Autoblog

If this doesn't strike you as a sign of the times, you may need to get your eyes checked. The only HUMMER dealership in Las Vegas, the city that invented excess and bling, is shutting its doors. Towbin HUMMER is actually one of the largest HUMMER dealerships in America. So what will they be selling instead? Well, you already know because you saw the headline at the top of this post: SMART cars. Talk about one extreme to the other.

Dan Towbin owns several dealerships in Sin City, where he sells Bentleys, Rolls-Royces, Infinitis and Dodges. He says he'll bring in another GM dealership alongside the SMART store to replace the HUMMERs, which have been selling slow on account of high gas prices and increasing environmental conscience among consumers. Towbin's will be the eighth HUMMER dealership to close this year so far, a trend which may make it even harder for the General to sell off the brand.

[Source: Wall Street Journal via Kicking Tires]

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.


[Source: Cars and Coffee Forum]

As a proud owner of a hand-me-down Evel Knievel motorcycle toy, I've always wanted to attempt an outrageous motorcycle stunt. After watching Robbie Madison's ridiculous record-breaking 322-foot jump, I think I'll instead revert to my plan to bid on Evel's Wild Turkey cane when it hits eBay. The video available after the jump shows several terrific replays of Madison as he launched himself off a ramp New Year's Eve and rose 60 feet in the air before landing 107 yards away. Check out how Madison uses his rear brake to properly position his bike for landing. Good stuff, very good stuff. Madison's Vegas jump easily beat the previous Guinness World Record of 277 feet by Trigger Gumm. We'd have thought a guy named Trigger could out-jump anyone named Robbie, but we've been wrong before.

[Source: Metacafe]

While the SEMA show in Las Vegas used to be a venue exclusively for aftermarket firms to show their wares to other industry types, it has quickly evolved in recent years as yet another place for automakers to take the wraps off exclusive models and concepts. This year's show in November is turning out to be yet another automaker-heavy affair, with Toyota set to unveil the 2009 Corolla and Matrix to the throngs of enthusiasts in attendance.

Both models are getting long in the tooth, and although the Corolla remains one of the best selling compact cars in the U.S., it may prove to be less compelling fare than what the automaker wants to reveal at a major show like Detroit.

Toyota's press release can be viewed in full after the jump.

While Frankfurt's in full swing right now, SEMA is just around the corner in October. Heico Sportiv has been busy pumping up Volvos in anticipation of the Las Vegas event. Standing alongside Heico's E85-fueled, turbo six-powered S80 will be this spicy little C30. The smallest Volvo is also the most stylish, and Heico has tastefully added some more aggression to the exterior with a handsome bodykit. Less aggressive is the "Aloha shirt" pattern applied to said bodykit. Inside it's been given a searing swathing of orange leather with decorative Heico trims added here and there.

The style changes are self-evident, but what will get the most notice behind the wheel is the roughly 80 horsepower bump Heico's gotten out of the T5's turbo five. The rip to 100 km/h flashes by in 5.4 seconds, and you can run right up against the governed top speed of 150 miles per hour. The suspension has been lowered and tweaked with new shocks and springs, and the brakes get 4-piston calipers with the Heico logo. Barely shrouding the brakes are new Volution V Titan wheels with 19 inches of diameter, wrapped in 35-series rubber. Some will love it, some will hate it, we'd just make sure there was a lei hanging from the rearview, and a surfboard lashed to the roof.

[Source: Swedespeed]

The 2007 SEMA Show in Las Vegas is not for another three and a half months, but Toyota is getting its ducks in a row preparing for what promises to be a big week in Sin City for the Japanese automaker. It's unveiling not one, not two, but three vehicles at SEMA, including the all-new 2009 Corolla. The current Corolla has been around the block a few more times than Toyota had planned, but still remains a popular vehicle for the company. The new model will include the familiar sedan body type, but also mark the return of a coupe/hatchback. We'll no doubt see a TRD version customized to the nines at SEMA, as well. If the fates are on our side, perhaps they'll show something rear-wheel drive (fingers crossed).

Also present at SEMA will reportedly be a heavy duty diesel dually Tundra pickup designed to be a monster tow machine. It's only a concept and yet to be named, but the HD Tundra will be there to gauge crowd reaction to a dedicated heavy hauler from Toyota. The diesel will likely come from Hino, Toyota's commercial truck division, but Popular Mechancs reports that most of its engines are just too big for the Tundra's bay. The size issue could force Toyota to debut a new, smaller 4.5L diesel V8 that it's been working on. We'll have to wait and see what powers the Tundra concept, but we'd bet our last slot token that this particular Toyota will most certainly not be a hybrid.

