trans-Am …

Transported President John F. Kennedy’s body from Air Force One following his assassination

With the winter car auctions ready to take the Phoenix-metro area by storm, it’s always interesting to find some of the unique vehicles that will be offered on the block. And this car is no exception.
On November 22, 1963, President John F. Kennedy was assassinated in Dallas. This is the Pontiac Bonnevile Ambulance that transported his flag-draped casket from Andrews Air Force Base to Bethesda, Maryland. And it would serve the same role later to the U.S. Capital.
No …

Teaser reveals a little more prior to Detroit Auto ShowSpeculation continues as Hyundai released another teaser prior to the car’s reveal at next week’s Detroit Auto Show.
It’s safe to assume from the latest photo Hyundai released that the Veloster will be a four-door, with one being the split-window rear hatch. According to Autoblog, the Veloster will have a 1.6 liter direct-injected engine, an available dual-clutch gearbox, and should hit 40 miles per gallon. Throw in Bluetooth connectivity and Hyundai may have a home run. Now we can watch every other manufacturer …

Manufacturers shouldn’t forget about this important marketI like the direction Honda is taking this. As my headline implies, hybrid manufacturers need to appeal to enthusiasts. There’s no way around it. I think it’s safe to say that most car aficionados don’t like hybrids. You can throw me in that camp. A hybrid represents something less in the all-conquering name of high performance. Hybrids have a lot of batteries. Potentially, thousands of batteries. And all those batteries can add hundreds of pounds to a car’s weight. Not something you want in a …