Autoblog

Cars & Coffee: Lexus LFA shows up ahead of LA Auto Show

Frank Filipponio — Sat, 21 Nov 2009 20:03:00 EST

Filed under: Coupe, Performance, Etc., Lexus

2011 Lexus LFA at Cars & Coffee - Click above for high-res image gallery

The Lexus LFA supercar might not be in dealerships for another year or more, but the two prototypes are getting quite a workout. After driving the car in Miami, we heard the white one was shipped off to Europe while the black one took up residence in its new home: a trailer. The car has made a few appearances around the country, most recently at SEMA and a private showing in the Los Angeles area. Next stop on the LFA tour appears to be the LA Auto Show, but apparently it couldn't stand to be cooped up too long.

Along with a handful of other Lexus show cars, it showed up at our favorite Saturday morning car meet. The handler fired it up several times so the crowd could marvel at that V10 shriek. Reactions were mixed, mainly where price was concerned. We heard more than one person say that if it had a Supra badge and sub-$100K pricetag, it would be a killer. At four times that price, the Lexus badge just doesn't seem to win as many people over. One thing almost everyone loved was that changeable display with the sliding center gauge.

Gallery: 2011 Lexus LFA at Cars & Coffee

Cars & Coffee: Lexus LFA shows up ahead of LA Auto Show originally appeared on Autoblog on Sat, 21 Nov 2009 20:03:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Tony Fox "Proud American" and "Bonneville Boss" Rocket Truck

Frank Filipponio — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 19:00:00 EST

Filed under: Concept Cars, Motorsports, Classics, Performance, Truck, Marketing/Advertising, Work, Specialty

The Proud American and Bonneville Boss - Click above for high-res image gallery

Before our favorite weekly Southern California car gathering this Saturday, we had been told by a friend that he'd be bringing his new rocket truck. Rocket truck? What the heck's a rocket truck? Visions of rocket-powered pickups and semis running the quarter mile immediately came to mind. Did some drag racer sell Tom his race truck? Is that what he was bringing to the show?

As soon as we came around the corner we knew he hadn't. We knew this with absolute certainty because we saw a giant nosecone towering above the treeline. There was, in fact, a rocket-powered land speed record (LSR) car positioned at a launch-worthy angle atop a most amazing truck. Rocket, truck... Rocket truck. Makes sense now. But what was this thing and where did it come from? You can read the whole wacky story after the jump.

Gallery: Tony Fox "Proud American" and "Bonneville Boss"

Continue reading The Tony Fox "Proud American" and "Bonneville Boss" Rocket Truck

The Tony Fox "Proud American" and "Bonneville Boss" Rocket Truck originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 08 Nov 2009 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Cars & Coffee: 2010 Suzuki Kizashi gets shown off

Frank Filipponio — Sat, 05 Sep 2009 20:19:00 EST

Filed under: Sedan, Suzuki

2010 Suzuki Kizashi - Click above for high-res image gallery

Another week, another "debut" of sorts at Irvine's Cars & Coffee show. Last week we brought you pics of the Ford Ka and the Dunkel Brothers' luxury 4X4 RV, but this week it was Suzuki's turn to show off something new. Folks from the nearby Suzuki facility brought over an perfectly adequate SX4 and the car we were hoping to see in person, the all-new 2010 Suzuki Kizashi. The lighting was pretty harsh, but hopefully you can see what we saw while there: namely, one handsome sedan.

It could easily wear a VW badge on that grille, but the car we heard it compared to more often was the Saturn Aura, itself a smart-looking four-door. While the Kizashi doesn't seem as big as the Saturn, it's being pitched as an alternative to the even larger Toyota Camry, Honda Accord, VW Passat and Ford Fusion. The fit and finish looked good on this pre-production car, and the Suzuki's interior looked pretty well turned-out. Glancing inside, we might have mistaken it for a 2010 Mazda3. Nice materials and textures, with simple, straightforward controls and gauges.

Although Suzuki has targeted the Accord and Camry with this new segment-stretcher, the Kizashi seems closer in size to the Civic and Corolla in the flesh. It's perhaps a bit bigger than those benchmarks, but at least in this color and in this setting it didn't seem like the large midsize vehicle the class leaders are. At any rate, the Suzuki Kizashi is a good-looking sedan that should drive pretty well if reports are to be believed. It ought to be a bargain, too, with prices starting in the low-to-mid 20s. Hopefully, it won't be a case of too little too late if Suzuki can't draw more customers into its dealerships.

