Autoblog

Wisconsin man avoids jail by agreeing to have his Nissan Skylines crushed

Zach Bowman — Tue, 29 May 2012 14:58:00 EST

Filed under: Aftermarket, Classics, Coupe, Performance, Government/Legal, Japan, Nissan, Luxury

Authorities in Wisconsin are bound and determined to crack down on gray market vehicles. According to Stevens Point Journal, In 2010, the state government orchestrated a sting to catch Justin Beno selling two Nissan Skyline models, one of which played a role in the Fast and Furious franchise. A Wisconsin Department of Transportation investigator spotted both a 1995 and a 1996 Skyline up for sale and pretended to be a buyer. The investigator asked if it were possible to get the cars titled, and Beno said he believed the vehicles could be titled in Florida, then retitled in Wisconsin.

This was not the correct answer. The government seized both cars and charged Beno with a spate of offenses, including two felony counts of conspiracy to commit fraud, one felony count of owning a vehicle without a vehicle identification number tag and two misdemeanors tied to those missing VIN tags. Beno said he had originally purchased the cars as bare shells without the tags and that the seller later mailed them along. He also says he didn't know it was a crime to simply own a car without its VIN tag attached.

Brown County Deputy District Attorney Dana Johnson offered Beno a plea deal wherein he would accept the misdemeanor charges and give up both fully restored Skylines. After offering to pay the fines and help the authorities find buyers for both machines overseas, the prosecutor declined. Instead, both cars will be crushed and sold for scrap. That's particularly heartbreaking after Beno spent years assembling both from parts bought from all over the world. It's made worse by the fact that in just a few short years, both cars will be exempt from federal safety and emissions standards for vehicles over 25 years old. Head over to Beno's site to see the Big Bird Skyline that's headed for the reaper.

Wisconsin man avoids jail by agreeing to have his Nissan Skylines crushed originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 29 May 2012 14:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Watch Lexus SEMA showcars get crushed

Steven J. Ewing — Mon, 28 May 2012 19:58:00 EST

Filed under: SEMA Show, Etc., Videos, Lexus

Anyone familiar with the annual SEMA show should recognize the name Fox Marketing. After all, the company shows up to the tuning show in Las Vegas every year with an interesting creation or two. But now, we're going to watch two of those modded vehicles meet their demise.

In the video, Brian Fox talks about the two vehicles being sent to the crusher - a twin-turbocharged Lexus IS F and special IS C - saying that all manufacturers crush their media fleet vehicles. That's not entirely true, though. Yes, many press vehicles are crushed, but they're commonly of the pre-production sort or are simply cars that were never issued VINs. Show cars, like these SEMA one-offs, are usually crushed, as well.

Scroll down to see the action unfold, though we recommend jumping ahead to the 2:00 mark - that's where things start to get interesting. Click through the gallery below, as well, to see some still shots from Fox Marketing's day at the crusher.

Continue reading Watch Lexus SEMA showcars get crushed

Watch Lexus SEMA showcars get crushed originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 28 May 2012 19:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Dodge Challengers headed to the crusher

Jeremy Korzeniewski — Fri, 30 May 2008 16:01:00 EST

Filed under: Coupe, Performance, Plants/Manufacturing, Dodge

Click above for more shots of new Challengers awaiting the crusher

Tons of used-up vehicles are sent to the great junkyard in the sky every day courtesy of huge hydraulic crushers. We collectively shed a tear whenever a desirable old classic meets its maker before some enterprising soul is able to save it from this unfortunate fate. All of the Mopar fans waiting patiently in line for a new Dodge Challenger may want to look away for a moment, though, as we have pictures of quite a few new Challengers headed for a horrible flattening. These vehicles are either preproduction models, test mules or cars with some sort of major defect that could not be rectified. So, to the boneyard they go.

Despite the fact that this happens every single day to less interesting cars, seeing photographic evidence of a desirable model such as the new Challenger being pancaked makes us wonder if there isn't something else that these vehicles could be used for. We'd gladly take a shell or two off their hands... perhaps make a desk out of the front clip, a couch out of the back seat... you get the idea.

Gallery: Crushed Challengers

[Source: CanadianStreetCar.com via Car Domain]

Dodge Challengers headed to the crusher originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 30 May 2008 16:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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