Italy's disappearing supercars
You'd think that the home of Ferrari and Lamborghini would be filled with exotic metal, prancing stallions jostling rampant bulls for space in day-to-day traffic - the daily commute like an auto show in motion. You'd be wrong.
In fact, even as the makers of supercars expand their worldwide sales, at-home ownership of supercars is at an all-time low and circling the drain. In 2010, Lambo sold 96 cars in its home market. 2011 saw 72 scissor-doored machines leave Italian showrooms, and in 2012, just 60 cars. By comparison, total world sales have nearly doubled. So what gives?
The problem isn't speed limits, snarled traffic, or expensive fuel prices - it's the carabinieri. The Italian police, tired of tax-dodging high rollers, have started pulling over every supercar they see and checking their tax declarations.
Claiming you only cleared the equivalent of $50,000 last year? Then kindly explain this $500,000 Ferrari, sir. Oops.
Aside from the obvious Robin Hood PR-friendly angle for the government, tax evasion is a real problem
for Italy's government as it struggles to fund social programs - the overall public response has been largely in favour of the crackdown. Needless to say, Ferrari and Lamborghini executives are a bit steamed.
Car customizer Dean Jeffries passes away
When the music played and the four actor/musicians took to 1960s TV screens, the refrain was always the same: "Hey hey, we're the Monkees, and people say we monkey around." Then the four would drive off somewhere in an outlandish red hot rod.
Today we mark the passing of a man who was a master of monkeying around with the automobile. Not only did Dean Jeffries design the Monkeemobile and put the first coat of paint on the very first Shelby Cobra, he's also the guy behind the '32 Ford on the cover of the Beach Boys' Little Deuce Coupe album. He also did some paintwork on James Dean's doomed Porsche 550 Spyder.
A contemporary of well-known Batmobile builder George Barris, Jeffries also was a skilled stunt driver and had film credits for The Blues Brothers and Die Hard With A Vengeance. He was right at the center of American car culture, all through the golden years of the automobile, and he will be missed.
BMW i3 electric car to cost around $40,000
Once a manufacturer you could count on to put driving feel above all else, BMW has been steadily repositioning itself as a champion of futuristic efficiency solutions. Remember the wild-looking Bimmer from the last Mission Impossible flick? Stuff like that.
Those of us who remember the blue-and-white roundel's purist-pleasing past aren't going to be especially thrilled about their upcoming electro-pod, but fans of saving fuel surely will be. The plug-in machine will also be available with a range-extending gasoline engine sourced from BMW's motorcycle division.
Official pricing is not completely released, but the rumour is somewhere around the $40,000 range, perhaps slightly more to Canadian consumers. That's about the same price as a Nissan Leaf, and you have to wonder whether BMW's ownership of Mini will combine to make the car a sort of plug-in hot-hatchback. One can only hope.
GM president wants a Chevy-badged FRS
General Motors head honcho Mark Reuss wants "a really nice, light, rear-drive car that's inexpensive." Who doesn't?
Wait, turns out he wants a car like that to join the Chevrolet lineup. Sir, first you had my curiosity, but now you have my attention.
Of course, while everyone in their mid-20s hears "inexpensive, light, rear-drive Chevy" and thinks "mini-Camaro," everyone in their mid-50s thinks "Chevette." And not in a good way.
Still, that was old GM, and this is a new, more globally focussed company that has good product on the ground and a strong sports car heritage. Could they make a viable successor to the Miata or Toyobaru? Well, the Pontiac Solstice was fairly OK if you sourced it with the turbo engine. What's more, base the machine on a cut-down version of the chassis under-pinning the Cadillac ATS, and there might just be something there.
Of course, this is all American Apple-Pie-in-the-sky at this point. Even so, with the Camaro and Mustang fully fledged muscle cars, perhaps a new breed of owners would take to a smaller pony car.
Watch this space for all the best and worst of automotive news, or submit your own auto oddities to brakingnews@gmail. com. Follow Brendan on Twitter at @brendan_mcaleer.
