Now that is customer service: Steve Lussier, mayor of Sherbrooke in Quebec Eastern Townships, was ready for a new car, and as a hybrid vehicle owner for the past 15 years, wanted something electric.But his long-trusted Infiniti-Nissan dealership the one he bought his Infiniti Q50 Hybrid and (rare) Nissan Pathfinder Hybrid (still owns it) from didnt have a new 100-per-cent electric model to offer him.Odds are it wont for another two or three years.So the dealership pulled some strings and got him what he wanted, a used 2018 Tesla Model 3 with just 30,000 kilometers on the clock, traded in by a local businessman.In one day, the transaction was done, says Lussier, who took delivery of the well-equipped full-electric sedan last Friday. I still have discover some of its features its such an advanced-techno car but for now, I very happy about it.Our story would normally end here, but Infiniti Sherbrooke posted about the deal on its social media and inadvertently inspired numerous blog posts blowing the whole thing up headlines along the lines of mayor turning green or Infiniti dealership admits it doesn’t have electric models.The dealerships Facebook page was flooded with comments about how the brand, in an effort to retain a loyal customer, instead lost him to Elon Musk, or how Infinitis doing Teslas marketing for it.Jean-Sbastien Poulin, co-owner of Infiniti de Sherbrooke, cant believe all this fuss when, bottom line, his client wanted an electric car. Infinitis brand doesnt have yet an electric car. So I found a solution.There are plenty of dealerships that sell other brands vehicles to accommodate their customers why all these roadblocks suddenly thrown at us?And of course, Infiniti isnt the only luxury brand without a pure electric offering. Try shopping for EVs at Acura, Mercedes-Benz, Lincoln, Cadillac, Land Rover or even Lexus, the haut-de-gamme arm of hybrid hype-builder Toyota. Yes, Lussier could have bought an Infiniti-adjacent Nissan Leaf, a good vehicle (he) recently test-drove for a whole week, but he says its not where I wanted to go. Ditto the thought of heading to Sherbrooke BMW for a new i3.He wasnt content waiting a year on an admittedly attractive new Polestar, and could have been lured into a Jaguar I-Pace if the brand had had staff on hand to answer his questions when he visited the Salon du véhicule électrique in Saint-Hyacinthe last October. Oops.But then, Lussier was already hooked on a Tesla anyway. I put a $1,000 a year ago to reserve a brand-new one, he told Driving.ca. After a test drive last summer, he fell in love with the Californian electric sedan. One of my municipal councillors already owns one, and he loves it, too.Lussier didnt suddenly turn green either. (Next week at city hall,) we are going to announce additional funding to help our citizens finance their home EV-charging stations, the Mayor confided to this author.We have been doing so with a $500 municipal subsidy since 2013, but it became so popular, with more than 300 requests a year, we had to review the budget allowance. So well reveal something else next Monday.Even greener, Lussier says hes set to purchase his first electric motocross bike from the local Valcourt Bombardier (BRP), which last February bought up the now-defunct California-based Alta all-electric motorcycle company.Asked if he will eventually buy an electric Infiniti when they hit the Sherbrooke showroom, Lussier says Im eager to test-drive what my dealership will offer, but if ever I want to buy another Tesla, I know that once again, it will accommodate
Origin: An Infiniti dealership sells a Tesla to Sherbrooke’s mayor – and everybody goes crazy
sells
Kia Canada sells its 1 millionth vehicle in Quebec – and this customer gets her Kia Soul for free
Walking into Kia Sherbrooke to shop for a new vehicle, Sonia Blais was not in high spirits.The special education teacher from Magog, Quebec had recently become a single mother of two, with a looming divorce sapping her finances, an expensive holiday season at her door and an already harsh winter blowing over her Eastern Townships home.But a new car is what she need, so after weighing her options, she picked out a Kia Soul, a stylish subcompact, delivered, of course, with Quebecs mandatory winter tires. She paid via a roughly $25,000 loan, with financing.The purchase also made Blais, unbeknownst to her, Kia Canadas one millionth customer, a milestone that coincidentally lined up with the Korean brands 20th anniversary in this country.Even more coincidentally, Kia Sherbrooke was among the brands first concessionnaires here, selling more than a handful of the first 1,417 Sportage and Sephias to hit Canadian shores back in 1999.When Kia head office rang dealership owner Daniel Beaucage, from Groupe