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Report: Initial D manga ends 18-year run with ‘Final Stage’

Filed under: Etc., Japan, TV/Movies

initial D

Initial D, the Japanese manga that helped popularize drifting and make the AE-86 generation Toyota Corolla (Trueno in Japan) the cult classic that it is today, has finally ended after 18 years of publication. The last installment, called Final Stage, was released in late July, in the August 6 edition of Young Magazine, reports The Truth About Cars.

If you don’t read the manga (a Japanese comic) perhaps you’ve watched the anime (a Japanese animated movie or TV show) series that it spawned, or the live-action movie from 2005 (which has some cool drifting scenes). What stands out the most about Initial D are the cars, which are drawn accurately and animated fluidly on paper or the TV screen – representing an acute understanding by the technical artists of how cars look and behave while they’re being driven.

As is often the case with manga-anime relationships, the Initial D manga takes storyline priority with the anime following loosely behind. Though the manga has ended, TTAC reports that another series of Initial D episodes (and another live-action movie) will be produced to tie things up for fans of the anime.

Initial D manga ends 18-year run with ‘Final Stage’ originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 09 Aug 2013 08:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Final Cadillac DTS goes to Bulgari Collection

Filed under: Sedan, Cadillac, GM

Final Cadillac DTS

Final Cadillac DTS rolls off the assembly line – Click above for high-res image gallery

Famed Italian car collector (and luxury goods retailer) Nicola Bulgari owns no less than 14 Cadillacs, ranging from historic beauties like a 1932 355B V12 Fleetwood Limousine to modern marvels like the 2009 CTS-V sedan and 2010 CTS Sport Wagon. Now, Bulgari has added a 15th Caddy to his collection: the very last DTS sedan to roll off GM’s Detroit assembly lines.

No, the DTS isn’t as audacious as everything else in Bulgari’s garage, but the Italian collector is extremely fond of the Wreath and Crest’s current flagship.

“I like the DTS because it’s a great sedan. It’s the last of an era. I thought it would be wonderful to own the last Northstar in a DTS. It’s one of the best engines ever designed – reliable and a performer.”

General Motors has ended the Cadillac DTS’ production run in order to make way for the upcoming XTS flagship, which is nearing the end of its development. “I’ve seen the XTS Concept,” says Bulgari. “I know it’s superior. The DTS was a great sedan for its time, but it’s a different world, a new period. It’s time for something different.” Couldn’t have said it better ourselves…

Follow the jump for GM’s official release.

Continue reading Final Cadillac DTS goes to Bulgari Collection

Final Cadillac DTS goes to Bulgari Collection originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 27 May 2011 17:32:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Video: Final Best Motoring battle pits LFA against GT-R, ZR1, 911 GT2 RS and F430 GT3

Best Motoring Fuji supercar battle – Click above to watch the video after the break

If you were one of the many automotive enthusiasts to shed a tear when it became known that Japan’s Best Motoring set off for the giant junkyard in the sky, we have a little piece of good news to cheer you up: there’s one final track battle for your viewing pleasure.

Even better news: Best Motoring went out with a bang, pitting the Lexus LFA up against such performance benchmarks as the Nissan GT-R, Chevrolet Corvette ZR1, Porsche 911 GT2 RS and Ferrari F430 GT3.

Yes, there are two almost-race-cars in the mix there along with three machines intended solely for the street, but it doesn’t really matter. All such contests should be taken with a grain of salt anyway.

When it’s all said and done, what we have here are five mouth-watering supercars on a track together being driven in anger. Want to know how it all shakes out? Check out the video after the break.

Continue reading Final Best Motoring battle pits LFA against GT-R, ZR1, 911 GT2 RS and F430 GT3

Final Best Motoring battle pits LFA against GT-R, ZR1, 911 GT2 RS and F430 GT3 originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 17 May 2011 19:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Mercedes-Benz gears up for the demise of the G-Class with BA3 Final Edition and Edition Select

Filed under: SUV, Europe, Mercedes-Benz, Luxury, Off-Road

Mercedes-Benz G500 Edition Select

Mercedes-Benz G500 Edition Select – Click above for high-res image gallery

The Hummer is gone. The Land Rover Defender is to be replaced. The Toyota Land Cruiser has let itself go over the years into a bloated luxo-barge. One of the last remaining icons of hardcore off-road SUVs is the Mercedes-Benz G-Class, and it is soon to be replaced as well. But before it does, Mercedes-Benz has announced a pair of special editions.

