1968 Chevrolet Camaro Rally Sport Super Sport on 2040-cars

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Junkyard Gem: 1985 Chevrolet Sprint

For in the 1985 model year, General Motors began selling Chevrolet-badged Suzuki Cultus hatchbacks in California. Sales of the cheap three-cylinder econobox in the rest of North America followed soon after (with the Canadian version known as the Pontiac Firefly), and did pretty well considering the crash in gasoline prices during the middle 1980s. Starting in 1988, the facelifted Sprint became the Geo (and, later on, Chevrolet) Metro. Here's one of the very first Cultuses sold on our shores, found in a San Francisco Bay Area car graveyard. Amazingly, the primitive rear-wheel-drive Chevrolet Chevette remained available all the way through 1987, competing with the thriftier front-wheel-drive Sprint in the same showrooms. For 1988, Pontiac started selling a rebadged Daewoo LeMans, so the Sprint/Metro never lacked for intra-corporate competition. Inside, you'll find the same stuff most mid-1980s Japanese econoboxes got: tough cloth upholstery and long-wearing hard plastics. Suzuki quality in 1985 wasn't quite up to Honda or Toyota levels, but you weren't paying Honda or Toyota prices for the Sprint. MSRP on this car started at $4,949, or about $12,000 in 2020 dollars. The cheapest possible 1985 Chevette cost $5,340, while a new no-frills Ford Escort would set you back $5,620. Subaru, however, could have put you in a punitively unappointed base-model Leone hatchback for just 40 bucks more than the Sprint that year. I think I'd have sprung the extra for a $5,348 Toyota Tercel, a $5,195 Mazda GLC, or— best cheap-commuter deal of all that year— the $5,399 Honda Civic 1300 hatchback. I was 19 years old and driving a Competition Orange 1968 Mercury Cyclone that year, and I recall feeling pity for Chevy Sprint drivers, new-car smell or not. Still, these weren't bad cars for the price, though a Sprint with an automatic transmission was a real character-builder. Got three cylinders and uses 'em all! 48 horsepower from this hemi-headed SOHC 1-liter. The Turbo Sprint — yes, such a car existed — had a howling 70 horsepower. The hood-latch release is a rectangular button that resembles a badge. 1985 Chevy Sprint Commercial The highest-mileage, lowest-priced car you can buy. 1985 holden barina commercial The Australian-market version was the Holden Barina, and the TV ads featured the Road Runner. 1983 SUZUKI CULTUS Ad In its homeland, this car got screaming guitars and a drive through New York City for its TV commercials.

Recharge Wrap-up: Renault Zoe recall, Proterra buses log 2M miles

Renault is recalling 10,649 examples of its Zoe electric car for potential brake hose failure. Cars built at the company's Flins factory between the Zoe's 2012 introduction and October 6, 2014 - a quarter of all Zoes ever built - are subject to the recall, though no accidents have been reported from rupturing brake lines. Recalled vehicles will have the brake hose positions inspected and, if need be, fixed. Read more from Reuters. Proposed legislation in Massachusetts would make the state even more EV friendly. While the state already encourages EV adoption with a $2,500 rebate incentive, the new bill would give battery electric vehicle drivers HOV lane access. Additionally it would set up a standard building code for EV chargers, and allow EV-only parking spaces. "With decreased gas prices, a 10 percent increase in vehicle miles traveled over the last 20 years, and a carpool rate below the national average, we must address personal vehicle use directly as part of our transportation emissions reduction strategy," says Rep. Frank Smizik. Read more from Teslarati. The New York Daily News has named the 2016 Chevrolet Volt as its "Green Machine of the Year." Seamless operation, peppiness, and a nice suite of equipment make it a top choice for the publication. "The 2016 Chevrolet Volt is all new, inside and out, and takes the plug-in hybrid segment to another level, thanks to its increased EV range, updated cabin, and more efficient gas-powered engine," writes Daily News Autos writer (and all-around good guy) Nick Kurczewski. Honorable mentions go to the Tesla Model S, BMW i3, Toyota Prius, and the hydrogen-powered Toyota Mirai. Read more from the Daily News, or at Clean Technica. Proterra electric buses have accumulated 2 million miles of revenue service. That equals 3,800 tons of carbon emissions that have been prevented and 420,000 gallons of fuel unburned. Proterra says it has 63 buses in service in 15 cities, and that it is ramping up production to meet growing demand. "This latest milestone exemplifies the economic, environmental and civic value of electric mass transit," says Proterra CEO Ryan Popple, "and demonstrates to the transit agencies that diesel - often viewed as a necessary evil - is no longer necessary." Read more at Inside EVs. Evercar, a unique EV carsharing service, has found success in Los Angeles. Evercar bills itself as carsharing for rideshare and delivery drivers.

Why 2015 is going to be a huge year for trucks

Nissan chief executive Carlos Ghosn took center stage to introduce the 2016 Titan last week at the Detroit Auto Show. He spoke of the truck's new features, impressive Cummins V8 diesel engine and the extensive amount of time and money required to build a modern, competitive pickup truck. "We have done all of this because we see opportunity – an opportunity in the unmet needs of today's American truck customers," Ghosn said. He was speaking about the Titan, but his thoughts echo the industry's mindset: When it comes to trucks, find an opportunity and attack. Even with CAFE regulations looming and fickle consumer preferences, investing in trucks is a no-brainer for automakers. Some consumers will always need a truck for their job or lifestyle. And some people will always want one, whether they need it or not. With that in mind, here are four reasons why the pickup-truck sector is more important than ever and poised for growth in 2015. View 24 Photos The Nissan Titan Is Back Okay, it never left, but the Titan hadn't been redesigned since its launch in 2003, and Nissan sold more NV200s than Titans in 2014. It's an understatement to say the truck was languishing. That all changes with the 2016 model. The Titan will come in two variants, a traditional fullsize competitor and the Titan XD. The XD will lead the market launch, and it arrives late this year. It's pitched as a "whitespace" offering, Nissan sales and marketing vice president Fred Diaz said. The idea is to offer something in the general size and price range of a fullsize truck, but also have some of the capability of a heavy-duty truck. The XD uses a fully boxed ladder frame, the chassis design from Nissan's commercial division, and the wheelbase is about 20 inches longer than other Titan models. The XD, which Nissan is calling the flagship of the line, will be the only model with the 5.0-liter Cummins turbodiesel V8. It produces 310 horsepower and 555 pound-feet of torque, while being able to tow 12,000 pounds. V6 and V8 gasoline models will also be offered on the Titan XD and the standard, non-XD model. When production ramps up, the Titan will be sold with several cabs, beds and trims. New features include trailer sway control, an integrated trailer brake controller, more storage options in the cabin and even laminated front and rear side glass to reduce outside noise. All of this has given Nissan fresh confidence in an area where it admittedly has been lacking. "We can compete," Diaz told Autoblog.