Beaucage, over Blais new purchase, he assumed it was over a problem with the order. Not quite, it turns outBlais was invited back to the dealership with her millionième Kia for a little ceremony this past Thursday, hosted by the new VP and COO of Kia Canada, Elias El-Achhab.She figured out from that she was in for some sort of surprise. Beaucage and co-owner Tommy Morissette started off by announcing a list of $2,000 worth of options they wanted to gift her like a remote start to keep her warm, and a bike rack, since shes a frequent rider.Then El-Achhab interrupted the declaration: C’est nous qui payons votre Kia Soul, or We are going to pay your Kia Soul.Blais croaked out a Really? before starting to cry. Kia means it when it says its cars have the power to surprise.Morissette told Driving.ca that Blais really touched its sales representatives, and everybody at the dealership was so happy luck befell her in particular.She moved us with the work shes been doing for the past 22 years with learning disabilities kids, he said. She said she never won anything in her whole life, but now shes driving one of our vehicles her second Kia were going to take very good care of her, and her Soul.For those wondering if a million vehicles is a big milestone, consider that, these days, about two million new vehicles are sold in Canada every year.When Honda Canada celebrated its 50th anniversary March 2019, the manufacturer of Canadas best-selling car, the Civic, claimed just over four million vehicles
Origin: Kia Canada sells its 1 millionth vehicle in Quebec – and this customer gets her Kia Soul for free
Blink-182 drummer sells classic Cadillac on Bring a Trailer
Travis Barker, best known as the drummer for Blink-182, has quite a penchant for classic cars mostly Cadillacs, if you couldnt tell from his tattoos of the brands logo. But now, some lucky bidder is getting out the pocketbook to own one of Barkers old customs, courtesy of Bring a Trailer.The 1970 Cadillac Eldorado owned, until yesterday, by Barker was modified by Radioactive Kustoms of Van Nuys, California, and features some subtle touches to make it stand out (paint not included; the tri-tone metal flake gold is anything but subtle).The Caddy has been lowered, the door handles and outside trim have been shaved. Whitewall tires and Wheel Vintiques hubcaps complete the look. The vehicle was also given the name Conquistador II by its builders Bob Falini, John DAgostino, Mike Garner and Tony Wood.Powering the beast is a 500-cubic-inch V8 coupled to a three-speed automatic transmission, sending driving power to the front wheels only. This isnt the first vehicle the skin-smasher has sold on Bring a Trailer either; previous cars liquidated from his collection via the site include a 1976 Cadillac Eldorado, 1964 Buick Riviera with custom hydraulics, 1965 Chevrolet El Camino, 1954 Cadillac Coupe Deville, 19741 Cadillac four-door convertible and a 1951 Chevrolet Pickup.Its worth mentioning these vehicles are some of the most tastefully modified weve ever seen a celebrity own. Im sure were all sick of folks gold-wrapping their Bugatti Veyrons, or dipping their Bentley in hot pink paint, but Barker seems to like things more classic and kustom.The Cadillac was sold with no reserve on the bidding for US$12,500, which aint bad, but is less than the last time it was put up for auction. About a year prior, Barker listed the Caddy and it did not sell after topping out at a US$16,000
Origin: Blink-182 drummer sells classic Cadillac on Bring a Trailer
2017 Ford GT sells at auction for triple its original price
A 2017 Ford GT 66 Heritage edition just crossed the block at Barrett-Jackson Las Vegas for US$1.54 million, more than three times its original sale price of US$450,000.The GT only had 30 miles (50 km) on the odometer, which is even less than a previously pristine example that sold at Bonhams during Monterey Car Week. The Bonhams car had 120 miles (193 km) on the odo, and sold for US$1.05 million.A third GT recently sold by RM Sothebys in Monterey fetched US$1.24 million; it had 400 miles (643 km) on the clock, but was painted in a standard shade of orange.The contract that buyers of the incredible Ford supercar originally signed barred them from reselling the vehicle for two years. Fords original plan was to deliver the vehicles only to customers who would actually want to get out and use the highly capable car on the track, or at least show it off. Instead, it seems like the two-year no-sale period just served to add value to the vehicles, with those who invested waiting until auction day to make a big profit.John Cena infamously tried to sell his blue GT well before the two-year clause in his contract had come up, and ended up getting in serious trouble. After making its way through various auctions, the highest price it ever sold for was US$1.4 million.The highest price ever paid for a GT so far was US$2.5 million, as part of a charity auction put on by Ford before the official two-year no-sale restriction was lifted. That car was also a Heritage Edition, though it was different from a 66 Heritage