The BA3 Final Edition marks the end of production for the short-wheelbase three-door G-Wagen. The farewell special is distinguished by body-colored fender flares, an AMG grille, 18-inch alloys and extra chrome inside and out, with black leather interior offset by walnut burr veneers and ambient lighting.

While the long-wheelbase five-door model will continue on for a while longer, it hasn’t been left out of the special treatment. The Edition Select gets contrasting black trim with blacked-out 18-inch alloys, AMG-spec sports exhaust and a two-tone leather cabin with piano lacquer trim.

The Edition Select comes exclusively in G500 spec with a 5.5-liter V8, while the BA3 Final Edition can also be had as a G350 with BlueTec diesel six. Both models pack all the off-road equipment you can shake a stick at, but appear to be available exclusively overseas for the time being. So we’ll just have to bide our time until the Gelandewagen’s eventual replacement rolls around, and content ourselves with the details in the press release after the jump and the high-res photos in the gallery below.

Continue reading Mercedes-Benz gears up for the demise of the G-Class with BA3 Final Edition and Edition Select

Mercedes-Benz gears up for the demise of the G-Class with BA3 Final Edition and Edition Select originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 05 May 2011 16:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Report: Lotus to phase out Toyota-powered Elise and Exige with special Final Editions

Filed under: Convertible, Performance, Lotus, Specialty

2009 Lotus Exige S260

2009 Lotus Exige S260 – Click above for high-res image gallery

Lotus’s supply of Toyota 2ZZ-GE engines has finally run out, meaning production of the company’s highly popular Exige and Elise will come to an abrupt halt in July. To commemorate its track-day superstars’ success, Lotus will send the cars off with an extremely limited number of Final Editions. With Lotus up to its axles in financial uncertainty, this may represent your last chance to get your hands on a new Lotus Elise or Exige.

There are two trim levels planned for the Exige’s parting-shot model. Lotus says it will build 30 examples of the Exige S260 Final Edition for North America, with Lotus’ Track Pack, Tour Pack and LSD as standard. If that’s not special enough for you, Lotus is offering 25 customers the chance to have their S260 painted matte black. Price for the “standard” S260 is $67,500, with the matte-black version ringing the register at $69,900.

American and Canadian fans of the Elise have fewer options, with only 15 examples of the 2011 Lotus Elise SC Final Edition planned. Lotus says the car will get the buyer’s choice of four color schemes based on the Europe-only Elise Club Racer. To sweeten the deal, the Elise SC Final Edition will come loaded to the gunnels with options. Price for the last Elise is $57,500. If you’re hoping to get your hands on a Final Edition, get in line now.

Gallery: Review: 2009 Lotus Exige S 260

Gallery: Geneva 2010: 2011 Lotus Elise

[Source: GGLotus]

Report: Lotus to phase out Toyota-powered Elise and Exige with special Final Editions originally appeared on Autoblog on Sat, 16 Apr 2011 15:22:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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New Buick “brand anthem” ad breaks during NCAA Final Four

Filed under: Sedan, Performance, Marketing/Advertising, Videos, Buick, Luxury

Buick “What Matters” TV spot – Click above to watch video after the jump

This weekend, Buick is introducing a new ad the company calls its “brand anthem.” Car companies do this once in a while. It’s almost always a 60-second TV spot meant to illustrate a new idea of what the brand represents.

In Buick’s case, its new anthem, to paraphrase, is “luxury for regular folks.” The actual message the ad carries is, “Your Kind of Luxury.” Buick says this is not a permanent tagline or slogan, but that it is dropping “The New Class of World Class,” which it’s been using as a tag for more than a year. The brand will go without a consistent slogan in future.

