2020 Tesla Model S on 2040-cars

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Will Bob Lutz's VL Automotive really offer V8 conversions for Tesla Model S?

VL Automotive is closely tied up with Fisker. The company's first product, the Destino, is a converted Karma and the Destino Red Concept, just unveiled at the Detroit Auto Show, is the same hardtop Karma convertible that Fisker showed in 2009. So, what a surprise it was to see that Bob Lutz, who owns half of VL Automotive, is ready to convert a brand new electric vehicle: the Tesla Model S. A gas-powered Tesla? Say what? A gas-powered Tesla? Say what? That's at least one way to read this short article in The Detroit News. There's not a lot of context and a distinct lack of details, so we're left wondering if maybe Lutz just meant that Model S owners can buy a Destino. You can read the exchange for yourself here. What we do know is that Lutz said that VL Automotive has already sold nine Destino conversions. The cars cost $200,000, up from the previous estimate of $180,000, and well above the $116,000 max price tag on the original Karma. For your money, you get a 6.2-liter V8 taken from a Chevrolet Corvette that puts out 636 horsepower and can beat the 135-mile-per-hour top speed that the Karma has. Lutz said that all could add up to sales of around 200 or 300 Destinos each year. Featured Gallery VL Destino Red Concept: Detroit 2014 View 21 Photos News Source: The Detroit News via Green Car ReportsImage Credit: Copyright 2014 Drew Phillips / AOL Green Detroit Auto Show Fisker Tesla Electric Hybrid PHEV vl automotive destino

Is Tesla under investigation from the SEC? *UPDATE

UPDATE: Tesla spokesperson LIz Jarvis-Shean told AutoblogGreen that "We don't comment on rumor and speculation." Let's call this one unsubstantiated at best. Probes Reporter is a site that tries to figure out what's going on behind the scenes by filing a number of Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) with the Security Exchange Commission (SEC). Based on the responses it gets, it guesses whether or not the SEC is investigating companies. Earlier today, Probes Reporter issued a Tweet that says: "Tesla Motors May Have an Undisclosed SEC Probe - Added to Watch List." Probe Reporter says that it got a letter from the SEC in early October that cited the "law enforcement exemption" of the FOIA in order to deny PR access to the records it was asking for. PR says that this acknowledges "some sort of investigative activity." Probe Reporter also says that about two-thirds of these sorts of exemptions "are confirmed on appeal," so the company's history with this strategy indicates there is a real chance the electric automaker is indeed facing some sort of investigation. Again, we don't know anything for certain. For now, Tesla hasn't made any official statement on the matter (we've asked, and will update this if we hear anything) and the stock market doesn't seem to care. TSLA was up 1.62 percent today, to $246.72, in part because analysts say this is just a rumor at the moment, according to ValueWalk.

Consumer Reports no longer recommends Honda Civic

Consumer Reports annual Car Reliability Survey is out, and yes, there are some big surprises. First and foremost? The venerable publication no longer recommends the Honda Civic. In fact, aside from the walking-dead CR-Z and limited-release Clarity fuel-cell car, the Civic is the only Honda to miss out on CR's prestigious nod. At the opposite end there's a surprise as well – Toyota and Lexus remain the most reliable brands on the market, but Buick cracked the top three. That's up from seventh last year, and the first time for an American brand to stand on the Consumer Reports podium. Mazda's entire lineup earned Recommended checks as well. Consumer Reports dinged the Civic for its "infuriating" touch-screen radio, lack of driver lumbar adjustability, the limited selection of cars on dealer lots fitted with Honda's popular Sensing system, and the company's decision to offer LaneWatch instead of a full-tilt blind-spot monitoring system. Its score? A lowly 58. The Civic isn't the only surprise drop from CR's Recommended ranks. The Audi A3, Ford F-150, Subaru WRX/STI, and Volkswagen Jetta, GTI, and Passat all lost the Consumer Reports' checkmark. On the flipside, a number of popular vehicles graduated to the Recommended ranks, including the BMW X5, Chevrolet Camaro, Corvette, and Cruze, Hyundai Santa Fe, Porsche Macan, and Tesla Model S. Perhaps the biggest surprise is the hilariously recall-prone Ford Escape getting a Recommended check – considering the popularity of Ford's small crossover, this is likely a coup for the brand, as it puts the Escape on a level playing field with the Recommended Toyota RAV4, Honda CR-V, and Nissan Rogue. While Ford is probably happy to see CR promote the Escape, the list wasn't as kind for every brand. For example, of the entire Fiat Chrysler Automobiles catalog, the ancient Chrysler 300 was the only car to score a check – there wasn't a single Dodge, Fiat, Jeep, Maserati, or Ram on the list. That hurts. FCA isn't alone at the low end, either. GMC, Jaguar Land Rover, Mini, and Mitsubishi don't have a vehicle on CR's list between them, while brands like Mercedes-Benz, Volvo, Nissan, Lincoln, Infiniti, and Cadillac only have a few models each. You can check out Consumer Reports entire reliability roundup, even without a subscription, here.