Finally, Toyota plans to introduce an FJ Cruiser Convertible concept at SEMA. Reportedly sporting a removable hardtop, sources say that the concept is likely a production prototype in disguise since going to all that trouble engineering a removable hardtop for one vehicle would be silly. To get an idea of what the FJ Cruiser Convertible will look like, take a peek at the aftermarket version.

So there you have it – Toyota's 2008 SEMA lineup. Now that the information's out there, hopefully Toyota will start releasing official pics soon, as well.

[Source: Popular Mechanics]

Though rumors are still swirling beneath the surface that General Motors may be working on a true mid-engine Corvette that would be sold alongside the next-generation C7 model, no one really expects such a paradigm shifting car to ever see the light of day. That hasn't stopped Phil Somers from American Super Car, who is building a mid-engine car with a Sting Ray body powered by a 1,000-hp, twin-turbo LS V8 for this year's SEMA Show in Las Vegas. Called the V7twinturbo, the car is built on a tube chassis and has an independant suspension that supposedly can handle the stampede of ponies beneath the car's rear-hinged engine cover. Shifting will happen via paddles that operate a Mendeola transaxle, while every other aspect including braking, steering and handling will be top notch, as well. The picture above is of a scale model that's been photoshopped for effect, which is good because those DUB rims need to go.

[Source: MaxChevy via Jalopnik]

Click the image to see our huge high-res gallery.

A while back we profiled a small collection of classic American and European iron that was housed in a fairly nondescript warehouse amidst a sea of other similar buildings in Southern California. Inside, we found not only some great cars, but bikes, scooters, automobilia and even airplanes! Today's installment in this recurring series takes us to Las Vegas. We've already visited the new Exotic Cars at Caesars Palace when we covered the US launch of the Koenigsegg CCX, but this time we are looking at a huge collection housed across the Strip from Caesars. Billed as "The World's Largest Classic Car Showroom," it's buried inside the Imperial Palace, on the fifth floor of the parking garage. It's essentially a 125,000 square-foot showroom displaying a rotating selection of "250 World Class Automobiles."

There is an admission charge of $6.95 for adults or $3.00 for Seniors and children, but free passes can be printed from the website or found in the numerous attraction guides you find all over Sin City. Once you find the right elevator, you'll be greeted by some of the most beautiful and rare vehicles you've ever seen. Unfortunately, they are bathed in some of the worst lighting ever devised. But that didn't stop us from taking tons of pics and putting together a gallery for you to sample what they have. You'll have to visit The Auto Collections yourself to really experience what these cars are like in person. And don't be surprised to see a completely different set of vehicles on display should you go. This is a dealership after all. And vehicles are also on display from other collections that sometimes make road trips to national events. Most of the vehicles have handy placards, as well, to help you identify them and learn a bit of their historic significance.

Follow the jump for the rest of the story.

In 2005, it was Honda. GM, Ford and DaimlerChrysler shared the honors in 2006 to celebrate the history of American Muscle. This year, the 41st annual SEMA Show in Las Vegas has named Toyota the "Official Vehicle Manufacturer of the Show". It's an honor that has more to do with branding the Las Vegas Convention Center with your logo than anything else, and this year, Toyota's logo will be the most prevalent to show goers.

Spurred by the success of Scion in the aftermarket customization industry, Toyota attempted last year to introduce the Tundra to the same audience that installs brush gaurds on their F-150s and bed liners in their Silverado. This year, Lexus will also be in tow and enjoy its first official presence at the SEMA Show.

As always, the SEMA Show occurs in late October/early November (10/30 to 11/2) and we'll be on hand with a small army to cover all the auto stuff Las Vegas has to offer.

[Source: Toyota]

Only in Vegas. Madame Tussaud's unveiled their latest ghastly likenesses; we're not sure if the fact that the subjects are still alive makes it more creepy. The work is uncanny in its accuracy and lifelike look, and if you're in Vegas, Tussaud's is a veritable family attraction. The reason for the paraffin-ization of the left-turning legends was the kickoff of this weekend's races at Las Vegas's own Motor Speedway. The flesh and blood Petty and Earnhardt were on hand for the debut of their inanimate doppelgangers at the Neon Garage, though we're not sure if they'll be paying any visits to the exhibit's permanent home at the Venetian. They could roam the exhibit halls and catch glimpses of such luminaries as John Holmes (we're not sure if it's all of "Wad," or a partial model) Siegfried and Roy (before or after the mauling, again, not sure), and of course Fat Elvis. Good times, good times. Now, where's that buffet...

[Source: TCC]