Buick is the brand that, more than any other, is trying to tell the public that times have changed. “Quiet” luxury is in, the marketers say. Buick ad chief Craig Bierley says that Buick is going back to its image roots established in the 1950s and 60s. He describes Buick in those years as the perfect car for the doctor who made house calls. If the doc drove a Cadillac, he would be saying that his rates were to high, Bierley explained. If he drove a Chevy or Dodge, he wasn’t successful enough. Buick conveys authority and taste without showing off.

Buick is a big sponsor of the NCAA Men’ Basketball Tournament. In many ways, it’s the perfect marketing vehicle for Buick, reaching young sports fans as well as the older ones who are watching their alma maters compete in the Final Four. If they have alma maters, they’re college educated. If they’re college educated, it figures they have money to spend.

Buick buyers’ average age is in the low 60s, a nice drop from 70s, which it was in 2009.

Cadillac, the Buick marketers tell us, is for people who like to show off their success. Buick is for the successful person with a more understated lifestyle. In other words, Caddy is the brand for the college hoops stars who are going pro. Buick is for the people who buy the tickets. Check out the new spot after the jump.

[Source: Buick via YouTube]

Continue reading New Buick “brand anthem” ad breaks during NCAA Final Four

New Buick “brand anthem” ad breaks during NCAA Final Four originally appeared on Autoblog on Sat, 02 Apr 2011 18:07:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Final laps of 2011 Daytona 200 lead to controversy, Ducati’s first victory [w/video]

Filed under: Motorsports, Motorcycle, Racing

Jason DiSalvo, 2011 Daytona 200

Jason DiSalvo wins the 2011 Daytona 200 – Click above for high-res image gallery

While this year’s Daytona 200 was a great day for Ducati and its 848 EVO, it left something to be desired for everyone else. The race was blighted by tire issues, a bad final-lap crash that the riders were lucky to walk away from and a controversy stemming from Ducati’s win.

The controversy started with a red flag late in the race and a mandatory tire change for all riders. On the same lap, Ducati rider Jason DiSalvo blew a cylinder on his machine. Eventually, race officials decided to re-start around 3:30 and run the rest of the 200 as a 15-lap sprint to the finish. Besides angering fans who paid to see a 200-mile single race and would end up with 147 miles over two races, the delay allowed DiSalvo’s team time to change his blown engine.

With permission from the AMA, DiSalvo was back in the race. In the final seconds of the all-out 15-lap sprint to the finish, DiSalvo passed Cory West on a draft to take the win. That wasn’t the end, though. Since there had been a red flag, there was some confusion as to who should be crowned the victor.

There was talk of letting the results from the lap before the red flag stand. That would have meant the race ended with Josh Herrin out front, JD Beach in second and Jake Zemke third. Officials decided, however, that since the top six riders had crossed the line before the red flag fell and everyone else was still on the previous lap, the results from the 15-lap sprint would decide the winner.

That meant that Jason Di Salvo, who before the red flag was out of the race, was crowned race winner, followed by Cory West and Jake Zemke. The result was no doubt a great moment for Ducati and DiSalvo, but left the guys who were ahead before the red flag and the fans who saw a shortened race feeling understandably spurned.

Click past the jump for a press release from Ducati celebrating the victory and a video of the closing laps of the 2011 Daytona 200.

Gallery: Jason DiSalvo wins the 2011 Daytona 200

Jason DiSalvo leads the Daytona 200 Jason DiSalvo wins the Daytona 200

[Source: Motorcycle USA, Axis Of Oversteer, Ducati]

Continue reading Final laps of 2011 Daytona 200 lead to controversy, Ducati’s first victory [w/video]

Final laps of 2011 Daytona 200 lead to controversy, Ducati’s first victory [w/video] originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 16 Mar 2011 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Final Numbers: 2011 Detroit Auto Show was bigger than 2010 in every way

Filed under: Detroit Auto Show

Detroit Auto Show

The 2011 North American International Auto Show wasn’t exactly chock-full of game-changing new product, but that didn’t keep the media and public from making it a much bigger success than the 2010 show. Crain’s Detroit Business reports that the 2011 Detroit Auto Show held 5,000 members of the international media during press days and 21,000 guests (5,000 more than in 2010) during the two-day industry preview. The annual charity preview saw another 10,500 guests, raising $2.6 million for charity.

