1959 Chevrolet Impala Convertible on 2040-cars

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Junkyard Gem: 2003 Chevrolet Tracker

When General Motors created the Geo brand to sell vehicles designed and — in some cases — built by Japanese partners, the first four models were introduced for the 1989 model year: the Metro (Suzuki Cultus), Prizm (Toyota Sprinter), Spectrum (Isuzu Gemini) and Tracker (Suzuki Sidekick). Geo got the axe in 1997, with the Metro, Prizm and Tracker becoming Chevrolets. Of those, the Tracker survived the longest, with U.S.-market sales continuing into 2004. Here's an example of a very late Tracker, found in a North Carolina car graveyard recently. The 1989-1997 first-generation Trackers were based on the Suzuki Sidekick, while the 1998-2004 Trackers had the Suzuki Vitaras (not to be confused with the much grander Grand Vitaras) as their siblings. Production of these trucks for the South American market (as the Chevrolet Vitara) continued in Ecuador all the way through 2014. The Tracker name has also gone onto some versions of the Chevrolet Trax around the world. This one is a base four-door hard top/rear-wheel-drive model, which had an MSRP of $17,330. That's about $29,789 in 2024 dollars. You'll find one in every car. You'll see. The engine is a Suzuki 2.0-liter straight-four rated at 127 horsepower and 134 pound-feet. A five-speed manual was base equipment, but very few American vehicle shoppers wanted three pedals by the middle 2000s. This truck has the Aisin four-speed automatic. We like it loud. It appears that someone associated with this truck graduated from Julius L. Chambers High School last year. In the United States, the Tracker was replaced by the Saturn Vue. If Tracker can handle (unspecified Middle Eastern country), it can survive the jungle back home. Siempre contigo.

Weekly Recap: Autonomous driving goes commercial in Nevada

Nevada granted Daimler Trucks North America the first license to run an autonomous commercial vehicle on public roads in the United States Tuesday, marking another milestone in the technology's rapid advancement. Gov. Brian Sandoval and Daimler truck chief Wolfgang Bernhard promptly used the license to lap Highway 15 near Las Vegas in a newly revealed Freightliner Inspiration Truck. It was a clear signal that autonomous driving is big-rig reality, though it's still a long way from widespread use. Nevada certified two of Daimler's Freightliner Inspiration Trucks, which use the company's Highway Pilot system with a stereo camera, radar, and lane-keeping collision-prevention features to regulate the brakes and steering. The radar component has a long-range sensor that can cover 820 feet at an 18-degree angle and a shorter-range unit that stretches 230 feet at a 130-degree angle. The Inspiration trucks are based on the existing Freightliner Cascadia Evolution model used on US roads. In addition to the autonomous technologies, it also has futuristic design cues, including blue lighting in the front and a new hood and grille. While there are only two Freightliner Inspiration trucks in existence, Daimler expects to bring the Highway Pilot system into mass-produced big rigs by 2025, in time to capitalize on the market's predicted growth. The German truckmaker predicts the global hauling market will triple by 2050, and the United States will be a key part of that growth. Trucks carry 69.1 percent the nation's domestic freight tonnage and hauled 9.7 billion tons of freight in 2013, according to the American Trucking Association. Daimler expects autonomous driving to augment this growth, and perhaps evolve the role of the truck driver. Still, the company points out autonomous tech is not meant to replace drivers, but to assist them and relieve fatigue and monotony on long hauls. The driver has to stay in control for passing, in city traffic, and when hooking up the trailer. The company said autonomous driving also offers the potential for improved fuel economy – tests showed a five-percent gain – and lower maintenance costs. Daimler also said the technology could reduce congestion on the road. Much of this is attributable to the constant flow of traffic, which is aided by autonomous driving. While the benefits are becoming increasingly apparent, autonomous technology is still met with skepticism.

Dale Earnhardt, Jr. puts his Callaway Corvette and '55 Chevy on eBay

Dale Earnhardt, Jr. has put a couple of his personal cars up for sale on eBay. The first is a 1955 Chevy Bel Air that Junior had reworked by Funkmaster Flex, a bit of a diversion from Flex's more common Ford efforts. Junior's ride has a replacement chassis from Jim Meyer Racing, a 434 small-block tuned by Sharioff Racing to 500 horsepower, and truly thin rubber on what appear to be aluminum billet rims with Junior's former number 8 on the center caps. The interior is all custom and painted to match the outside, and those seats have been completely reupholstered. The second car is a 1999 Callaway C12, the 18th of 19 C12s built that year and featured in a 2002 issue of AutoWeek. It joined Earnhardt's private collection in 2004. Built on the base of a C5 Chevrolet Corvette and using a lot of technical know-how from Callaway's European racing program, the BMW #287 Blue Pearl C12 had its V8 bored out to 6.2 liters and graced with Callaway's Supernatural upgrade; it also has a Callaway coil-over suspension with adjustable dampers. There's new bodywork all around, and when new it cost about $200,000. At the time of writing bidding on the Bel Air was up to $80,100, the C12 was at $63,100. The auction ends Monday morning, and the winning bidders have the option of having their prizes autographed and retrieving the keys from Dale Jr himself if they're willing to go to Moorseville, NC. Featured Gallery Dale Earnhardt Jr. '55 Chevy Bel-Air View 28 Photos Related Gallery Dale Earnhardt Jr. Callaway C12 View 24 Photos News Source: Dale Earnhardt Jr via eBay [1], [2] Aftermarket Celebrities Chevrolet Auctions Coupe Luxury Special and Limited Editions Performance Classics eBay callaway callaway corvette Chevy Bel Air