Origin: 2017 Ford GT sells at auction for triple its original price
Toyota Supra listed for US$200K sells for US$100K
2020 Toyota Supra. A manufacturer’s suggested retail price (MSRP) is a figure determined by a brand to give an indication of how much a certain product should cost in a particular market. But due to the fluctuating power of demand, that number doesn’t always equate to what people end up paying. The Toyota GR Supra is a good example of the principle of supply and demand in effect, because while Toyota Canada has labelled the 2020 Toyota car’s MSRP at $65,000, it’s been selling for more than that. A Florida dealership recently decided to test just how far above that MSRP buyers would be willing to stretch to get a slice of that tasty new Supra pie. Jalopnik initially spotted this red 2020 Supra Launch Edition up for sale on Autotrader via Toyota Kia of Vero Beach in Florida, listed for an ambitious price of US$198,563. That’s nearly US$140,000 over the MSRP of US$55,250! But when editors checked back on the ad a week or so later, the price had been cut to US$58,361. That prompted Jalopnik to reach out to ask what was up with the price, and that’s when they learned the dealership had in fact sold the car. Not for the US$200K previously listed, or the US$60K adjusted price, but a nice round US$100K. The Launch Edition trim, which was applied exclusively to the first 1,500 new Supras off the line, offers special red side mirrors, black wheels and some badging along with the exclusivity. Is that worth US$40,000 over MSRP? Whoever that Florida buyer was isn’t the only one who thinks so—a Texas dealership recently moved one for a similar
Origin: Toyota Supra listed for US$200K sells for US$100K
Porsche sells no more than two duplicate sports cars per year
2019 Porsche 911 GT3 RS A point of pride for most gearheads is the ability to claim their car is unique to another example of the same make and model. This helps to explain why we gravitate towards the aftermarket catalog after hauling home a new ride.After all, why should a person who only knows where the gas goes drive the same exact same machine as someone who knows the firing order?Porsche, king of raking in option-sheet profits, seems to realize this. In an interview with U.K. outlet Autocar, the automakers Zuffenhausen plant manager said the brand sells no more than a pair of identical 911 or 718 models annually. This is great news for gearhead fans of the brand, especially the anoraks who memorize VINs and option codes.Here in Canada, the company offers a spellcheck-vexing program called Porsche Exclusive Manufaktur. It offers buyers a wide range of options for customization, starting with a consultation with a panel of design eggheads. Contrasting seat colours, detailed trim packages, even decorative stitching is on tap. Feel free to click that link to check it out, but know that your productivity will suffer for the rest of the day. All this is, of course, in addition to the minefield of mechanical options one can fit to a 911 or 718. Sure, the guy down the road might also have one in Guards Red, too, but did he select the rear wiper? Of course not. His doesnt have the Sport Chrono Package either, an unforgivable omission. Toss in other interior and exterior frou-frou (leather-trimmed vents and painted washer nozzles, for example) and one begins to understand how Porsche can make this claim.With Porsches level of customization, theres little chance youll see yourself at the next
Origin: Porsche sells no more than two duplicate sports cars per year
Burt Reynolds’ personal Pontiac Trans Am sells for US$317,500
Burt Reynolds personal 1979 Pontiac Trans AmJuliens Another one of Burt Reynolds personal Pontiac Trans Am Smokey and the Bandit replicas sold at a Juliens auction over the weekend for US$317,500.According to Hagerty, the connection to the late actor has a serious effect on the value of Bandit replicas (even if theyre the wrong year, like this one).A 1979 Pontiac Firebird Trans Am with a 220-horsepower 400-cubic-inch V8 has an average value of US$61,400 in top-flight concours condition, while one in excellent condition is worth US$44,900.That means the star power of it being Burts own 79 Bird more than quadrupled anything resembling a reasonable price for the car. A more-accurate 78 Trans Am also owned by Reynolds sold for US$192,500 last October.Burt Reynolds passed away last September, leaving