That’s good news, but the top headlines for the struggling Detroit area are reserved for the $325 to $350 million in total estimated economic impact – about $25 million more than in 2010. A grand total of 735,370 members of the general public purchased tickets to NAIAS; up 20,000 from the 2010 show. Now that’s certainly a step in the right direction.

[Source: Crain’s Detroit Business | Image: Stan Honda/AFP/Getty Images]

Final Numbers: 2011 Detroit Auto Show was bigger than 2010 in every way originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 26 Jan 2011 17:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Spy Shots: Lincoln MKT Hearse looks to be one swanky final ride

Filed under: Spy Photos, Crossover, Lincoln, Specialty

Lincoln MKT hearse

Lincoln MKT hearse spy shots – Click above for high-res image gallery

Halloween may have been two months ago, but our quick-shooting spy photographers have just captured the first images of Lincoln’s upcoming MKT hearse. (Yes, hearse.) With the impending death of the Town Car not too far ahead, Ford Motor Company has already stated that the Flex-based MKT crossover will be uplifted to serve a variety of special livery duties. This means that in addition to this rather fetching hearse, we can probably expect to see stretched limousine versions of the MKT in the not-too-distant future.

It isn’t immediately clear if this MKT hearse is fully a factory effort or if Ford is conducting testing with an aftermarket livery company, but this prototype has been spotted in Ford’s usual stomping grounds, and it boasts a Michigan Manufacturer license plate. The tester seen here appears to be powered by the automaker’s 3.7-liter V6, an engine that’s currently available in the base MKT, and that seems just fine by us. After all, there really isn’t any need for the more powerful EcoBoost V6 in a vehicle that’s designed for slow, sorrow-filled processions. The prototype’s stretched wheelbase and taller roof should provide ample room for even the largest of – ahem – passengers, and based on our experiences with the standard-issue MKT, things shouldn’t be too spartan for the driver, either.

Have a look at the full set of MKT Hearse spy shots in our high-resolution gallery below, and look for this larger-than-life (or death) Lincoln to start arriving at funeral homes near you.

Gallery: Spy Shots: Lincoln MKT Hearse

Lincoln MKT Hearse

[Source: Chris Doane/Brenda Priddy & Company]

Spy Shots: Lincoln MKT Hearse looks to be one swanky final ride originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 06 Dec 2010 15:56:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Shelby releases final specs on GT350 Mustang, power output ranges from fast to furious

Filed under: Aftermarket, Coupe, Performance, Ford

2011 Shelby GT350

2011 Shelby GT350 – Click above for high-res image gallery

Shelby American has finally released the specs on its 2011 Shelby GT350. Starting with a 2011 Ford Mustang GT, Shelby utilizes Ford’s 5.0-liter V8 engine but ups the ante a bit. The base GT350 is rated at 430 horsepower (the stock GT musters 412 hp). On the standard GT350, a Whipple supercharger can be added to boost power output to 525 hp – enough to propel the modified Mustang from 0-60 miles per hour in 3.7 seconds. If that’s not enough, the R tune version produces a monstrous 624 horses.

All 2011 Shelby GT350s are fitted with a long list of performance-aiding parts which include upgrades to the brakes, suspension and tires. As you can see above, they also wear unique Shelby aero and trim bits, a GT350 45th anniversary badge and a serialized Shelby GT350 dash plate.

Pricing for the naturally-aspirated Shelby GT350 conversion is set at $26,995 and the base supercharged car runs $33,995. Due to the 99-pony jump with the R tune, you would expect that package to cost close to $40,000, but it doesn’t. It’s just 750 bucks over the price of the standard supercharged kit. All of these prices, however, fail to include the cost of the donor Mustang GT. A full parts list and more performance stats are available in the press release after the jump.

Gallery: 2011 Shelby GT350

2011 Shelby GT350

[Source: Shelby]

Continue reading Shelby releases final specs on GT350 Mustang, power output ranges from fast to furious

Shelby releases final specs on GT350 Mustang, power output ranges from fast to furious originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 07 Oct 2010 16:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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