Gallery: 2010 Suzuki Kizashi at Cars & Coffee

Cars & Coffee: 2010 Suzuki Kizashi gets shown off originally appeared on Autoblog on Sat, 05 Sep 2009 20:19:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Kas and Coffee at Ford's Premier Automotive Group

Frank Filipponio — Sun, 30 Aug 2009 09:03:00 EST

Filed under: Budget, Europe, Hatchback, Ford

2010 Ford Ka - Click above for high-res image gallery

Look what we spotted at the weekly Cars & Coffee gathering today in Irvine. Right there amidst the Cobras, Ferraris, Ariel Atoms and Toyota 2000GTs sat a perfectly ordinary looking 2009 Ford Ka. Well, it was an ordinary 2009 Ford Ka, but its presence in California was rather surprising. After all, Ford hasn't said that they are going to be bringing this European COTY nominee to these shores any time soon.

Does this add credence to the notion that this little Fiat 500 platform-mate might be headed Stateside or is it just a typical example of models from other markets getting passed around to U.S. operations for a little looky-loo? Ford reps on hand were tight-lipped, but we did hear one mention the "Mazda1" in passing. Since Mazda shares the parking lot with Ford at this site, it's possible Mazda was taking a closer look at it as well.

Whatever the official line, we noticed quite a few show-goers giving it appreciative glances. While some were lamenting the time when these tiny European shuttles might be mandated as replacements for their high horsepower sports cars, others seemed to admire the lines and packaging, especially when price and gas mileage came up. If the special editions are part of the deal, we say bring 'em over! Whatever Ford decides to do with this little Ka, we'll try to keep you posted. Until then, check out our gallery below.

Gallery: 2009 Ford Ka at Cars & Coffee

Kas and Coffee at Ford's Premier Automotive Group originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 30 Aug 2009 09:03:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Everybody loves... the Fiesta Movement?

Frank Filipponio — Sun, 29 Mar 2009 10:56:00 EST

Filed under: Budget, Etc., Hatchback, Ford

Click above for gallery of pics of the Ford Fiesta and Ford Ka

While visiting our favorite weekly car gathering in SoCal today, we were stopped in our tracks when we spotted "Everybody Loves Raymond" star Ray Romano, happily answering questions about the shiny new Ford Fiesta parked beside him. We thought it odd for Ford to enlist such a well-known stand-up comic to pitch the product at such a meager gathering, but figured even A-list talent might be hurting for a little extra scratch in this economic climate. We approached to get a better look and realized it was actually Fiesta Brand Manager Sam De La Garza a dead ringer for the actor who portrayed everybody's favorite Italian-American non-mobster on television.

Sam brought the Fiesta to Cars & Coffee to show it off and elicit some reactions. He also wanted to remind folks that the Fiesta Movement is still underway, although he declined comment on sister site AB Green's entry. Without giving too much away, he did mention that the response to the contest has been overwhelming. He told us that the entries have been beyond imagination, mentioning, for example, that Juston Laipply, creator of the über-viral "Evolution of Dance", was among the entrants. While the Fiesta's success in America seems to be a foregone conclusion in some camps, Sam also brought along a Ford Ka to see whether the Fiesta might have big enough coattails to carry its kid brother as well. We can hardly wait to get our hands on one. Check out the gallery below.

Gallery: Ford Fiesta and Ka

Everybody loves... the Fiesta Movement? originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 29 Mar 2009 10:56:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Event Alert: Cars and Coffee goes to Vegas

Frank Filipponio — Fri, 06 Jun 2008 18:30:00 EST

Filed under: Misc. Auto Shows, Event Alert

We've told you about the weekly Cars and Coffee car meet in Irvine, California before. Heck, we're regular attendees whenever we are in town. Well, the Irvine C&C meet isn't the only caffeine and horsepower combo in the country. Similar gatherings have been taking place all over this great nation, some of them even adopting the C&C moniker. The latest to join the list is a new event starting in Las Vegas on June 14. What makes this one special besides the location is that somewhere along the way, someone trademarked the Cars and Coffee name. This Las Vegas event is only the second official Cars and Coffee show in existence. Just like many of the others, it will be free to entrants as well as the public. Expect a similar eclectic mix of exotics, hot rods, muscle cars, classics and sports cars to the original Irvine event. It will run from 7AM until about 10AM at the Sansone Park Place shopping center at 9500 S Eastern Ave (215 and Eastern). Go to the official Cars and Coffee Las Vegas website for more info and directions to the show. And check out a gallery from a previous show that played host to the Ford GT National Rally II.

Gallery: Ford GT National Rally II

[Source: Cars and Coffee Forum]

Event Alert: Cars and Coffee goes to Vegas originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 06 Jun 2008 18:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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