behind tons on memorabilia and cars from his glory days. In 2016, a 1977 Pontiac Trans Am that was used to promote the original Smokey and the Bandit film sold for US$550,000, and was even driven on stage by Reynolds himself. This particular car is a 1979 model, which isnt totally correct for the movie but is still cool. It was created by Bandit Movie Cars for Reynolds and his business partner, Gene Kennedy, to take on the Bandit Run, an event that gathers lovers of the original film together to drive their Trans Ams on the same journey Burt takes in the original film.The car has also been taken on several cross-country trips that celebrated the 40th anniversary of the film, but despite this, it still has only 70,000 original miles on the
Origin: Burt Reynolds’ personal Pontiac Trans Am sells for US$317,500
This is how many manual transmission cars Toyota actually sells
2020 Toyota Corolla SGraeme Fletcher / Driving When the Toyota Supra came out with an automatic-only transmission, every enthusiast on the planet cried Where’s the manual!? without thinking for a second about how hard it actually is to sell a car with a manual transmission these days. That’s especially true for Toyota; if you ask them, it’s next to impossible. In a dinner conversation with Toyota spokesperson Nancy Hubbell, CarBuzz got some exact numbers re: how many stickshifts the Japanese automaker actually moves off the lots in its various cars, so let’s take a look. Let’s start with the 86, which is Toyota’s sportiest car. Just 33 per cent of buyers opted for the manual transmission in the compact coupe, which means two-thirds of buyers still went for the six-speed automatic. The 86 is one of the most affordable sports cars you can buy today, and if 66 per cent of people buying one still go for the automatic, it paints a pretty bleak picture for the transmission as a whole. Toyota also offers a brand-new manual transmission on its redesigned Corolla hatchback; the six-speed unit makes for a fun little city car at a cheap price, but do you think that’s enough to get people to buy the three-pedal? Nope. The take rate for the manual Corolla hatch is just 15 percent. If you expand the sales to include the Corolla sedan, then the numbers drop to less than one per cent. Tacoma and Yaris buyers are also opting for the automatic 95 per cent of the time, which pushed Toyota to remove the manual as an option for the 2020 Yaris hatchback. So as usual, it’s not the problem of manufacturers not making manual transmission cars, it’s the consumer’s fault for not buying them in the first place. Although, we would argue that if more interesting cars were made with manuals, perhaps people would buy
Origin: This is how many manual transmission cars Toyota actually sells
1,000-horsepower Mopar engine sells out in two days
Mopar is celebrating HEMI Day (4/26) by opening orders for the 1,000 horsepower “Hellephant” 426 Supercharged Crate HEMI® Engine and Kit. Originally unveiled at the 2018 SEMA Show in Las Vegas last fall, the “Hellephant” is a Mopar-first for a 1,000-horsepower crate engine kit offered by an Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM), paired with a stunning 950 lb.-ft. of torque. Chrysler’s new 1,000-horsepower crate engine just sold out in two days, despite its US$30,000 price tag. Expect to see a lot of well-heeled people going really fast really soon. Offered by Fiat Chrysler’s Mopar division, the 426-cubic-inch (7.0-litre) engine was dubbed the “Hellelephant,” a combination of Hellcat engine and elephant, a nickname given to the big, heavy, and powerful 426-cid engines of Chrysler’s past. Mopar announced it would start taking pre-orders on April 26 – known to enthusiasts as “Hemi Day” because the date is 4-26 – and according to website Allpar, an FCA spokesperson said “given the high demand and the hand-built, time-intensive build process, we have closed pre-ordering for the 426 Hellephant Supercharged Hemi crate engine.” The company didn’t reveal exactly how many pre-orders that was, but Allpar speculated that it might be one hundred. The engine doesn’t come with Mopar’s usual warranty of three years or 160,000 kilometres, just ninety-day coverage against defects in production, and not for engines used in racing. The $29,995 engine price doesn’t include the wiring harness or powertrain control module, which come in an optional plug-and-play kit for an additional $2,265. The engine, which has a 3.0-litre supercharger and makes 950 lb-ft of torque, could possibly be opened up again to more orders in future, but for now, it’s only a lucky few who’ll be putting this powerful pachyderm under their
Origin: 1,000-horsepower Mopar engine sells out in two days
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