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12 new cars that will never go out of style

Some cars never go out of style. It’s rare, but it happens. They get old. They get depreciated. But they never stop looking cool.  Some might call them modern or instant classics. Within a few years theyÂ’re no longer the latest and greatest, no longer the flavor of the month, but they remain special. Eternally special. Timeless.  These cars arenÂ’t necessarily going to be worth a fortune someday. However, some may not depreciate as rapidly or as far as other models. But thatÂ’s not what weÂ’re talking about here. These are the cars that enthusiasts will always find desirable from the curbside. TheyÂ’re the cars you end up shopping on eBay late at night 10 years later because you canÂ’t get them out of your head. TheyÂ’re the cars that will forever excite you when you spot a clean one in traffic or in a parking lot.  There are plenty of recent examples over the past couple of decades that could count as instant design classics. But then we got to thinking, what 2021 models will be forever cool to stare at? Which new cars and trucks on sale today will we be shopping on eBay late at night in the 2030s? We kept supercars and other ultra-expensive cars off the list to keep things within the realm of attainability, and ended up with 12 total cars. Lexus LC WeÂ’re not applying a numerical ranking to any of the cars on this list, but if we were, the Lexus LC would be No. 1. There isnÂ’t another car design out there that can stir our emotions the way an LC can when itÂ’s just standing still. This car is a concept design come true in the most beautiful of ways, and itÂ’s a shoo-in winner for Concours events decades into the future. All of this heaping praise, and we havenÂ’t even gotten to the LC 500Â’s intoxicating 5.0-liter V8. It doesnÂ’t win drag races. It wonÂ’t be the fastest around the track against any similarly-priced competition. But none of that matters. ItÂ’s quite possibly the best car you can buy new, and that says it all when it comes to the LC. Chevrolet Corvette It might not be the stunner that the Lexus LC is, but the new C8 Corvette is and will always be a special vehicle. ItÂ’s the first mid-engine Corvette, which instantly cements it into an automotive hall of fame section of sorts. All of the performance stats and specs are there to back up its supercar-like looks, and it remains the best performance bargain on sale today.

2015 Chevy Spark will have lighter, smaller battery

As General Motors gets ready to release the 2015 Chevy Spark EV, it is retooling the Brownstown Battery Assembly to build a new battery system for the chirpy little electric car. The new Spark will lose a few pounds and kWh from its lithium-ion pack, but it will keep all of it's performance specs. The current Spark EV uses a 21-kWh lithium-ion battery pack with bits made by A123 Systems (known as B456 Systems during bankruptcy). For the 2015 model, GM is going to build a 19-kWh battery system in-house that will use 192 LG Chem cells. Losing a bit of energy capacity means that the battery system for the 2015 Spark EV will be 86 pounds lighter but it will keep the EPA-rated 82-mile range and 119 MPGe. The 2015 Spark EV also keeps its $26,685 (plus destination) starting price from the 2014 model. The car will once again qualify for a federal tax credit of up to $7,500. LG Chem also supplies the cells for GM's other plug-in vehicles from its facility in Western Michigan. The Brownstown production line currently builds the battery packs for the Chevy Volt, the Opel Ampera and the Cadillac ELR. You can read our first drive of the 2014 Chevy Spark here. Brownstown Battery Assembly Expands Capabilities Will build battery system for 2015 Chevrolet Spark EV 2014-05-14 DETROIT – General Motors will bring all its electric vehicle battery building capabilities in-house with production of battery systems for the 2015 Chevrolet Spark EV at its battery assembly plant in Brownstown, Mich. "Using our in-house engineering and manufacturing expertise enabled us to deliver a battery system that is more efficient and lighter than the 2014 Spark EV without sacrificing range," said Larry Nitz, executive director of GM global transmission and electrification engineering. "Our successful working relationship with LG Chem has allowed us to deliver a new battery system for the Spark EV that helps us to better leverage our economies of scale." A newly designed battery system features an overall storage capacity of 19 kWh and uses 192 lithium ion cells. The cells are produced at LG Chem's plant in Holland, Mich. The battery system weight of 474 lbs. is 86 pounds lighter than the system in the 2014 Spark EV. The Spark EV battery is built on a dedicated production line at Brownstown, which also manufactures complete battery packs for the Chevrolet Volt, Opel Ampera and Cadillac ELR.

Malcolm Butler gets the MVP's Chevy Colorado

In the wake of the Super Bowl last week, we reported that New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady intended to give the Chevy Colorado awarded to him as the game's most valuable player to Malcolm Butler instead. In our informal poll (to say nothing of the hundred-plus comments that ensued), an overwhelming 86.7 percent of you, our loyal readers, agreed that it was the right thing to do. And now that's precisely what's happened. "After consulting Super Bowl MVP Tom Brady," the automaker said in the press release below, "Chevrolet presented an all-new Colorado pickup to New England Patriots cornerback Malcolm Butler." The rookie, as you may have seen in between the commercials, made the game-saving interception that handed his team the victory, propelling Butler to stardom. "I am ecstatic that Chevrolet has chosen to reward me with a Colorado," said Butler upon taking delivery of his new red pickup. "It is just another unreal event in what has been an incredible week." We can only imagine. Enjoy the truck, Malcolm; you've earned it. Related Video: Upon Further Review, Chevrolet Awards Super Bowl MVP Colorado to Malcolm Butler 2015-02-10 DETROIT – After consulting Super Bowl MVP Tom Brady, Chevrolet presented an all-new Colorado pickup to New England Patriots cornerback Malcolm Butler, whose end zone interception preserved the Patriots' victory in Super Bowl XLIX. The Colorado was intended to be awarded to Brady, the Patriots' quarterback, in recognition of his Super Bowl Most Valuable Player award. However, Brady and Chevrolet huddled on Monday and Chevrolet determined Butler deserved recognition for his game-saving interception. "I've seen several game-changing moments in big games, and Malcom's interception last Sunday ranks up there as one of the biggest," said Brady. "I appreciate Chevrolet wanting to honor the Super Bowl's top performer, and I'm glad they have agreed to award the Colorado to Malcolm." Said Butler: "I am ecstatic that Chevrolet has chosen to reward me with a Colorado. It is just another unreal event in what has been an incredible week." The Chevrolet Colorado, 2015 Motor Trend Truck of the Year®, was engineered to be the most capable, most versatile and most technologically advanced midsize truck in the market. With class-leading horsepower and fuel economy along with a 4G LTE built-in Wi-Fi hotspot, the Colorado adds a new dimension to the Chevy truck line.