1957 Chevrolet Bel Air Convertible Frame Off Restored Gold Spinner Award on 2040-cars

Auto blog

Is Buick's surprise Detroit concept a Camaro-sized coupe?

Tomorrow night marks the unofficial start of the 2016 Detroit Auto Show. Keep your eyes peeled for a number of reveals, including a surprise debut from Buick. Yes, Buick. And we think it's going to be something really hot. According to a report from Bloomberg, the Tri-Shield's secret car could be a Camaro-sized sport coupe concept. As Bloomberg explains, it'd certainly gel with the impression the company is trying to put out – that it's no longer a brand for those with one foot in the grave. Introducing a sports coupe, even as a concept, could certainly reinforce that message. And if it happens to make production – which is not a certainty, Bloomberg's secret source says – it could certainly help Buick drive its average buyer age down from 59. Bloomberg doesn't offer any speculation on Buick's new coupe, but we have no problem making educated guesses. Our most reliable conjecture is this: it will ride on General Motors' Alpha platform, which underpins both the Camaro and the Cadillac ATS. And with a certain twin-turbocharged V6 in the GM stable, we've got an idea of what kind of engine could be shown. That speculation will have to suffice for now. But don't worry, we'll have official details, live images, and video tomorrow when Buick unveils its new concept in Detroit's Eastern Market.

eBay Find of the Day: 1990 Chevy 1500 454 SS with just 7 miles

When trawling the classifieds either on a buying mission or merely a time-wasting mission, we spend a lot of time poring over photographs comparing the seller's idea of "Like New!" with our idea of it. It's hard to argue with seven original miles on the odometer, though, which is what this 1990 Chevrolet 1500 454 SS has. It's being sold by Country Chevrolet on eBay, the same dealer who sold the truck to its one and only owner 25 years ago. The purchaser bought two of them and left this one in a garage under a car cover, said garage being less than seven miles away from the showroom floor. Better yet, you can buy with confidence because the seller "has collected all records," which we expect would be the slimmest manilla folder in the history of receipt-keeping. For those unfamiliar, the 454 SS was a half-ton, regular cab, 2WD pickup powered by a 454 cubic inch (7.4-liter) V8 with 230 horsepower and 385 pound-feet of torque shifting through a three-speed transmission. This was at the same time the Chevrolet Corvette used a 5.7-liter V8 producing 250 hp and 350 lb-ft. The pickup rode on exclusive wheels and only came in black with red cloth inside. The only extra-cost option on this example is an $18 locking fuel filler cap, which, according to the 454ss forum, means it should have cost about $18,460 out the door, the equivalent of about $34,000 today. At the time of writing there are zero bids, but proceedings open at $45,000 and Country Chevrolet wants $49,000 if you have to have your time capsule right now.

Recharge Wrap-up: Panasonic, Tesla on Gigafactory deal?

Bentley has been awarded the Carbon Trust Standard for reductions of carbon, water use and waste production in manufacturing. The Carbon Trust is an organization that helps groups such as businesses and governments reduce carbon emissions, use of energy and resources, and waste output. From 2011 to 2013, Bentley reduced CO2 emissions by 16 percent per car manufactured, curtailed water use by 35.7 percent, and saw significant waste reductions. Darran Messem of Carbon trust says, "Bentley is clearly passionate about continuing to improve its environmental performance, which is reflected by the fact the company has consistently invested in new technology." Read more in the press release below. Chevrolet is giving 12 Volts to MBAs Across America. The organization will use the range-extended electric cars in its efforts to help MBA students learn from and work with small business owners. As part of the MBAs Across America program's first year, four students drove 8,000 miles to provide entrepreneurs with free business counseling. The program has expanded, and this year, teams of MBAs will use the Volts to travel to 25 cities to offer their services. Learn more about the partnership between Chevrolet and MBAs Across America in the press release below. A professor from the University of Michigan has found fuel cycle analysis to be too flawed to be relied upon for measuring CO2 impacts of transportation fuels. Professor John DeCicco of the university's Energy Institute feels that the flaws in calculating the carbon footprint of liquid fuel production and combustion make such lifecycle analysis impractical. He suggests, instead, to focus to carbon capture. Since capturing CO2 directly from a vehicle is probably never going to happen, DiCicco believes the solution is to capture carbon from the atmosphere in sectors outside of transportation. Says DiCicco, "Research should be ramped up on options for increasing the rate at which CO2 is removed from the atmosphere and on programs to manage and utilize carbon fixed in the biosphere, which offers the best CO2 removal mechanism now at hand. Such strategies can complement measures that control the demand for liquid fuels by reducing travel activity, improving vehicle efficiency and shifting to non-carbon fuels." Read more at Green Car Congress. Global transportation energy consumption is expected to increase by 25.4 percent by 2035, according to a report by Navigant Research.